Business Platinum Card® from American Express

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

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Amex Platinum Business vs CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

Both business cards worked out on the same spending: rewards, welcome bonus, fees and perks, line by line.

Finly rebate

$175

Business Platinum Card® from American Express

4.6

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Our review Rewards calculator

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

2.7

Learn more

Our review

Worked out on a typical small business spending $4,000 a month. Enter yours to see your own numbers.

$164

First-year value

Doesn't earn rewards

$164

Every year after

Doesn't earn rewards

Only Amex Platinum Business earns rewards we can work out.

Compare the fees, rates and perks below.

How the first year adds up

Rewards and the welcome bonus in, the annual fee, FX fees and employee cards out, at your spending.

$1,143.42

in American Express Membership Rewards points a year

Annual rewards

—

+ $0

not reached at this spending

Welcome bonus

—

− $799

Annual fee

—

− $180

2.5% on $600/mo

FX fees

—

$164.42

First-year value

—

Finly rebates are paid on top and aren't counted in these values.

Where each card earns

A year of your spending on each card, category by category, biggest spend first.

$299.14

at 1.25x

All Other Business Expenses

$12,600 a year

—

$146.15

at 1.25x

US Dollar Purchases

$6,150 a year

—

$114

at 1.25x

Recurring Bills & Subscriptions

$4,800 a year

—

$85.5

at 1.25x

Gas & EV Charging

$3,600 a year

—

$85.5

at 1.25x

Dining & Restaurants

$3,600 a year

—

$71.14

at 1.25x

Office Supplies

$3,000 a year

—

$57

at 1.25x

Phone, Internet & Cable

$2,400 a year

—

$42.64

at 1.25x

Hotels

$1,800 a year

—

$42.64

at 1.25x

Shipping & Courier

$1,800 a year

—

$42.64

at 1.25x

Accounting & Bookkeeping

$1,800 a year

—

$29.18

at 1.25x

Other Foreign Currencies (EUR, GBP, etc.)

$1,230 a year

—

$28.5

at 1.25x

Electronics & Software

$1,200 a year

—

$28.5

at 1.25x

Air Canada

$1,200 a year

—

$28.5

at 1.25x

Transportation

$1,200 a year

—

$14.14

at 1.25x

Other Airlines

$600 a year

—

$14.14

at 1.25x

Car Rental

$600 a year

—

$14.14

at 1.25x

Other Travel

$600 a year

—

$1,143.42

Rewards in a year

—

Welcome bonus

Each offer as the issuer words it, then which milestones your spending reaches.

Amex Platinum Business

Earn up to 120,000 bonus Membership Rewards^® points
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you charge $15,000 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
Plus, earn 40,000 points when you make a purchase between 15 and 17 months of Cardmembership
That’s up to $1,200 in statement credit that can be reinvested in your business

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

No welcome bonus right now.

Amex Platinum Business

Worth $0 at your spending

80,000 MR points when you spend $15,000 in the first 3 months

0 pts

40,000 MR points when you make a purchase in months 15-17 (card year 2)

40,000 pts

40,000 points when you make a purchase between 15 and 17 months of Cardmembership (card year 2)

40,000 pts

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

Fees, rates and eligibility

What each card costs to hold and to use abroad, and who it's for.

$799

Annual fee

$250 per Platinum, $0 per Gold (max 99)

Employee cards

$0 (up to 9)

2.5%

Foreign transaction fee

2.5%

American Express Membership Rewards

Rewards

No rewards

American Express

Network

Visa

Amex Platinum Business

Interest rates

Purchase:

21.99% - 30%¹

Cash Advance:

21.99% - 30%¹

¹ This charge Card has both Due in Full and Flexible Payment Option balances. All Due in Full balances must be paid each month. Interest rate of 30% applies to each delinquent Due in Full charge. The Preferred rate of 21.99% applies to your Flexible Payment Option balance. If you have 2 separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option rate for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option rate will be 29.99%. These rates are effective from the day account is opened.

Recommended credit score

300

Poor

693

Fair

743⁎

Good

790⁎

Very Good

833⁎

Excellent

⁎Estimates based on TransUnion scoring

Income required

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

Interest rates

Purchase:

CIBC Prime plus 1.5%

Cash Advance:

CIBC Prime plus 1.5%

Balance Transfer:

CIBC Prime plus 1.5%

Recommended credit score

300

Poor

560

Fair

660⁎

Good

725⁎

Very Good

760⁎

Excellent

⁎Estimates based on Equifax scoring

Income required

Min Personal Income:

$15,000

Min Household Income:

N/A

How each card earns

The earn rates and caps, as each issuer sets them.

