Amex Business Gold vs Platinum Card: Rewards & Fees Compared

Both the American Express® Business Gold Card and American Express Business Platinum Card® pay points-based rewards that you can redeem for travel. But the American Express Business Platinum Card® offers luxury travel perks like airport lounge access, while the American Express® Business Gold Card is tailored for business owners who want to maximize their rewards.

When to Use the Amex Business Gold Card

The American Express® Business Gold Card is best for business owners who want to earn top travel rewards in two select categories where your business spends the most each month. Use this business credit card if you want to choose category rewards, have no preset spending limit, or earn a sign-up bonus on eligible FedEx purchases.

When to Use the Amex Business Platinum Card

The American Express Business Platinum Card® is a solid pick for business owners who travel often and want access to luxury travel perks. This small business credit card offers 5x points on purchases through American Express Travel and free access to over 1,200 airport lounges in 130 countries, plus, it’s a charge card, which means you must repay the balance in full monthly. This card charges no interest and has no preset spending limit.

Using an Alternative: American Express Blue Business® Plus

Use an alternative like American Express Blue Business® Plus if you want to earn points-based rewards without paying an annual fee. Additionally, this card charges no interest for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers. That is something neither the American Express® Business Gold Card nor the American Express Business Platinum Card® offer.

Amex Business Gold vs Platinum Card at a Glance

How We Evaluated the Amex Business Gold vs Platinum Card

The American Express® Business Gold Card and American Express Business Platinum Card® both offer points-based ongoing rewards and charge high annual fees. We took into account the card’s rewards structure, introductory and ongoing APRs, and any additional card perks that increase the card’s value such as insurance.

In our evaluation of these American Express business credit cards, we considered:

• Introductory rewards: The introductory offer you can earn by meeting a minimum spending requirement. You can earn a $500 statement credit for qualifying FedEx services or up to $1000 in travel.
• Ongoing rewards: The points or cash back rewards you can earn for your ongoing purchases. You’ll earn ongoing points-based rewards up to 5x points.
• Introductory APR: Whether a card offers an introductory 0% APR period on purchases or balance transfers. Neither card offers an introductory 0% APR period.
• Ongoing APR: How much it costs to finance purchases or balance transfers. Both cards are charge cards, which means they carry no interest and are due in full monthly. However, you can finance purchases of at least $100 on the American Express® Business Gold Card, and the ongoing variable APR starts at 15.99%.
• Additional features: Any free perks or benefits that increase the card’s value. Both cards offer purchase protection, extended warranty protection, car rental insurance, and a pay overtime feature. The American Express Business Platinum Card® offers unique luxury perks such as airport lounge access.
• Annual fee: How much it costs to own the card each year. The American Express® Business Gold Card charges an annual fee of $295; the American Express Business Platinum Card® charges an annual fee of $595.

We recommend the American Express Business Platinum Card® as one of the overall best business credit cards because it offers premium travel benefits and top ongoing travel rewards. You’ll have free access to more than 1,200 airport lounges in 130 countries, and you’ll earn 5x points on travel purchases through American Express. Plus, you can earn an introductory reward worth up to $1000 in travel.

How Business Charge Cards Work

Both of these American Express business cards are business charge cards, so they charge no interest and you must repay your balance in full monthly. Some purchases may qualify for American Express’ pay overtime feature, which lets you pay off a balance overtime with interest—both American Express business credit cards offer this feature. Additionally, business charge cards have no preset spending limit, so you can spend without the worry of hitting your limit.

These American Express business credit cards offer introductory rewards when you meet a minimum spending requirement. Plus, they pay ongoing points-based rewards on most expenses, including employee purchases. You can redeem your rewards for eligible charges, travel, gift cards, Amazon.com purchases, event tickets, and some taxi fares. Plus, you can also transfer your points to one of American Express’ loyalty partners.

Amex Business Gold vs Platinum Card Costs

When comparing these two American Express business credit cards, the American Express® Business Gold Card charges an annual fee of $295 and the American Express Business Platinum Card® charges $595. Both cards are also no foreign transaction fee cards, but they don’t allow for balance transfers.

Amex Business Gold Card Costs

The American Express® Business Gold Card charges an annual fee of $295 and does not have an introductory 0% APR period. You can finance purchases of at least $100, and the ongoing variable APR is as low as 15.99%, or you can pay your balance off every month with no ongoing APR.

