To the point
Here's our comparison between the American Express Business Platinum Card and the Aeroplan Business Reserve Card, two cards for small businesses.
American Express Canada offers two card for entrepreneurs and frequent travelers:
Let’s analyze the major differences between these credit and chargecard .
Welcome bonus
The welcome bonus offered by each of these cards varies according to the promotions.
Here is how the current offer is structured:
With this welcome offer for the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can earn up to 120,000 Membership Rewards points.
Here’s how:
- 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you charge $15,000 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
- 40,000 points when you make a purchase between 14 and 17 months of Cardmembership
With this welcome offer for the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you can earn up to 90,000 Aeroplan points.
Here’s how:
- 65,000 Aeroplan points after charging $10,500 to your Card in the first 3 months
- 25,000 additional Aeroplan points by spending $3,500 in the 13th month
Based on our valuation of Aeroplan points (2 cents per point), this welcome bonus corresponds to an approximate value of $1,900.
Advantage: Business Platinum Card
If you think you can spend $15,000 in 3 months, you’ll quickly earn a big chunk of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express welcome bonus: 80,000 Membership Rewards points or the equivalent of 80,000 Aeroplan points.
Minimum income
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express requires no minimum income.
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card requires no minimum income.
Draw
Like the vast majority of American Express card , these two card have no minimum income requirement.
If you want travel benefits but don’t have a lot of sales, either of these card may be right for you.
Annual fee
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has an annual fee of $499.
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card has an annual fee of $599.
Advantage : Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
The annual fee for the Business Platinum Card® from American Express is $100 lower than for the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card.
If the Air Canada benefits offered by the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card don’t grab your attention, then you’d be better off signing up for the Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
Earning points
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card offer different points earning rates.
Maximum earning level
With the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can earn 1.25 points per dollar on all your purchases.
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you get different levels:
- 3 points per dollar for purchases with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations
- 2 points per dollar on eligible lodging, car rental and Rocky Mountaineer purchases
- 1.25 points per $1 on all other purchases
Advantage : Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card offers its highest accumulation rate for Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations. If you do a lot of spending with these companies, this will benefit you.
Travel expenses at 2 points per dollar (hotels, Airbnb, car rentals, etc.) also give the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card a big advantage. So you’ll earn more points with it than with the 1.25 points of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
What’s more, it’s a tie for basic accumulation, as you’ll earn just as many points with the Business Platinum Card® from American Express throughout the year, as their accumulation rates are similar.
However, remember that with the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can use your points in many different ways, whereas points earned with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card must be used via Aeroplan.
Redeeming points
Both cards are made for travellers.
However, their loyalty programs are completely different:
- American Express Membership Rewards points for the Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Aeroplan for the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card
This means that the ways you can redeem your points are different.
For travel
With the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can apply Membership Rewards points to all travel purchases charged to the card. The redeeming rate is 1,000 points = $10.
So, with his welcome offer, this would represent a $1,000 credit to the account.
But you can also use your Membership Rewards points in a number of ways, such as:
- Transfer points to airline partners (Aeroplan, Air France Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club, Delta Skymiles, etc.)
Transfer points to hotel programs (Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy)
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you can use your points for flights with Air Canada, Star Alliance and partner airlines.
Here, you will need to refer to the Aeroplan Flight Rewards Chart.
1,000 points could be worth as little as $5 for economy travel as well as $40 for business or first class travel (or for specific flights).
You can also use your Aeroplan points for hotel bookings, car rentals and vacation packages. Generally, you will be able to earn a value of 1,000 points = $10.
Advantage: Business Platinum Card
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has one undeniable advantage: flexibility. With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you must use your points only through the Aeroplan program.
Whereas with the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can book your trip wherever you like and do what you like with your points.
For everyday shopping
With the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can apply your Membership Rewards points to everyday purchases charged to the card.
The redeeming rate is 1,000 points = $10.
You need to redeem a minimum of 1,000 points (i.e., a minimum of $10).
No options are available for everyday purchases with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card. However, there is an option to purchase card with Aeroplan points.
Advantage: Business Platinum Card
With the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, whether you want to use your points for travel or everyday purchases, you’ll get the same value: 1,000 points = $10.
Whereas with the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you don’t have this option.
Transfers to other programs
With the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you can transfer your points to other rewards programs:
- Aeroplan
- Air France KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Executive Club
- Delta Skymiles
- Asia Miles
- Etihad Guest
- Alitalia Millemiglia
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Hilton Honors,
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card you cannot transfer your points to other programs.
Once Aeroplan Points are in your Aeroplan account, there is no way out: you must use them only within the Aeroplan program.
Advantage: Business Platinum Card
You can transfer Business Platinum Card® from American Express points to Aeroplan and transfer them to other programs (or use them for travel or cash back, as seen above).
