Business Platinum Card® from American Express

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

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Amex Platinum Business vs RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

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

Get offer

Our review Rewards calculator

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

2.9

Learn more

Our review Rewards calculator

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

$164

First-year value

$422

$164

Every year after

$302

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡ is worth $258 more to your business in year one.

It stays ahead after that, by $137 a year.

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

$481.8

cash back a year

+ $0

not reached at this spending

Welcome bonus

+ $120.45

first year only

− $799

Annual fee

− $0

no annual fee

− $180

2.5% on $600/mo

FX fees

− $180

2.5% on $600/mo

$164.42

First-year value

$422.25

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.

Amex Platinum Business earns more on 17 of your 17 categories.

$299.14

at 1.25x

All Other Business Expenses

$12,600 a year

$126

at 1%

$146.15

at 1.25x

US Dollar Purchases

$6,150 a year

$61.5

at 1%

$114

at 1.25x

Recurring Bills & Subscriptions

$4,800 a year

$48

at 1%

$85.5

at 1.25x

Gas & EV Charging

$3,600 a year

$36

at 1%

$85.5

at 1.25x

Dining & Restaurants

$3,600 a year

$36

at 1%

$71.14

at 1.25x

Office Supplies

$3,000 a year

$30

at 1%

$57

at 1.25x

Phone, Internet & Cable

$2,400 a year

$24

at 1%

$42.64

at 1.25x

Hotels

$1,800 a year

$18

at 1%

$42.64

at 1.25x

Shipping & Courier

$1,800 a year

$18

at 1%

$42.64

at 1.25x

Accounting & Bookkeeping

$1,800 a year

$18

at 1%

$29.18

at 1.25x

Other Foreign Currencies (EUR, GBP, etc.)

$1,230 a year

$12.3

at 1%

$28.5

at 1.25x

Electronics & Software

$1,200 a year

$12

at 1%

$28.5

at 1.25x

Air Canada

$1,200 a year

$12

at 1%

$28.5

at 1.25x

Transportation

$1,200 a year

$12

at 1%

$14.14

at 1.25x

Other Airlines

$600 a year

at 1%

$14.14

at 1.25x

Car Rental

$600 a year

at 1%

$14.14

at 1.25x

Other Travel

$600 a year

at 1%

$1,143.42

Rewards in a year

$481.8

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

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

Earn 2% cash back on purchases^* made on your card in the first three months.

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

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

Worth $120.45 at your spending

Intro rate for the first 3 months

$120.45

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, max. of 1 additional card

2.5%

Foreign transaction fee

2.5%

American Express Membership Rewards

Rewards

Cash back

American Express

Network

Mastercard

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

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

Interest rates

Purchase:

19.99%

Cash Advance:

22.99%

Balance Transfer:

22.99%

Recommended credit score

300

Poor

560

Fair

660⁎

Good

725⁎

Very Good

760⁎

Excellent

⁎Estimates based on Equifax scoring

Income required

Min Personal Income:

N/A

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

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

Earn 2% cash back on purchases^* made on your card in the first three months.
Earn 1% cash back on purchases^* made on your card after three months.
Once your cash back balance reaches $25 or more, you can have the full amount credited to your account at any time. Otherwise the cash back rewards will automatically be credited to your account every January.
Get $0 delivery fees for 3 months from DoorDash⁶

Insurance and perks

What both cards include comes first in each list.

Amex Platinum Business

Insurance

Extended Warranty

1 year

Purchase Protection

90 days

Lost or Stolen Baggage

$1,000

Baggage Delay

$1,000

Car Rental Damage & Theft

Yes

Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

$500,000

Mobile Device Insurance

$1,500

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.

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

Insurance

Extended Warranty

Up to a year

Purchase Protection

90 days

Perks

No extra perks.

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

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

Flat 1% cash back on everything, no annual fee, no categories to optimize. It’s about as simple as a business rewards card gets. You won’t maximize value here — 1% is below what category-specific cards offer — but you also won’t pay a cent in fees or waste time tracking bonus spending. The 2% promotional rate for the first three months adds a small upfront sweetener. This card works best for sole proprietors or small businesses that just want to earn something on every purchase without any complexity. If your spending is high enough to justify a fee card, look elsewhere.

No annual fee
Simple cashback program
Interest-free grace period
DashPass subscription
Contactless payments
Credit card lock feature
Zero liability protection

No bonus cashback categories
limited additional cards
No travel perks
Foreign transaction fees
Annual cashback caps
No airport lounge access
Basic insurance coverage

More business card comparisons

Each card against every other business card we review.

