American Express® Business Gold Card review: A lucrative rewards card that adapts to your spending habits
Our take: The American Express® Business Gold Card offers lucrative rewards on select business spending categories, like advertising and shipping. However, its annual fee is on the higher side, so it’s important to ensure your spending habits align with the card’s reward structure to make it worthwhile.
ProsOffers substantial rewards in common business spending categories. Earns flexible Membership Rewards points redeemable through 21 airline and hotel transfer partners. The card offers valuable travel and purchase protections.ConsThe 4X points earned are capped at $150,000 in combined purchases per calendar year in the two selected categories. Beyond this threshold, the earning rate drops to 1X points.Carries a $295 ($375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24) annual fee.American Express is less widely accepted than Visa or Mastercard overseas, which could pose a challenge for certain businesses.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, see this page.
American Express® Business Gold Card Highlights
Card type: Business
Welcome bonus: 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee: $295 ($375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24)
Rewards: 4x Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. You will earn 4x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1x thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
3x Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card
1x Membership Rewards® points on all other purchasesAmex Business Gold Card Overview
The American Express Business Gold Card is designed to cater to the varied spending habits of businesses, offering a flexible rewards structure. The card earns 4X Membership Rewards points on the top two categories where businesses spend the most each billing cycle, among options like advertising, gas, dining, technology and more. This adaptable rewards system enables businesses to maximize benefits by earning higher points in areas that align with their expenditure patterns, providing significant earning potential. However, it’s important to note that this 4X points earning is capped at $150,000 in combined yearly purchases in these categories.
The Amex Business Gold Card provides access to the Membership Rewards program, allowing cardholders to redeem points for travel bookings, statement credits, merchandise and gift cards. The ability to transfer points to airline and hotel partners enhances their value, allowing for potentially lucrative redemption options.
Aside from rewards, the American Express Business Gold Card offers additional benefits geared toward small businesses, including a $240 annual flexible business credit and a $155 Walmart+ credit. Cardholders also get a host of travel benefits, including waived foreign transaction fees, trip delay protection, secondary rental car insurance, baggage insurance, cell phone protection and perks at The Hotel Collection bookings.
Who is the American Express Business Gold Card good for?
The American Express Business Gold Card is an excellent fit for businesses with diverse spending habits, spanning multiple categories. It’s particularly beneficial for businesses with significant expenses in areas like advertising, gas, dining, wireless services, transit and shipping. Its 4X points earning structure in the top two categories that include these categories offers incredible flexibility, allowing companies to maximize rewards on every dollar spent.
Moreover, this card is well-suited for businesses seeking a robust rewards program with versatile redemption options. The Business Gold Card provides access to the Amex Membership Rewards program, which includes 21 airline and hotel loyalty programs you can transfer points to. However, given its higher annual fee, it might be more appealing to businesses with moderate to high spending levels in the specified categories, as they can offset the fee through accrued rewards and benefits.
Who shouldn’t get the American Express Business Gold Card?
The American Express Business Gold Card might not be the ideal choice for businesses with expenses outside the card’s 3-4X bonus categories. The card carries a $295 ($375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24) annual fee and business owners will need to earn enough rewards or utilize the card’s various features to offset this expense. Thus, businesses with low spending might be better off with a card that earns elevated rewards on all spending rather than specific categories.
Furthermore, businesses that prioritize widespread acceptance might find limitations with American Express, as it’s not as widely accepted as other card networks like Visa or Mastercard overseas. Relying solely on this card might pose inconvenience or limitations. Lastly, those who prefer simple and easy award redemption options may consider a cash back card over the Amex Business Gold Card.
American Express® Business Gold Card: How to earn
The Business Gold Card has a three-tier rewards structure. You’ll earn:
4x Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. You will earn 4x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1x thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
3x Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card
1x Membership Rewards® points on all other purchases
These business spending categories qualify for 4X Membership Rewards points:
Select media
U.S. purchases made with electronic goods retailers
Software and cloud system providers
Restaurants
Gas stations
Transit
Monthly wireless phone charges
The top two are chosen automatically each month so you don’t have to worry about maximizing your 4X purchases up to $150,000 in combined purchases annually.
Does the American Express® Business Gold Card offer a bonus?
The American Express® Business Gold Card offers 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms apply.
How to redeem American Express® Business Gold Card points
The American Express Business Gold Card earns valuable Membership Rewards points, which are incredibly versatile. Points can be redeemed towards travel, cash back, gift cards and other ways. The most valuable redemption is transferring points to partner airlines or hotels, where their value often increases significantly. Card members can redeem their miles for high-value awards, including international business and first class tickets.
With a multitude of transfer partners spanning major carriers worldwide, this flexibility enhances the value of Membership Rewards for those seeking to optimize their travel experiences. However, this isn’t the only way to redeem points. If you’re going to redeem them for an option that gets you less than a cent per point in value, we recommend opting for a cash back rewards card instead. You’ll pay a lower annual fee and earn rewards that automatically get applied as a statement credit, so there’s no learning curve when it comes to redeeming rewards.
Transfer points
Transferring Amex Membership Rewards to airlines and hotels is one of the best ways to maximize their value. Membership Rewards boasts three hotel and 18 airline transfer partners. You can transfer your Amex points to most programs at a 1:1 ratio (unless otherwise noted). Some of the best transfer options include Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Air Canada Aeroplan and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. These programs offer fantastic value for long-haul international flights in both economy and business class and their programs offer a minimal learning curve to maximize.
