Small businesses need to constantly reassess their spending and spending habits to ensure they can stay in business. You check to see if you can get cheaper products from other suppliers, and you should also consider the credit card (or credit card) you are putting into business expenses to get the best return on your purchase.
Another key consideration is whether the small business credit card you use is a good value for money. Are you getting allowances and benefits that justify the cost? Is it worth paying the card’s annual fee to get the bonus points it provides for your business expenses? Or would it be better to use another credit card?
This American Express® Business Gold Card There’s an annual fee of $295 (see Rates and Fees), so let’s consider those questions and see if this card is worth the annual fee.
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Welcome bonus
New applicants to the American Express Business Gold Card can earn 70,000 Bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 within the first three months of membership.
Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, according to our latest estimates. This makes the bonus worth $1,400, offering a steady 14% return on spend during the welcome offer.
RELATED: How to Redeem American Express Membership Rewards for Maximum Value
25% Airline Bonus
When cardholders use their points to pay for flights with American Express Travel, they are eligible for a 25% points back. This applies to business class and first class flights on any airline or tickets in any class of your preferred airline (you must select in advance). Cardmembers can earn up to 250,000 points per year using this feature.
Related: Our full review of the American Express Business Gold Card
Adaptive Bonus Income
Many credit cards offer fixed categories where you earn 3 points per dollar per month here and 2 points per dollar there. Instead, the American Express Business Gold Card offers bonus income where you spend the most right now.
Cardmembers earn 4 points per dollar in the two most spent categories per billing cycle. This applies to the first $150,000 of purchases in the Rewards category per year (1 point per dollar thereafter). Bonus categories include:
- Tickets purchased directly from the airline.
- US buys ads in specific media (online, TV or radio).
- The U.S. buys directly from select technology suppliers of computer hardware, software and cloud solutions.
- America buys at the gas station.
- U.S. shopping at restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
- US purchase shipping.
Cardmembers earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases, with no limit on the number of points earned in a year.
RELATED: What Credit Score Does the American Express Business Gold Card Need?
Small Business Benefits
Prime cardholders of the American Express Business Gold Card receive a number of business-related benefits. These benefits include year-end summaries, automatic expense classification in Intuit QuickBooks, and Vendor Pay’s bill payment service from Bill.com. This feature is free for the first user, six months free for the second user, and then $15 per month for the second user. This benefit requires advance registration.
Principal Cardmembers can also add a staff card for a $50 annual fee for the Business Gold Card and $50 for the Business Green Card (see rates and fees). The cards will help prime account holders earn employee spending incentives while controlling and limiting employee spending as needed. In fact, you can also designate someone else as an account manager to handle many of these functions.
The American Express Business Gold Card is not a traditional credit card, but has no preset spending limits. That means the amount you can spend on your card will vary based on factors such as your creditworthiness, payment history, and your relationship with American Express. Additionally, you may be eligible to sign up for Pay Over Time on your card, and American Express sometimes sends targeted bonus point offers to sign up for this feature.
RELATED: 6 Lesser-Known Perks of the American Express Business Gold Card
travel and shopping allowance
Principal Cardmembers can use Amex Travel to book The Hotel Collection. While these reservations require a minimum of two nights, you can earn $100 in-store credit upon check-in for dining, spa or resort activities, and room upgrades (if available).
As an American Express card, cardholders have access to American Express Offers, which can provide targeted cardholders with qualifying purchase benefits or bonus points. American Express Business Gold members also enjoy a variety of shopping and travel protections. This includes an additional year of Extended Warranty* and 90 days of Purchase Protection* (for stolen or accidentally damaged items) (up to $1,000 per session, up to $50,000 per year). When traveling, Cardmembers also receive second rental insurance** and luggage insurance* for up to $1,250 in carry-on bags and up to $500 in checked bags—in addition to coverage provided by your transportation provider.
Related: The Complete Guide to Amex Shopping Protection
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. For more information, visit Americanexpress.com/benefitsguide. The policy is underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are included and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. For more information, visit Americanexpress.com/benefitsguide. The policy is underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is provided by American Express Travel Related Services.
bottom line
The American Express Business Gold Card doesn’t offer things like elite status or free hotel night vouchers you’ll find on travel rewards credit cards. Instead, it focuses on giving small business owners the tools they need to track their finances. It also offers Adaptive Points to help you earn extra points where you’re currently spending the most and get 25% back on flight points when you pay with points.
For most small business owners, the value of the American Express Business Gold Card will depend on the protection it offers and the points you can earn with your purchases. If these provide value to your business, that would be a great option. If your spending category doesn’t match this card, it’s best to switch to a card that more accurately matches your spending category.
Official application link: American Express Business Gold Card Receive a welcome bonus of 70,000 points when you spend $10,000 within the first three months of card membership.
For rates and fees for the American Express Business Gold Card, click here.