American Express Business Gold Card: Points & Credits

How does the American Express Business Gold Card earn points?

The card earns Membership Rewards points at three rates, depending on where the business spends. [1]

Six categories are eligible for the 4X rate, and the business earns 4X on the two where it spends the most in each billing cycle: [1]

• Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media, including online, TV and radio. [1]
• U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers. [1]
• U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery. [1]
• U.S. purchases at gas stations. [1]
• Transit purchases, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways. [1]
• Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S. [1]

Five of the six categories are defined by U.S. purchases or U.S. providers, while the transit category is described without a country qualifier. [1] The advertising and wireless categories carry a note that, effective 17 February 2027, they cover select merchants only. [1]

Outside those categories, flights and pre-paid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com earn 3X, and every other eligible purchase earns 1X. [1] American Express presents the card as earning 4X, 3X and 1X points across these three groups of purchases. [1] [2]

How are the two 4X categories chosen, and how does the $150,000 cap work?

The two 4X categories are set automatically each billing cycle, based on where the business spent the most that cycle, so they can change from one billing cycle to the next. [1]

The 4X rate applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from those categories each calendar year, and purchases above that amount earn 1X. [1] Only the top two categories in each billing cycle count towards the $150,000 cap. [1] As of 18 October 2026, the six-category list and the $150,000 cap are as set out above, and the change to select merchants in the advertising and wireless categories takes effect on 17 February 2027. [1]

Whether a purchase earns extra points depends on how the merchant is classified. Membership Rewards assigns merchants codes based on what they primarily sell, and a purchase does not earn additional points if the merchant's code is not included in an additional-points category. [4] Extra points may also not post where a merchant uses a third party to sell its products or to process or submit the transaction, or where the card member pays through a third-party payment account, mobile wallet or digital wallet. [4] Points on eligible purchases are earned only if the minimum amount due is paid by the payment due date. [4] Points missed because of a late payment can be requested within 12 months for a fee for each billing period and each account. [4]

What statement credits and other benefits does the card include?

The card carries four annual statement credits. [1] Enrollment is required for the Flexible Business Credit, the ChatGPT Business Credit and the Squarespace credit. [1]

American Express presents the combined figure as up to $845 in business value annually. [1] [2]

The card charges no foreign transaction fee on purchases made outside the United States, although ATMs or merchants may charge their own fees. [1] Through The Hotel Collection, bookings made on AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App at more than 1,400 hotels include a $100 credit towards eligible charges and a room upgrade on arrival when available, on a minimum two-night stay. [1] The Global Assist Hotline is available for emergency assistance and coordination when travelling more than 100 miles from home; American Express coordinates the services rather than providing them, and card members pay the third-party providers. [1]

Protection benefits include cell phone cover of up to $800 per claim, limited to two approved claims per 12-month period with a $50 deductible per claim, when the prior month's wireless bill was paid with an eligible card account. [1] Purchase Protection covers covered purchases for up to 90 days against theft or accidental damage, up to $1,000 per purchase and $50,000 per card account per calendar year. [1] Baggage Insurance Plan cover runs to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage, in excess of carrier cover. [1] Extended Warranty adds up to one additional year to warranties of five years or less on covered purchases in the United States. [1]

How do employee cards work on the Business Gold Card?

Employee cards carry an annual fee of $95 for the first five cards and $95 for each card after that, and an account can hold 99 employee cards in total. [1]

The business earns Membership Rewards points on employee purchases and receives real-time alerts showing who is spending and where, and spending limits can be set for each employee. [1] Employee card transactions and matched receipts can be sent daily to QuickBooks when the account is enrolled. [1] An Account Manager can be appointed to make payments, review transactions and add employee expense cards. [1]

Exceptions and limits

• Charge card mechanics. The card has no preset spending limit, and spending capacity adapts based on purchase, payment and credit history. [1] Eligible charges are added to a Pay Over Time balance up to the Pay Over Time limit and can be carried with interest, while any charge or portion not added to that balance must be paid in full each month. [1]
• Category cap. The 4X rate stops at $150,000 in combined category purchases per calendar year, and only the top two categories of each billing cycle count towards it. [1]
• Credits. Enrollment is required for the Flexible Business Credit, the ChatGPT Business Credit and the Squarespace credit; the Walmart+ credit excludes Plus Ups. [1]
• Protection limits. Car rental loss and damage cover is secondary, excludes liability, and is not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy and New Zealand. [1] Trip Delay Insurance requires a round trip paid entirely with an eligible card and a delay of more than 12 hours, and pays up to $300 per trip with a maximum of two claims per 12 consecutive months. [1]
• Lounge access. The card does not include airport lounge access. [1]
• Transfers to partners. Points can be moved to participating airline and hotel programmes after the Rewards Account has been linked to a partner account in the card member's name or an additional card member's name, where the additional card was issued at least 90 days before linking. [4] [5] Transfers are final, and in most cases require a minimum of 1,000 points in multiples of 1,000, typically taking 48 hours to process. [4] Points sent to a U.S. airline frequent flyer programme carry an excise tax offset fee of up to $99. [4]
• Losing points. Cancelling or unenrolling the last product linked to a Rewards Account means losing all points immediately, while an account cancelled by American Express for inactivity gives 90 days to use the points. [4] Points do not belong to the card member and cannot be sold or transferred to someone else's Rewards Account. [4]

Frequently asked questions

Is the American Express Business Gold Card a charge card or a credit card?

It is a charge card with No Preset Spending Limit. [1] Balances can be paid in full each month, or eligible charges can be carried over time with interest through Pay Over Time, up to the Pay Over Time limit. [1]

How much does the card cost, including employee cards?

The annual fee is $375, and employee cards cost $95 each. [1] An account can hold up to 99 employee cards. [1]

Can Business Gold points be transferred to airline and hotel programmes?

Yes, if the Rewards Account is linked to a participating partner loyalty programme account held in the card member's name or an additional card member's name. [4] [5] Transfers cannot be reversed, and the partner programme's terms then apply. [4]

Do all purchases in the 4X categories earn 4X points?

Only the first $150,000 in combined purchases from the two active categories each calendar year earns 4X, with 1X after that. [1] Extra points also depend on the merchant's category code and may not post for purchases made through a third-party payment account or digital wallet. [4]

Does the card include airport lounge access?

No, the American Express Business Gold Card has no lounge access. [1]

Related pages

The frequent flyer and points glossary explains the terms used after points leave a card account, including points transfer, award availability and cash and miles. For the wider vocabulary used across airline, hotel and card programmes, start at the terms index.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers the United States version of the American Express Business Gold Card and the United States Membership Rewards programme; other American Express business cards, business cards from other issuers, and non-U.S. versions of this card are not covered here.

1. American Express Business Gold Card product page, checked 18 October 2026
2. Business credit cards from American Express, checked 18 October 2026
3. Membership Rewards Program Terms and Conditions, checked 18 October 2026
4. How do I transfer Membership Rewards points?, checked 18 October 2026