If you’re looking for cards that offer generous points-earning bonuses for a wide range of categories, the Gold lineup within the American Express portfolio is worth a closer look.
The personal American Express® Gold Card and the American Express® Business Gold Card straddle the line between mid-tier and ultra-premium cards.
However, with annual fees of $325 (see rates and fees) for the Amex Gold and $375 (see rates and fees) for the Amex Business Gold, these cards don’t come cheap.
Let’s dive in and compare these two Gold cards to see which one may be right for you.
Amex Gold vs. Amex Business Gold comparison
| Amex Gold | Amex Business Gold | |
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Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. |
Find out your offer and see if you’re eligible for as high as 200,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. |
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$325 |
$375 |
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Enrollment is required for select benefits. |
Enrollment is required for select benefits |
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Amex Gold vs. Amex Business Gold welcome bonus
Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership for the Amex Gold. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Meanwhile, new Amex Business Gold cardmembers can find out their offer and see if they’re eligible for as high as 200,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Based on TPG’s May 2026 valuation of Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece, the welcome offer for the Amex Gold is worth up to $2,000. Meanwhile, the welcome offer for the Amex Business Gold is worth up to $4,000 — albeit with a much higher spending requirement.
Keep in mind that Amex has strict rules regarding welcome bonus eligibility. Amex limits customers to one bonus per card per lifetime, regardless of how much time has passed since you last applied for that card. So, if you’ve held either of these cards in the past, you might be ineligible to earn their welcome offers again.
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Winner: Amex Business Gold, unless you can’t hit the spending requirement.
Amex Gold vs. Amex Business Gold benefits
Both the personal Amex Gold and the Amex Business Gold have several overlapping shopping and travel protections. These are virtually identical across both cards.
With the Amex Business Gold, business owners will appreciate the addition of cellphone protection, which provides up to $800 in reimbursement for repairing or replacing damaged or stolen phones when you charge your monthly phone bill to the card. This benefit applies to up to 2 claims in a 12-month calendar year, each with a $50 deductible.
Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee, and both offer access to booking through The Hotel Collection**, which includes perks on stays of two nights or more — including on-property credits and space-available room upgrades.
**Eligible charges vary by property.
The personal Amex Gold has many statement credit benefits to help offset its annual fee:
- Up to $120 per calendar year in dining statement credits: Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Amex Gold at participating dining partners, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wonder and Five Guys. Enrollment is required. You have to enroll through the Amex website to get this benefit. Wine.com and Goldbelly are available through June 30.
- Up to $120 per calendar year in Uber Cash: You’ll receive $10 in monthly Uber Cash. The Amex Gold card or any Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit. This can be used on Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. and stacked with the monthly Uber Cash offered on the American Express Platinum Card®.
- Up to $100 per calendar year in Resy statement credits: Cardmembers can utilize the semiannual up to $50 statement credit by paying for a meal at U.S. Resy restaurants or on other eligible Resy purchases
- Up to $84 per calendar year in Dunkin’ statement credits: Cardmembers receive up to $7 in monthly statement credits to use at all Dunkin’ locations in the U.S.
The Amex Business Gold has a few benefits, which include:
- Up to $300 per calendar year in ChatGPT Business statement credits: Cardmembers receive up to $300 in statement credits for U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business subscriptions (subject to auto-renewal; enrollment required)
- Up to $240 per calendar year in statement credits for select business merchants: Receive up to $240 per calendar year (up to $20 each month in statement credits) on eligible purchases at FedEx (through Oct. 1), Grubhub and office supply stores.
- Up to $155 per calendar year in statement credits for Walmart+: Earn up to $155 per calendar year (up to $12.95 each month plus applicable taxes) in statement credits for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal). Plus-Ups are excluded.
- Up to $150 per calendar year in statement credits for Squarespace: Receive up to $150 in statement credits for U.S. subscription purchases with Squarespace (enrollment required; subject to auto-renewal)
- Cellphone protection: Get reimbursed for the cost to repair or replace a damaged cellphone, up to $800, for 2 approved claims in a 12-month period when the monthly service bill is paid with the Amex Business Gold (subject to a $50 deductible per claim)
Winner: Amex Gold. Its statement credits are easier to use.
