Some business cards try to win you over with perks. Others try to win with points. The American Express Business Gold Card tries to do both—then asks you to justify a $375 annual fee with a mix of bonus earning and monthly credits.
If your business spending naturally lines up with Amex’s bonus categories, this card can rack up Membership Rewards quickly. If it doesn’t, you’ll be staring at credits and wondering whether you’re running a business… or managing a coupon book.
If you decide to apply, we’d appreciate it if you used our referral link. It may take you to a page where you can choose from multiple American Express cards—just select the Business Gold Card to continue:
American Express referral link.
Now, let’s get into what the Business Gold offers, and who it’s actually worth it for.
Welcome offer
American Express welcome offers often change and can vary by link and applicant. When we last checked, our standard referral offer for the Business Gold Card was:
- Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
Tip: Amex sometimes shows targeted or elevated offers that are higher than the standard offer. If you see a better offer, it’s usually worth taking the higher bonus—as long as the spending requirement still makes sense for you.
Eligibility rules to know
- Amex may not award a welcome offer if you have or have had this card (or previous versions).
- Amex may also deny a welcome offer based on your history (opening/closing accounts and other factors). If you’re not eligible, Amex says it will notify you before processing your application.
- If Amex believes you’re gaming the offer (including returns used to hit the spending requirement), it can withhold or claw back points.
One broader trend worth noting: business-card welcome offers often require $10,000+ in spending now. This card makes the most sense if you can hit the requirement organically through normal business expenses.
Spending bonus categories
The Business Gold Card earns 4X Membership Rewards points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle, as listed below. All other eligible purchases earn 1X.
- U.S. purchases at electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a U.S. wireless provider
- Transit (including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways)
- Advertising at U.S. media providers in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. gas stations
- U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
Important: The 4X bonus applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year across the eligible 4X categories. After that, those purchases earn 1X.
Cardholders also earn 3X points on flights and prepaid hotel bookings made through AmexTravel.com.
Why this is different: You don’t have to choose a category for the entire year. The card automatically gives you 4X on your top two categories each month, which can be ideal if your expenses spike in different areas throughout the year.
One drawback: Most of the 4X bonus categories are U.S.-only, so this is a better fit for businesses with primarily domestic spend.
Statement credits
The Business Gold Card includes two statement credits that can help offset the $375 annual fee—if you actually use them.
$240 Flexible Business Credit
Cardholders can earn up to $20 per month in statement credits after using the Business Gold Card for eligible purchases at:
- FedEx
- Grubhub
- U.S. office supply stores
Enrollment required. Unused monthly credits do not roll over.
Walmart+ membership credit
Use the Business Gold Card to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive a statement credit of up to $12.95 per month.
This can total up to $155 per year, covering the cost of the membership.
Bottom line on credits: If you fully use both credits, you can offset up to $395 per year—slightly more than the card’s annual fee. If you don’t already use these services, though, the credits may feel more like work than value.
Cell phone protection
The Business Gold Card includes cell phone protection when you pay your monthly wireless bill with the card.
- Up to $800 per claim for repair or replacement of a damaged or stolen phone
- $50 deductible per claim
- Maximum of 2 approved claims per 12-month period
Coverage applies when your prior month’s wireless bill is paid using an eligible American Express card on the account.
Why this matters: Wireless service is one of the card’s potential 4X bonus categories. That means you can earn bonus points on your phone bill while also getting protection—something many cards don’t combine.
As with any card-based insurance, this isn’t meant to replace full device coverage, but it can be a valuable safety net for everyday business phones.
Card design options
The Business Gold Card is available in three metal finishes:
- Gold (the traditional look)
- Rose Gold
- White Gold
The card design you choose has no impact on benefits, earning rates, or credits—it’s purely a visual preference. All versions are metal cards, and you can select your preferred color during the application process.
It’s a small thing, but if you care about aesthetics (or just want something different from the standard gold), it’s a nice option to have.
