Head-to-Head: Amex Business Platinum vs. Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve

American Express offers a handful of products for business owners who want to earn travel rewards. Two of the most popular cards in the lineup are the Business Platinum Card from American Express and the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card.

Both cards command higher-than-average annual fees, but offer a commensurate amount of perks to help justify the costs on an ongoing basis.

In this edition of Head-to-Head, we’ll compare and contrast these two cards to help guide your decision as to which one suits you best.

Card Basics

When deciding between two credit cards, the most important comparisons will always be made on a few key factors.

1. Welcome Bonus

As premium cards, both the Business Platinum Card from American Express and the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card are known to offer generous welcome bonuses.

As it stands, the welcome bonus on the Business Platinum Card is for up 120,000 Membership Rewards (MR) points, structured as follows:

• 80,000 MR points upon spending $15,000 (all figures in CAD) in the first three months
• 40,000 MR points upon making a purchase in months 14–17 as a cardholder

It’s worth noting that you’ll have to pay the annual fee twice before you receive the full allotment of points from the welcome bonus, and that the minimum spending requirement is quite high. However, 120,000 MR points is currently the most generous welcome bonus available in Canada, and is well worth the pursuit.

Meanwhile, the current welcome bonus on the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card is for up to 95,000 Aeroplan points, structured as follows:

• 70,000 Aeroplan points upon spending $10,500 in the first three months
• 25,000 Aeroplan points upon spending $3,500 in month 13

The total welcome bonus is less than what’s offered on the Business Platinum, and you’ll also have to keep track of and spend $3,500 in month 13 as a cardholder. On the other hand, the minimum spending requirement in year one is lower than the Business Platinum Card, while offering a comparable (albeit lower) amount of points.

Verdict: Both cards offer generous welcome bonuses with similar structures that award points in each of the first two years….