The post is updated with new information on a regular basis.
There are two popular offerings in the American Express lineup of small-business cards.
Like their consumer counterparts, these two cards have different goals and needs.
After you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with your Amex Business Gold Card in the first three months, you'll earn 70,000 points, which you can use to get the Amex Business Gold Card. New applicants for the Amex Business Platinum Card can earn 150,000 points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of membership.
Which offer is better for your business needs? Take a look at the cards and see which one works best.
Benefits common to both cards
Both cards come with the same features.
Membership Rewards points — Membership Rewards points can be transferred to miles with over 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs. When used in this manner, points are worth 2 cents each, according to TPG’s latest monthly valuations.
Purchase protection* — Your eligible purchases are covered against accidental damage or theft for 90 days for up to $1,000 per incident with the Business Gold and up to $10,000 per incident with the Business Platinum up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. However, coverage related to natural disasters is limited to $500 per incident.
Extended warranty* — Your purchases receive up to one additional year of warranty service on purchases with warranties of five years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year.
Baggage insurance** — Business Gold cardholders receive up to $500 worth of insurance for damaged, stolen or lost checked bags ($1,250 for carry-ons). In comparison, Business Platinum cardholders receive up to $2,000 for checked bags ($3,000 for carry-ons) when traveling on any common carrier such as aircraft, trains, ships or buses. You must pay for the full fare using the card — just paying taxes and fees on an award ticket doesn’t count — and there’s a $1,000 cap ($250 for the Business Gold) for high-risk items.
Account manager — This service lets you easily designate employees or other individuals who can manage your account with either full or limited access, making it easier to delegate tasks like reviewing statements, adding authorized users, making payments and disputing charges.
American Express Business App — This tool allows you to manage expenses from your desktop or mobile device by entering receipts, tagging transactions and adding notes to your statements. You can also sync this data with QuickBooks.
Employee card features —To help you earn rewards from your employees’ spending while mitigating the risk of fraudulent transactions, Amex small-business cards allow you to limit authorized cardholders’ purchases and set real-time alerts.
No foreign transaction fees — Both the Amex Business Gold (see rates and fees) and the Business Platinum (see rates and fees) waive foreign transaction fees when you use your card abroad.
Metal card — Both the Business Gold and the Business Platinum feature heavy metal cards.
Pay Over Time — These cards have no preset spending limit. You can, however, use Amex’s Pay Over Time feature to extend payment on certain purchases.
Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. There are terms and conditions that apply. The benefits guide can be found at american express.com.
Eligibility and benefits vary by card. There are terms and conditions. For more information, visit american express.com/benefits guide. The policies are written by an insurance company.
American Express Business Gold Card overview
ISABELLE RAPHAEL/THE POINTS GUY
Current welcome offer
If you spend $10,000 in the first three months of your card membership, you'll get 70,000 bonus points.
You can sign up for our newsletter.
Rewards
You can earn 4 points per dollar spent on your first $150,000 in combined purchases from two of the six categories where your company spent the most.
U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
Airfare purchased directly from airlines.
U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio).
U.S. gas stations (not including supermarkets or warehouse stores).
U.S. shipping.
U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software and cloud solutions.
The categories you spend the most in each month will be calculated by Amex. You can earn 1 point for every dollar you spend on other purchases.
Other benefits
Pay with Points rebate — You’ll get 25% of your points back when you redeem points at Amex Travel to pay for first- or business-class airfare on any airline or economy class tickets with a carrier you can select each year. Award flights booked this way are treated as revenue tickets, so you’ll earn both redeemable miles and elite credit on them. Note that you must have the full number of required points in your account to book travel, and your rebate will be issued within 6-10 weeks. This rebate is capped at 250,000 points per calendar year.
Trip delay insurance* — If you book a trip with your card, and it’s delayed by more than 12 hours for a covered reason, an eligible traveler can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses (including but not limited to meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal use items) up to $300 per covered trip.
Secondary car rental loss and damage insurance* — Cardmembers are covered for damage to or theft of a rental car when using their card to reserve and pay for the rental (you must decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver). This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage, and not all vehicle types or rentals are covered.
Pay Over Time — Business Gold card members are automatically enrolled in the Pay Over Time program, which offers an extended payment option for eligible $100 or more purchases.
Global Assist Hotline* — Get 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical, legal, and passport referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Card members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Hotel Collection perks* — Get $100 of experience credit that can be used on qualifying dining and resort activities when booking a stay of two or more nights at a participating hotel from The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. You can also receive a complimentary room upgrade, if available, though not all categories are eligible.
Eligibility and benefits vary by card. There are terms and conditions. The benefits guide can be found at american express.com.
For more information, see our full review.
The annual fee is $295
The Amex Business Gold can help you maximize your earnings.
You can apply for the Amex Business Gold Card.
The Business Platinum Card from American Express overview
When you book a hotel through amextravel.com, you can earn Membership Reward points with the Amex Business Platinum card. The points churchyard is named after Isabel Raphael.
Current welcome offer
You can earn 150,000 points by spending $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.
Rewards
You can earn points for every dollar you spend. Bonus points can be earned on the following items.
