American Express® Business Gold Card Review for 2023
Tricia has nearly two decades of experience in commercial and federal government lending. Her expertise is highlighted throughout small business loan content on Fit Small Business.
Benilyn has over a decade of experience as a banking officer. Her expertise is featured throughout Fit Small Business in personal finance, credit card, and real estate investing content.
This article is part of a larger series on Best Small Business Credit Cards.
The American Express® Business Gold Card is best for business owners who need flexible credit limits and wanting to earn premium rewards on the top two eligible spending categories. While it comes with a high annual fee of $295, cardholders get to enjoy a 25% airline bonus when booking a flight using points. You need to pay your balance in full each month, but if you’re qualified for its Pay Over Time feature, you can carry a balance with interest on eligible charges.
To see how this card stacks up against others we have reviewed on our site, click Add to Compare on the card below and select up to two additional cards for comparison.
American Express® Business Gold Card
Fit Small Business's ratings are calculated by industry experts of our editorial team. Our grading rubric considers the type of credit card (such as cash back or travel), and the card's rates, fees, rewards, and additional features like insurance.
BEST FOR:
Maximizing rewards in the two categories where you spend the most
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
18.99% - 26.99% Variable
Annual Fee
$295
Credit Needed
Good, Excellent
- 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 changes, 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.
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
18.99% - 26.99% Variable
Annual Fee
$295
Credit Needed
Good, Excellent
- 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 changes, 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.
How We Evaluate Points Rewards Business Credit Cards
When evaluating points rewards business credit cards 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.
Grading Criteria | Card Score | Highest Possible Score |
|---|---|---|
Ongoing Rewards | 28 | 30 |
Introductory Rewards | 15 | 20 |
Additional Features | 15 | 15 |
Annual Fee | 10 | 15 |
Introductory APR | 0 | 10 |
Ongoing APR | 8 | 10 |
Total Score | 76 | 100 |
Who American Express® Business Gold Card Is Best For
- Business owners who need flexible credit limits: It has no preset spending limit, which means your limit is flexible. The amount you can spend adjusts based on your purchase, payment, and credit history.
- Business owners who travel frequently: You can enjoy travel perks like booking a flight using Pay with Points on Amex Travel and getting 25% points back, making it a valuable option for those with frequent travel expenses.
- Business owners who can pay their balance in full every month: While it has a Pay Over Time feature, it only applies to selected purchases. Other charges that aren’t qualified for Pay Over Time should be paid in full each month.
If this card doesn’t fit your needs, go to our recommended alternatives section below.
American Express® Business Gold Card Fees
APR
- Introductory: None
- Ongoing: 18.99% to 26.99% variable, which adjusts with the Prime rate
- Penalty*: 29.99% variable, which adjusts with the Prime rate; will apply to your account if at least one of the following conditions are met:
- Made two or more late payments within the 12-month period
- Didn’t pay the Minimum Payment due by the closing date of the billing period and still didn’t pay it by the Closing Date of the next billing period
- Made a returned payment
*Penalty APR will apply for a minimum of 12 billing periods in a row, and this will continue to apply until after you have made timely payments with no returned payment incurred for 12 consecutive billing periods.
Fees
- Annual: $295
- Balance transfer: Transfers aren’t allowed
- Foreign transaction: None
- Cash advance: Cash advances aren’t allowed
- Late payment: Either $39 or 2.99% of any past due pay-in-full amount, whichever is greater
- Returned payment: $39
How To Make Payments on the American Express® Business Gold Card
- AutoPay: Enroll in AutoPay through your American Express online account. Your first AutoPay payment may not apply to your current billing cycle, so you’ll need to make your usual payments until your AutoPay begins.
- Mobile app: Download the Amex Mobile App for iOS or Android devices, and enjoy the convenience of paying your bills anytime, anywhere.
- Direct bank payment: Direct debits let you pay bills automatically, so you don’t have to worry about missing due dates. Simply provide your bank account details to American Express and indicate the amount you’d like to pay every month.
- Online: Make a payment through your American Express online account anytime. Simply choose your payment account and select your bank account and payment date. Credit cards and debit cards cannot be accepted as a form of payment.
- Mail: Opt to mail your payment either by check or money order made payable to American Express. Ensure to include your account number at the front of your payment.