The financing costs of American Express® Business Gold Card include:

• Introductory APR: None
• Ongoing APR: 15.99% to 23.99% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: $295
• Balance transfer fee: Transfers are not allowed
• Foreign transaction fee: None

Although this is a no foreign transaction fee credit card, we don’t recommend it as one of the best. Its ongoing rewards cater toward U.S. purchases. This means if you travel outside the U.S. you’ll earn a low return rate on all purchases—1x points per dollar. This is similar to the American Express Business Platinum Card®, however, with that card you can unlock free access to airport lounges around the world.

If your primary concern in a business credit card is a balance transfer then this is not the right card for your business. Instead, we recommend a balance transfer business credit card. Those cards charge no interest for up to 15 billing cycles on balance transfers and purchases.

Amex Business Platinum Card Costs

The American Express Business Platinum Card® charges an annual fee of $595, which makes it one of the more expensive business credit cards. You’ll have no introductory or ongoing APR because balances are due in full monthly. It also offers an invitation-only pay overtime feature that allows you to pay your eligible balance off with an ongoing APR of 20.24%.

The financing costs of American Express Business Platinum Card® include:

• Introductory APR: None
• Ongoing APR: None; 20.24% variable for the invitation-only pay overtime feature
• Annual fee: $595
• Balance transfer fee: Transfers are not allowed
• Foreign transaction fee: None

Although the annual fee is high relative to other business credit cards, if you take advantage of this card’s benefits such as visiting airport lounges, it can be worth it. Conversely, the American Express® Business Gold Card charges an annual fee that is $300 less. However, that card lacks premium travel benefits the American Express Business Platinum Card® offers.

Amex Business Gold vs Platinum Card Rewards

Both the American Express® Business Gold Card and American Express Business Platinum Card® offer sign-up bonuses. However, American Express® Business Gold Card caters toward FedEx spending and the American Express Business Platinum Card® offers a more traditional introductory reward that’s worth up to $1000 in travel. Additionally, both cards pay some of the best points-based travel rewards available.

Amex Business Gold Card Rewards

The American Express® Business Gold Card pays 4x points on two select spending categories where you spend the most each month. Plus, you can earn a statement credit up to $500 for qualifying purchases made at FedEx within the first three months.

Introductory Rewards

You’ll earn up to $500 back in the form of statement credits by purchasing qualifying services with FedEx within the first three months of card membership. This limited time offer ends Nov. 6, 2019. If you’d like to earn a more typical sign-up bonus—one that is not specific to FedEx purchases—choose the American Express Business Platinum Card®. That card offers up to 100,000 bonus points when you spend $25,000 within the first three months.

Ongoing Rewards

You’ll earn the following ongoing rewards when using your card:

• 4x points on the two categories where you spend the most each billing cycle, up to $150,000 in combined eligible purchases each calendar year.
  • Airfare purchased directly from airlines.
  • U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio).
  • U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions.
  • U.S. purchases at gas stations.
  • U.S. purchases at restaurants.
  • U.S. purchases for shipping.
• 1x points on all other eligible spending.

The American Express® Business Gold Card is an excellent choice if you have varied expenses. You can maximize your rewards by earning points in the two categories where you spend the most each month. Conversely, the American Express Business Platinum Card® pays 5x points for travel-related purchases made through American Express Travel. Choose that card if you travel for business frequently.

How to Redeem Rewards

You can redeem your points in one of seven ways:

• For your charges: Use your rewards for your eligible charge on your current statement. You must have at least 1,000 available points in your account.
• Travel: Use your rewards to book travel on American Express Travel, for which you will get 25% of your points back. Minimum redemption is 5,000 points. You can also transfer points to a select travel partner, including Aeromexico, Air Canada, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.
• Gift cards: Purchase gift cards through American Express.
• Amazon.com: To use points at Amazon, you must first load your card into your Amazon account and use your card at least once.
• Ticketmaster: You can redeem your rewards on Ticketmaster to purchase event tickets. The minimum redemption is 2,000 points.
• AXS: You can redeem your points on AXS to purchase event tickets. The minimum redemption is 2,000 points.
• Taxi fares: Redeem your points for fares (including tips) on certain taxis in New York City.

American Express offers some of the most robust reward redemption options across business credit cards. These redemption options are identical to what the American Express Business Platinum Card® offers.

