American Express Business Gold is the lower-cost route into Membership Rewards for an eligible UK limited company or LLP. It earns the same 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 on ordinary eligible spend as Business Platinum, gives access to the same broad transfer-partner ecosystem, includes The Hotel Collection and can generate up to £200 of Amex Travel Credits from annual spending.
The big difference is cost. Business Gold currently has no annual fee in the first year and costs £195 per year thereafter, compared with £650 for Business Platinum.
That makes Gold particularly interesting for a business that wants flexible airline and hotel points but does not need Platinum’s airport-lounge package, broader hotel-status benefits, Fine Hotels + Resorts or premium travel-insurance proposition.
This article contains my American Express referral link. The referral journey may initially display a different Amex product, but you can choose another eligible American Express business card – including Business Gold – or switch to the personal-card range. If you apply through the referral journey and are approved, I may receive a referral reward. Check the exact card, offer and eligibility shown before applying.
See the current American Express referral offers and choose Business Gold →
Amex Business Gold at a glance
| Feature | Current UK Business Gold position |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | £0 in the first year, then £195/year |
| Normal earning | 1 Membership Rewards point per eligible £1 |
| Eligible Amex Travel earning | 2 Membership Rewards points per £1 |
| Spend-triggered Travel Credit | £100 after £40,000 annual spend; can be earned twice for up to £200 |
| The Hotel Collection | Yes, on eligible stays of 2+ nights |
| Employee cards | Up to 20 complimentary Business Gold Employee Cards |
| Interest-free period | Up to 54 days when the balance is paid in full |
| Flexible Payment Option | Available on cards opened from 28 January 2026, subject to terms |
| Foreign-currency fee | 2.99% |
| Airport lounge membership | No – do not confuse Business Gold with personal Preferred Rewards Gold |
| Hotel status | No automatic Hilton/Marriott/Radisson status package |
How Membership Rewards earning works
Business Gold earns 1 Membership Rewards point for every eligible £1 spent, with no published cap while the account remains open and in good standing.
Eligible flights, hotels, car hire and experiences booked through American Express Travel Online earn an additional point, taking the total to 2 Membership Rewards points per £1.
Employee-card spending also contributes to the central Membership Rewards balance, so a business can consolidate company expenditure across multiple cardholders while continuing to build one points balance.
Why Membership Rewards flexibility matters
Business Gold’s main advantage over a direct-earning card is that the points do not have to become Avios immediately.
Current UK Membership Rewards transfer partners include:
Airline partners
| Partner | Current transfer rate |
|---|---|
| British Airways Club | 1 Membership Rewards point = 1 Avios |
| Cathay | 1 = 1 Asia Mile |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1 = 1 SkyMile |
| Emirates Skywards | 2 = 1 Skywards Mile |
| Flying Blue | 1 = 1 mile |
| Iberia Club | 1 = 1 Avios |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1 = 1 Qantas Point |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1 = 1 Avios |
| SAS EuroBonus | 1 = 1 EuroBonus point |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 3 = 2 KrisFlyer miles |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1 = 1 Virgin Point |
Hotel and other partners
| Partner | Current transfer rate |
|---|---|
| ALL – Accor Live Limitless | 3 Membership Rewards points = 1 ALL Reward point |
| Hilton Honors | 1 = 2 Hilton Honors points |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 2 = 3 Marriott Bonvoy points |
| Radisson Rewards | 1 = 3 Radisson Rewards points |
| Club Eurostar | 1,500 = 100 Club Eurostar points |
| Nectar | 1 = 1 Nectar point |
That flexibility is a major difference from the BA Amex Accelerating Business Card, which earns Avios directly, and Capital on Tap, which has a much smaller airline and hotel partner list.
I prefer to leave flexible points unconverted until I have a worthwhile redemption or transfer bonus in mind. See How I Use Points Transfer Bonuses.
Up to £200 in Amex Travel Credits
Business Gold now includes spend-triggered Amex Travel Credits.
