Card Showdown: Amex Business Gold vs. The Business Platinum

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees) and the American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees) are both strong business credit cards offered by American Express. Deciding which one is right for you will involve a deep dive into the many benefits offered by each of these cards.

At first glance, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Business Gold Card have a few things in common. Most notably: They both earn Amex Membership Rewards points, an important feature for those looking for a business credit card that will help them accrue a flexible rewards currency they can use toward travel. Also, neither card charges foreign transaction fees, though you may find that American Express cards are not accepted as widely abroad.

When you dig into the cards, you’ll find that while there are a few similarities, there are also quite a few differences. Here’s what you need to know about the differences between the two cards to help you decide which one is best for you.

Welcome Offers

Amex tends to change up its welcome offers pretty frequently, though both cards tend to offer sizable bonuses. See the current offers below or on our best credit card offers list.

Annual Fees

The Amex Business Gold charges a $375 annual fee. That’s well above the fee for competing offerings from banks such as Chase, with solid business cards available with a $95 annual fee. Then again, it’s also well below other options out there, including its Platinum sister card which charges a $695 annual fee—among the highest out there for a credit card.

Both cards offer various additional benefits that can make these annual fees well worth paying. We’ll explore this more below.

Earning Points

Here’s where things get interesting: If your goal is to earn as many Membership Rewards points as possible, you’re going to want to give the Business Gold’s earnings structure a really close look. Often when taking out a points-earning credit card, a key question is, “Will this card award me bonus points in categories where I spend most of my money?”

The Business Gold takes the guesswork out of that equation. You’ll earn 4X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent in your two most-used categories from Amex’s list each billing cycle, 3X points on flights and pre-paid hotels booked through Amex Travel and 1X points per dollar spent on all other purchases. The 4X spend categories include gas, restaurants, advertising, transit, electronics and a $150,000 annual spending cap applies, then 1x.

It’s convenient that the Business Gold offers a variety of bonus categories and automatically selects the highest for each billing cycle. It’s a win-win for the cardholder.

The Business Platinum is more limited when it comes to earning rewards. The card earns 5X Membership Rewards points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel and 1X point per dollar on everything else. Single purchases of $5,000 or more earn 1.5X points per dollar instead of 1X, up to a cap of 1 million additional points per year ($2 million in spending).

Bottom line: If you want more flexibility in your rewards earning, the Business Gold wins here. The Platinum card may come out ahead for businesses with significant travel purchases and/or those that regularly make purchases over $5,000.

Redeeming Points: Membership Rewards

Since both cards earn Membership Rewards—a valuable, flexible currency that will serve you well no matter which card you use to earn the points—the redemption options between the two cards will look more or less the same.

From the Business Gold and the Business Platinum, you can transfer points to a host of airline and hotel partner programs, including Air France, KLM’s Flying Blue, Delta SkyMiles and British Airways Avios. But if you want to go a simpler route rather than transferring to program partners, there’s a quirk. Instead of getting 1 cent per point in value like with some other Amex cards, with one of these business cards, you can get more value on some flight redemptions thanks to a points rebate.

With the Business Platinum, that rebate is 35%, and the cap is 1 million points back, which is a boon for frequent travelers.

Flights booked in business or first class and any flight booked on your pre-selected qualifying airline count toward this rebate.

Other Benefits and Perks

If the Business Gold seems to be running away with this competition, hold that thought. Both cards offer quite a few additional benefits, and understandably considering the higher annual fee, the Business Platinum offers a lot more.

