American Express Business Gold Card Review

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The American Express Business Gold Card isn’t a normal credit card. Instead of offering a flat rate or perhaps a slightly higher rate in one or two specific categories, this card dishes out flexible rewards based on where you spend your business’s cash.

With this flexible rewards scheme, you’ll be able to nab 4X points in the two select categories where you spend the most—a high rate if you shop frequently in any of the eligible categories. That means wise users of this card could see a boon when it comes to earning rewards. However, do note that American Express offsets this high return rate with a hefty annual fee and minimal rewards for other purchases.

Want to know if the American Express Business Gold Card is right for your company? Keep reading to find out!

American Express Business Gold Card At A Glance

Eligibility

As is standard with American Express cards, you’ll want to aim for your credit score to be good or excellent when applying. This means you’ll likely need a score of 640 or higher before you apply.

Don’t know what credit score you have? Find out for free with one of these credit-checking sites!

Rewards & Fees

Rating: Fair

The big feature of the American Express Business Gold Card is that you can earn four points per dollar spent on two select categories where you spend the most each month. Every billing period, American Express chooses your pair out of six available categories. The available options cover purchases within these categories:

• Airfare ordered directly from airlines
• Advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
• Select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
• Gas stations
• Restaurants
• Shipping

Do note that besides the airfare category, your purchases will need to be made within the United States. Your four-points-per-dollar rate will remain active until you spend $150,000 in combined purchases each year within the active categories.

After you break the $150,000 mark, both categories drop down to one point per dollar. All other purchases also will net you one point per dollar spent.

American Express promotes the card with the bonus of one free year of each G Suite Basic for three users and ZipRecruiter. Should you take advantage of this offer, you’ll be rewarded in the form of a statement credit for purchases you make on your card during your first 12 months.

According to American Express, this bonus delivers a combined value of $3,200 if you sign up for both subscriptions. If your company uses (or plans to use) G Suite or ZipRecruiter, this could make the Business Gold Card a very appealing option.

American Express does note that this offer may not be available to all applicants. They aren’t quite clear on who won’t make the cut, but they will consider the number of American Express cards you have opened and closed.

For fees, expect a standard $295 annual fee. With such a hefty annual fee, you’ll need to spend a decent amount yearly to earn enough rewards to make this card worth it. Assuming your redeemed points average out to one point equaling one cent, you would need to spend at least $7,000 yearly if you only made purchases within the two bonus categories. Of course, your actual annual expenditure with the Business Gold Card will need to be higher because you’ll likely spend beyond the bonus categories.

While you may have to deal with a pricey annual fee, American Express at least doesn’t include a foreign transaction fee. This is especially handy for businesses that require travel abroad.

Redeeming Rewards

Rating: Good

American Express offers numerous ways to redeem your rewards. Through their Membership Rewards program, you’ll be able to transfer points and redeem them for certificates or gift cards. You can also use your points when shopping at participating retailers, including Amazon.com and various travel providers. American Express will let you apply points towards specific and eligible charges on your account as well.

Business travelers will especially want to take advantage of getting 25% of their points back when they book air travel. To score this bonus, you’ll simply need to book your flight with American Express Travel by using Membership Rewards Pay. You’ll be able to collect up to 250,000 points back annually.

Other Benefits

Rating: Good

The American Express Business Gold Card comes with the standard array of credit card benefits. These include travel and transportation coverage that provides roadside assistance, travel insurance, and rental car insurance. You’ll additionally have access to an extended warranty for qualifying purchases, purchase protection in case something breaks or is stolen, and return protection if a seller won’t take an eligible item back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. And—like with many business credit cards—you can request extra employee cards.

There are a few more unique benefits, too. To start, you can get a $100 credit for hotels on qualifying charges, plus a room upgrade upon arrival at participating locations within American Express’s “Hotel Collection” when you book two consecutive nights through American Express Travel. They also have a “Travel Collection” which will give you travel discounts and amenities with select brands.

American Express further offers their Global Assist hotline, which provides 24/7 access to medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services. You’ll also get no preset spending limit, which means your purchasing power adjusts based on your spending habits and other factors (note that this does not mean you’ll have unlimited spending).

Final Verdict

Is the American Express Business Gold Card right for your business? You might want to apply for this card if:

• You regularly shop within two of the six categories that can receive quadruple points (airfare, advertising, technology purchases, gas stations, restaurants, and shipping).
• Your business uses (or plans to use) G Suite Suite Basic or ZipRecruiter.
• You frequently travel for business but don’t want a card solely for travel rewards.

• You don’t regularly shop within two of the six categories that can receive quadruple points (airfare, advertising, technology purchases, gas stations, restaurants, and shipping).
• You won’t spend enough yearly to offset the $295 annual fee.