- Spend £40,000 in a Cardmembership year: earn a £100 Amex Travel Credit.
- Reach £80,000 in the same Cardmembership year: earn a second £100 Travel Credit.
The maximum is therefore £200 per Cardmembership year.
The credits can be used for eligible prepaid travel booked through American Express Travel Online.
This changes the ongoing-fee calculation. From year two, the annual fee is £195. A business that naturally spends £80,000 and genuinely uses both £100 Travel Credits could receive £200 of travel credit against a £195 annual fee before considering the value of any Membership Rewards points or other benefits.
That does not mean the card is automatically £5 profitable. The Amex Travel booking should still be compared with the direct price and alternative booking channels. A £100 credit is only worth £100 if the underlying travel is something you would have bought anyway at a competitive price.
The first year is particularly easy to test
There is currently no annual fee in the first year.
That makes Business Gold materially different from Business Platinum and the BA Accelerating Business Card, both of which have an annual fee from the outset.
For an eligible company that wants to find out whether Membership Rewards and Amex acceptance work well for its normal spending, the first year can therefore act as a relatively low-cost trial.
The more important decision comes before the second-year £195 fee is charged: did the business actually use the points, Travel Credits, Hotel Collection benefits and other offers enough to justify keeping the card?
The Hotel Collection
Business Gold gives access to The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel.
On eligible bookings of at least two consecutive nights at participating properties, current benefits include:
- a US$100 property credit towards eligible hotel charges;
- a one-category room upgrade on arrival when available;
- noon check-in when available; and
- late checkout when available.
The programme now covers more than 1,400 participating hotels under Amex’s current published information.
This is a useful Business Gold benefit, but it is not the same as Business Platinum’s Fine Hotels + Resorts package. Business Gold does not unlock FHR.
As always, compare the Amex Travel rate with the direct hotel rate and consider whether booking through Amex affects hotel loyalty points, elite-night credit or elite benefits.
Business Gold does not include Priority Pass
This distinction is worth making very clearly because the names are easy to confuse.
The UK personal Preferred Rewards Gold Card includes a limited number of Priority Pass lounge visits each year.
American Express Business Gold does not include that lounge package.
If airport-lounge access is a major reason for choosing a business card, Business Platinum or Capital on Tap Pro are more relevant comparisons.
Up to 20 complimentary Employee Cards
Business Gold currently allows up to 20 complimentary Business Gold Employee Cards.
Employee spending can therefore:
- earn Membership Rewards into the main business points balance;
- contribute towards the £40,000 and £80,000 Travel Credit thresholds;
- help centralise business expenses; and
- be monitored with individual limits, card freezing and expense-management controls.
Amex is also currently advertising a 3,000 Membership Rewards point bonus for the first three eligible Business Gold Employee Cards added, subject to the current employee-card promotion terms.
The main account remains responsible for employee-card charges under the applicable account-liability structure.
Up to 54 days interest free and Flexible Payment Option
Business Gold can provide up to 54 days interest free on purchases when the balance is repaid in full under the relevant statement cycle.
For new Business Gold cards opened from 28 January 2026, American Express also introduced the Flexible Payment Option.
This lets the business carry part of the balance rather than paying every purchase in full immediately, but interest applies. The current published purchase rate is 29.1% variable.
I would not carry a balance simply to earn Membership Rewards. Interest at that level can overwhelm the value of the points extremely quickly.
Business statement-credit benefits
Business Gold also includes a number of business-oriented statement-credit offers. These require enrolment and individual terms apply.
Current published benefits include:
- Indeed: up to £50 back every three months on eligible online Sponsored Jobs spend, currently potentially up to £200 over a full year while the benefit remains available;
- Dell Technologies: up to £100 annually in statement credits on eligible purchases;
- Alamo and Enterprise: £20 back on an eligible prepaid online transaction of £60 or more, currently available once per calendar month for up to £240 per year; and
- Superscript: 15% statement credit on an eligible GBP business-insurance transaction once per year.
