Here's something that quietly landed on 1st April - and no, it's not an April Fool's joke. American Express has overhauled the annual spend bonus structure on both its Business Gold and Business Platinum cards, and depending on how much you put through these cards each year, you could be significantly better or significantly worse off.

I've been digging into the numbers this morning, and the results are genuinely interesting. Let's break it all down - plus a couple of hotel points deals worth knowing about before they expire.

What is the current elevated sign-up bonus on the Amex Business Platinum Card (available until 5th May 2026)?

The answer is waiting near the bottom... keep scrolling 👇

As of 1st April 2026, American Express removed its points-based spend bonuses on the Business Gold and Business Platinum cards entirely. In their place, cardholders can now earn Amex Travel credits - but the maths only stacks up for a certain type of spender.

Previously, Business Platinum holders earned 10,000 bonus Membership Rewards points for every calendar month they spent over £10,000. That's up to 120,000 bonus points per year - worth roughly £1,200 at 1p per point if transferred to an airline like British Airways for Avios.

The new structure replaces all of that with Amex Travel credits:

So the maximum reward available is now £400 in Amex Travel credits - compared to a potential £1,200 in points value under the old system. That's a painful step down for high spenders.

Business Gold cardholders previously earned 10,000 bonus Membership Rewards points for every quarter where spend exceeded £20,000 - worth up to 40,000 points (roughly £400 per year).

Now the Business Gold structure looks like this:

This is where it gets nuanced. For Business Platinum holders who were spending between £5,000 and £9,999 per month - they never hit the old £10,000 monthly threshold, so they got nothing before. Now they'll pick up a £200 Amex Travel credit for hitting £60,000 annually. That's a genuine improvement.

For Business Gold holders spending between £3,334 and £6,666 per month - same story. Previously got nothing; now eligible for a £100 Amex Travel credit.

But if you were consistently spending £10,000+ per month on Business Platinum, you've just gone from earning up to £1,200 worth of Membership Rewards points to a maximum of £400 in travel credits. That's a loss of £800 per year - and it's hard to dress that up.

And honestly? It feels odd that Amex is pushing away its highest-spending cardholders. For those in that bracket, Capital on Tap Pro (for limited company directors) becomes a much more attractive alternative - though you do need to be a Director of a Limited Company to qualify.

One more important note: sole traders can no longer apply for either of these cards. If you're a sole trader who already holds one, my strong advice is don't cancel it - you won't be able to reapply in the future.

Amex has also introduced two 'always on' monthly cashback offers to soften the blow - though in my opinion, most cardholders will find them pretty niche:

The car rental one could add up if you rent frequently - £240 per year in cashback if you hit it every month. But for the majority of cardholders, these feel like a consolation prize.

If you're not yet a Business Amex cardholder, the current elevated bonuses running until 5th May 2026 are genuinely impressive:

Those are serious numbers. You can check your eligibility before applying using our Amex Welcome Bonus Eligibility Tool - worth doing before you hit apply. And for all our American Express UK coverage, we have a dedicated page with everything in one place.

IHG One Rewards has launched a flash triple points promotion - and this is genuinely unusual for IHG, which more typically runs flash cash sales rather than bonus points offers.

The key details:

Heads up: the booking window closes today, so if you have an upcoming IHG stay already planned, it's worth registering right now and rebooking direct if you aren't already. Triple points on a stay worth, say, £150 could net you significantly more IHG points than a standard booking.

IHG is also running an 80% bonus on purchased points until 30th April - not as strong as their occasional 100% offers, but if you need to top up your balance for a specific redemption, it's a reasonable option right now.

Hilton Honors is currently running a 100% bonus on purchased points, meaning you can top up your balance at 0.5 cents (roughly 0.5p) per point until 29th May 2026.

In my opinion, this is one of those deals where context matters enormously. Hilton underwent a significant devaluation recently, and top properties have seen prices rise by up to 67% in the past year. So buying points speculatively isn't something I'd recommend.

But - and this is important - if you have a specific redemption already in mind where the maths works in your favour, topping up at 0.5p per point could unlock that booking for less than you'd pay in cash. For example, if you're 20,000 points short of a redemption that would save you £200 in cash, buying those points at 0.5p each would cost you roughly £100 - a solid saving.

For all our Hilton Honors coverage, including tips on earning and redeeming, check out our dedicated page.

The answer is 🟣 120,000 Membership Rewards points! The Amex Business Platinum currently has an elevated sign-up bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards points, running until 5th May 2026, with a spend requirement of £12,000 within three months. At 1p per point when transferred to airlines, that's worth an estimated £1,200 - one of the stronger bonuses we've seen on this card.

The Amex Business spend bonus changes affect different people in very different ways. Were you hitting the old monthly spend thresholds on your Business Amex? And does this change make you reconsider the card? Hit reply - I genuinely read every response and it helps shape future content.

Also - if you hold a Membership Rewards card and you're exploring where to transfer your points for best value, our Points Converter tool is a good place to start.

That's all for today. Enjoy the long Easter weekend - and don't let those IHG triple points slip through your fingers. See you Monday.

- Smart With Points

Looking to redeem your points? Here's what's available right now (via Award Travel Finder):

Hotels:

Status Matches:

See all award deals at AwardTravelFinder.com →

Before we wrap up, I wanted to share some timely opportunities I've been tracking (courtesy of our friends at AwardTravelFinder). These deals won't last long, so let's dive in.

Airline programs:

Hotel programs:

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. Platinum Card: 75,000 points after spending £10,000 in 6 months (£650/yr)

2. Business Gold Card: 60,000 points after spending £6,000 in 3 months (£195/yr (waived first year))

3. Business Platinum Card: 50,000 points after spending £6,000 in 3 months (£650/yr)

4. Gold Card: 20,000 points after spending £3,000 in 3 months (£195/yr (waived first year))

Award Travel Finder hunts down the best redemptions so you don't have to.

See all deals at AwardTravelFinder.com →