Both cards offer the following benefits:

• No foreign transaction fees
• Car rental loss and damage insurance¹
• Cell phone protection up to $800, subject to a $50 deductible (max 2 claims per year), when your phone is damaged or stolen, and you pay your prior month’s wireless bill with your card²
• Extended warranty on eligible purchases for one additional year if your original manufacturer’s warranty is five years or less³
• Purchase protection that covers eligible new purchases for up to 90 days against damage or theft, up to $1,000 per occurrence⁴
• Access to Amex Offers

Other benefits and perks offered by the Business Gold Card include:

• Up to $240 in statement credits (issued as up to $20 monthly statement credits) for purchases at select business merchants, including FedEx, Grubhub and office supply stores
• Up to $155 ($12.95 per month) in statement credits for Walmart+ monthly membership
• The Hotel Collection: Bookings of at least two consecutive nights will qualify for a $100 experience credit and room upgrade upon check-in (if available)
• Baggage insurance plan if your bag is lost, damaged or stolen when traveling with a Common Carrier up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $5,000 for checked baggage⁵
• Trip delay insurance when you purchase a round-trip itinerary entirely with your card and your trip is delayed by more than 12 hours for a covered reason⁶

Other benefits and perks offered by the Business Platinum Card include:

• Up to $400 in annual statement credits with Dell, $200 from Jan.–June, $200 from July–Dec.
• Up to $360 statement credit for purchases with Indeed on your Business Platinum card (up to $90 every quarter)
• Up to $150 statement credit for Adobe Creative Solutions
• Up to $120 wireless statement credit ($10 per month) for purchases with U.S. wireless telephone providers
• Up to $200 airline incidental fee credit with a preselected qualifying airline
• Up to $189 CLEAR Plus credit
• Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® application fee (when applying through a TSA official enrollment provider), in each case when charged to your eligible American Express card.
• Fine Hotel + Resorts Program including additional perks like daily breakfast for two and 4 p.m. late checkout
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status
• Hilton Honors Gold elite status
• Premium car rental privileges
• The Global Lounge Collection offers access to over 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries. It includes access to The Centurion Lounge, Escape Lounges – The Centurion
• Studio Partner, Delta SkyClub when flying Delta, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass Select lounges
• Baggage insurance plan if your bag is lost, damaged, or stolen when traveling with a Common Carrier up to $3,000 for carry-on baggage and up to $2,000 for checked baggage⁷
• Trip delay insurance when you purchase a round-trip itinerary entirely with your card and your trip is delayed by more than six hours for a covered reason (vs. 12 hours on the Business Gold)⁸
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance when you purchase a round-trip itinerary entirely with your card⁹
• Exclusive reservations and dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your card to your Resy profile

This is where the Business Platinum really shines and makes a case for its high price tag.

Which One Is Right for You?

When it comes to credit card comparisons, it can be tough to decide between two options. In this case, Amex makes it relatively easy.

The Business Platinum is targeted toward businesses with big expenses, while the Business Gold is best for businesses with more varied spending. But of course, it’s not that rigid.

Unless you’re shelling out tons of money on airfare, you’ll likely earn more Membership Rewards points with the Business Gold, even if your business has a lot of expenses. And if free travel is your goal, that could make it a better pick.

On the flip side, your business doesn’t need to have massive expenses to take advantage of the Business Platinum’s credits and additional travel benefits. If you’re constantly on the road, paying for the more premium card could be worth it for the perks.

Final Thoughts

While Amex has clearly fashioned these cards with certain types of businesses in mind, which card you choose is ultimately up to you, no matter what your business looks like. Those who go with the Business Gold will benefit from its flexible (and lucrative) earnings structure, while Business Platinum cardholders will be rewarded for traveling often and for throwing down the big bucks.

No matter which card you go with, you’ll be earning valuable Membership Rewards points. In the meantime, don’t forget that the two cards can be complementary. As long as you can get enough value out of them to justify their annual fees, there’s nothing stopping you from holding both.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

¹Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

²Coverage for a Stolen or damaged Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per Eligible Card Account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per Eligible Card Account per 12 month period. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

³When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

⁴Purchase Protection is an embedded benefit of your Card Membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect Covered Purchases made on your Eligible Card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Coverage Limits Apply. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

⁵Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

⁶Up to $300 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 12 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

⁷Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Covered Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier Vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked Baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per Covered Trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each Covered Person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

⁸Up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

⁹The maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.