I would not add all of those headline values together and call them savings. They are only valuable where the business would otherwise have made the qualifying purchase.
The Indeed benefit is currently published with a 31 December 2026 expiry, so it should not be treated as a permanent card feature beyond that date unless Amex renews it.
Travel inconvenience and accident cover
Business Gold includes travel protection when the relevant travel is paid for with the card and the policy conditions are met.
Current published cover includes:
- up to £200 for eligible flight delay, cancellation, overbooking or missed-connection costs;
- up to £200 for eligible delayed-baggage essentials; and
- up to £250,000 Travel Accident Insurance on qualifying travel purchased with the card.
This is not the same as the broader worldwide travel-insurance package on Business Platinum. I would read the actual policy before relying on it for a trip.
Purchase and Refund Protection
Business Gold also includes protection for eligible purchases.
Amex currently publishes:
- Purchase Protection: repair, replacement or refund up to £2,500 for an eligible item stolen or damaged within 90 days of purchase, subject to the policy limits; and
- Refund Protection: up to £300 for certain eligible purchases where a UK retailer refuses a return within the relevant period.
The major weakness: 2.99% FX fee
Business Gold currently charges a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee.
That means I would be cautious about using it for ordinary foreign-currency business spending merely to earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1.
A £5,000-equivalent overseas transaction would mean roughly £149.50 in FX fees.
That fee can easily be worth more than the Membership Rewards earned.
This is why Capital on Tap makes a useful companion card: it is a Visa, currently has no FX fee and can still earn rewards.
See my Capital on Tap Business Credit Card guide.
Amex acceptance is another reason for a Visa backup
American Express acceptance is much broader than it once was, but it is still not universal.
Some smaller suppliers, restaurants, independent hotels and other merchants do not take Amex.
Even for a sterling transaction where FX is irrelevant, a Visa rewards card can therefore stop business spending falling back onto a debit card that earns nothing.
Business Gold vs Business Platinum
| Amex Business Gold | Amex Business Platinum | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £0 year one, then £195 | £650 |
| Core earning | 1 Membership Rewards point/£ | 1 Membership Rewards point/£ |
| Eligible Amex Travel earning | 2 points/£ | 2 points/£ |
| Travel Credits | Up to £200 after spend thresholds | £200 annual credit + up to another £400 after spend thresholds |
| Airport lounges | No core lounge membership | Global Lounge Collection |
| Hotel status | No automatic status package | Hilton, Marriott, Radisson, Accor and others |
| The Hotel Collection | Yes | Yes |
| Fine Hotels + Resorts | No | Yes |
| Worldwide travel insurance | More limited travel protection | Broader package |
| Employee cards | Up to 20 Gold | 1 Platinum + up to 19 Gold |
| FX fee | 2.99% | 2.99% |
The key point is that Gold and Platinum earn the same basic number of Membership Rewards points on ordinary spend.
The extra £455 annual cost of Platinum from year two is buying premium travel benefits, not a better standard earn rate.
See my Amex Business Platinum UK guide for the detailed Platinum package.
Business Gold vs BA Accelerating Business
This comparison is about flexibility versus concentrated Avios earning.
| Amex Business Gold | BA Amex Accelerating Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £0 year one, then £195 | £250 |
| Core currency | Membership Rewards | Avios directly |
| Normal earning | 1 MR point/£ | 1.25 Avios/£ from 7 Oct 2026 |
| £20k spend bonus | None | +10,000 Avios |
| Transfer flexibility | Wide airline/hotel network | Avios only |
| Travel Credits | £100 at £40k and £80k spend | Up to £200 Avios Hotels/Car Hire credit from 7 Oct 2026 |
At £20,000 annual spend after 7 October 2026, Business Gold generates 20,000 Membership Rewards points from ordinary purchases. If transferred 1:1 to Avios, that is 20,000 Avios.