Amex Business Platinum Card Rewards

The American Express Business Platinum Card® pays 5x points on travel purchases made through American Express Travel and 1x points on all other purchases. Plus, you can earn an introductory reward worth up $1000 in travel when you meet a minimum spending requirement.

Introductory Rewards

You’ll earn 50,000 points when you spend $10,000 within the first three months. Plus, you can earn an extra 50,000 points when you spend an additional $15,000 within the first three months. That is 100,000 bonus points after spending $25,000 within the first three months. This introductory reward is worth up to $1000 in flights, Uber rides, and gift cards, and up to $525 in prepaid hotels.

Ongoing Rewards

You’ll earn the following ongoing rewards when you use your card:

• 5x points on eligible flights and hotels.
• 1.5x points per dollar on purchases of $5,000 or more, up to 1 million additional points per year.
• 1x points on all other spending.

The 5x points on the American Express Business Platinum Card® are considered to be the best travel rewards in the market. In comparison, the American Express® Business Gold Card pays 4x points per dollar on airfare purchased directly from airlines. However, with that card you can earn 4x points in two of six spending categories.

How to Redeem Rewards

You can redeem your points in one of seven ways:

• For your charges: Use your rewards for your eligible charge on your current statement. You must have at least 1,000 available points in your account.
• Travel: Use your rewards to book travel on American Express Travel, for which you will get 35% of your points back. Minimum redemption is 5,000 points. You can also transfer points to a select travel partner, including Aeromexico, Air Canada, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.
• Gift cards: Purchase gift cards through American Express
• Amazon.com: To use points at Amazon, you must first load your card into your Amazon account and use your card at least once.
• Ticketmaster: You can redeem your rewards on Ticketmaster to purchase event tickets. The minimum redemption is 2,000 points.
• AXS: You can redeem your points on AXS to purchase event tickets. The minimum redemption is 2,000 points.
• Taxi fares: Redeem your points for fares (including tips) on certain taxis in New York City.

These redemption options are identical to what the American Express Business Platinum Card® offers.

Amex Business Gold vs Platinum Card Additional Features

Both American Express® Business Gold Card and American Express Business Platinum Card® offer similar additional features such as purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and roadside assistance. However, the American Express Business Platinum Card® also offers unique features like travel credits and airport lounge access.

Amex Business Gold Card Additional Features

When you use your American Express® Business Gold Card, you’ll have access to several additional card benefits that increase the card’s value. These features can be worth thousands of dollars per year and protect you against losses and damages.

The American Express® Business Gold Card offers the following additional features:

• Premium roadside assistance: Free of charge up to four times a year, 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 2 gallons of gas.
• Return protection: The issuer will refund you for eligible purchases when the merchant will not 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 account per year.
• Baggage insurance: If your luggage is lost, damaged, or stolen, you’re eligible for coverage of up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked bags.
• Extended warranty protection: Receive up to two additional years of coverage on eligible warranties of five years or less.
• Purchase protection: Your eligible purchases are covered against damage or theft for 120 days up to $1,000 per incident.
• Car rental insurance: American Express provides reimbursement up to $50,000 per rental agreement for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.

The American Express® Business Gold Card offers fewer benefits than you might expect from a card that charges an annual fee of $295. It is missing luxury travel perks like free airport lounge access and TSA Pre✓® membership reimbursement that the American Express Business Platinum Card® offers.

Amex Business Platinum Card Additional Features

The American Express Business Platinum Card® comes with an exceptional group of additional perks, including airport lounge access, travel credits, and other travel perks. These features can be worth more than the annual fee if your business can take advantage of them.

The American Express Business Platinum Card® offers the following additional features:

• American Express lounges: Free access to American Express’ network of Centurion lounges located in slightly less than one dozen U.S. airports.
• Other airport lounges: Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you free access to more than 1,000 lounges worldwide for you and two guests.
• Airport screening: Either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or $85 statement credit for TSA Pre✓® once every four years.
• Travel credit: Receive a $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 year.
• WeWork access: Complimentary access to more than 300 WeWork locations worldwide for one year. You must enroll between Feb.15, 2019 and Dec. 31, 2019.
• Dell statement credit: Up to $200 in statement credits per year for Dell purchases.

This card’s standout feature is the complimentary airport lounge access it offers, which makes it the best airport lounge access credit card. Additionally, it’s one of the few business credit cards that offers an annual travel credit that you can use for air travel expenses. If you travel for business frequently, we recommend this card because of its unbeatable luxury travel perks, which the American Express® Business Gold Card doesn’t offer.