Amex Platinum Business

1.25x points per $1 spent on all purchases

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

No rewards earned on purchases

Insurance and perks

What both cards include comes first in each list.

Amex Platinum Business

Insurance

Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

$500,000

Lost or Stolen Baggage

$1,000

Baggage Delay

$1,000

Car Rental Damage & Theft

Yes

Mobile Device Insurance

$1,500

Extended Warranty

1 year

Purchase Protection

90 days

Hotel Burglary Insurance

$1,000

Travel Medical Insurance (64 & under)

15 days

Trip Cancellation

$1,500

Trip Interruption

$1,500

Flight Delay

$1,000

Perks

Concierge Services

Personalized concierge at your service

Discount

Your Business Platinum Card gets you savings on the seats you really want and lower fares on premium tickets with participating airlines

Interest on Balance

Up to 55 interest-free days

American Express® Experiences

Access Front Of The Line® Presale & Reserved Tickets to some of your favourite concerts, theatre shows, and special offers with American Express® Experiences

Status lift

Earn Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status by spending $30,000 or staying 10 nights combined with 15 Elite Night Credits. Status retention depends on Marriott Bonvoy terms.

Free Extra Night at Hotels

Each year, 8-10 weeks after your anniversary, receive a Free Night Award for a Marriott Bonvoy room up to 35,000 points, valid for 1 year. Resort fees excluded.

Travel Credit

Access a $200 Annual Travel Credit each year of your Cardmembership

Nexus Program Rebate

Access a $100 credit for NEXUS with your Cardmembership

Airport Lounge - American Express Global Lounge

Take full advantage of the American Express Global Lounge CollectionTM which unlocks access to over 1400 airport lounges worldwide. This includes The Centurion® Lounge network, Plaza Premium Lounges, and hundreds of other domestic and international lounges designed to enhance your travel experience. Terms and Conditions apply.

Complimentary Hotel Benefits

Enjoy Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits at over 1,600 properties worldwide like guaranteed late check-out, complimentary breakfast for two, and more with Business Platinum.

Priority Travel

At Toronto Pearson Airport get Priority Security lane, Complimentary valet and 15% discount at the Express Park and daily park

Wireless Credit

Up to $120 in statement credits each year. Spend $10 each month with eligible wireless providers month and get a $10 credit.

Business Statement Credits

Up to $500 in business statement credits. Enroll and earn statement credits on eligible purchases with $200 Dell statement credit, $300 Indeed statement credit.

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

Insurance

Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

$100,000

Perks

Car Rental Discount

Get up to 30% off base rates with Avis® Pay Now or up to 35% off base rates with Budget

Our take

Amex Platinum Business

The most premium business card in Canada, and priced accordingly at $799/year. You get 1.25x Membership Rewards points on everything, a massive welcome bonus of up to 120,000 points, and a deep roster of perks: airport lounge access, hotel elite status, statement credits, and comprehensive insurance. The value proposition only works if you travel frequently and use the perks — the earn rate alone doesn’t justify the fee. But for businesses that fly often, entertain clients, and want best-in-class coverage, the benefits can far exceed the cost. Amex acceptance gaps in Canada remain a consideration.

Optimize all purchases
Premium travel perks
Comprehensive insurance
Interest grace period
Business statement credits

High annual fee
Limited acceptance

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

Not a rewards card — this is a low-cost credit line for businesses that need to carry a balance or manage cash flow. With a variable rate as low as Prime + 1.5% and no annual fee, it’s one of the cheapest ways to borrow on a business credit card. There are no points, no perks, and no welcome offer. But if your priority is affordable financing rather than earning rewards, this card undercuts most of the market on interest costs. Good for newer businesses building credit or seasonal businesses that need flexible short-term financing.

No annual fee
Low interest rates
Accessible income requirement

No rewards
No welcome offer
Interest rates fluctuate
Lacks standard insurance categories

More business card comparisons

Each card against every other business card we review.

Amex Platinum Business

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card

Legal

Amex Platinum Business

*Terms and conditions apply.

This charge Card has both Due in Full and Flexible Payment Option balances. All Due in Full balances must be paid each month. Interest rate of 30% applies to each delinquent Due in Full charge. The Preferred rate of 21.99% applies to your Flexible Payment Option balance. If you have 2 separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option rate for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option rate will be 29.99%. These rates are effective from the day account is opened.

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

CIBC bizline® Visa* Card