Alyssa Powell/Business Insider
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.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.
Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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