Platinum Business FreedomPass® from American Express

• 5000 bonus points with first purchase
• Redeem for savings on any flight, hotel, car rental or cruise
• No blackout dates and no restrictions
• No annual fee and a 0% Intro APR
• With Additional Cards, your employee purchases also earn you points

Just The Facts -

Issuer : American Express

APR :  0.00%

Introductory Period : 12 months

APR After Introductory Period :  12.24%

Cash Advance APR : 23.24%

Rate for Balance Transfers :  7.99%.

Annual Fee : $0

Credit Line Possible : $50,000

Insurance included :  Extended car rental insurance and warranty coverage on services for up to a year are part of your Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express agreement

Financing Configuration - Interest is calculated on your average daily balance.

Grace Period - You have twenty-five days after making a purchase during which you do not have to pay interest.

The Best Thing About It - There is a 45 day period after you are accepted for the Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express card in which you do balance transfers at 7.99%. You also have the option of carrying a balance at a lower rate then most of the American Express cards.

The Worst Thing About It - Not everybody who applies qualifies for the APR of 12.24%, which is, not that low in the first place and you need to earn a $100 worth of points before you can redeem them.

Credit Rating Needed For Acceptance - Good To Excellent

Who Is It For?

Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express is ideal for business owners who need to travel.  It is designed for those with very good credit and who plan to take advantage of the reward program. Points can be redeemed for discounts on purchases at airlines, hotels, car rentals, cruise lines, travel agencies, tour operators, and on-line travel sites.

The Benefits

You are gifted with 5,000 points on your first purchase using your Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express.  These can be redeemed towards any flight, car rental, hotel or cruise.

Cardholders are also granted access to the Membership Reward Options program for no additional annual fee. The program offers cardholders the opportunity to redeem accumulated points for various services and benefits. For those who are not familiar with the Membership Reward Options program, it is one of the most flexible credit card reward programs available as it has no yearly limit and no expiration applied to earned points.

There are no black out dates and no restrictions.  The reward points are not subject to any limitations and you can use them for what you want.

Monitor your expenses.  You are also able to monitor what goes on in your Platinum Business FreedomPass account with full access to an online account report.

Your account is compatible with accounting software. Your online account is compatible with Quicken Software.

You manage your account online - This card comes with an online account that provides the convenience of paying your credit card bill online.

Monitor your expenses.  You are also able to monitor what goes on in your account with full access to an online account report.

Duplicate Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express cards are complimentary.  Duplicate cards for family members who are free and you can earn cash rewards every time they are used as well.

You have a Return Protection Plan. If you try to return a designated item within 90 days from the date of purchase and the merchant won't take it back, American Express will refund the full purchase price, up to $300 per item.

You have extra protection from theft or loss of your card while traveling.  American Express provides quick emergency cash and emergency card replacement should your Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express card be stolen.

You have a great deal of travel insurance. This card offers $100,000 in travel insurance.

The card comes with a Global Assist Hotline. Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, you have security and peace of mind 24/7 with medical, legal, financial or other emergency assistance, including medical and legal referrals, visa/passport help, cash access, lost luggage and more

You are not held liable for unauthorized transactions that appear on your Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express as the result of using the Internet.  This means that you don't have to pay the usual $50 fraud liability charge.

The Drawbacks

You have to request your cashback for your points or they will not be mailed to you. Once the eligible purchase appears on the monthly statement, the cardholder may request the discount redemption to be applied.  Points can only be redeemed toward one purchase at a time in 7,500 increments, which is equal to a credit of up to $100. Points never expire, and there is no limit to the amount of points that can be redeemed per eligible purchase; however, they must be redeemed in a single request.  This is also higher then many credit cards that redeem points when your rebate reaches $100.00.

The cash advance fee is really high. It is almost a quarter of what you take out of the ATM machine.

Monthly payments are applied to purchases first.  The amounts that you pay monthly are not applied to the highest interest garnering activities such as taking out a cash advance.  This can make it longer to pay off your debt.

The interest rate for the Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express is not guaranteed as advertised. If you make a late payment on any bill, not just your credit card bill, your introductory 0% rate can be replaced with the prime rate.

The grace period is short. The grace period for this credit card is only twenty-five days compared to the usual thirty days before you start paying interest on your purchases.

The Return Coverage for the Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express is limited. Coverage is limited to $300 per item, excluding shipping and handling, and up to a maximum of $1,000 annually per Card Account and is subject to additional Terms, Conditions and Exclusions.

The 0% introductory rate is not guaranteed. If you make a late payment on any bill, not just your credit card bill, your introductory 0% rate can be replaced with the prime rate.

The Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express has lots of hidden fees.  See the Fees to Watch Out For section below. The fees charged for your every little financial transaction can really add up and make it seem like you are paying an annual fee anyway.

Fees To Watch Out For

Late payment fee:  $15 on balances up to $100; $29 on balances of $100 through $1,000; $35 on balances over $1,000

Over The Limit fee: $35

Cash advance Fee: 3%, $5 minimum for Express Cash transactions

Balance Transfers: There is no balance transfer fee associated with this offer. However, future balance transfers may incur a fee as disclosed at the time of the applicable transaction.

To Summarize -

Platinum Business FreedomPass from American Express is great for businesses that need accurate records of their expenses and want a decent rewards program. However, it is not a card that sends rebates automatically and you need to earn a lot of points (7,500) before you can collect anything.