First Class Mail
American Express
PO Box 650448
Dallas, TX 75265-0448
Express Mail
American Express
Attn: Express Mail Remittance Processing
20500 Belshaw Ave.
Carson, CA 90746
American Express® Business Gold Card Rewards
- 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $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 directly from airlines, advertising on select media―such as online, TV, and radio―computer hardware, software, cloud solutions, gas, restaurants, and shipping expenses
- 1x points on all other eligible purchases
You can use your points as a statement credit to purchase event tickets at Ticketmaster or AXS, to shop at Amazon, or for gift cards. You can also redeem your rewards to book your flight with Amex Travel and get 25% of your points back (up to a maximum of 250,000 points back each calendar year).
American Express® Business Gold Card Additional Features
Cash Flow Flexibility
- Pay Over Time option: It 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 differ from the total amount you can spend on your card.
- No preset spending limit: This allows you to make your spending limits flexible. Unlike traditional cards that have a set limit, your spending amount on this card can be adjusted based on factors such as your purchase history, payment, and credit history.
Expense Management
- Year-end summary: American Express offers a year-end summary of charges to help you manage your account online.
- Free employee cards: You can earn rewards on purchases made on employee cards and stay on top of expenses with spending limits.
- QuickBooks® integration: You can save time with auto-expense categorization in QuickBooks.
Travel
- Baggage insurance plan: American Express provides a baggage insurance plan of up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage. For New York residents, there’s an aggregate maximum limit of $10,000 for all covered persons per covered trip.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance: American Express provides car rental loss and damage insurance when you pay for your rental using your eligible credit card. You should decline the collision damage waiver provided by the rental company to be eligible.
- Trip delay insurance: If you purchase a round-trip with your American Express credit card, you’re covered with trip delay insurance if your trip is delayed for more than 12 hours.
Other Protections
- Purchase protection: American Express protects your purchased items that are damaged or stolen for up to 90 days from the date of purchase. The purchase protection coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per card member, per year.
- Extended warranty protection: American Express will extend the warranty for one additional year if the original manufacturer’s warranty is five years or less. To be eligible, the items must have been purchased in the United States or its territories or possessions.
American Express® Business Gold Card Alternatives
Chase Ink Business Preferred®
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Fit Small Business's ratings are calculated by industry experts of our editorial team. Our grading rubric considers the type of credit card (such as cash back or travel), and the card's rates, fees, rewards, and additional features like insurance.
BEST FOR:
Maximizing travel rewards at a lower annual fee
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
20.49% - 25.49% Variable
Annual Fee
$95
Credit Needed
- 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
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- 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.
- Member FDIC
Pros
- Reward points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® card
- Comprehensive travel and purchase protection
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- No interst-free financing option on both purchases and balance transfers
- With annual fee
- Need to make extremely large purchases to qualify for the sign-up bonus
- Cellphone protection: Get up to $1,000 per claim in cellphone protection against covered theft or damage for you and your employees listed on your monthly cellphone bill
- Purchase protection: Can cover your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft of up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account
- Extended warranty protection: You can extend the period of the US manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.
- Fraud monitoring: Chase will help keep your accounts safe with account alerts – and you can choose how you’d like to receive them
- Free employee cards: You can create employee cards at no additional cost, and lets you set individual spending limits―helping you earn rewards even faster
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
20.49% - 25.49% Variable
Annual Fee
$95
Credit Needed
Good, Excellent
- 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
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- 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.
- Member FDIC
Pros
- Reward points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® card
- Comprehensive travel and purchase protection
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- No interst-free financing option on both purchases and balance transfers
- With annual fee
- Need to make extremely large purchases to qualify for the sign-up bonus
- Cellphone protection: Get up to $1,000 per claim in cellphone protection against covered theft or damage for you and your employees listed on your monthly cellphone bill
- Purchase protection: Can cover your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft of up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account
- Extended warranty protection: You can extend the period of the US manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.
- Fraud monitoring: Chase will help keep your accounts safe with account alerts – and you can choose how you’d like to receive them
- Free employee cards: You can create employee cards at no additional cost, and lets you set individual spending limits―helping you earn rewards even faster
- Chase Ink Business Preferred® is a great option if you want a card that has a lower annual fee ($95) and allows balance transfers
- Offers 3x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases on the top four categories where your business spends the most each month
- Offers points that are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Is one of our best business credit cards for travel
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
Fit Small Business's ratings are calculated by industry experts of our editorial team. Our grading rubric considers the type of credit card (such as cash back or travel), and the card's rates, fees, rewards, and additional features like insurance.
