AMEX Business Gold Rewards: FedEx Credit Removed; Up to 200,000-Point Welcome Offer

AMEX Business Gold has another change: after October 1, the FedEx portion of the monthly $20 credit will be removed, but Grubhub and Office Supply Stores purchases will still be eligible. If you usually use this card for shipping, remember to switch your payment method then.

Right now, when you enter the application page, the highest welcome offer you may see is 200,000 points. AMEX may decide which offer tier to show based on your credit history, income, and relationship with AMEX. You can test it through this link; if you can pull up the 200,000-point offer, it is well worth applying directly.

• Application link for up to 200,000 points

This is a very strong offer, and we have added it to our list of recommended US business credit cards.

• Best US Business Credit Cards [Up to $2,000+ in Rewards]

AMEX Business Gold Rewards Business Credit Card

[Important]If this is your first business credit card application, please read “Introduction to Business Credit Cards” carefully first.

Highlights

• Automatic 4x categories: You earn 4x on your top two spending categories, including airfare purchased directly from airlines, advertising in select media, gas stations, transit, wireless phone services, electronics retailers, and purchases of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions from select providers. Bonus points apply only to the first $15,000 in purchases per year; after that, it earns 1x.
• $240 flexible business credit: $20 in monthly statement credits on eligible purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores.
• $150 Squarespace credit: This card now adds a Squarespace credit of up to $150 per year. The requirement is not high, and since it is offered annually, it is quite valuable. Squarespace provides web services: for example, if you want to build your own website, you can use its hosting services, and it also supports online stores. It also supports domain registration; if you do not really need anything else, you could simply buy a few domains. It also supports domain transfers, so if you have domains with another provider, you can transfer them over and use this $150 credit. Right now the cashback site TopCashback is offering squarespace $50.5 cashback, so if you find a subscription priced at $150 or less, you may be able to stack some cashback as well. TopCashback sign-up link (new users get $20)
• Walmart+ membership credit: $12.95 per month, which exactly covers the Walmart+ membership fee (must be paid monthly), sign-up link ($20 off)
• New 3x points via AMEX Travel: This can more or less replace the old 4x airfare category, though it is clearly a downgrade.
• New cell phone protection: Underwritten by third party AIG, with up to $800 in coverage, a $50 deductible, and up to two claims every 12 months. You need to pay your phone bill with this card. Cell phone protection guide
• The Hotel Collection (THC) benefit: When you book THC hotels through AMEX Travel, you can receive a room upgrade (if available). If you book two consecutive nights, you can also get a $100 credit that can be used for dining, spa, and other incidental hotel charges. THC is similar to FHR, but the hotels are generally not as high-end, and some properties cost just over $100 per night. Before deciding whether to book through AMEX Travel, it is a good idea to compare prices with other channels first. If the price is similar, then of course it makes sense to use the THC benefit. The Hotel Collection benefit details
• Charge card with no preset spending limit: This is a charge card, so it has no fixed credit limit. That feels great in practice. However, very large purchases can still be declined, so it is best to contact customer service first if you plan a major charge.
• GPT Business $300 annual credit: This is calculated annually, with up to $300 back per year. Note that GPT Business is different from regular GPT: it requires at least two users, and the cost is $600 for two people. Also note that you must enroll first in order to use this credit. The monthly price is $30 per person, or $360 per year. If you pay annually, the cost is $25 per person per month, for a total of $600 per year.
  • This credit is based on the calendar year, so if you open or upgrade near year-end, you may be able to use it three times. My guess is that upgrading from Business Gold to Business Platinum will not reset the credit, but that is not certain.
  • Because this is an annual credit, you can pay monthly instead, which means you could pay for five months and effectively get five free months. If two people each have both the Business Platinum and Business Gold cards and split the payments, one person could cover half the year and the other could cover the other half, matching the two seats exactly.