Aer Lingus Aerclub
AeroMexico Rewards (1:1.6)
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
ANA Mileage Club
Avianca Lifemiles
British Airways Executive Club
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Choice Privileges
Delta SkyMiles
Emirates Skywards
Etihad Guest
HawaiinMiles
Hilton Honors (1:2)
Iberia Plus
JetBlue TrueBlue (5:4)
Marriott Bonvoy
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qatar Airways Privileges Club
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Virgin Atlantic Flying ClubTravel
Amex Business Gold card members can redeem points for Amex Travel hotel bookings at 0.7 cents and 1 cents per point towards airfare. This is about half the value you can get by transferring points to airline partners. However, those who want a simple redemption option might find this useful.
Gift cards
Amex Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for gift cards at 1 cent each. This isn’t a great use of points and we don’t recommend it.
Retail purchases
Amex and Chase cardholders can redeem points for 0.7 cents each through PayPal and Amazon checkout. As one of the lowest redemption values, you’re better off avoiding this option.
Cash back and statement credits
Redeeming Amex points for cash back or statement credits gets you 0.6 cents per point in value. This is the lowest redemption rate for Amex Membership Rewards and we recommend you steer clear of it.
Amex Business Gold rates and fees
Purchase APR: 19.49%–27.49% variable (for Pay Over Time transactions)
Annual fee: $295 ($375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24)
Foreign transaction fee: 0%Additional benefits
Up to $240 in annual flexible business credit: Valid on U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub and office supply stores.
Walmart+ credit: Monthly $12.95 Walmart+ membership credit.
No foreign transaction fees: Waived fees on purchases originating abroad, saving around 3%.
Access to The Hotel Collection: Valuable perks at select bookings, including $100 experience credit, space-available room upgrade and other benefits.
Baggage insurance plan: Up to $500 for lost, damaged, or stolen checked baggage and $1,250 for carry-ons.
Car rental loss and damage waiver: Secondary coverage that protects against damage or theft to rental vehicles. Coverage does not apply to rentals in Australia, Italy or New Zealand.
Trip delay insurance: Provides coverage in case of delays over 12 hours.
Cell phone protection: Up to $800 in annual coverage (up to two claims per year), subject to a $50 deductible.Credit cards similar to the American Express Business Gold Card
While the American Express Business Gold Card is an excellent choice, it has a few drawbacks (as demonstrated above). Its annual fee might be high for some small businesses and the benefits might be out of step with your personal needs. If that’s the case, there are several other business cards that are similar to the Amex Business Gold at a lower annual fee. Here’s a look at how the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Blue Business® Plus Credit Card From American Express stack up against the Business Gold:
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card vs. American Express Business Gold Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers rewards similar to the Amex Business Gold at a much lower annual fee. The card earns 3X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases on shipping, advertising with social media sites and search engines, internet, cable, phone services and travel. 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases. The card has a more reasonable $95 annual fee than the Amex Business Gold’s $295 ($375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24) , making it an excellent alternative.
The Ink Business Preferred’s welcome bonus is slightly lower than the Amex Gold’s. New customers can earn 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first three months of card opening Alternatively, you can transfer these Ultimate Rewards points 1:1 to 14 airline and hotel partners, ten of whom are also Amex Membership Rewards partners. The Ink Business Preferred Card also provides more comprehensive travel protections, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance and primary rental car coverage.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card From American Express vs. American Express Business Gold Card
Both the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express and the American Express Business Gold Card cater to business owners but offer distinct benefits. The Blue Business Plus Card focuses on simplicity and versatility with its 2x Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases for the first $50,000 in purchases per year (1x point per dollar thereafter). This card has a $0 annual fee, making it an attractive alternative to the Amex Business Gold, which carries a $295 annual fee.
Both cards provide access to the Membership Rewards program, allowing points to be transferred for high-value airline and hotel redemptions. The Blue Business Plus doesn’t have the comprehensive travel and purchase protections offered by the Amex Business Gold, but it also lacks an annual fee. Overall, the Amex Blue Business Plus is a good alternative for small business owners who want to earn above-average rewards on their spending without paying for the privilege.
Is the American Express Business Gold Card right for you?
The American Express Business Gold Card might be right for you if you’re looking for a premium business card with high rewards earning potential. If the majority of your spending falls within the card’s 3-4X category bonus, then this card can be very rewarding. Additionally, companies that prioritize access to a robust rewards program with versatile redemption options, such as travel bookings or point transfers to airlines and hotels, can greatly benefit from the Membership Rewards program linked to this card. These points are transferable to 21 different airline and hotel programs, providing ultimate flexibility in redeeming rewards.
However, individuals might opt against this card if their business primarily spends in categories that fall outside the 4X points earning structure. For those with consistent spending in specific areas not covered by the card, the rewards may not justify the high annual fee. Moreover, businesses that operate in regions or with vendors where American Express isn’t widely accepted might find limitations with this card. In such cases, opting for a card with broader acceptance could be more beneficial. Ultimately, the decision to choose the American Express Business Gold Card hinges on a business’s spending habits, preference for rewards and ability to maximize the card’s features to offset the annual fee.
Frequently asked questions
Is the American Express Business Gold Card worth it?
Whether the American Express Business Gold Card is worth it depends on your business spending habits. If your expenses align with its bonus categories and you can maximize the rewards, the $295 annual fee can be worthwhile.
What is the credit limit on the Amex Business Gold card?
The Amex Business Gold card does not have a preset spending limit. Before making a big purchase, you can check the Amex Spending Power tool to determine whether your transaction will be approved.
Is the Amex Business Gold card hard to get?
The Amex Business Gold card is a premium business card that requires a good to excellent credit score.
Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.
All information about the Blue Business Plus Card from American Express and the Chase Ink Preferred has been collected independently by Fortune Recommends™.