The American Express® Business Gold Card isn’t necessarily one of those showy new credit cards with a giant welcome bonus. It doesn’t offer flashy benefits like hotel elite status or airport lounge access, so you’ll have to dig deeper to find the real value of this card.
Fortunately, though, the value is there for the right business. If your business can use the offered benefits, you can save thousands of dollars during your first year of card membership. That said, this card isn’t going to be valuable to all businesses.
Just like any business credit card, your spending categories need to align with the bonus categories, you’ll need to utilize the offered benefits, and you have to find enough value in the benefits to offset the annual fee. But with up to 4x earnings, rebates on airfare, and the ability to transfer points to travel partners, the card still offers plenty of value.
So that begs the question: does this card offer enough to be a valuable asset to your business?
Today, we’ll try to answer that question. We’ll look at all of the Amex Business Gold card’s benefits and help you see if it delivers enough value for your business to justify applying. Let’s get started!
Amex Business Gold Card
Earning Valuable Membership Rewards Points
Membership Rewards points earned on the Amex Business Gold card are some of the most flexible and valuable points you can earn — and there are plenty of ways to earn them.
Earning rewards may not be the only reason you decided to acquire a business credit card, but it’s always near the top of the list of card benefits.
That’s because rewards can help offset bottom-line costs like travel expenses, or even fund an annual vacation you’d otherwise pay cash for.
1. A Generous Welcome Offer — [$1,540]
You can earn the bonus by meeting minimum spending requirements within the first 3 months after card approval. With the current offer valued at $1,540, this is an imperative benefit to consider when evaluating the card.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome offer of up to 110,000 points with the Amex Business Gold! (The current public offer is 70,000.)
2. Accelerated Earnings in 2 Business Spending Categories — [$4,400]
There are 6 business expense categories that are eligible to earn 4x Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent up to the first $150,000 per year. Earnings are applied automatically each statement period based on your 2 highest expenses.
- Airfare purchased directly from airlines
- Online, TV, and radio advertising purchased from U.S. media
- Select technology purchases of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions from U.S. providers
- Purchases at U.S. gas stations
- Purchases at U.S. restaurants
- Purchases for U.S. shipping
If your business spends $50,000 in 4x bonus categories in a year, you’ll earn 200,000 Membership Rewards points worth approximately $4,400.
3. Elevated Earnings on Amex Travel Purchases — [$440]
Qualifying purchases made with Amex Travel using the card receive 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent. If you were to spend $10,000 on travel, you would earn 20,000 Membership Rewards points on your purchases.
4. Unlimited Earnings on Every Purchase — [$440]
All purchases earn at least 1 Membership Reward point per $1 spent, including bonus category spending that exceeds the annual $150,000 limit. There is no limit on how many points you can earn. If your business spent just $10,000 in non-bonus category spending or in 4x bonus purchases above $150,000 in a calendar year, you would earn 20,000 Membership Rewards points.
Hot Tip: From how to qualify, to benefits and perks, our guide will walk you through all the frequently asked questions about the Amex Business Gold card.
Receive Big Value on Membership Rewards Redemptions
5. Transfer to Airline and Hotel Partners
ANA’s new business class seating is unparalleled. Image Credit: ANA
One of the best features of Membership Rewards points is that you can transfer your points to airline and hotel partners. You can use these transfer partners to redeem for luxurious travel experiences like ANA first class to Tokyo or a long weekend in Hawaii.
Below you’ll find all of the Membership Rewards airline and hotel transfer partners:
| Amex Airline Transfer Partner | Min Transfer | Transfer Ratio
(Amex > Partner) | Transfer Time |
| Aer Lingus | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| AeroMexico | 1,000 | 1:1.6 | 2-12 days |
| Air Canada | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| ANA | 1,000 | 1:1 | 3 days |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost instant |
British Airways
| 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Cathay Pacific | 1,000 | 1:1 | Up to 1 Week |
| Delta Air Lines | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Emirates | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Etihad Airways | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Flying Blue Air France/KLM | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Hawaiian | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Iberia | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1-3 days |
| JetBlue | 250 | 1:0.8 | Almost Instant |
| Qantas | 500 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Singapore Airlines | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Virgin Atlantic | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
While you can transfer your Membership Rewards points to hotel partners, it’s not the best value for your points. Having the option is a positive, though — especially if you need to top off your hotel rewards account for a specific redemption.
6. 25% Airline Redemption Rebate on Amex Travel
You can redeem Membership Rewards points at 1 cent per point on Amex Travel. Using this booking portal, you can book airfare, hotels, cruises, and more with your Membership Rewards points.
Further, Amex Business Gold cardmembers will receive a 25% points rebate when redeeming points for first or business class airfare through Amex Travel. This means you can effectively redeem Membership Rewards at 1.25 cents per point through Amex Travel.
