Amex Business Gold benefits guide
The American Express® Business Gold Card is unique for a few reasons, including the fact that you can earn 4X points (on up to $150,000 per year) in two distinct categories your business spends the most in each month. This card also lets you rack up points in the American Express Membership Rewards program, which is one of the most versatile and lucrative rewards programs for travel available today.
The Amex Business Gold does charge a $295 annual fee, but the first-year welcome offer and ongoing rewards rate can make paying this fee well worth it. When you add in the Amex Business Gold benefits you’ll receive, it’s easy to see why this card could be the only business credit card you’ll ever need.
Highlights of the Amex Business Gold
Here are the card’s key features at a glance:
Welcome offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within three months of account opening
Rewards rate: Earn 4X points in two categories your business spends the most in each billing cycle (on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year); 2X points on rental cars booked through American Express Travel
Annual fee: $295
Regular APR: 18.74 percent to 26.74 percent (variable Pay Over Time APR)
The Amex Business Gold card’s generous 4X points on purchases in popular business categories include:
Airfare purchased directly from an airline
Advertising (purchased in the U.S. to promote your business online, on TV or on the radio)
U.S. gas stations
U.S. restaurants
U.S. shipping costs
U.S. computer software, hardware and cloud data purchases made directly from select providers
Amex Business Gold travel benefits
American Express Business Gold travel benefits can make travel safer or easier to book. You’ll receive the following benefits once you’re approved for the card.
Points back on designated airline bookings
If you book a flight through AmexTravel.com and pay with American Express Membership Rewards points, you’ll get 25 percent of those points back on eligible flights (up to 250,000 points back per year), which is a value of 1.25 cents per point. This benefit is good for any first or business class flight or any class flight with an airline you select ahead of time
Global Assist Hotline
This hotline can provide you with assistance if you’re more than 100 miles from home and need medical or legal referrals. Other types of assistance offered include lost passport replacement, help with lost luggage, translation services and more.
Baggage insurance plan
Get coverage for carry-on luggage (up to $1,250 per covered person) when you pay for a trip with your credit card. The card also comes with up to $500 in coverage per covered person when checked baggage is lost during travel on a common carrier vehicle. Other restrictions apply.
Car rental loss and damage insurance
Get secondary auto rental coverage when you pay for your entire car rental bill with your credit card. This coverage is good for rental periods of up to 30 days for covered renters with a cap of $50,000 per eligible rental agreement. Other restrictions apply.
Trip delay insurance
The Amex Business Gold card’s trip delay insurance is good for up to $300 per covered trip, although you’re limited to two claims per 12-month period. Coverage applies when you pay for a trip with a common carrier with your credit card and when eligible trips are delayed for 12 hours or more. You can use this coverage to pay for incidental expenses caused by your trip delay, such as meals, hotel stays or toiletries.
Amex Business Gold protection and insurance benefits
Cardholders also receive a handful of benefits that help protect purchases they make.
Purchase protection
American Express purchase protection will repair or replace eligible items in the event they are damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchasing. Coverage is good for up to $1,000 per covered purchase with a cap of $50,000 per account per calendar year. Cardholders also receive $500 in coverage for natural disasters.
Extended warranties
Cardholders receive one year of additional warranty protection on eligible purchases that come with a manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less. This coverage is good for up to $10,000 per eligible purchase (up to $50,000 per card per calendar year).
Amex Business Gold dining and entertainment benefits
The Amex Business Gold comes with a handful of benefits that can elevate your next event, dining experience or hotel stay.
The Hotel Collection perks
If you book a stay of two consecutive nights or more with The Hotel Collection via Amex Travel, you’ll receive a $100 experience credit for use toward various hotel property activities (like spa visits or dining, for example). You may also qualify for room upgrades when you check in.
American Express Preferred Seating
This premium business card also comes with American Express Preferred Seating, a complimentary benefit that can help cardholders secure preferred seating at concerts, performances and sporting events. Cardholders can also get presale access to select events before tickets are available to the general public.
American Express Experiences
As an Amex cardholder, you’ll also be able to take advantage of American Express Experiences, which includes access to invitation-only and early-access events. Events include music, theater, sports, dining, fashion and more.
Amex Business Gold business benefits
There are also a few perks that can help you better manage your business expenses.
Access to your year-end summary
With the Amex Business Gold, you’ll get access to a year-end summary, provided at the start of the new year. Simply log in to your online account to view, with the option of downloading the information as an Excel file or PDF.
Ability to connect to QuickBooks
You can connect your Amex Business Gold account to your Intuit QuickBooks account to automatically categorize your transactions and more.
Vendor Pay by Bill.com
When you enroll your Amex Business Gold with Vendor Pay by Bill.com, you can earn Membership Rewards points on bills you pay through the platform.
How to maximize Amex Business Gold perks and benefits
You can maximize your Amex Business Gold by using it for all of your business-related purchases throughout the year. You should especially use it for purchases in bonus categories that will net you 4X points (on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year).
Other ways to maximize your rewards include pairing Amex cards and taking advantage of Amex Offers.
Combine other Amex credit cards
Consider combining your Amex Business Gold with a few other American Express credit cards that can help you rack up more points. A good option to consider is The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, which comes with no annual fee. You can easily pair this card and use it for all non-bonus spending on the Amex Business Gold. It provides 2X Membership Rewards points on up to $50,000 in spending per year, then 1X points, as well as unlimited 2X points on prepaid rental cars booked through AmexTravel.com.
You can also consider pairing your Amex Business Gold with any number of consumer American Express credit cards that earn points in the American Express Membership Rewards program. Popular options include The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card.
Take advantage of Amex Offers
Check your account regularly for Amex Offers so you can earn more rewards on eligible purchases with participating retailers, restaurants, travel brands and more. This free program requires activation per individual offer, meaning you have to keep track of promotions and add them to your card before you can use them.
The bottom line
Amex Business Gold benefits can make the annual fee on this card a spectacular deal, especially when you add in the value of the rewards you can earn each year. After all, maxing out the annual limit with this card’s 4X bonus categories would net you 600,000 American Express Membership Rewards points over the course of a year. Since Amex Membership Rewards points are worth up to 2.1 cents each, according to Bankrate valuations, these bonus categories offer an annual value of up to $12,600.
Still, you should never sign up for the first credit card you come across. Make sure you compare all of the other business credit cards American Express offers, as well as business cards from other issuers, before you decide.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
