INTRODUCTION

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The American Express Business Gold Card is a popular card those looking for top rewards on spending. There are no premium travel perks or benefits with this card, but instead it offers great earnings rate. The card is designed for businesses – but this includes small businesses and sole proprietors.

As with all American Express cards, rewards are offered as Membership Rewards points. These are worth around two cent per point – potentially more with the right flight award use. 

You earn 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent in the top two categories each month. These categories are tracked and changed each month depending on your spending, with the top earning level available for up to $150,000 in spending each year. The six available categories are gas stations, restaurants, wireless and telephone providers, electronic goods retailers or software / cloud providers, select media advertising, and transport / transit services.

There is also a standard top-end sign-up bonus of 100,000 points. This is excellent for a mid-tier card and can easily be worth around $2,000 – perhaps more if maximized for travel rewards through partner airlines. This can be increased as high as 200,000 points with offers or referrals. 

It is worth noting that the Business Gold Card is very different from the higher-fee Business Platinum Card. The Platinum Card offers extensive premium travel benefits, but at a much higher fee. 

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MAIN CARD BENEFITS:

Earning of 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on US-based spending in the top two categories each month (up to $150,000 annually). These change to track monthly spending.

Earning three Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights and hotels and amextravel.com. All other spending earns at one point per dollar. 

A high sign-up bonus of 100,000 Membership Rewards® points when spending $15,000 in three months. 

The sign-up bonus can be even higher with special offers, or if referred by an existing card holder. A bonus of up to 200,000 Membership Rewards® points is often available.

Credits of up to $20 monthly on spend at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores (worth up to $240 per year).

A monthly statement credit of up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes for Walmart+ membership payments. 

Insurance covers include car rental loss and damage insurance, baggage insurance when travelling, and trip delay insurance.

No foreign transaction fees on overseas purchases. 

The American Express business cards are charge cards, meaning that balances need to be paid in full each month. The card does also offer a Pay Over Time feature, allowing a balance to be carried and interest charged.

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WHO IS THE CARD FOR:

This is a card for high-spending businesses or individuals. The rewards here come from points earned when spending, rather than fixed included perks. It’s also a strong option for those who want to leverage American Express Membership Rewards and the value possible here. 

As with any high-bonus card, there is value for some in maximizing use of the card for just one year to receive bonuses. As this is a business card, this could be possible even if you already hold personal cards. 

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PROS:

A very rewarding card for high spenders in the bonus categories. 

The automatically adapting categories are good for business with varied spending – there is no need to track or plan spending in advance to maximize rewards. 

American Express Membership Rewards® points can be worth more when used with the many hotel and airline transfer partners. 

Up to $240 annual rebates on typical business spending. 

There are regular additional credit offers for American Express cardholders. These regularly include rebates for spending with hotel chains or airlines. 

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CONS:

The annual fee of $375 is high for a mid-tier card with limited benefits. Users need to ensure that their ongoing spending and rewards justify the fee. 

No travel benefits such as lounge access, membership program rebates, airline rebates, or hotel elite status. 

The highest bonus earnings are capped annually at $150,000, and then earnings reduce. 

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