Membership Rewards
With the American Express Business Gold Card, you’ll earn points in Amex’s transferable points program, Membership Rewards. There are plenty of ways to redeem these points, but the best value often comes from transferring them to airline partners (and occasionally hotel partners) rather than using them for gift cards or statement credits.
Because transfer partners and transfer bonuses can change over time, the most evergreen approach is simple: start with Amex’s current transfer partner list, then work backwards from the trip you actually want to book.
Airline transfer partners
Some of the most consistently useful airline programs for Amex transfers include Aeroplan, Flying Blue, ANA, Virgin Atlantic, and Avios (British Airways/Iberia), with Delta sometimes worth considering when award pricing is reasonable, or there’s a flash sale.
Hotel transfer partners
Amex also transfers to a few hotel programs (including Hilton, Marriott, and Choice). These are usually more situational—often best for topping off an account or when there’s a transfer bonus.
One key rule: Transfers are typically one-way. Once you move Membership Rewards points to a partner, you usually can’t move them back, so it’s best to confirm award space first.
Travel perks
No foreign transaction fees
The Business Gold Card does not charge foreign transaction fees, which is what you want from a card designed to earn transferable points you’ll use for travel.
The Hotel Collection
Business Gold cardholders also have access to The Hotel Collection when booking participating properties through AmexTravel.com. When you book a stay of two consecutive nights or more, you’ll receive:
- A $100 credit to use toward eligible charges during your stay (what counts varies by property)
- A possible room upgrade at check-in, when available
This isn’t a statement credit—the value comes from using the on-property credit during your stay.
Travel insurance and protections
The Business Gold Card includes a set of travel protections when you pay for your trip with the card. As always with card-based insurance, coverage comes with conditions and limits, but these benefits can be useful when things go sideways.
- Baggage Insurance: Coverage for lost, damaged, or stolen baggage when you purchase the full fare with the card. Coverage is up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage, in excess of what the airline provides.
- Trip Delay Insurance: If a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, you may be reimbursed for eligible expenses (such as meals or lodging) up to $300 per trip, with a maximum of two claims per card per 12-month period.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: Coverage for damage or theft of a rental vehicle when you pay with the card and decline the rental company’s CDW. This coverage is secondary, does not include liability, and excludes certain countries and vehicle types.
Important: Coverage terms, limits, and exclusions vary, and benefits can change over time. If these protections matter to you, it’s worth reviewing the current American Express benefits guide before relying on them.
Pay Over Time
The Business Gold Card is a charge card, which means the balance is due in full each month by default. That said, American Express offers a Pay Over Time feature that lets eligible charges be carried with interest.
Not all charges qualify, and any amount that would exceed your Pay Over Time limit must still be paid in full. Cash equivalents, certain fees, and other restricted transactions are excluded.
Pay Over Time is typically enabled by default. If you prefer to avoid interest entirely, it’s worth reviewing your account settings and turning it off.
Additional cardmembers
You can add Employee Business Gold Cards to your account for an annual fee of $95 for the first five cards, and $95 for each additional card after that.
Amex also offers Employee Business Expense Cards with no annual fee, which can be useful if you mainly want expense tracking and controls rather than full card benefits.
You can add up to 99 employee cards to a single Business Gold account.
Final thoughts
The American Express Business Gold Card is built for businesses with real, ongoing expenses—especially if those expenses concentrate in one or two categories each month.
The ability to earn 4X Membership Rewards in your top two spending categories is what makes this card compelling. If your business expenses line up well, the earning potential can quickly outweigh the $375 annual fee.
That said, much of the card’s value depends on actually using the monthly credits and travel perks. If you don’t already use services like Grubhub, FedEx, or Walmart+, the credits may feel forced rather than valuable.
For the right business, the Business Gold Card can be a powerful points-earning tool. For everyone else, it’s a card that requires a little math—and some honest self-assessment—to decide whether it truly earns its place in your wallet.
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