American Express Unveils Reinvented Corporate Travel Program with New Benefits and Features

American Express is launching a reimagined Corporate Program with new offerings to meet the needs of companies and their employees. The American Express Corporate Program – the suite of products that includes the American Express Corporate Green, Gold, and Platinum Cards – is coming out with a set of flexible tools and solutions designed to make business travel more efficient and enjoyable, as well as to help ease the task of expense management, and provide benefits that can extend to Card Members’ personal lives.

The global travel management company is also unveiling a custom offering under the Corporate Program for startups as they continue to rapidly scale and grow their businesses. The Corporate Program for Startups will offer the option of full corporate liability, as well as a dynamic spending capacity that flexes with the startup’s linked business bank account. For startups, this means big spending power is not fixed, does not impact on personal credit scoring, and needs no security deposit, It does come with the premium access, rewards, security and the world-class service that marks the American Express brand.

“This reinvention of our Corporate Cards, coupled with the introduction of the Corporate Program for Startups, will provide our customers the powerful backing and world-class service they need to compete in an ever-changing business environment,” said Anna Marrs, President, Global Commercial Services at American Express.

Enhanced Benefits for Corporate Card Members

The program brings new and expanded partnerships with Uber and CLEAR® and Hilton:

• Uber: In December, new Uber benefits will be rolled out on all three Corporate Cards (Green, Gold and Platinum). When Amex Card Members book a ride through their Uber business profile and charge it to their Corporate Card, they’ll earn double reward points with Uber Rewards that they can redeem for things like discounts on personal rides or Uber Eats orders. Corporate Platinum and Corporate Gold Card Members will also have access to priority pickups at most U.S. airports, and Corporate Platinum Card Members can request to ride with highly rated drivers where available.

The standard U.S. Uber Rewards rate is one point per eligible dollar for Pool and Express Pool; two points per eligible dollar for Uber X, Uber XL, WAV/Assist, Comfort and Select; and three points per eligible dollar for Uber Black and Black SUV rides.

• CLEAR: Through the Corporate Program’s new partnership with CLEAR, Corporate Platinum Card Members can enjoy up to $179 in statement credits towards CLEAR membership, which unlocks frictionless experiences at 60+ locations nationwide, including airports, arenas, stadiums, and Hertz rental car locations. This benefit, the equivalent value of an annual CLEAR membership, will be available starting in November. It is important to note, however, CLEAR memberships automatically renew each year unless canceled. This means that CLEAR collects the then-applicable membership fee by charging a credit card CLEAR has on record for each member without notifying them.

• Hilton Honors: Corporate Platinum Card Members receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status providing them with additional upgrades and higher points earning when they enroll in the Hilton benefit. Beginning in November, as part of the Corporate Program’s expanded partnership with Hilton, Corporate Green and Corporate Gold Card Members will receive complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Status. When Card Members enroll in the Amex-Hilton benefit and stay at Hilton, they’ll enjoy instant perks and an additional bonus on all Hilton Honors Base Points earned, getting them to free nights for personal travel faster.

Additional benefits:

• Added Peace of Mind Benefits

Corporate Card Members can leave for business trips with the knowledge that they are backed by the American Express Corporate Program and its world-class, peace-of-mind benefits, including 24-hour customer service and Global Assist® Hotline (24/7 emergency and assistance services for medical, legal, financial, or other select emergencies when Card Members are more than 100 miles from home). In addition, coming soon are several new business travel insurance benefits, including Trip Delay Insurance and Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance on Corporate Platinum.

• Valuable Business Traveler Benefits

In addition to the new partner benefits with Uber, CLEAR and Hilton, Gold and Platinum Corporate Card Members can take advantage of enhanced benefits that can make business travel easier, such as annual airline fee credits (new, $100 for Corporate Gold, and enhanced, $200 for Corporate Platinum) for use on things like Wi-Fi, meals on planes, and baggage fees on their selected qualifying airline. This is in addition to existing benefits like Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓ (Corporate Gold and Corporate Platinum) and access to both Fine Hotels & Resorts and the Global Lounge Collection (Corporate Platinum).

• Flexible Membership Rewards program

American Express is also introducing enhanced flexibility, choice, and control to help companies tailor their Membership Rewards program in a way that allows them to offer this benefit to more of their employees giving companies one more way to boost employee satisfaction and management of program expenses. As always, employees earning Membership Rewards points on their American Express Corporate Cards can link those points to their personal American Express Card earning account, so their points can go a long way.

• Employee Focused Benefits

Corporate Card Members also receive benefits that they can use personally. Eligible Corporate Card Members who apply through the Corporate Advantage Program and are approved for select personal American Express Cards can be eligible to receive a fee credit on their personal Card annually, as long as they continue to have that American Express Corporate Card from their employer. Corporate Platinum Card Members can also access exclusive experiences through the Global Dining Collection and By Invitation Only® programs, respectively.

• Digital Experience Benefits

An updated American Express Business App will help Corporate Card Members view and manage their business transactions, statements and account, as well as organize their expenses via enhanced expense reports that can be created within the app instantly. New expense reports capabilities include categorizing transactions, attaching receipt images to reports, and exporting reports into PDF form.

The Amex Business App now supports American Express Maps giving Card Members visibility into nearby merchants where they can use their Card, with icons that indicate Card Member favorites and small businesses nearby. The app also includes a Benefits Dashboard, which provides insight into benefits associated with the Card.

• Updated Look and Form Factor

The look and feel of each Corporate Card has also been refreshed. Corporate Green, Gold and Platinum Cards have a new design, are enabled for contactless payments, and are being made with new materials. The Corporate Green Card will be made primarily with reclaimed plastic collected from beaches, islands and coastal communities from Parley for the Oceans, and the Corporate Gold and Corporate Platinum Cards will be metal.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR STARTUPS

As part of the reimagined American Express Corporate Program, this Fall, qualified startups will be invited to apply to the Corporate Program for Startups, making their business eligible for the powerful backing, security and world-class service that American Express provides. The American Express Corporate Program offers startups rewards to reinvest in their employees, efficiency for business operations, and smart insights to scale and grow.

Under the Corporate Program for Startups, companies will have access to:

• Dynamic spending capacity to back their big ideas

• The option of full corporate liability with no personal credit score impact, no personal guarantee, and no security deposit

• Exclusive access to merchant offers curated for startups plus access to all of the benefits and rewards of the Corporate Card Program

• The ability to pool Membership Rewards points earned through business and personal spending, so rewards can flex to accommodate both bucket lists and business goals

• Convenient, comfortable spaces like The Centurion Lounges, as well as early access to events, experiences and restaurants for Corporate Platinum Card Members

American Express will continue to roll out new Corporate Program benefits and offerings in 2020. Further details these new benefits will be announced in the coming months.