Amex Business Gold card provides an outstanding return on your spending, with its welcome bonus of 70,000 Membership Rewards points and flexible statement credits and entertainment perks.
Not every business will find this card suitable, particularly those not spending heavily in 4x categories; but for those that do, it makes an excellent option.
1. Membership Rewards Points
American Express Membership Rewards points can provide a significant return on your card’s annual fee, from travel, merchandise and gift cards to paying down balances or receiving various perks like airline and hotel credits, purchase protection policies and extended warranties.
Amex Business Gold cards provide four times more Membership Rewards points on up to $150,000 spent across two bonus categories each calendar year, so to maximize its value it is key that you select those most beneficial to your business and spend within them each month.
Find your preferred bonus categories within the Amex Account Summary section of your online Amex dashboard. Additionally, view your current earning rate and limited-time targeted offers here.
If you’re new to Amex Business Gold card, it is crucial that you understand how best to redeem Membership Rewards points in order to get maximum value out of it. One effective method is taking advantage of Amex Offers and booking travel with your card; by booking travel through Amex Travel and staying at an Amex Hotel Collection property you could earn a $100 hotel credit that can be spent on dining, spa services and resort activities.
It also offers purchase protection and extended warranty benefits that can be extremely valuable to small businesses. However, it is important to remember that this charge card doesn’t come with a preset spending limit like traditional credit cards; therefore it is imperative that you monitor your spending closely in order to pay your bill by its due date in full and avoid interest charges.
2. Purchase Protection
Purchase Protection is one of the many useful card benefits included with Amex Business Gold. This card provides businesses with purchase protection that can aid them when purchasing costly items like televisions, cameras or computers – up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 total coverage per card account. However, certain items such as animals living plants tickets negotiable instruments travelers checks rare stamps coins things purchased for resale commercial use or motorized vehicles are excluded from coverage.
Amex Business Gold’s cell phone coverage offers another attractive benefit for business users and employees, covering the costs associated with replacing damaged or lost devices if damaged occurs due to theft or accidental damage. Like other credit card insurers who provide mobile phone protection plans, Amex Business Gold provides coverage against cosmetic damages like cracked screens as well.
Other features that make this card invaluable to a business include car rental loss and damage insurance1, baggage insurance2 and a global assist hotline3. Cardmembers have the option to redeem Membership Rewards points for merchandise, gift cards or statement credits with values typically under one cent per point; however, for maximum value redemption through Amex Travel offers airfare, hotels and cruise packages at significant savings.
When combined with its 4x earning categories and statement credits, the Amex Business Gold card may provide more value than offsetting its annual fee. Before applying, however, it’s wise to compare this card against similar business offerings before committing.
3. Extended Warranty
Amex Business Gold card membership comes with a generous welcome offer of 70,000 Membership Rewards points after charging $10,000 within three months, valued by Bankrate as up to $1,400 based on Bankrate valuations of Membership Rewards points. You’ll also earn four times as many points in two of your top spending categories each month to offset any annual fees of $295 that might arise.
Membership Rewards points from American Express cardholders can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards or statement credits to reduce their balance; however, experienced American Express cardholders often utilize their Membership Rewards points for travel bookings through American Express Travel to maximize value from their points redemption. Airfare, hotel stays or cruise vacation bookings often provide the greatest redemption potential of all!
Amex Business Gold cards provide extended warranty protection, which covers up to an additional year beyond manufacturer warranties on purchases made with them. This feature complements purchase protection and premium car rental coverage which serve as secondary coverage to the primary auto insurer of cardholders.
Amex Business Gold cards provide an ideal solution for managers of multiple employees looking to pay expenses with Amex cards without preset spending limits, giving each of them access to earning Membership Rewards on spending. In addition, through American Express’ online account management tools the primary cardholder can control and limit spending as necessary by setting credit limits or assigning priority earning status to individual employee cards.
4. Travel Insurance
At its core, Amex Business Gold is a business travel card offering increased earnings on selected flight purchases as well as useful travel-related benefits. But experienced cardholders know its real value lies in its rewarding redemption options and powerful travel insurance protections.
Amex Business Gold cards typically earn one Membership Rewards point per dollar spent, making this card an industry standard in earning rates. What sets this card apart, though, are its 4x earnings on bonus categories up to $150,000 of spending each year. If your company spends that much on travel or advertising-related purchases annually then this card offers immense value that quickly covers its $295 annual fee.
The Business Gold also features an impressive array of travel-related card benefits, such as trip delay insurance and access to Global Assist’s hotline for medical, legal, financial and other emergency coordination and assistance services when traveling 100 miles or further from home. Cardholders also gain purchase protection and extended warranty coverage on qualified purchases as well as being able to add up to 99 employee cards which all earn Membership Rewards independently.
Recently, Amex Business Gold recently increased the earn rate on certain travel purchases made via Amex Travel. You’ll now earn 3x points for flights, hotels and packages booked through Amex Travel – making the earning power comparable to personal Amex Gold cards over time. This update can really add up over time!
5. Airport Lounge Access
Amex Business Gold provides you with one of the greatest perks: access to airport lounges. Priority Pass Select membership gives you access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide; in addition, guests are entitled to unlimited complimentary entry (subject to individual program rules).
Lounge membership is typically included as an amenity with travel credit cards; however, you may also gain access to this perk by purchasing airline elite status or holding certain non-travel cards that provide lounge access. Although these cards often incur substantial annual fees, if used effectively they can offer substantial value.
Your decision about whether the Amex Business Gold card is suitable depends on your specific business needs and spending habits. It is most suitable for those who engage in heavy spending across four 4x categories, use Amex Offers often, and wish to redeem points for luxurious travel experiences.
If you need assistance in choosing the Amex Business Gold card for your company, check out our review of it and its rates and fees. Amex does not set an explicit spending limit; rather, your purchasing power will be determined based on factors like creditworthiness, payment history and relationship with the company. Additionally, this card allows you to designate certain employees as “account managers” so you can monitor and limit employee spending on card usage. As such, it makes for one of the best small-business cards. Furthermore, there’s an enticing welcome offer of 70,000 points and numerous travel ancillary benefits like car rental loss/damage insurance as well as global assist hotline assistance services available with it.