Amex Business Gold vs Platinum Card: Ease of Use

After you’re approved for the American Express® Business Gold Card or American Express Business Platinum Card®, you can access your credit line once you receive your card. You can use your American Express business credit card at any store that accepts electronic payments or you can enter your card information through online stores. Your balance is due in full every month.

Amex Business Gold vs Platinum Card: How to Apply

You can get a business credit card by submitting an application online with American Express, which includes your business and personal information. Typically, you’ll receive an approval decision within minutes. Once approved, you’ll receive your card in the mail within seven to 10 days. You can search and compare the best business credit cards through our credit card marketplace.

Pros & Cons of Amex Business Gold Card

The American Express® Business Gold Card is a solid pick if you want to maximize your rewards in two select categories where you spend the most each month. Plus, you’ll have no preset spending limit and valuable card perks. However, this card charges a high annual fee and doesn’t offer introductory travel point rewards.

Pros of Amex Business Gold Card

The pros of the American Express® Business Gold Card are:

• Ability to choose category rewards: Unlike the American Express Business Platinum Card®, the American Express® Business Gold Card gives you the option to earn 4x points per $1 spent in two select categories out of six total categories.
• No preset spending limit: Because this is a charge card, there is no preset spending limit. This means you can make purchases without worrying about hitting your credit card limit.
• Offers robust additional card perks: You’ll have access to robust perks like car rental insurance, baggage insurance, purchase protection, return protection, and extended warranty protection. These could be worth thousands of dollars per year.

Cons of Amex Business Gold Card

The cons of the American Express® Business Gold Card are:

• Doesn’t offer any introductory travel points rewards: The sign-up bonus caters toward businesses that use FedEx, as it offers a statement credit up to $500 for qualifying FedEx services. If you want to earn introductory travel points rewards, choose the American Express Business Platinum Card®.
• Charges a high annual fee: The American Express® Business Gold Card charges an annual fee that is $300 less than the American Express Business Platinum Card®. However, both cards charge annual fees several hundred dollars more than most business credit cards.
• Limited ability to carry a balance: You can only finance purchases of at least $100 with the American Express® Business Gold Card. Plus, the ongoing variable APR is 15.99% to 23.99%, which doesn’t make it a cheap financing option. Instead, choose a 0% APR business credit card if you need to carry a balance.

Pros & Cons of Amex Business Platinum Card

The American Express Business Platinum Card® provides premium travel perks and some of the best ongoing travel rewards on the market. Plus, you’ll have no preset spending limit. However, you’ll be required to pay off your balance monthly, and it charges a high annual fee.

Pros of Amex Business Platinum Card

The pros of American Express Business Platinum Card® are:

• Provides luxury travel perks: This card offers premium travel benefits that are not common on most business credit cards. For example, you’ll receive free access to over 1,200 airport lounges and airport screening membership reimbursements.
• Top ongoing travel rewards: You’ll earn some of the best ongoing travel rewards, which include 5x points on purchases through American Express Travel, 1.5x points on purchases of $5,000 or more, and 1x points on all other spending.
• No preset spending limit: Similar to American Express® Business Gold Card, you’ll have no preset spending limit, which makes it one of the best high limit business credit cards. You can spend without the worry of hitting your credit limit.

Cons of Amex Business Platinum Card

The cons of American Express Business Platinum Card® are:

• Must be able to pay the balance of every month: Because this is a charge card, it’s designed for business owners who can afford to pay off their balances every month. If you can’t meet those repayment terms, consider a traditional business credit card.
• Charges a high annual fee: You’ll have to pay $595 per year to own this card, which is several hundred dollars more than other business travel credit cards on the market. You can offset this fee if you’re able to take advantage of its premium travel perks.
• Only caters toward business owners who travel often: This card is best for people who travel frequently for business, as it offers some of the best travel benefits. If you don’t travel for business often, consider a cash back business credit card.

Bottom Line

When comparing the American Express Business Platinum Card® vs American Express Business Platinum Card®, both cards offer excellent ongoing travel rewards. However, you’ll have to pay an annual fee of several hundred dollars more than most other business credit cards. Plus, both cards require you to pay the balance in full every month because they are business charge cards.

For rates and fees on the American Express® Business Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees on the American Express Business Platinum Card®, please click here.
For rates and fees on the American Express Blue Business® Plus, please click here.