5 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com.
1.5 points per dollar spent on business categories and purchases of $5,000 or more, for up to $2 million in purchases a year.
Terms apply.
Benefits
The Business Platinum card from American Express has a number of benefits that make it worth the annual fee. The benefits are listed below.
Pay with Points rebate — Receive a 35% points rebate when you redeem your Membership Rewards points to book any first- or business-class flight. This also applies to economy class with your designated airline. Valid on bookings through amextravel.com. Rebate is capped at 500,000 points back per calendar year.
Trip delay insurance* — When you book a trip with the Business Platinum card, this protection covers expenses like meals, lodging, toiletries, medication and other personal use items if your trip is delayed for more than six hours due to a covered reason (up to $500 per covered trip).
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance*— This protection can reimburse you for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses forfeited when you must cancel or interrupt a trip booked on the card for a covered reason — including accidental bodily injury, loss of life or sickness, inclement weather, or quarantine imposed by a physician for health reasons.
Airport lounge access — Enjoy complimentary access to more than 1,200 airport lounges, including American Express Centurion lounges (with two guests until February 2023), Delta Sky Clubs (only when flying Delta, no included guests), Priority Pass lounges (with two guests), and Airspace and Escape lounges.
Airline fee credit — Receive an up-to-$200 airline fee credit on one selected airline each calendar year.
Statement credits at select merchants — Receive up to $400 in yearly statement credits for eligible purchases made with Dell ($200 January through June and $200 July through December), up to $360 in yearly credits for job search company Indeed, up to $150 in annual credit at Adobe Creative Solutions and an up to $120 wireless credit a year.
Priority airport screening — Receive up-to-$100 fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every 4 to 4 1/2 years and up to $189 in statement credits for an annual Clear membership.
Cellphone protection** — When you pay your wireless phone bill with your Business Platinum card each month, you can be reimbursed for repair or replacement costs following damage or theft. This covers up to a maximum of $800 per claim with a limit of two approved claims per 12-month period, though each one is subject to a $50 deductible.
Hotel elite status — Enjoy Gold status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy.
Car rental elite status — Enroll to enjoy upgraded status from Avis, National and Hertz.
Secondary car rental loss and damage insurance* — Cardmembers are covered for damage to or theft of a rental car when using their card to reserve and pay for the rental (you must decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver). This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage, and not all vehicle types or rentals are covered.
Dining perks — Business Platinum cardholders enjoy Global Dining Access by Resy, a program that unlocks exclusive reservations and special dining experiences when you add your card to your Resy account.
Private jet perks — Get access to the Premium Private Jet Program, which comes with discounts on Wheels Up Connect and Core memberships. Plus, get a credit added to your account to use toward your initial flight within your first year.
Luxury hotel perks — Enjoy complimentary benefits at luxurious properties around the world when you book your stay through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts.
For certain benefits, you must enroll.
Eligibility and benefits vary by card. There are terms and conditions. For more information, visit american express.com/benefits guide. The policies are written by an insurance company.
Eligibility and benefits vary by card. There are terms and conditions. For more information, visit american express.com/benefits guide. The policies are written by New Hampshire Insurance Company.
For more information, see our full review.
See the rates and fees.
The official application link is for the Amex Business Platinum Card.
Which card should you get?
It comes down to what you want in a card.
Different types of small business needs are the focus of the two cards. The Amex Business Platinum is a great card for frequent travelers that gives them perks and benefits that enhance their experience on the road. Small-business owners who want to earn maximum points on everyday business spending across a wide variety of categories prefer the Amex Business Gold.
The case for the Business Platinum Card
The Amex Business Platinum has a more extensive list of benefits and credits than the other card.
The Amex Business Gold is offering 70,000 points for new card holders, while the Business Platinum is offering 150,000 points. The 150,000-point welcome offer is worth $3,000 because it is based on the value of Membership Reward points. There are other benefits exclusive to the Business Platinum card.
An array of airport lounge access is one of the benefits. The perks are usually enough to justify the Business Platinum card's annual fee.
The case for the Business Gold Card
Is the Business Platinum card a good choice over the Business Gold card? It is absolutely true that not.
The Business Platinum card has great perks, but if you aren't likely to use them, the Business Gold card is worth a closer look.
The Amex Business Platinum has better perks and benefits than the Amex Business Gold. There are lots of small business owners who can use the bonus categories, and the $150,000 annual cap is very generous.
The value of points you earn will dwarf the Business Gold card's $295 annual fee if you maximize those bonuses. If you spend $150,000 in those categories, you will earn 600,000 Membership Rewards points, which can be used to purchase goods and services.
Bottom line
Business cards from American Express are a good fit for your needs.
Depending on the size and nature of your company, you could even get both cards. If you want to maximize the card's bonus categories, you can carry the Business Gold and keep the Business Platinum.
You can maximize your award travel possibilities by choosing the best combination of cards.
There is an application link for the American Express Business Platinum Card.
Click here if you want to know the rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold Card. Click here if you want to know the rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card.
The additional reporting was done by Emily Thompson.
