How to Get the Most from the American Express Business Gold Card

If you want to maximize your rewards, take advantage of the AmEx Business Gold's travel benefits.

Ben Nickel-D’AndreaNov 20, 2020
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

The American Express® Business Gold Card comes with plenty of perks, especially for business owners who enjoy traveling or see themselves on the road for work a lot. It also comes with a significant $295 annual fee. Terms apply.

Given the upfront cost, here’s how to get the most out of your American Express® Business Gold Card.

Ways to maximize your American Express® Business Gold Card

Get your welcome bonus

One of the leading American Express® Business Gold Card benefits is the chance to earn Membership Rewards through a welcome bonus: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

The power of the AmEx Membership Rewards program is the flexibility to transfer points to travel partners. With 13 airlines and three hotel chains to choose from, the possibilities are impressive:

Round it out with Etihad and Emirates and you can travel to a wide variety of destinations.

» Learn more: The best AmEx transfer partners — and ones to avoid

Optimize your bonus categories

The American Express® Business Gold Card offers a retroactive earning potential of 4x Membership Rewards in your top two spending categories monthly from the following list:

  • Airfare that you purchase from passenger airlines directly.

  • U.S. purchases for advertising in select online, TV or radio.

  • U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software and cloud solutions.

  • U.S. purchases at gas stations.

  • U.S. purchases at restaurants.

  • U.S. purchases for shipping.

Terms apply.

Additional points are issued based on your two highest categories of total spend in a billing cycle; your top two categories are calculated each billing cycle by analyzing your posted transactions. The bonus points apply only to the first $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year. Additional purchases above that will earn you an 1 point per dollar.

The points earning potential is real: Businesses with large amounts of spend in at least two of those categories could earn up to 600,000 Membership Rewards annually before dropping down to the 1x rate.

» Learn more: Read our full AmEx Business Gold review: Bonus rewards change with you

Avoid unnecessary foreign transaction fees

If your business involves international travel, be sure to charge with this card — there are no foreign transaction fees. The trick for maximizing this perk is to opt to be charged in local currency. That way you’ll avoid being charged a pesky currency exchange fee. Terms apply.

Use the Hotel Collection

Frequent travelers who hold this card would be wise to take advantage of the Hotel Collection from American Express, a worldwide network of hotels. New bookings of two consecutive nights or more made by cardholders through the AmEx Travel portal can tap into additional benefits to sweeten your stay.

Perks include a $100 credit for you to spend on qualifying dining, spa or resort activities at that hotel, as well as a room upgrade when available upon arrival. Plus, cardmembers get 2x Membership Rewards points on prepaid bookings. Terms apply.

» Learn more: The best credit cards for hotel bookings

Book flights with points

Cardholders will receive 2.5 extra points for every 10 points they redeem for either a first or business class flight on any airline through the AmEx travel portal. This 25% airline bonus can lead to huge point savings in your Membership Rewards account. Terms apply.

Enjoy peace of mind when traveling

We all know how unforeseen circumstances can derail travel plans and overall enjoyment. Two benefits from the American Express® Business Gold Card are helpful when such events occur:

  • Trip delay insurance: If a covered trip is delayed more than 12 hours due to inclement weather, hijacking, equipment failure or loss of travel documents, reasonable additional expenses are covered.

  • Baggage insurance: Enjoy coverage of up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage if your items are lost, damaged or stolen.

Terms apply.

The main qualifier for these benefits is that the entire fare is charged to your American Express® Business Gold Card. Terms apply.

» Learn more: Travel insurance benefits on American Express cards

Buy with less stress

This card extends the original manufacturer’s warranty on items with a warranty five years or less for up to one extra year. This perk covers purchases made within the United States and its territories.

The American Express® Business Gold Card also offers purchase protection for up to 90 days after purchase date if a covered item is either stolen or accidentally damaged. Terms apply.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

The bottom line

The American Express® Business Gold Card offers hefty rewards for business owners who know how to take advantage of its perks. With a large welcome bonus and lucrative, dynamic bonus categories, it can be an especially smart choice for business owners who travel frequently.

To view rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, see this page.

How to Maximize Your Rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2021, including those best for:

Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.
Sign up