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Last updated on October 12th, 2021
American Express® Business Gold Card
Earn 90,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points
- Regular Purchase APR 14.24% to 22.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Annual Fee $295
- Credit Needed Excellent , Good
- Processing Network American Express
- Pick 2 categories for the 4X bonus
- 4X points made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
- 4X points at gas stations
- 4X points at restaurants
- 4X points for shipping
- 4X points on advertising (online, TV, radio)
- Earn 1X points on all other purchases
- Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more
- Regular Purchase APR: 14.24% to 22.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Penalty APR: 29.24% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Annual Fee: $295
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: $39 or 2.99% of any past due Pay in Full amount, whichever is greater
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: $39
At a Glance
Business owners with a clear understanding of their company’s needs will enjoy the customizable rewards available to them through the American Express® Business Gold Card. The card gives you the ability to choose two categories to receive 4X the points from, then one point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases plus a generous welcome offer where companies can earn 90,000 Membership Rewards points.
Ideal for Those Who:
- Own a business and want to earn points for everyday expenses on select bonus categories where your business spends the most, such as airfare, advertising, gas, shipping, and computers
- Plan to make frequent purchases, particularly within the first few months of becoming a cardholder, in order to qualify for lucrative introductory offers
- Can benefit from insightful software tools to both help manage your business and recruit promising talent
- Will make use of Amex’s Pay Over Time option for business expenses
American Express® Business Gold Card Review
The Business Gold Card from American Express provides flexibility when it comes to selecting its most beneficial rewards category, while still offering elevated bonus points earning potential for the resulting secondary categories.
Cardholders can choose to receive 4X Membership Rewards points from two of the following categories: airfare purchased directly from airlines, U.S. purchases for advertising in select media, U.S. purchases at gas stations, U.S. purchases for shipping, or U.S. computer hardware, software, and cloud computing purchases made directly from select providers. They’ll also receive 1X points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases.
The 4X points applies to the first $150,000 in purchases with the Business Gold Card in the select spending categories. each calendar year. Once the business exceeds the $150,000 threshold, they’ll earn the same, flat rate 1X points as all non-select category purchases.
Welcome Offer
The Business Gold Card from Amex also comes with a rather lucrative welcome offer. Your new accounts can earn 90,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership.
That offer is a very impressive addition to the already impressive point-earning potential of the Gold Card. Seventy thousand points is roughly valued at $900, more than enough for a flight upgrade on your next intercontinental business trip.
How to Redeem Amex Membership Rewards
As with other loyalty programs, Amex Membership Rewards points apply to a wide variety of redemption options. Those redemption options include:
- Travel
- Statement credits
- Shopping for merchandise
- Gift Cards
- Charitable donations
- Partner transfers
Membership Rewards have an average value of $0.01, but Amex points usually have a higher average value when they are transferred to partners. American Express Membership Rewards are an exceptional value because they transfer to many other airlines and hotels. These include:
- Air Canada
- Air France Flying Blue
- Alitalia
- Aer Lingus Avios
- All Nippon Airways
- Avianca
- British Airways Avios
- Cathay Pacific
- Delta SkyMiles
- Emirates
- Etihad
- KLM Flying Blue
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Iberia Avios
- Qantas
- Singapore Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Choice Privileges
- Marriott Bonvoy
Business Management Tools
To help expedite the accumulation of points, cardholders can add Employee Cards to their account, which can be tracked using the Spend Manager feature, account alerts, and detailed online statements for added peace of mind. Other business management tools include Amex Year-end Summary, which offers detailed summaries of charges, so companies can review their annual spending.
Pay Over Time
While the Business Gold Card is a charge card, that does not mean companies can’t enjoy the chance to carry a balance. American Express offers a special “Pay Over Time” feature that allows businesses to finance select purchases of $100 or more at a competitive APR.
Cardholders can activate Pay Over Time, and select charges will be added to the feature automatically. Then Gold Cardholders have the choice of paying the balance in full or carrying that balance with interest. The Pay Over Time credit limit is found in the balance details on a user’s account.
Other Features
Like other American Express business card products, the Gold Card features a variety of benefits and protections. These features include:
- Purchase Protection
- Extended Warranty
- Amex Global Assist® Hotline and access to Personalized Travel Service
- Access to the American Express the Hotel Collection
- No foreign transaction fees
Should You Apply for the Business Gold Card?
The Gold Business Card may seem pricey given it’s $295 annual fee, but for the right companies, it’s a very fair price. Earning 4X points in the two categories they spend the most is always a welcome perk, but when those categories include advertising, shipping, technology, and dining, it’s a guaranteed recipe for savings. This is especially true when additional employee cards are issued, as the value soars even further.
