American Express® Business Platinum vs Ink Business Cash®
Side-by-side comparison
| American Express® Business Platinum | Ink Business Cash® | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $895 | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | Up to 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points | |
| Advertising | 1% | 1% |
| Shipping | 1% | 1% |
| Office supplies | 1% | 5% |
| Phone & internet | 1% | 5% |
| Travel | 5% | 1% |
| Everything else | 1% | 1% |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $642 | $684 |
| Points type | Transfers to airlines & hotels | Pools with Chase → transferable |
| Network | Amex | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified September 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | American Express® Business Platinum | Ink Business Cash® |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Up to 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points | $1,000 cash back |
| To earn it | $20,000 in 3 months | $8,000 in 4 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $4,277 | $1,684 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $1,277 | $684 |
The American Express® Business Platinum wins on both fronts: it comes out ahead in year one on the welcome offer and stays ahead every year after. Short term or long, it is the stronger pick on the numbers.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | American Express® Business Platinum | Ink Business Cash® |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | Yes — Centurion, Priority Pass, Delta Sky Club | None |
| Annual credits | ~$1,530/yr (7 credits) | None |
| Points & redemptions | Transferable to airline & hotel partners | Transferable (paired with a premium card) |
On perks and redemptions, only the American Express® Business Platinum gets you into airport lounges; the American Express® Business Platinum carries the heavier credit stack (about $1,530 a year). Weigh those against the fee, since credits and lounge access only count if you will actually use them.
Transfer partners and point value
The American Express® Business Platinum earns Amex Membership Rewards, which transfers to Delta, ANA, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, plus Hilton and Marriott. The Ink Business Cash® earns Chase Ultimate Rewards, reaching World of Hyatt, United, Air Canada, Southwest, and British Airways Avios. Most transfers are 1:1 on both, so the partners themselves, not the ratios, are what separate them.
The standout difference is the crown-jewel partner: for the American Express® Business Platinum it is ANA and Virgin Atlantic, the routes behind the famous business- and first-class sweet spots to Asia; for the Ink Business Cash® it is World of Hyatt at 1:1, widely considered the single best hotel transfer in points. Pick the program whose best partners match the trips you would actually book.
Both are business cards, but one is a premium travel card and the other a free everyday earner, so it’s about whether you’ll use $895 of perks.
The Business Platinum is a lounge-and-credits powerhouse with an enormous welcome bonus, justified only by real business travel. The Ink Business Cash quietly earns 5% on the categories nearly every business spends on, with no fee, and its points can transfer if paired with a premium Chase card. Premium travel perks vs free business cash.
Pros and cons
- 5x on flights and prepaid hotels
- Centurion and Priority Pass lounge access
- A big annual credit stack plus a huge welcome bonus
- Transferable Membership Rewards
- $895 fee, dependent on perks
- 1x on most everyday spend
- Credits are fragmented
- A year-one play unless you travel constantly
- 5% on office supplies, internet, cable, and phone (to $25k)
- 2% at restaurants and gas stations
- No annual fee and a large cash welcome bonus
- Points transfer if paired with a premium Chase card
- 5% capped at $25k combined per year
- 1% outside its categories
- No travel perks or lounge access
Where each one wins
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | Ink Business Cash | $0 vs $895. |
| Business categories | Ink Business Cash | 5% on office/phone/internet. |
| Travel perks | Amex Business Platinum | Lounges and credits the Ink lacks. |
| Point flexibility | Both | MR transfers vs UR transfers with a premium Chase card. |
| Best for | Depends | Business travelers vs everyday business spend. |
The verdict
If you run a business and travel enough to use lounges and credits, the Business Platinum can pay off in year one on the bonus alone, and beyond that for frequent flyers, but it’s a luxury travel card, not an everyday earner.
For nearly any business, the Ink Business Cash is a fantastic free hold, 5% on office supplies, internet, and phone covers real expenses with no fee. The smart move for a traveling business owner is often both: the Ink for everyday business categories, the Business Platinum in year one for the bonus and lounges.