Amex Platinum Business

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

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.

RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡

^*Annual cash back cap : $650

⁶To receive a complimentary DashPass subscription for $0 delivery fees on orders of $15 or more at eligible restaurants when you pay with your Eligible RBC Credit Card, you must subscribe to DashPass by adding an Eligible RBC Credit Card, accept the DoorDash terms and conditions, and activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” before September 30, 2025 (“Offer Period”). If you are an existing DashPass subscriber and have already added an Eligible RBC Credit Card to your account you must activate your benefit by clicking “Activate Free DashPass” during the Offer Period. If you have been charged for DashPass you will receive a refund to the method of original payment, in the amount of the monthly subscription fee for the month you activate your complimentary subscription. For all clients, by clicking on “Activate Free DashPass” you agree to the DoorDash terms and conditions which can be found at https://help.doordash.com/consumers/s/terms-and-conditions .

Eligible RBC Credit cardholders include primary cardholders, co-applicants, authorized users, primary business cardholders and secondary business cardholders on an Eligible RBC Credit Card account.

The DashPass monthly subscription fee will be waived (“Complimentary DashPass Subscription”) and you will receive either a 3 month or 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription based on the Eligible RBC Credit Card you use to subscribe to DashPass.

DashPass subscriptions purchased through third parties, including third-party payment accounts, or online or mobile digital wallets (like Apply Pay and Google Pay) are not eligible for the Complimentary DashPass Subscription.

Eligible RBC Credit Cards: Your Eligible RBC Credit Card may only be used with one DoorDash account to receive a Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Once you have received a Complimentary DashPass Subscription you cannot use the same eligible RBC Credit Card to obtain a Complimentary DashPass Subscription with another DoorDash account.

You are only eligible for one 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription and one 3 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription during the Offer Period. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription commences on the date you subscribe to receive the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. For example, if you subscribe to a 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription in on the last day of your second month of a 3 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription you will receive a total of 14 months of Complimentary DashPass Subscription. In order to validate your credit card as an Eligible RBC Credit Card, Royal Bank may need to administer a $0.50 charge to validate your card enrollment. This charge will be reversed in 3 to 5 days once your account has been validated.

12 Month Complimentary DashPass Subscription is available for the following Eligible RBC Credit Cards:

As an RBC Avion Visa Platinum, RBC Avion Visa Infinite , RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Privilege for Private Banking, WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard, RBC Rewards Visa Preferred, RBC Cash Back Preferred World Elite Mastercard, RBC Cathay Pacific Visa Platinum, RBC British Airways Visa Infinite, RBC Avion Visa Business, RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business cardholder.

You are eligible for a Complimentary DashPass Subscription for 12 months from the date you subscribe to receive the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. You will be auto-enrolled into full-price membership at the then-current rate after the end of the 12 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Your RBC credit card account must be open and not in default to maintain the benefits of DashPass.

3 Month Complimentary DashPass Subscription is available for the following Eligible RBC Credit Cards:

As an RBC Rewards+ Visa, Signature RBC Rewards Visa, RBC Visa Platinum, RBC Visa Cash Back, RBC Cash Back Mastercard, RBC Visa Classic Low Rate Option, RBC Visa Classic, RBC Student Visa Classic, RBC Visa Classic II Student, RBC Visa Gold, RBC U.S. Dollar Visa Gold, RBC Rewards Visa Gold, RBC RateAdvantage Visa, WestJet RBC Mastercard, RBC Visa Business, RBC Visa Business Gold, RBC Visa CreditLine for Small Business, or RBC Business Cash Back Mastercard.

You are eligible for a Complimentary DashPass Subscription for 3 months from the date you subscribed to the Complimentary DashPass Subscription. You will be auto-enrolled into full-price membership at the then-current rate after the end of the 3 month Complimentary DashPass Subscription. Your RBC credit card account must be open and not in default to maintain the benefits of DashPass.

DoorDash not Royal Bank of Canada, is responsible for (i) services and products provided through DoorDash; (ii) DashPass, including the DashPass Benefits, the administration of DashPass and (iii) the DoorDash terms and conditions. The Complimentary DashPass Subscription offer may be amended or withdrawn at any time. To learn more about DashPass, visit www.doordash.com/dashpass (opens to external site). For full DashPass for RBC Program Terms and Conditions, visit rbcroyalbank.com/credit-cards/documentation/pdf/full-doordash-tcs-en.pdf.