Why I love the Amex Business Gold Card

I’ve owned a range of credit cards over the past several years, using them to earn cash back and travel rewards that translated to trips all over the world. But some cards have suited my goals better than others, and I’ve learned that I have a preference for earning flexible rewards points.

So, at this point in my rewards career, my husband and I are putting most of our efforts into earning points across two popular rewards programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards.

One card we really like for this purpose is the American Express® Business Gold Card. It helps us maximize our Amex points with our regular spending and then pool them with points earned via our other Amex credit cards.

If you’re considering the Amex Business Gold Card here’s more about why I love this card’s rewards and benefits — and plan on keeping it for the long haul.

Amex Business Gold Card details

• Rewards rate: Earn 4X points in two select categories where your business spends the most in each month (then 1X; 4X points applies the first $150,000 in combined categories per year), 2X points on eligible travel booked through AmexTravel.com and 1X points on other eligible purchases
• Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership
• Annual Fee: $295
• Purchase Intro APR: N/A
• Balance Transfer Intro APR: N/A
• Regular APR: 19.49 percent to 27.49 percent (variable Pay Over Time APR)

5 reasons to love the Amex Business Gold

Now that you know the primary card details, here’s a rundown of the top reasons I love the Amex Business Gold:

1. Generous bonus offer for new customers

The Amex Business Gold Card comes with a welcome offer well worth pursuing if you want to rack up rewards quickly.

After you make at least $10,000 in eligible purchases within three months of account opening, you’ll earn 70,000 American Express Membership Rewards points.

Based on Bankrate’s most recent valuations, Amex Membership Rewards points are worth about 2.1 cents each when transferred to partners. That means you could get up to $1,470 in value from this welcome offer alone.

Before you apply, you’ll want to make sure the $10,000 in spending is within your business budget though. To meet it within three months, you’ll need to spend an average of over $3,333 each month.

2. Flexible rewards program

Like many Amex cards, a big benefit of the Amex Business Gold is access to Amex Membership Rewards.

You can choose from 20 partners (17 airlines and 3 hotel brands) to transfer your points. For example, Amex transfer partners include hotel partners like Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, as well as airline partners like JetBlue TruBlue, Delta SkyMiles and Singapore Airlines. These are generally 1:1 transfer ratios, but can vary depending on the program you choose.

My husband and I are frequent Delta flyers and Delta Medallion members, so we truly value having the opportunity to transfer points to this program. We also love transferring points to Air France’s Flying Blue program for international flights in premium cabins.

Most importantly, though, we appreciate different options when it comes to redeeming rewards.

In addition to transferring points to partners, you can redeem for travel through AmexTravel.com, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise and more. While these aren’t always the most lucrative redemptions, they do give you added flexibility to use your points in the way that works best for you.

3. Bonus categories

I also really like that the Amex Business Gold rewards your top two earning categories each month. Our business, like most, spends a lot in some areas and not much in others.

This card’s primary rewards come from 4X points on up to $150,000 combined spending each year in two select categories your business spends the most in each month (then 1X points). But you’ll also get 2X points on eligible travel purchases on AmexTravel.com and 1X points on other eligible purchases.

Categories you can opt to earn 4X points in (up to the cap) include:

• Airfare purchased directly from airlines
• U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, 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, including take out and delivery
• U.S. purchases for shipping

4. Flexible points pooling

Another valuable benefit of this card — and what makes it a great option for our business — is the ability to pool Membership Rewards points with other Amex credit cards. This perk is useful to me since my husband and I also have other credit cards from the issuer, including The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Pooling rewards across all of our Amex card accounts makes it easier to make valuable redemptions. Plus, it helps us take stock of how our rewards haul grows over time and ensure we’re maximizing our spending.

5. Valuable consumer protections

Finally, there are several Amex Business Gold benefits I truly value as a business owner.

I get purchase protection against damage or theft, which is good for purchases up to 90 days from the purchase date with a maximum benefit of $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per card account each calendar year. This card also comes with one year of extended warranty coverage on eligible items that come with a manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less. This coverage is good for up to $10,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 per account per calendar year.

These benefits help protect me against losses when products don’t perform as they should, or to get items replaced if they are lost, stolen or damaged within a specific period of time.

The bottom line

The Amex Business Gold may be worth it for you if you’re looking for a business credit card that earns flexible rewards. It works for me, and allows me to maximize my spending and redemptions with the other cards in my wallet.

However, the $295 annual fee can be costly and you’ll need to do a good amount of business spending to meet the $10,000 spending threshold within three months required to earn the welcome bonus. But if that’s within your business’ budget, the 70,000-point welcome bonus on this card could easily be worth $1,470. Plus, with 4X points on up to $150,000 combined purchases each year in your top two spending categories monthly, you may quickly earn back the value of the annual fee.

That said, there are other Amex credit cards for business owners to consider, including The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Make sure to compare all your options before you decide to make sure you choose the ongoing rewards and benefits that work best for your business and spending.