Adding a Business Card When You Already Have a Personal Amex

Nothing stops a personal Amex holder from adding an American Express business card, but the bonus rules treat the personal and business cards as one. The current business card offers exclude anyone who holds or has held any American Express card issued in Australia in the past 18 months. Personal card offers apply the same test in reverse. Eligibility depends on the business, not the card collection, with an ABN registered for GST and must meet the minimum revenue requirement. Here is what Amex requires and how the exclusion works in both directions. We’ll also cover what business cards offer when you cannot earn a bonus, and how points from both accounts come together.

What American Express requires for a business card application

An Amex business card application is assessed on the business and the applicant together. Applicants need a valid ABN registered for GST, annual business revenue of $75,000 or more, and must be a director or controller of the business, per the American Express business card guidance. Applicants must also meet separate eligibility requirements. They need Australian citizenship or permanent residency, a good credit history with no payment defaults, and must pass a personal income assessment. The application asks for the business entity’s registered name. It also requires details of anyone who owns or controls 25 per cent or more of the business. For other structures, you may need the details of up to 4 directors, partners, committee members, or officers. Sole traders provide their own details. Trust structures include details of trustee directors, shareholders and eligible beneficiaries. Personal and business cards also differ in who is liable for the account. On a personal card, the account holder is personally liable for the card’s debts. The business applies for the business card and is assessed for it.

The card types are split by business size. Amex offers its Business cards to businesses with annual turnover under $10 million, while Corporate cards are available above that threshold. The flagship American Express Platinum Business and the mid-tier American Express Business Gold Plus are both charge cards. These cards have no preset spending limit, and their balances must be repaid in full each statement period. That is the structural difference from a credit card with a fixed limit.

How the bonus exclusion treats personal card holders

The exclusion wording on the current business card covers every Amex, not just business ones. Card members are ineligible if they currently hold or have held any American Express card product issued in Australia within the past 18 months. A sign-up bonus is the introductory points offer on a new card. You unlock it by meeting a minimum spend within a set window. Business card bonuses can reach up to 350,000 points. That makes the exclusion particularly important. Someone who holds a personal Amex Platinum can add a Platinum Business card and earn its regular points, but not its introductory points.

The same rule applies in the other direction. A business card held today blocks the personal card bonuses for 18 months after it closes. Two carve outs matter in practice. Companion American Express cards issued by banks rather than by American Express Australia do not count against the exclusion. A bank-issued Amex from years past therefore does not affect the 18-month period. Offer terms determine how Additional Cards on someone else’s account are treated. A supplementary cardholder should confirm their status with American Express before assuming either answer. If you plan to hold both card types, the larger bonus is usually worth taking first. Wait until the exclusion period ends before applying for the second card. Our credit card minimum spend guide explains what counts towards each minimum spend.

What the current business cards offer as of July 2026

The two headline business cards pair large bonuses with published application deadlines as of July 2026. The table compares the published offers. Both offers are available only to new American Express card members under the 18-month rule.

Offer element	Platinum Business	Business Gold Plus
Annual fee	$1,750	$395
Sign-up bonus	350,000 points plus an $875 statement credit	250,000 points
Minimum spend	$12,000 in 3 months	$5,000 in 3 months
Application deadline	3 November 2026	25 August 2026
Standout extras	Global Lounge Collection access, up to 99 employee cards	Up to $650 in enrolled credits with partners such as Xero and Amazon Web Services

The earning rates sit outside the table because the two cards earn points differently. The Platinum Business earns 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 on eligible purchases and 1 point per $1 with government bodies, uncapped. Business Gold Plus earns into the same program, but its rate decreases after 200,000 points in a calendar year, according to the current published terms.

• Warning. Pricing a business card without its bonus requires several steps. This is the calculation an excluded applicant needs to consider.
• The Platinum Business at $1,750. Without the 350,000-point offer, its value comes from 2.25 points per $1, lounge access and employee cards.
• Business spending often includes payments to government bodies such as the ATO. These earn 1 point per $1 on the Platinum Business. A tax-heavy spending profile earns less than the headline rate.
• The $395 Business Gold Plus relies on enrolled credits worth up to $650 a year with named partners. These only add value if the business already buys those services.

How personal and business points come together

Each Amex account earns Membership Rewards points into its own balance. For someone holding both cards, the points come together in the airline program, not with the bank. Business card points can be transferred to partner airlines including Qantas Frequent Flyer, Velocity, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Personal Membership Rewards points can reach the same destinations. A Qantas Frequent Flyer account can therefore receive transfers from both sides and maintain a single combined balance. Our guide to moving Membership Rewards points to airlines explains the transfer process. Our rewards points valuations guide tracks what the points are worth at each destination.

The business card can help separate business spending from personal spending. Business spending on its own card can help separate expenses at tax time. Confirm the treatment with your accountant for your business structure. Employee cards put staff spending on the same statement, with up to 99 available on the Platinum Business. Eligible cards can also connect to Xero through a secure feed for reconciliation. This lets the business earn points without replacing the personal card. A business owner who wants the introductory points must also meet the timing requirements. If you cannot wait the 18-months, assess the card’s value without including the bonus. Our round-ups of the top Qantas points-earning credit cards compare the personal cards available from several banks.

Frequently asked questions

Fees, rates and figures quoted are correct at the time of publication and should be verified directly with each provider before acting on them.