AMEX card benefits

• AMEX Offer: Amazon spend 20 get 20, Walmart 15-5, phone bill 75-10. AMEX often gives cardholders very good targeted offers, letting you earn statement credits while you spend. See also: Best Recent AMEX Offers, Best Historical AMEX Offers, and AMEX Offer Guide.
• [Business Card Only] More and better AMEX Offers: As a business credit card, it gets more high-value offers, such as Staples, Office Depot Offer, and 20% off at Sam's Club (including gift cards). These business-card-specific offers usually do not appear on personal cards.
• Small Business Day: Every year AMEX cards can participate in Small Business Day promotions, where spending at select merchants can earn extra rewards. For details, see: Small Business Day promotion overview
• Generous limits: AMEX has traditionally been generous with customers, and the credit limits it gives are often much higher than those from other banks.
• Free ShopRunner membership: Enjoy free 2-day shipping at many online stores. For details, see: official link
• Extended warranty: Items purchased in full with an AMEX card get an additional one year added to the manufacturer’s warranty.
• Free credit report access: Cardholders can check their EX credit score for free. See: Comparison of free credit scores

Points Program Overview

• Points Value: The average value is 1.5c/p, so 100 MR = $1.5 (Points Value & Analysis)
• Direct Redemption: Redeem travel through amextravel.com at 1c/p (without a premium card); redeem eligible flights through amextravel.com at 1.54c/p (with Business Platinum); redeem for cash in an investment account at 1.1c/p (with Schwab Platinum).
• Points Transfers: Transfer 1:1 to ANA miles (good for round-trip US-China flights and round-the-world tickets); transfer 1:1 to British Airways miles (good for China-Japan routes and short-haul domestic US redemptions); transfer 1:1 to Air Canada miles (good for US-China business class awards and infant tickets); transfer 1:1 to Delta (good for business class, and can also redeem any Delta flight at 1c/p).
• Points Features: All MR points earned by one person are pooled into a single account and can be used directly. As long as you still have at least one MR-earning card open, all MR points will remain valid; be sure to use them up before closing all of your cards. Nearly all MR-earning cards allow you to transfer MR points to airline miles or hotel points. MR points can be transferred to airline or hotel accounts in an authorized user's name.
• My Take: The most common use of MR is transferring to airline miles, mainly ANA, Air Canada, Delta, and British Airways. Delta can help cover SkyTeam options; ANA and AC can selectively cover Star Alliance options; BA can be used for some oneworld awards. Among these, ANA is especially valuable for US-China economy, business, and first class awards. AC and Delta are also good for covering domestic US flights, while BA is best for nonstop domestic US flights. Hotel transfers are a weak spot for MR, and none are really worth transferring to. As for booking hotels or flights directly through AMEX Travel, you usually only get 1 cent per point in value, so I generally do not recommend it. Cash back and gift cards also max out at only 1 cent per point. Therefore, the final valuation is 1.7c, mainly considering the broad airline partner coverage, mostly instant transfer times (ANA takes 2-3 days; others are instant), and the value of these airline miles. The weaknesses are that MR is not very useful for hotel redemptions, and direct airfare bookings do not provide strong value either.
• Detailed Analysis: Membership Rewards Guide >>

My Take

The welcome offer is still very solid, though the spending requirement is a bit high. If you regularly spend on airfare, gas, advertising, shipping, and computer-related purchases, this card is worth considering. And with the new GPT credit, for people who can use it, the effective annual fee is only about $75.

Application

[Important]If this is your first business credit card application, please read “Introduction to Business Credit Cards” carefully first.

This card is relatively easy to get approved for; in general, around one year of credit history may be enough for instant approval. This card is a charge card.

• AMEX official application status check link
• For the same AMEX credit card, the public welcome bonus is generally available only once (once-per-lifetime restriction)
• You can call the reconsideration line (800-528-4800, 877-399-3083, 866-314-0237) to speed up credit card approval or request a review of a denied application.
• AMEX limits you to 4 credit cards and 10 charge cards total.
• You can apply for a total of two AMEX credit cards every 90 days, excluding charge cards.
• After you submit your application, a pop-up may appear telling you that you are not eligible for the welcome bonus. In that case, it is usually best not to continue with the application (detailed analysis)
• More about applying for AMEX credit cards

Application Link