American Express Business Gold Card Review

Best for Business Travel

American Express® Business Gold Card

Rewards rate:

Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases. **

• Intro bonus: 35,000 points
• Annual fee: $295
• Regular APR: 14.24{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} – 22.24{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} Variable
• Recommended credit score: 670-850 (Good to Excellent)

American Express Business Gold is our top credit card pick for business travelers, thanks to its flexibility and value potential. Business owners with variable expenses will enjoy the American Express Business Gold Card’s flexible rewards structure that earns where you spend most, plus access to valuable travel redemptions via Amex’s Membership Rewards program. Here’s how you can use this card to gain value for your business, and offset its $295 annual fee: 

At a Glance

• 4x Membership Rewards points on up to $150,000 in combined spending in the two categories where you spend most each month (among U.S. gas stations, select U.S. advertising, select airfare, U.S. restaurant purchases, select technology, and U.S. shipping)
• 1x points on all other purchases
• 35,000 Membership Rewards points welcome bonus when you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases within three months of account opening
• $295 annual fee
• 14.24{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} – 22.24{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} variable APR

Additional Card Details

In addition to points rewards, Amex Business Gold offers a few notable perks and features, especially if your business will require frequent post-pandemic air travel. 

When you’re prepared to travel again in the future, you won’t pay any foreign transaction fees on purchases you make with your card abroad, and you’ll get a 25{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} airline bonus on flights booked with points through AmexTravel.com. This airline bonus applies to any fare class with your selected qualifying airline, but is limited to First or Business Class flights booked with other airlines. You can earn up to 250,000 points back per calendar year with this benefit.

Amex Business Gold is different from standard credit cards, in that you’ll have no preset spending limit. You may carry a balance on some charges using Amex’s Pay Over Time feature, but not all. But with a variable APR between 14.24{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} and 24.24{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5}, you should only charge business expenses to your Business Gold card you can afford to pay off each month.

Other cardholder benefits include year-end summaries for expense management, extended warranties, and purchase protection against damage or theft. You also get access to Global Assist Hotline, The Hotel Collection, American Express Experiences, and trip delay and baggage insurance.

Should You Get this Card?

Whether or not the American Express Business Gold Card makes a good choice for you comes down to how frequently your business spends in the categories eligible for 4x points rewards. They include: 

• U.S. gas stations
• Select U.S. advertising purchases (online, TV, radio)
• Airfare purchased directly from airlines
• U.S. restaurant purchases (including takeout and deliver)
• Select U.S. direct technology purchases (from providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solution)
• U.S. shipping purchases

If you can max out the bonus rewards on this card with $150,000 in combined spending each year, you can earn 600,000 Membership Rewards points in those categories alone. That’s worth $6,000 toward future travel when you book through AmexTravel.com. 

While you can redeem points in ways other than travel, this card is best for frequent business travelers, as you’ll get the best value for travel redemptions.

One of the biggest perks of this card is the rewards flexibility — if your business expenses fluctuate each month, or you spend heavily in advertising in Q1 but the rest of your annual purchases are largely client lunches and site visits, your rewards follow your spending. Plus, Amex automatically rewards the categories in which your heaviest spending falls, so there’s no need to manually select categories each month.

But Amex Business Gold may not be the best card for every small business. If your spending falls outside these categories, a more general flat cash back card might be a better option. The annual fee can also be a barrier; if you don’t spend enough annually to offset the cost in rewards value, it’s likely not worth the $295 price tag. 

On the other hand, the $150,000 cap in combined spending may be limiting for larger businesses with higher costs. Compare this card’s value to others with no spending cap. They may charge higher fees or offer lower rewards percentages, but could bring you more value long-term.

How to Use the American Express Business Gold Card

After you’re approved American Express Business Gold Card, start maximizing your rewards by spending at least $5,000 within three months of account opening to earn the 35,000-point welcome bonus. 

Use your card for any purchase you make within the 4x bonus category purchases throughout the year. You may want to strategize how you’ll allocate spending to maximize your two 4x points categories each month, or simply charge your regular spending as you typically would. 

As you spend, be sure to pay down your balance in full each month. Even though you can carry a balance using Pay Over Time, the Business Gold’s variable APR can quickly add up and offset the value of any rewards earned.

And when you’re ready to cash in your points, maximize your redemptions. American Express Membership Rewards points are especially valuable for booking travel, and typically that’s where you’ll get the most lucrative redemptions. Not only can you use your points to book travel directly through AmexTravel.com, but you can transfer your points to Amex airline and hotel partners. These are current partners that allow point transfers, alongside their point-to-mile transfer ratios:

• Aer Lingus: 1:000:1,000
• Aeromexico: 1:000:1,600
• Aeroplan: 1:000:1,000
• Air France / Flying Blue: 1:000:1,000
• Millemiglia: 1:000:1,000
• ANA: 1:000:1,000
• Asia Miles: 1:000:1,000
• Avianca: 1:000:1,000
• British Airways: 1:000:1,000
• Delta Skymiles: 1:000:1,000
• Emirates: 1:000:1,000
• Etihad Guest: 1:000:1,000
• Hawaiian Airlines: 1:000:1,000
• Iberia: 1:000:1,000
• JetBlue: 250:200
• Qantas: 500:500
• Singapore Airlines: 1:000:1,000
• Virgin Atlantic: 1:000:1,000
• Choice Privileges: 1:000:1,000
• Hilton Honors: 1:000:2,000
• Marriott Bonvoy: 1:000:1,000

You can also choose to redeem for gift cards; directly for purchases with retailers like Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, or Boxed.com; and shop with your points through Amex.

American Express Business Gold Card Compared to Other Cards

Bottom Line

If your business spends a lot in the 4x bonus categories and you can earn the welcome bonus on this card, then your points value can quickly offset even the pricey $295 annual fee. But if your spending doesn’t fall within the eligible categories, or far exceeds the $150,000 cap, you might find more value from other business credit cards. Take a look at past receipts and consider any purchases you have coming up this year to best determine whether the Business Gold card makes sense for you. 

Frequently Asked Questions