Most credit cards with premium annual fees come with statement credits that help offset these costs from year to year, and American Express® Business Gold Card There are no exceptions. Increasing statement credit can also help offset the card’s $375 annual fee (see rates and fees). Along with statement credit, understanding your card’s bonus categories and knowing when to use the card is the best way to earn points.
As an Amex Business Gold Card member, you’ll want to learn how to maximize your earning potential for better reception in the future, so here are some of our best strategies for doing so.
Amex Business Gold Benefits Overview
For business owners more concerned with expenses and earnings than unnecessary statement credits that can take a lot of time and effort to use (we’re looking at you, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express), Amex Business Gold is a decent option.
Here are the benefits you will get with the card as a new or existing card member:
- Earning Rate: Earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar (1 point per dollar thereafter) in the two categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle on the first $150,000 in combined spending in each calendar year. Current categories include:
- US buys online, TV and radio ads
- The US Purchase computer hardware, software and cloud systems from select technology providers, plus electronic goods retailers.
- US gas stations
- US restaurants
- US wireless service providers
- Transportation (trains, taxi cabs, ride-hailing, tolls, ferries, buses and subways)
- Statement credits: Earn up to $240 a year (up to $20 a month in statement credits) on eligible purchases at FedEx, Grubhub and office supply stores. Plus, get up to $155 back (up to $12.95 plus applicable tax) annually in statement credits for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal; Plus Up excluded). Registration is required for select benefits.
- Hotel Collection: When you book a reservation for at least two consecutive nights through Hotel Collection, you’ll receive elite benefits, such as up to $100 in hotel credit and room upgrades (upon availability).
- No Foreign Transaction Fee: When traveling internationally, you won’t incur foreign transaction fees when you pay with this card (see Rates and Fees).
- Cellphone Security*: Get reimbursed up to $800 per claim for a damaged or lost cellphone when monthly service bills are paid using Amex Business Gold (no more than two claims per 12-month period; subject to a $50 deductible per claim).
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AIG Company New Hampshire Insurance Company.
Related: American Express Business Gold Card Review: No Fuss With High Earning Potential
Strategies to Maximize Amex Business Gold
That said, here’s a cheat sheet on when and when not to use your new Amex Business Gold Card.
Use your Amex Business Gold to pay for top business expenses
While this may seem like a no-brainer, the Amex Business Gold Best for your top two business categories, as you’ll automatically earn 4 points per dollar on the first $150,000 in combined purchases (1 point per dollar thereafter) each calendar year. While you don’t need to activate these bonus categories every year, it’s perfectly worth strategizing which two categories you want to prioritize make the most sense for your business.
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Think of two categories from the list above that will get you as close as possible to maxing out the $150,000 per year spending threshold. You’re looking at a potential maximum of 600,000 Membership Rewards points earned, or $12,000 in value based on TPG’s December 2024 valuation. Even if you’re a small business or freelancer who can’t get close to the $150,000 limit, know that it only takes $3,700 in spending to earn enough Membership Rewards points to offset the $375 annual fee by our assessment.
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Cards for Every Bonus Category
Use your Amex Business Gold to redeem for flights
Once you’ve earned a lot of points, you can do a lot more with your Membership Rewards balance. Our favorite way at TPG is to transfer your points to Amex’s airline and hotel loyalty partners, which give you an outsize value of 2 cents each (or more).
Read more: How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards points for maximum value
Use your Amex Business Gold for big ticket purchases
Your business will periodically invest in big-ticket purchases that are necessary for your day-to-day operations. Although you’ll only earn 1 point per dollar on nonbonus purchases, the shopping protection on the card is still reason enough to pay with you. Amex Business Gold.
Purchase Protection* covers eligible items against loss or theft for 90 days from the date of purchase and can reimburse you up to $1,000 per item (up to a maximum of $50,000 per year). On the other hand, the Extended Warranty* adds an extra year of coverage to the original manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less, giving you up to $10,000 per item and up to $50,000 per year on the card. As noted, you also have cellphone protection when paying wireless service bills using your Amex Business Gold.
You never know when something might happen, and these benefits are essential to protecting your business against the potentially high costs of unexpected problems.
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
When not to use Amex Business Gold
Although Amex Business Gold is helpful for the above scenarios, there are some notable exceptions.
Do not use your Amex Business Gold while traveling abroad
Although the Amex Business Gold No foreign transaction fees, you won’t earn rates of 4 points per dollar on most purchases outside the US, including restaurants and gas stations. If you dine out in another country or fill up gas in your rental car, you’ll only earn 1 point per dollar.
Do not use your Amex Business Gold outside of the top two categories
Suppose you strategize and deliberate only yours Amex Business Gold on US technology solutions and US advertising buys. In that case, you’ll want to supplement your card strategy with other options that offer bonus points on other possible Amex Business Gold categories as well as other nonbonus spending.
Remember that only your top two categories each month will earn 4 points per dollar — every other purchase will only earn 1 point per dollar.
You can still maximize your points
Fortunately, the Amex Business Gold Combines well with other cards in the Membership Rewards family. Case in point: American Express’ Blue Business® Plus Credit Card has no annual fee (see Rates and Fees) and offers 2 points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent on purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter. You can add another 100,000 Membership Rewards points to your rewards balance each year by maxing out this threshold for purchases that don’t fit into the Amex Business Gold category.
Meanwhile, the consumer version of Amex Business Gold — the American Express® Gold Card — Comes with a $325 annual fee (see Rates and Fees) but has excellent returns that pair well with business cards. Amex Gold cardholders can earn 4 points per dollar at US supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases in a calendar year, 1 point per dollar thereafter) and restaurants worldwide (on the first $50,000 in purchases in a calendar year; 1 point per dollar thereafter). Thus, using Business Gold for other purchases in its bonus category can greatly expand your overall earning potential.
Related: Which American Express Credit Card Is Best For You?
The bottom line
This Amex Business Gold Amex Business tends to fly under the radar compared to Platinum. Still, with the potential to earn 600,000 Membership Rewards points by maxing out the $150,000 spending limit, there are many reasons why a business should choose Business Gold instead. To know more about Amex Business Gold, read the full review. It’s a tremendous haul of points that will help you and your company explore new destinations for a fraction of the usual cost.
Apply here: Amex Business Gold
For Amex Business Gold rates and fees, click here.
For Blue Business Plus rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Gold Card rates and fees, click here.