The American Express Business Gold Card maximizes spending with flexible bonus reward categories based on where your business spends the most.
- Earn up to $545 in credits every year for eligible business purchases
- Generous bonus rewards categories with high spending caps
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs
- High annual fee
- Statement credit offers are earned on a monthly basis and only apply to specific purchases
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- As High As 200,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $15,000 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.
- Earn 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.*
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ using your Business Gold Card.*
- 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.*
- Get 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 Business Gold Card comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and White Gold. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
- *Terms Apply
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
Foreign transaction fee
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.
- 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 07/2025.
- See how you can unlock over $3,500 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 $209 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 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
Amex Business Gold and Amex Business Platinum bonuses
The Amex Business Gold and Amex Business Platinum cards both feature welcome offers with “as high as” language. That means the bonus you’re eligible for may be less than the maximum amount. However, you’ll know what bonus you’re offered before your credit is pulled.
Amex Business Gold welcome bonus
Earn as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 in purchases on your new card within the first three months of card membership.
Key benefits
The Amex Business Gold card has a $375 annual fee (see rates and fees), which can be offset by its generous rewards and benefits.
Every year, you can earn up to $395 in statement credits and 4X points on two categories where you spend the most each month, including:
- U.S. purchases at restaurants (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
- Monthly wireless phone service charges made directly from a service provider in the U.S.
You earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories per calendar year, after which you’ll earn 1X points.
Terms apply.
Amex Business Platinum welcome bonus
Earn as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 in purchases on your new card within the first three months of card membership.
Key benefits
The Amex Business Platinum is at the top of its class for luxury travel perks. Every year, you have access to over $3,000 in statement credits for a range of purchases, including hotels, airline fees, business services and more. It also provides exceptional access to airport lounges, such as Amex Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa lounges, Priority Pass Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs and Plaza Premium Lounges.
The range of perks available to Amex Business Platinum cardholders can easily make its $895 annual fee worth it (see rates and fees).
How to qualify for an Amex business card
Qualifying for an Amex business card requires a check of your personal credit. While this may be confusing, it actually expands who is eligible for these bonuses. You don’t need to run a large corporation with millions of dollars in revenue to get approved for these cards. You could be a sole proprietor with no employees or have a part-time side hustle and get approved for these cards.
Be aware that Amex generally limits you to earning a welcome bonus from a specific card to once per lifetime. So if you’ve already earned a welcome offer from the Amex Business Gold, you’re unlikely to qualify again. However, previously owning a card (say, the Amex Business Platinum) won’t automatically disqualify you from earning a welcome bonus with the Amex Business Gold card.
Who do these offers make sense for?
These cards make sense for anyone who wants to turn their business expenses into incredible travel experiences, as both earn American Express Membership Rewards® points. Amex points are top-tier travel rewards that transfer to a long list of hotel and airline loyalty programs, including the following at a 1:1 ratio unless noted:
Amex transfer partners
| Amex transfer partners |
|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub |
| Aeromexico Rewards (1:1.6) |
| Air Canada Aeroplan |
| ANA Mileage Club |
| Avianca Lifemiles |
| The British Airways Club |
| Cathay Pacific (5:4) |
| Choice Privileges |
| Delta SkyMiles |
| Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) |
| Emirates Skywards (5:4) |
| Etihad Guest |
| Hilton Honors (1:2) |
| Iberia Plus |
| JetBlue TrueBlue (5:4) |
| Marriott Bonvoy |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club |
| Singapore KrisFlyer |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club |
Deciding which card is right for you largely comes down to whether you want to be rewarded for spending or you want access to exceptional benefits. The Amex Business Gold is a better option for earning rewards on your business spending, especially if your business expenses fall into its bonus categories. The Amex Business Platinum has a stronger suite of luxury travel perks and is better suited for anyone who travels frequently and can fully take advantage of its best perks.
Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter!
Money matters —so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox.Sign up here.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors.While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage ofcredit cards,bankingandmoney, and follow us onTikTok,Facebook,InstagramandXto stay up to date.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Business Gold Card® from American Express, clickhere.
*American Express® Business Gold Card Welcome Offer: To view your personalized offer, you must first submit an application. If approved, you will: (1) receive your Welcome Offer details, (2) have the option to accept the Card with that offer, (3) be required to spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership, and (4) earn Membership Rewards® points. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. If you’re approved and accept your offer, a credit check may be conducted, which could impact your credit score. Terms apply.
*The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Welcome Offer: To view your personalized offer, you must first submit an application. If approved, you will: (1) receive your Welcome Offer details, (2) have the option to accept the Card with that offer, (3) be required to spend $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership, and (4) earn Membership Rewards® points. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. If you’re approved and accept your offer, a credit check may be conducted, which could impact your credit score. Terms apply.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
About The Author