The BA Accelerating Business Card would generate 35,000 Avios at the same £20,000 spend because of its 10,000-Avios threshold bonus.
Gold therefore gives up raw Avios earning in exchange for the ability to decide later whether the points should become Avios, Virgin Points, Flying Blue miles, Hilton points, Marriott points or another supported currency.
See my BA Amex Accelerating Business Card guide.
Business Gold vs Capital on Tap
| Amex Business Gold | Capital on Tap | |
|---|---|---|
| Network | American Express | Visa |
| Core rewards | Membership Rewards | Capital on Tap points / cashback |
| Transfer partners | Much wider | BA/Qatar Avios, Virgin, Radisson |
| FX fee | 2.99% | None currently |
| Bill Pay | No direct equivalent | Available to eligible accounts |
| Enhanced earning | 2x on eligible Amex Travel | Pro can earn 1.25x with qualifying Daily Repay/preloading |
This is why I see the two products as complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
Who is eligible?
American Express currently states that Business Gold applicants should meet criteria including:
- the business has a current UK bank or building-society account;
- the applicant is aged 18 or over;
- the applicant has a permanent UK home address;
- the applicant earns at least £20,000 per year;
- the business is a UK limited company or LLP; and
- the applicant is a director or member of the business.
Approval remains subject to status and American Express’s own checks.
Under the current new-cardmember terms, you will not be eligible for a Business Gold welcome offer if you currently hold, or have held, an American Express Business Card earning Membership Rewards points within the previous 24 months.
Who is Business Gold likely to suit?
I would look most closely at Business Gold if:
- you want transferable Membership Rewards rather than committing immediately to Avios;
- you want to try an Amex business rewards card with no annual fee in year one;
- your normal eligible business spend is largely in sterling;
- you could naturally reach the £40,000 or £80,000 Travel Credit thresholds;
- The Hotel Collection is useful to you;
- you want multiple employee cards feeding one points balance; and
- you do not need Business Platinum’s lounge, hotel-status, FHR and broader insurance package.
Who may be better with another card?
Business Gold may be a weaker fit if:
- you spend heavily in foreign currencies;
- many suppliers do not accept Amex;
- your main goal is maximising Avios rather than keeping points flexible;
- you need airport-lounge access and hotel status; or
- your business is a sole trader rather than an eligible LTD or LLP.
In those cases, Capital on Tap, Business Platinum or BA Accelerating Business may fit the spending pattern better.
Is Amex Business Gold worth it?
The strongest part of Business Gold is the combination of flexible Membership Rewards and a low first-year cost.
From the second year, the £195 annual fee needs more scrutiny. But the card can potentially generate up to £200 in Amex Travel Credits at £80,000 annual spend, while retaining the same 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 core rate as Business Platinum.
For a business that values flexible points but does not need Platinum’s premium travel package, Gold can therefore occupy a useful middle ground.
I would think of it as the Membership Rewards earning card first, travel-benefits card second. Business Platinum reverses that balance: its real value is in the premium travel package rather than a better basic points rate.
See the current American Express referral offers and choose Business Gold →
The referral journey allows you to choose another eligible Amex business card or move to the personal-card range. Check the exact card name, welcome offer and eligibility on the final application page before applying.
Related guides
- UK Business Cards & Bank Accounts That Earn Travel Rewards
- Amex Business Platinum UK Guide
- BA Amex Accelerating Business Card UK Guide
- Capital on Tap Business Credit Card UK Guide
- How I Use Points Transfer Bonuses
- How Much Is an Avios Worth?
- Hotel Elite Status Shortcuts
Official American Express information
- American Express Business Gold
- Business Gold benefits
- Amex Travel Credits
- The Hotel Collection
- Membership Rewards transfer partners
Fees, benefits, statement credits, transfer rates, insurance and eligibility can change. This guide was checked against American Express UK’s published information in September 2026. Business borrowing should only be used where repayments remain affordable; interest and fees can outweigh the value of rewards.
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