BEST FOR:
Unlimited 2x miles with every swipe
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
25.24% (Variable)
Annual Fee
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Credit Needed
Excellent, Good
- 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 PreCheck® 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 PreCheck® 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 assistance: 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.
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
25.24% (Variable)
Annual Fee
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Credit Needed
Excellent, Good
- 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 PreCheck® 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 PreCheck® 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 assistance: 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.
- Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business is a suitable alternative for those who prefer to earn fixed-rate rewards
- Offers unlimited 2x miles on all business-related purchases, regardless of spending categories
- Charges a low annual fee of $95, which is waived for the first year
- Has no transaction fees on purchases made outside of the US.
- Is one of our top business credit cards with no foreign transaction fees and best business credit cards for miles
American Express Business Platinum Card®
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Fit Small Business's ratings are calculated by industry experts of our editorial team. Our grading rubric considers the type of credit card (such as cash back or travel), and the card's rates, fees, rewards, and additional features like insurance.
BEST FOR:
Gaining access to unrivaled travel rewards and luxury travel perks like airport lounge access
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
18.99% - 26.99% Variable
Annual Fee
$695
Credit Needed
Good, Excellent
- Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless with the Business Platinum Card.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card or any of the Additional Cards on your Platinum Card account.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: CLEAR® uses biometrics to assign you a touchless ID, allowing you to move faster through security at select airports and stadiums across the U.S. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR membership with up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR with your Business Platinum Card®.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Pros
- Premium travel rewards
- Free access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance is due in full monthly
- High annual fee
- American Express lounges: Free access to American Express’ network of Centurion lounges located in slightly less than a dozen United States airports.
- Other airport lounges: Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you free access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide for you and two guests.
- Airport screening: Either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry every four years or an $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck® once every 4 1/2 years.
- Travel credit: Up to $200 annual statement credit toward air travel expenses like baggage fees and inflight food and drink.
- Rental status: Elite status at a number of car rental agencies.
- Free Wi-Fi: 10 annual free Gogo inflight Wi-Fi passes.
- Rebate for redeemed points: 35% points rebate if you book a business or first-class flight, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year.
- Dell statement credit: Up to $400 in statement credits annually for Dell purchases.
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
18.99% - 26.99% Variable
Annual Fee
$695
Credit Needed
Good, Excellent
- Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless with the Business Platinum Card.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card or any of the Additional Cards on your Platinum Card account.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: CLEAR® uses biometrics to assign you a touchless ID, allowing you to move faster through security at select airports and stadiums across the U.S. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR membership with up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR with your Business Platinum Card®.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Pros
- Premium travel rewards
- Free access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance is due in full monthly
- High annual fee
- American Express lounges: Free access to American Express’ network of Centurion lounges located in slightly less than a dozen United States airports.
- Other airport lounges: Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you free access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide for you and two guests.
- Airport screening: Either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry every four years or an $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck® once every 4 1/2 years.
- Travel credit: Up to $200 annual statement credit toward air travel expenses like baggage fees and inflight food and drink.
- Rental status: Elite status at a number of car rental agencies.
- Free Wi-Fi: 10 annual free Gogo inflight Wi-Fi passes.
- Rebate for redeemed points: 35% points rebate if you book a business or first-class flight, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year.
- Dell statement credit: Up to $400 in statement credits annually for Dell purchases.
- American Express Business Platinum Card® is best for business owners who travel frequently and want to enjoy luxury travel perks
- Provides car rental upgrades, gold status at Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Hotels and resorts, complimentary access at The Centurion Lounge, and many other perks, which justify the high annual fee ($695)
- Has an introductory APR of 0% within the first 12 months of account opening
- Is our leading business credit card with lounge access and one of our best small business credit cards
If you need more alternatives, head over to our review of the best American Express credit cards.
Bottom Line
The American Express® Business Gold Card is best for business owners who use their cards for everyday expenses and want to redeem rewards for travel. The best thing about it’s that you can earn premium rewards in the two categories where you spend the most. Keep in mind, however, that it doesn’t offer a 0% APR period, has a high annual fee, and doesn’t allow cash advance and balance transfer transactions.