This is a flexibility that the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card does not have.
The Benefits
Access to airport lounges
With the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you and a guest can access many airport lounges around the world free of charge:
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you have complimentary access to Air Canada’s Maple Leaf lounges in North America.
You have a complimentary Priority Pass membership. However, you will have to pay for each access.
Advantage: Business Platinum Card
If you regularly travel internationally, it’s simple: the Business Platinum Card® from American Express will open the doors to many lounges around the world for you and one guest (or even up to two children). depending on the lounge), as well as in Canada in the Plaza Premium Lounges, the Air France KLM Lounge, the National Bank Lounge or the WestJet Elevation Lounge.
However, if you travel exclusively within Canada or the United States on Air Canada, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card is the Card of choice. In fact, you will have free access to all Maple Leaf loungein North America (as well as the Air Canada Café in Toronto).
Other benefits
With the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you enjoy the following benefits:
- $200 Annual Travel Credit
- Annual mobile credit of up to $120
- $100 NEXUS credit
- Special Benefits at Toronto Pearson International Airport
- Access to over 1,300 airport lounge (including American Express Centurion)
- Complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges for the cardmember and one guest
- Marriott Bonvoy Elite Gold Status
- Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Five Star Status
- Fine Hotels & Resorts Program
- The Hotel Collection from American Express
- Luxury airport transfer service
- Stainless steel card
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you enjoy the following benefits:
- Annual Companion Pass (after $25,000 in purchases)
- Pearson Priority Security Control
- Access to Maple Leaf lounge in North America
- Paid access to Priority Pass lounge
- Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Class of Service
- Air Canada benefits: priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage handling
- Free first checked bag for you and up to 8 companions
- Earn Aeroplan Status Qualifying Miles with your purchases
- Carryover of unallocated Aeroplan Elite Status Qualifying Miles and unused eRating credits to the following year
- Metal credit card
Advantage: Business Platinum Card
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is for all frequent flyers, whether they travel with Air Canada or many other airlines. But also to those who stay at Marriott or Hilton hotels, luxury hotels belonging to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program.
For its part, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card is aimed primarily at Air Canada’s frequent flyers. You will then benefit from many advantages with the airline. But that’s where it ends.
As with every aspect of these cards, the answer will be up to you depending on your personal situation. But if you’re not a frequent Air Canada traveller, we suggest you get the Business Platinum Card® from American Express instead.
Promotional offers
With the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, cardmembers were able to take advantage of certain promotional offers. For example, in the last year, I got $710 in credit:
- $20 credit during Shop Small events
- $450 credit for Google Ads
- $240 credit for Quickbooks
- Numerous online offers each month through promotional offers
With the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card for example, cardholders were able to take advantage of certain promotional offers:
- $100 credit for $100 restaurant purchase
- $150 credit for groceries
- $10 credit for purchases at Amazon
- Various events Shop Small
- Numerous online offers each month through promotional offers
Advantage: Business Platinum Card
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is the Premium Business Card from American Express: it is generally on this Card that offers will be the most generous.
However, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card has been around recently (November 2020) with some interesting offers. So far, these have proven to be somewhat less lucrative.
Insurance
| Insurance |  |
 |
| Trip Cancellation Insurance | Up to $1,500 | Up to $1,500 |
| Trip Interruption Insurance | Up to $1,500 | Up to $1,500 |
| Out of Province/Country Emergency Medical Insurance | Up to $5,000,000 15 days |
Up to $5,000,000 15 days |
| Flight delay insurance | Up to $1,000 after 4 hours |
Up to $1,000 after 4 hours |
| Misdirected Baggage Insurance | Up to $1,000 after 6 hours |
Up to $1,000 after 6 hours |
| Lost or stolen luggage insurance | Up to $1,000 | Up to $1,000 |
| Hotel Burglary Insurance | Up to $1,000 | Up to $1,000 |
| Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance | Up to $85,000 | Up to $85,000 |
| Travel accident insurance | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Buyer’s Assurance® Protection Plan | 1 additional year | 1 additional year |
| Purchase Protection® Plan | Up to $1,000 90 days |
Up to $1,000 90 days |
Advantage : Draw
The insurance offered by both card is exactly the same.
Bottom Line
So? Which Card is the winner?
If you travel a lot with Air Canada, the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card is perfect for you.
If you’d rather have flexibility, you’d be better off taking out the Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express stands out thanks to:
- flexible points
- the diversity of airline and hotel partners
- a wide choice of airport lounge
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card stands out on:
- many benefits with Air Canada
- an unbeatable 3 points per dollar accrual rate for Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations
- access to Maple Leaf lounges in North America
- its annual companion pass after $25,000 in purchases
