American Express Business Platinum cardmembers are getting a reason to skip the coffee shop. From October 22, eligible US holders of The Business Platinum Card and the American Express Corporate Platinum Card receive a complimentary ZO membership from property giant Tishman Speyer, reviving a coworking perk the card lost back in 2020 when its WeWork partnership ended.
The membership works across two kinds of spaces. ZO Clubhouses are lounges for working, meetings or downtime, some with dining and events, and eligible cardmembers get unlimited access plus up to four guest day passes per week. Studio is the more traditional coworking product — shared desks, private offices, meeting rooms, fast Wi-Fi and free coffee — where cardmembers get four complimentary day passes per month. Reservations for Studio visits must be made ahead of time online or in the ZO app.
The footprint is modest compared with the old WeWork deal: roughly 25 locations across Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The flagship is worth knowing about, though — the Clubhouse at The Spiral in Manhattan's Hudson Yards sits on the 66th floor with skyline views and food from Café Llama, while Studio takes up lower floors of the same building.
On paper, the maths is appealing. Studio day passes run about $50 before tax at several locations, so using all four free passes each month could save upwards of $200. There's also up to $500 a year in statement credits per card account toward ZO or Studio event space bookings or a Dining Club membership — though event spaces start at $1,500 per hour, and the Dining Club membership isn't a general restaurant credit, so don't expect it to cover lunch.
No enrollment with Amex is required, but you do need to activate the ZO membership online or via the ZO app before turning up, and from October 22 the cardmember site and app should list participating spaces and credit details. Note the gaps: dining, private spaces and certain experiences cost extra on top of the free membership.
Who actually benefits? Frequent visitors to the six participating cities, especially anyone already paying for a desk or a day pass. Travellers get a quieter angle too — a free Clubhouse or Studio pass is a handy fix for the dead hours between hotel checkout and an evening flight, or a decent base on a work trip to New York or San Francisco. And for anyone weighing up the Business Platinum's hefty annual fee, another usable credit makes the value equation slightly easier. Just size it honestly: if you're never in Boston, Chicago, LA, NYC, San Francisco or DC, this perk won't move the needle for you.
Story via The Points Guy.
