Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Several significant upgrades have been added to one of the top travel business cards, the American Express® Business Gold Card. It now features annual statement credits worth up to $240 (enrollment required), 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.*
American Express increased the card's annual fee from $295 to $375 (see rates and fees) on Feb. 1, 2024.
CNBC Select has the details to help you decide if the revamped Amex Business Gold Card is a good fit for you.
Amex Business Gold changes
The changes to the American Express® Business Gold Card are likely to be an overall net positive for many users. Plus, new and existing cardholders can take advantage of all of the new benefits right now.
As part of these changes, anyone looking to upgrade the aesthetics of their card, the Business Gold Card now comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and Limited Edition White Gold. White Gold design is only available while supplies last. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
Benefits and annual fee changes
One of the biggest drawbacks to the Amex Business Gold Card has been its lack of statement credits to help offset its high annual fee*. Now that's changed, thanks to statement credits worth up to $240 a year (enrollment required) that cardmembers can start using immediately, even though the annual fee increased to $375* for new applicants and account renewals on Feb 1, 2024.
Cardholders can receive:
- Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx (through 10/01/2026), Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.*
- A monthly Walmart+ membership credit of up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.*
The card's cell phone insurance** applies when your cell number is listed on the bill and your previous bill was paid with your Amex Business Gold card. It covers theft and damage for up to $800 per claim with a $50 deductible per claim and a limit of up to two claims per 12-month period.
*See rates and fees
**Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Bonus spending category changes
Amex Business Gold earns 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories:
- U.S. dining purchases (including takeout and delivery)
- U.S. gas station purchases
- U.S. advertising purchases in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers
- Transit purchases, including trains, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, subways, taxis and rideshare services (new category)
- Monthly wireless phone service charges made directly from a service provider in the U.S. (new category)
*Terms apply
While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap*.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.* All other purchases continue to earn one point per dollar.
You'll want to price shop before booking through Amex to ensure you're getting the best deal. For many small business owners, the value of the Amex Business Gold for spending will most likely boil down to whether you spend more on shipping or transit and wireless phone services.
Alternative business cards to consider
The new Amex Business Gold statement credits can be more valuable than its annual fee. But that won't be the case for everyone, especially if you weren't planning to pay for Walmart+. Even if you take full advantage of the new benefits, you earn the statement credits piecemeal. That means you pay a high upfront cost and then slowly earn credits throughout the year.
A simpler option is a small business credit card with a $0 annual fee.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (see rates and fees) are good options to consider, especially if your business spending won't max out the Amex Business Gold's 4X bonus categories.
The Ink Business Cash earns 5% back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year (then 1%). It also earns 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases on dining and gas each account anniversary year (then 1%), and all other purchases earn 1% back. While this card isn't as rewarding for many purchases, the reward structure is much simpler. With the Amex Business Gold Card, you'll only earn more for U.S. gas station and U.S. dining purchases if those are the two categories where you spent the most that month.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a no-annual-fee cash-back business card that's especially rewarding at office supply stores and gas stations.
- Valuable welcome bonus
- Intro APR for purchases
- No annual fee
- Bonus spending categories have annual limits
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $750 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening
- Earn 5% cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year on the first $25,000 in combined spend
- Earn 2% cash back on dining and gas each account anniversary year on the first $25,000 spent in combined spend.
- Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
- Earn 5% total cash back on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- As a Chase cardmember, you'll be automatically checked for a credit line increase at least every 6 months.
- Complimentary three-month lnstacart+ membership.
- No Annual Fee
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Ink Business Unlimited is a great option for businesses that spend heavily outside of the bonus categories offered by other cards because it earns a flat 1.5% cash back on every purchase.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a flat-rate cash-back card with a strong intro-APR offer for purchases.
- Intro APR for purchases
- Valuable welcome bonus
- No annual fee
- You can't transfer rewards to travel partners without pairing it with another Chase card
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Earn 5% total cash back on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The biggest shortcoming of the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited cards, is they earn cash-back rewards, which typically aren't as valuable as the transferrable points you earn with the Amex Business Gold. However, you can dramatically boost the value of these rewards if you pair them with other Chase credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), which enable transfers to 14 airline and hotel partners.
Alternatively, if you like the idea of a more premium card with many different statement credits, you might prefer The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. It isn't as rewarding for business purchases as the Amex Business Gold Card and has a higher $895 annual fee (see rates and fees), but comes with more benefits, including:
- Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year. (enrollment required)
- Up to $360 in Indeed statement credits each year, up to $90 per quarter. Enrollment required.
- Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card
- Up to $120 in wireless telephone provider credit each year (up to $10 per month). Enrollment required.
- Use the Business Platinum Card® and get up to $219 back per calendar year on your CLEAR+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- Up to $200 in airline fee credits per calendar year
- $120 Global Entry or up to $85 TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
- Complimentary access to more than 1,550 airport lounges (Enrollment required)
- 35% points rebate (up to one million points per calendar year) when you use the Pay with Points feature to book business- or first-class flights or any flights with your selected airline
- Marriott and Hilton Gold status. Enrollment required.
- **Cell phone insurance
- **Purchase protection
- **Extended warranty
**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. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a premium business card loaded with statement credit offers for business services and travel that help justify its steep annual fee.
- Access to 1,550 airport lounges, including Priority Pass (Enrollment required) and Amex Centurion lounges
- Hotel and rental car elite status perks
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20+ airline and hotel loyalty programs (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned; Benefits may be subject to auto-renewal)
- High annual fee
- Limited bonus spending categories
- Some statement credit offers are earned in small increments or only apply to purchases from a single brand
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- As High As 300,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Learn more.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card company on the market as of 01/2026.
- See how you can unlock over $4,000 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
- Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- No Preset Spending Limit: The spending limit on the Business Platinum Card is flexible, so unlike a traditional credit card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.
- Make the Business Platinum Card® work even harder for you. Hilton for Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Gift cards are not an eligible purchase. Benefit enrollment required.
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- Use the Business Platinum Card and get up to $219 back per calendar year on your CLEAR+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
- Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
- Enroll and get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business* on the Business Platinum Card. *Subject to auto-renewal.
- Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
- Get up to $90 in statement credits quarterly for purchases with Indeed on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $360 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Get up to $10 in statement credits per month for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $120 back per year. Enrollment required.
- 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
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Bottom line
There are new valuable benefits available to American Express® Business Gold Card members. These perks include statement credits worth up to $240, cell phone insurance and new 4X bonus spending categories. Enrollment required.
However, several negative changes took effect on Feb. 1, 2024, including an $80 annual fee increase (see rates and fees), and the elimination of certain bonus spending categories. To figure out if the card is still worth the annual fee, take a look at your spending habits and see if the math adds up.
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Read more
For rates and fees of the Business Gold Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
