American Express® Business Gold Card
BEST FOR
Maximizing rewards in the two categories where you spend the most
- Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
- MORE REWARDS: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases. **
- **4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.*
- AIRLINE BONUS: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.*
- PAY OVER TIME OPTION: A flexible payment option with interest to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.*
- *Terms Apply
Pros
- Earn 4x points in two categories every month
- Pay eligible charges over time with interest, or pay your balance in full monthly
Cons
- You’ll pay a high annual fee of $295
- No interest-free financing opportunities
- Premium roadside assistance: Free of charge up to four times a year. You can receive towing up to 10 miles, winching, jump starts, flat tire change, lockout service when the key is in the vehicle, and delivery of up to two gallons of gas
- Return protection: American Express will refund you for eligible purchases when the store doesn’t accept returns of undamaged items. Coverage is limited to 90 days from purchase, up to $300 per item, and up to a maximum of $1,000 per year.
- Baggage insurance: If your baggage is lost, damaged, or stolen, you’re eligible for coverage of up to $1,250 for carry-on luggage and $500 for checked bags
- Extended warranty: Receive one additional year of coverage on purchases with eligible warranties of five years or less
- Purchase protection: Covers new purchases against damage or theft within 90 days of purchase. Coverage is limited to $1,000 per incident.
The American Express® Business Gold Card is an excellent card that offers up to 4x points on the top two eligible spending categories for each billing cycle. This business credit card also offers travel perks, including baggage insurance, trip delay insurance, and a 25% airline bonus when you book a flight using your points. Unlike typical credit cards, the Card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all.
Who American Express® Business Gold Card Is Right For
- Owners who prefer to earn points rewards from everyday expenses: With American Express® Business Gold Card, you earn points rewards redeemable for travel expenses when you use your card to pay for everyday expenses.
- Owners who travel frequently: American Express® Business Gold Card offers travel perks like booking a flight using Pay with Points and getting 25% points back, making it a valuable option for businesses that have frequent travel expenses.
How We Evaluate Points Rewards Business Credit Cards
When grading a points rewards business credit card like the American Express® Business Gold Card, we weigh ongoing and introductory rewards heaviest. We also take into account the annual fee, introductory and ongoing annual percentage rates (APRs), and other benefits the card offers.
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Ongoing Rewards | ||
Introductory Rewards | ||
Additional Features | ||
Annual Fee | ||
Introductory APR | ||
Ongoing APR | ||
| Total Score |
American Express® Business Gold Card Fees
- Introductory APR: None
- Ongoing APR: 14.24% to 22.24% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
- Annual fee: $295
- Balance transfer fee: Transfers are not allowed
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Cash advance fee: Cash advances are not allowed
American Express® Business Gold Card Rewards
- 4x points on the two select categories where your business spends the most each month; these categories include airfare, advertising, computer hardware, software, cloud solutions, gas, restaurants, and shipping
- 1x point on all other eligible purchases
Welcome offer: Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.
You can use your points to cover eligible charges on your current statement if you have at least 1,000 points in your account. If you have a minimum of 2,000 points, you can use them to purchase event tickets at Ticketmaster or AXS. You can also use points to buy gift cards or shop at Amazon.
You can also redeem your rewards to book your flight with American Express Travel and get 25% of your points back. You need a minimum of 5,000 points to book any class flight with your selected qualifying airline. You can get a maximum of 250,000 points back each calendar year.
American Express® Business Gold Card Features
Premium Roadside Assistance
American Express® Business Gold Card users can receive premium roadside assistance at no additional cost up to four times per year. Roadside services include towing, winching, jump starts, tire changes, gas needs, and if you locked yourself out of your car. The cardmember should present with the eligible vehicle to use this feature.
Purchase Protection
American Express protects your purchased items that are damaged or stolen and will reimburse you for the amount charged to your eligible card. The purchase protection coverage is limited up to $1,000 per claim and can’t exceed $50,000 per cardmember, per year. Items that are not covered include motorized vehicles, consumables, items lost by the cardmember, tickets, medical equipment, permanent fixtures, animals, and living plants.
Return Protection
American Express will refund you for items for eligible purchases on your American Express credit card within 90 days from purchase. Items are only eligible if they are in the original condition and if they can’t be returned to the merchant who originally sold them. The coverage is limited to $300 per item, with a maximum of $1,000 per account per year. Return protection does not cover motorized vehicles, computer software, perishable items, and jewelry.
Extended Warranty Protection
American Express will extend the terms of the original manufacturer’s warranty if it’s five years or less. It will match the original warranty of fewer than two years and will provide two additional years if the original warranty is between two and five years. The extended warranty protection does not cover items with physical damage or damage resulting from natural disasters, software, and motorized vehicles.
