Review: American Express Business Gold Card
Apply for the American Express Business Gold
The American Express Gold is easily the most favorite personal cards where I get 4x points on dining and 4x points on grocery stores. But did you know there is a business version out there? How is it different from the personal version and is it right for you?
Being a business owner is probably easier than you think. Do you ever sell stuff on Facebook Marketplace? Well you’re a business owner. There are way more things that you probably do on a daily basis that qualifies you as a business owner.
The Business Gold is quirky to say the least but let’s jump in to see how it can be a good fit for your business. You can earn 4x points on your top two spending categories each month making it one of the best business cards out there.
Quick Facts
Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 in 3 months.
Points Earned: American Express Membership Rewards which transfers to 20 different airline and hotel partners.
Earnings Structure:
4x on your top two spending categories each month on a combined $150,000 of spend each year.
3x on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com
1x on all other purchases
Annual Fee: $375 Rates & Fees
Authorized User Fee: None
Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Welcome Offer
The publicly available welcome offer is to earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 in 3 months. I value American Express points at 1.7 cents each so this welcome offer is worth $1,700.
4x Points on Rotating Categories
This is where this card gets a little quirky. You’ll earn 4x points on your top two spending categories each month. Every other category you spend money on will only get 1x point. The 4x bonus is on up to $150,000 in spending combined for the year.
These are the six spending categories where you can earn 4x points:
Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
U.S. purchases at gas stations
Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
This is a pretty smart way to do things for American Express but not great for consumers who aren’t as savvy. For most businesses who probably only use this one card their 4x points earning each month may change month to month. I like to know exactly how many points I’m getting on each purchase and make sure to always earn at least 2x points on all purchases.
This is my go to card for gas station purchases and my cell phone bill as no other card gets 4x points on those categories. Now, I will put $10 a month on my American Express Business Platinum card since I get a $10 monthly credit but the rest of my balance goes on this card.
For other business owners I work with, this is the perfect card for dining and gas station purchases which make up a significant amount of their spending.
Benefits
This card is packed with benefits and various statement credits that help offset the annual fee. If you use them right you can actually make money with this card!
Earn up to $240 Back in Flexible Credits
Each month you can earn up to $20 in credits on eligible purchases at FedEx, GrubHub and Office Depot. Enrollment is required and after that all you need to do is use your card and it will get automatically credited back. This should be fairly easy to use each month for a total of $240 per year.
Earn up to $240 in annual statement credits
Earn up to $155 Back with Walmart+ Membership
Much like Amazon, Walmart offers a subscription service to get free shipping on countless items some even offered with same day delivery for free. All you need to do is enroll your card and sign up for a Walmart+ membership. The credit covers the entire $12.95 monthly fee.
Receive $155 in statement credits annually for a Walmart+ Membership
Access to Amex Offers
This is a fantastic benefit to all American Express cards. Even if you didn’t use any of the annual credits, having access to Amex Offers can pay for the card itself with all the savings you can receive. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars on this card alone since I’ve had it.
Is it Worth It?
The signup bonus alone far outweighs the annual fee, so from that standpoint, yes. Additionally, with the $240 flexible credits each year that drops the net annual fee to $135. All of that coupled with earning 4x points on select categories make this one of the best business cards out there.
Want to Apply?
The best publicly available welcome offer is to earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 in 3 months.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
