The American Express® Business Gold Card offers up to 4x points on the top two eligible spending categories. It also offers travel perks, including baggage insurance, trip delay insurance, and a 25% airline bonus when you book a flight using your points. This card’s Pay Over Time feature allows you to carry a balance with interest on eligible charges.
American Express® Business Gold Card
BEST FOR:
Maximizing rewards in the two categories where you spend the most
- Welcome Offer: Earn 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.*
- 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: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month—or pay over time with interest.*
- *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.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 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.*
- 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: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month—or pay over time with interest.*
- *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.
Want to compare the features of one card to another? We’ve made it easy for you to do just that! Simply check off up to three cards on this page to add them to your cart. This will allow you to view the details in a side-by-side comparison.
How We Evaluate Points Rewards Business Credit Cards
When evaluating a points rewards business credit card like the American Express® Business Gold Card, we first consider both ongoing and introductory rewards. 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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Introductory Rewards | ||
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Who American Express® Business Gold Card Is Right For
The American Express® Business Gold Card was considered as one of the best small business credit cards in our Best Small Business Credit Cards Guide because it allows cardholders to earn 4x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from the top two spending categories where your business spends the most each month.
- Business owners who need flexible credit limits: The American Express® Business Gold Card has no preset spending limit, which means your spending limit is flexible. The amount you can spend adjusts based on your purchase, payment, and credit history.
- Business 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.
American Express® Business Gold Card Fees
- Introductory APR: None
- Ongoing APR: 14.24% to 22.24% variable, adjusts with the prime rate
- Annual fee: $295
- Balance transfer fee: Transfers aren’t allowed
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Cash advance fee: Cash advances aren’t allowed
American Express® Business Gold Card Rewards
- Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of opening an account
- 4x points on the first $150,000 on two select categories where your business spends the most each month—including airfare, advertising, computer hardware, software, cloud solutions, gas, restaurants, and shipping expenses
- Unlimited 1x point on all other eligible purchases
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 Additional Features
Pay Over Time Option
The American Express® Business Gold Card offers a Pay Over Time feature, which allows you to pay your balance on eligible purchases over time with interest. American Express will assign a Pay Over Time limit to your account, which may be different from the total amount you can spend on your card.
Premium Roadside Assistance
The 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 delivery, and lockout services. The cardmember should be 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 card. The purchase protection coverage is limited up to $1,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardmember, per year. Items that aren’t covered include motorized vehicles, consumables, items lost by the cardmember, tickets, medical equipment, permanent fixtures, animals, and living plants.
Return Protection
If you want to return the items that you purchased using your American Express credit card but the merchant that originally sold them won’t accept the return, American Express will refund you through its return protection feature. The items bought using your credit card should be returned within 90 days from the date of purchase and must be in their original condition. The coverage is limited to $300 per item, up to $1,000 per account per year. Return protection doesn’t cover motorized vehicles, computer software, perishable items, or jewelry.
Extended Warranty Protection
American Express will extend the terms of the original manufacturer’s warranty if it’s five years or less. It’ll 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 doesn’t 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’re charged entirely to your American Express® Business Gold Card. Instances that aren’t covered include self-inflicted injuries, acts of war, injuries sustained while commuting, mental and physical infirmities, and certain illnesses.
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. It’ll also cover up to $500 for high-risk items, such as jewelry, sporting equipment, photographic equipment, electronic equipment, and items consisting of gold, silver, or platinum.
Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance
American Express provides car rental loss and damage insurance for the first 30 days of a vehicle rental. The insurance plan covers up to $50,000 per rental agreement. Instances that aren’t covered include manufacturing defects, intentional damage by an authorized driver, wear and tear, theft of or damage to tires, and damage due to freezing.
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.
Pros & Cons Explained
Pros of American Express® Business Gold Card
- Flexible credit limit: The American Express® Business Gold Card has no preset spending limit. Your credit limit is flexible and adjusts based on your spending habits, payment, and credit history.
- Pay Over Time feature: Eligible charges can be paid over time with interest. This option allows you to carry a balance and pay it over time, as long as it doesn’t exceed your Pay Over Time limit.
- 4x points on top two categories each month: You can earn 4x points on the top two categories where your business spends the most each month. This applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases.
Cons of American Express® Business Gold Card
- High annual fee: The American Express® Business Gold Card charges a high annual fee of $295 and it doesn’t have a zero annual fee introductory offer.
- No interest-free financing options: The American Express® Business Gold Card doesn’t offer a 0% introductory APR for their Pay Over Time option. You’ll be charged with APR that ranges from 14.24% to 22.24% right away.
- Certain charges aren’t eligible for Pay Over Time: The Pay Over Time feature is only available for eligible charges. Some charges are ineligible for the Pay Over Time option, such as Cash and Express Cash, American Express® Travelers Cheques and other cash equivalents, certain insurance premiums, casinos, and other gambling transactions.
American Express® Business Gold Card Alternatives
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 3x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases on the top four categories where your business spends the most each month. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. This business credit card is a good alternative if you travel frequently but won’t need travel perks such as airport lounge access.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
BEST FOR:
Maximizing travel rewards at a lower annual fee
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $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 Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Pros
- Opportunity to boost the value of reward points
- Offers cellphone protection and trip cancellation insurance
Cons
- Doesn’t 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.
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $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 Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Pros
- Opportunity to boost the value of reward points
- Offers cellphone protection and trip cancellation insurance
Cons
- Doesn’t 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
The U.S. Bank Business Leverage® Visa Signature® Card is a better option if you’re looking for a credit card with a low annual fee. It offers no annual fee for the first year and charges $95 thereafter. This is also a good alternative for frequent travelers as it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees for purchases made outside the United States.
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
- Unlimited points
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- No introductory 0% APR
- Rewards have expiration
- 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.
- 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
- Unlimited points
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- No introductory 0% APR
- Rewards have expiration
- 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
If you prefer to earn fixed-rate rewards, the Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business may be a better alternative. This business credit card offers unlimited 2x miles on all business-related purchases, regardless of spending categories. It charges a $95 annual fee, which is waived for the first year. You’ll also enjoy no transaction fees on purchases made outside of the US.
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
- 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.
- Introductory reward worth $500 in travel after you spend $4,500 within the first three months
- 2x miles per $1 spent
- 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.
You may also want to check out our review for all American Express Business Cards to find other American Express credit card options that may be right for you.
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. Check out our Credit Card Marketplace to find another card for your business if this isn’t right for you.