Travel Accident Insurance
A travel accident coverage of up to $100,000 is available if you die or lose a limb, sight, speech, or hearing. Travels are eligible if they are charged entirely to your American Express® Business Gold Card. Self-inflicted injuries, acts of war, injuries sustained while commuting, mental and physical infirmities, and certain illnesses are not covered.
Baggage Insurance Plan
American Express provides a baggage insurance plan of up to $1,250 for the replacement cost of lost baggage while in direct transit from a terminal or for a carry-on item. The extra benefit of the American Express baggage insurance plan is they will cover up to $500 for high-risk items, such as jewelry, sporting equipment, photographic equipment, electronic equipment, items consisting of gold, silver, or platinum, and articles made of fur.
Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance
American Express provides car rental loss and damage insurance for the first 30 days of a vehicle rental and when rented from a car rental company. The insurance plan covers up to $50,000 per rental agreement. Manufacturing defects, intentional damage by an authorized driver, wear and tear, theft of or damage to tires, and damage due to freezing are excluded from the coverage.
Account Management Tools
The American Express® Business Gold Card also comes with a handful of account management tools that can help you optimize your business’ spending, including the American Express® Business App and Connect to QuickBooks. These tools can help you manage your accounts, control employee spending, pay bills, allow employees to upload photos of receipts for expense reporting, and transfer transaction data to QuickBooks.
American Express® Business Gold Card Alternatives
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
BEST FOR
Maximizing travel rewards at a lower annual fee
- New Offer! Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year
- Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases - with no limit to the amount you can earn
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Redeem points for travel, cash back, gift cards and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- No foreign transaction fees
- Employee cards at no additional cost
- $95 Annual Fee
Note: The information related to the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected by fitsmallbusiness.com and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.
Pros
- Opportunity to boost the value of reward points
- Offers cellphone protection and trip cancellation insurance
Cons
- Does not offer an interest-free financing period
- Charges an annual fee
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: Coverage is primary—meaning it replaces any coverage your personal insurance might offer—when renting for business purposes. It provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.
- Cellphone protection: You and the employees named on the phone bill you pay for with your card are covered for up to $600 in theft or damages per claim. You are limited to three claims per 12-month period, with a $100 deductible per claim.
- Trip cancellation and delay insurance: If your trip is canceled, you can be compensated up to $15,000 for prepaid expenses such as airfare or hotels. If your trip is delayed for 12 hours or more, you can be reimbursed up to $500 for your hotel room, meals, and transportation.
U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card
U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card
BEST FOR
Expenses that shift from month to month
- Earn 75,000 points worth $750 cash back. Just spend $7,500 in eligible net purchases on the Account Owner's Card within the first four months of account opening.
- Earn 2X points per dollar spent on eligible net purchases made in the top two categories where you spend the most each month - automatically.
- Earn 1X points per dollar spent on all other eligible net purchases.
- No caps or limits on the total points you can earn.
- Earn even more rewards when you link you card to your U.S. Bank payment processing account. Only U.S. Bank rewards you for both taking payments and making purchases. Learn more at usbrelationshiprewards.com
- Free employee cards
Pros
- Personalized ongoing rewards
- Large sign-up bonus
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- No introductory financing
- Extended warranty protection: The issuer will double an original manufacturer’s warranty up to an additional one year for warranties of three years or less. The coverage is limited to $10,000 per item.
- Purchase protection: Protection for items that are damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase. Coverage is limited to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder, per year.
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
BEST FOR
Unlimited 2x miles with every swipe
- Introductory reward worth $500 in travel after you spend $4,500 within the first three months
- 2x miles per $1 spent
- 5x miles on hotel and rental car bookings through the issuer
- Issue employee cards for free
Pros
- No foreign transaction fees
- TSA Pre✓® or Global Entry application fee credit
Cons
- You’ll pay an annual fee after the first year
- Doesn’t offer interest-free financing
- Airport security screening reimbursement: Either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or an $85 statement credit for TSA Pre✓® once every four years.
- Purchase assurance: Most purchases made entirely with your card are covered if damaged or stolen within 90 days from the date of purchase. Coverage is limited to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder account per 12 month period.
- Extended warranty coverage: Doubles the original warranty time period and duplicates the coverage of the original manufacturer’s warranty up to a maximum of 12 months on most items you purchase.
- Travel medical emergency assitance: Provide referrals to medical services if you have a medical emergency while traveling. You’re covered if you’re 100 or more miles away from home and from the day you leave until midnight of the 60th day of your trip, or the day you return to your city of residence, whichever is sooner.
Bottom Line
The American Express® Business Gold Card is best for business owners who use their card for everyday expenses and want to redeem rewards for travel expenses. Review the list of our top credit card choices to find another card for your business if this isn’t right for you.