Earning points with the Amex Gold vs. the Amex Business Gold
Both the Amex Gold and Amex Business Gold offer up to 4 points per dollar spent in popular spending categories. That rate equates to an 8% return on spending, based on TPG’s valuations.
For the personal Amex Gold, you’ll earn points for the following categories:
- 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
- 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
- 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline, amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
- 2 points per dollar spent on car rentals booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
- 2 points per dollar spent on cruises booked on amextravel.com
- 1 point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases
The earning rates of 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets are particularly strong compared to other cards and help the Amex Gold make our list of best cards for groceries and best cards for dining out.
Meanwhile, the Amex Business Gold card has powerful, business-friendly bonus categories. What is unique is that you’ll automatically earn 4 points per dollar spent in your top two spending categories each billing cycle (on the first $150,000 each calendar year in combined purchases, then 1 point per dollar spent).
That means you’re not locked into a category, and you don’t have to pick them on your own. The eligible categories are:
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants
- Transit, including trains, taxi cabs, ride-hailing services, tolls, ferries, buses, parking and subways
- U.S. purchases made with electronic goods retailers, software and cloud service providers
- Monthly wireless telephone charges made directly with U.S. service providers
Additionally, the Amex Business Gold earns 3 points per dollar spent on flights, prepaid hotels, and prepaid flight and hotel packages booked directly through the Amex Travel App or amextravel.com.
The structure of these categories means this card will likely appeal to someone who wants to rack up travel rewards without putting in too much work.
Specifically, you’ll automatically earn 4 points per dollar spent in your top two spending categories from the list of eligible bonus categories on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter.
This card is meant to be a one-stop shop that you can swipe for everything, giving you more bandwidth to focus on your business.
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer compelling earnings structures, and the better one will depend on your spending habits.
Redeeming points with the Amex Gold vs. the Amex Business Gold
Both the Amex Gold and Amex Business Gold earn Membership Rewards points that can be redeemed in a variety of ways.
Points can also be redeemed for gift cards and travel through American Express Travel® and merchant partners via the Amex Travel portal.
Additionally, you can use the Pay with Points option to redeem your Membership Reward points with multiple online retailers.
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer the same redemption options.
Transferring points with the Amex Gold vs. the Amex Business Gold
Still, the most valuable redemption option for the Membership Rewards points you’ll earn on either card is to transfer them to Amex’s valuable airline and hotel partners.
With many options to choose from, you’ll be able to find a transfer partner in any of the three major airline alliances and several nonalliance carriers.
TPG senior writer Ben Smithson often transfers his Membership Rewards points to Air Canada Aeroplan to take advantage of its region and distance-based award chart and their sweet spots.
Winner: Tie. Both cards earn Membership Rewards points and have the same transfer options.
Should I get the Amex Gold or Amex Business Gold?
The Amex Gold is a strong pick for dining and U.S. grocery purchases, and its statement credits more than offset the annual fee. It has a broader appeal and is better suited to cardmembers who don’t have major business expenses.
The Amex Business Gold, on the other hand, is targeted at larger, more established businesses with high operating costs. The best fit for you will depend entirely on your spending habits and which benefits offer the most value.
Bottom line
The Amex Gold will be the right choice for most consumers who spend a lot on eating out worldwide and groceries in the U.S. Conversely, the Business Gold only makes sense if your business spends a lot in certain categories, such as advertising and technology.
If you already have the Amex Gold and want a business card to complement it, then The Business Platinum Card® from American Express may be the better choice for some cardholders.
Your unique spending patterns and award travel goals will likely play the largest role in determining which of these cards is best for you.
To learn more, check out our full reviews of the Amex Gold and Amex Business Gold.
Apply here: American Express Gold Card
Apply here: American Express Business Gold Card
For rates and fees of the American Express Gold Card, click here
For rates and fees of the American Express Business Gold Card, click here
Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
