The American Express Gold Business Card offers a 55-day grace period for bill repayment and waives the first year annual fee of $250. The rewards program is good for a business card, with double points offered on three different supplier categories.
This card is meant for businesses who will be able to pay off balances on time. A 30% APR is applicable to balances not paid off in full.
Welcome Bonus and Points
The AMEX Gold Business card offers a welcome bonus of $30,000 points, worth $240 in statement credit when used to offset business supply expenses, $300 against travel. To unlock the bonus, $5,000 must be spent within three months of activation.
Points are earned at a relatively meagre point per $1 spend, but business owners may choose three “double point” suppliers from an AMEX compiled list.
This list is separated into four categories – Advertising, Equipment, Technology and Everyday B2B. Any business owner will find useful suppliers, but a few popular categories are missing including travel-related suppliers – flights, hotels and car rentals – and entertainment options for client relations.
Flexibility
AMEX is well known for offering exceptional flexibility in point usage. The points earned may simply be used as credit against balance statements, but may also be exchanged at a 1-to-1 value against a number of popular frequent flyer programs like Aeroplan and Avios.
Payment flexibility and Cashflow Management
The AMEX offers up to 55 interest free days. This means the payment date is approximately 25 days after the closing date on a particular month’s statement. AMEX suggests coordinating large payments with suppliers to be recorded just after the closing date, which provides a full 55 days of credit. This helps to manage your balances and improve cash flow.
However, it is essential to pay off balances every month with this card. A 30% APR is applicable against carried balances.
Adding Additional Employees
Supplemental cards can be given to employees which offers greater point earning potential to the business, grants additional perks and benefits to the employee, and leverages the expense management tools offered by AMEX.
You are protected against unauthorized charges by AMEX Employee Misuse Protection coverage. Coverage is up to $100,000 per card holder, provided the card is terminated within two days of the unauthorized charge.
Insurance and protection
AMEX Gold insurance plan
| Benfit | Offer |
|---|---|
| Disability (permanent) for Small Business | Less than 2 years card ownership: $10,000 Less than 6 years card ownership: $25,000 More than 6 years card ownership: $50,000 |
| Travel Accident Insurance | Spouse, children also covered, supplemental holder and their spouse, children. Up to $100,000 for death/dismemberment on common carriers during travel. |
| Complimentary Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance | Extends to supplemental card holders. Use the card for free car rental theft and damage. |
| Lost or stolen luggage | Extends to supplemental card holders. Use the card to purchase flight and card insures against lost or stolen luggage, up to $500 per travel group. |
| Baggage delay | Up to $500 (aggregate with flight delay) for reasonable purchases made within four days of delay (six hour delay). Card usage required |
| Flight delay | Up to $500 (aggregate with baggage delay) for reasonable purchases within 48 hours of flight delay. (four hour delay) |
| Hotel Burglary | Up to $500 for stolen items (excluding cash). Card must be used for payment. |
Payment protections
| Benfit | Offer |
|---|---|
| Purchase Assurance | Doubles manufacturer’s warranty up to additional year. Up to $10,000 per event, $25,000 within calendar year. |
| Purchase Protection | Insures purchases for 90 days against theft, loss or damage up to $1,000 per occurrence (can be multiple occurrences per item). |
Expense Management
AMEX has developed a host of tools meant to make your life as a small business owner a bit easier.
Spending can be tracked by category and vendor, split between personal and business expenses, and employees can be monitored individually. Reporting is also made to simplify your tax prep, for easy organization of your deductible expenses.
Closing Balance
The AMEX business card is a good offering for those looking for an extended grace period absent the first year annual fee, a competitive rewards program, and decent benefits and small business support. If you anticipate carrying a balance, we would recommend going with a lower interest-rate card.
| Rank | Credit Card | Bonus | Rating | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Limited Time Welcome Bonus 30,000 point | Apply Now |
| Disclosures | |
|---|---|
| Card Type | Charge |
| Annual Fee | Pay no annual fee for the first year – a $250 value* |
| Supplementary Card Fee | Pay no annual fee for the first year - a $50 value** |
| Purchase Regular APR | N/A |
| Cash Advance Rate | N/A |
| Penalty APR | 30%*** |
| Welcome Bonus conditions apply | Up to 30,000 points Charge $5,000 within three months |
| Eligibility conditions apply | Canadian residents with a Canadian credit file Age of majority in the province or territory you reside |
| Disclosure | American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. *Earn a Welcome Bonus of 30,000 points when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Card membership. **You and any Supplementary Cardmembers added to your account pay no annual fee for the first year of Card membership. ***As a Charge Card, the balance must always be paid in full each month. 30% annual interest rate applies to balances not paid in full. Payments must be received and processed by the date of the next monthly statement to avoid interest charges. |
| LTO |
