6 Amex Business Platinum card benefits you’ll want to activate right away, so you can enjoy hotel elite status, WeWork access, and more

Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

• If you want luxury travel benefits and solid rewards for your business, the Business Platinum® Card from American Express is worth a look.
• The card has a $595 fee, but it comes with some valuable perks that can be worth it.
• If you apply for the Business Platinum card, there are six benefits you’ll want to activate, including the annual airline fee credit and complimentary elite status with Marriott and Hilton.
• Read more personal finance coverage.

The Business Platinum Card from American Express is one of my favorite credit cards. It’s packed full of benefits that are perfect for small business owners and remote workers.

Some of the card’s perks aren’t provided automatically; you to activate them. So when you get your new Business Platinum card, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the benefits that are offered and take action so you can take advantage of them all.

Here are six things you should do when you first get the Amex Business Platinum card.

Keep in mind that we’re focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It’s important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back. 

Read more: Business Platinum Amex card review

Meet the minimum spending requirement to earn the welcome bonus

Before you do anything else, you’ll want to make sure you can meet the minimum spending requirement so you can earn the welcome bonus.

Right now, new cardholders can earn up to 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards points with the Amex Business Platinum. To earn the first 50,000 Membership Rewards points, you’ll have to charge $10,000 on your card within three months. In order to earn the additional 50,000 Membership Rewards points, you’ll have to charge a total of $25,000 on qualifying purchases with your card within three months.

These are relatively large minimum spending thresholds, so it may be best to get this card if your business has a big purchase coming up.

Read more:The best credit card welcome bonuses available now

Pick your designated airline for the annual airline fee credit

One of the best benefits of the Business Platinum card is up to $200 in annual airline fee credits. This credit alone, if used, will go a long way toward offsetting the card’s $595 annual fee.

Each year, you can select one qualifying airline for your fee credit, and the fee credit will pay for things such as seat selection fees, in-flight food and beverage purchases, and baggage fees. You can choose from the following airlines:

Alaska

American

Delta

Frontier

Hawaiian

JetBlue

Spirit

Southwest

United

While you might be tempted to choose the airline you fly the most, that doesn’t necessarily make sense. For example, if you have the airline’s credit card, you may already get free checked bags. And if you fly Southwest, many things are included for free. So keep in mind both what airlines you are most likely to fly and which are most likely to charge you fees so you can get the full $200 in benefits.

Read more:The best small-business credit cards

Activate your WeWork membership

Having access to WeWork for only $595 per year is a heck of a deal, considering that the regular WeWork membership starts around $200 per month. This is the number-one reason I’ve been loving my Amex Business Platinum card lately — it’s great to be able to work from a nice office when I’m at home and when I’m traveling.

While WeWork’s future is less than certain at this point, I’m happy to use this benefit as long as I can. As of now, you you can get a year-long WeWork membership from your Business Platinum Amex when you enroll by December 31, 2019. 

Activate elite status with Hilton and Marriott

Like the personal Platinum Card® from American Express, the Business Platinum Amex offers complimentary Gold elite status with two hotel programs: Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. Gold isn’t the highest tier of status with either hotel chain, but these two status levels get you perks like bonus points and the potential to score room upgrades.

While these two benefits are “automatic” in the sense that you don’t have to earn them, you do have to activate status with each loyalty pro gam. To activate Hilton Gold status, log in to your Amex account and find the Hilton Gold status benefit page when you’ve navigated to your Business Platinum account. To activate your Marriott Gold elite status, you’ll have to call 800-525-3355.

Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

Apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

Having access to speed through the security line or enter the US more quickly can make any travel day better. With the Amex Business Platinum card, you’ll be able to apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and have the application fee of up to $100 reimbursed. I recommend applying for Global Entry because it comes with TSA PreCheck.

After you apply, you’ll have to go into a Global Entry Enrollment Center (often at the airport) for a short interview and to have your photo and fingerprints taken. Depending on your home airport, it can take a few weeks to a few months to get an appointment, so it’s best to apply as soon as you can. If you already have Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, you can always use your application fee credit to pay for a family member or friend’s application.

Read more:Credit cards that will reimburse your Global Entry fee 

Enroll in Priority Pass for airport lounge access

And finally, the Amex Business Platinum card comes with a Priority Pass membership, which is another great way to make travel days more smooth and enjoyable. With Priority Pass, you’ll have access to over 1,200 airport lounges worldwide — you just have to enroll before you can access them. Don’t forget to do that when you get your new card by logging into your account online and hitting “enroll” under the Priority Pass section, so you have time to get your lounge access card before your next trip.

Click here to learn more about the Business Platinum card from American Express.

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