Generally, though, you’ll still find better value when transferring your Membership Rewards points to the transfer partners we mentioned earlier.
Hot Tip: Amex Travel purchases covered with points are still paid tickets. This means that you’ll earn airline miles on your Amex Travel airfare, so make sure to add your frequent flyer number after booking.
Travel Protections and Benefits [$375]
7. Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
Secondary coverage on eligible rental vehicles with the option to purchase Premium Protection for 1 low fee that covers the entire rental period. Prices range from $12.95 to $24.95 depending on the location and level of coverages selected. For example, on a 10-day rental, you could save ~$200 by not having to select the agency’s LDW coverage (at $20 per day).
8. Global Assist Hotline
Receive general travel, legal, medical, and financial assistance if things go wrong while you’re traveling.
9. Baggage Insurance Plan
You’re covered for lost, stolen, or damaged luggage up to $1,250 per covered person.
10. The Hotel Collection
Book a prepaid hotel stay of 2 nights or more through qualifying American Express Travel providers, pay with your Amex Business Gold card and receive room upgrades and credit at checkout for select charges.
- Receive an upgraded room and other amenities based on availability
- $100 hotel credit on all stays for use on dining, spa, or other on-site resort purchases
- Bookings made on AmexTravel.com receive 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent, or the stay can be paid for with the Pay with Points option
Hot Tip: You can learn more about The Hotel Collection in our detailed guide.
Shopping Benefits and Protections [$400]
11. Extended Warranty
On qualifying items purchased with your card, the manufacturer’s warranty of fewer than 5 years is extended by 1 year.
12. Purchase Protection
Receive coverage for eligible items purchased with the Amex Business Gold card for accidental damage or theft, up to 90 days from the date of purchase; coverage is up to $1,000 per item and $50,000 per year.
13. Amex Offers
Image Credit: American Express
Too big of a deal to miss out on, Amex Offers can literally save you thousands a year. You’ll find these offers listed on your account home page; just scroll down the page and select the offers that interest you.
Add the offer to your card and follow the purchasing terms and conditions to receive statement credits or additional Membership Rewards points.
14. Business Expense Management Tools
If time is money, having the right business management tools can deliver economic value.
- Connect to Quickbooks —Transfer data from your Amex account to your Quickbooks account.
- No-Additional-Fee Employee Cards — Earn rewards faster and manage every expense with extra cards for your employees (rates and fees).
- American Express Business App — Add receipts and notes to your transaction via desktop or mobile device.
- Online and Year-end Statements —View your spending history and access reports to help at tax time.
- Mobile Account Management —Access your account from anywhere.
- Account Alerts — Set up account alerts for unusual spending, payment reminders, or to monitor employee spending.
Hot Tip: Wondering how this card stacks up against The Business Platinum Card® from American Express? Check out our comparison here: Amex Business Platinum card vs. Amex Business Gold card.
15. Additional Travel and Entertainment Perks
Your business could realize additional savings if it makes foreign purchases, as the card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees — Use your card anywhere in the world with no transaction fees added (rates and fees).
- Event and Entertainment Access — Ticket presale privileges, VIP event access, and preferred seating.
16. Cash Flow and Finance Benefits
- Pay Over Time — When you elect to use this benefit, you get to decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month or pay over time with interest.
- No Preset Spending Limit — Your spending power adjusts as you use your card.
- Vendor Payment — Have American Express pay your vendors even if they don’t take credit cards, then repay American Express within 30, 60, or 90 days.
Terms and conditions apply to all protections/benefits. You can access full descriptions and links to terms and conditions for each protection and benefit mentioned here.
Final Thoughts
The Amex Business Gold card is one of the most feature-packed business cards on the market, but you should still review its benefits and earning potential carefully to see if it makes sense for your business.
You’ll find benefits with elevated earnings of 4x on select bonus categories, Amex Offers, business management tools, and some ancillary travel benefits.
If you’ll spend more than $7,500 a year in 4x categories, take advantage of a few Amex Offers, and use the points you earn for high-end travel experiences, you’ll find plenty of value in the card.
Obviously, our value estimates are based on theoretical business spending scenarios. The value you actually receive will depend on how you utilize the card.
To check out other business credit cards for comparison, we’ve put together a full lineup of the best small business cards for maximum rewards and cash-back.
For the Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance benefit of the American Express® Business Gold Card, the benefit can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
For the Global Assist benefit of the American Express® Business Gold Card, you can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
For the Baggage Insurance Plan benefit of the American Express® Business Gold Card, coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Extended Warranty benefit of the American Express® Business Gold Card, when an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Purchase Protection benefit of the American Express® Business Gold Card, when an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, please click here.
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