Check Your Statements: Amex Business Gold 4x Bonus Points Not Posting Correctly
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
When American Express redesigned the American Express® Business Gold Card, one of the biggest highlights was the addition of "intelligent" bonus categories. Instead of earning extra points in fixed categories, Amex recognizes that your business expenses may vary month to month.
Business Gold card holders earn 4x points in their top two spending categories each month from the following list (on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year; then 1x), and 1x point everywhere else:
- Airfare purchased from airlines
- US purchases for advertising in select media
- US purchases for shipping
- US purchases at gas stations
- US purchases at restaurants
- US purchases made from select technology providers
These categories are automatically calculated by Amex each month, allowing your business to earn the most possible rewards without putting in any extra work. However, Doctor of Credit is reporting that bonus points have not been posting correctly for statements that closed mid-April or later. A number of readers in the TPG lounge are reporting the same problem: Their Business Gold cards are earning 1x on all purchases, but not the additional 3x they should be earning in select bonus categories.
According to Doctor of Credit, Amex is aware of this issue but hasn't fixed it yet. In the meantime, readers have reported success calling in and asking for a manual adjustment of their points, though that can take a while to post (and completely defeats the "hands-off" approach to the Business Gold's earning structure). (This issue may be resolved).
While it's easy to adopt a "set it and forget it" mentality when it comes to your points accumulation, this should serve as a reminder that it's always important to double-check that you actually received all the points you should have. Whether it's Marriott and its glitchy IT, an online shopping portal (that may not always track correctly) or even your credit card bonus categories, it's worth spending a few minutes at the end of each month auditing your points balances and making sure everything has posted correctly.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 4X | Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. |
| 1X | 1X is earned for other purchases. ** |
| 25% | Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.* |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
If you’re business does a lot of spending, you can probably justify spending the $295 annual fee that’s associated with the American Express Business Gold card. This card allows you to earn points in the top two categories you spend the most in. If you max out the categories each year, you could walk away with 600,000 Membership Rewards points annually. Amex has 22 airline and hotel partners you can transfer points to and often offers limited time transfer bonuses that you can take advantage of to increase the value of existing points.Pros
- Earn 4x Membership Rewards points in the top 2 spending categories each month (on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year)
- Pay for eligible flights booked with Amex Travel with points and get 25% of them back
- Comes with a 70,000-point welcome offer
Cons
- Hefty $295 annual fee
- Must spend $10,000 on the card in the first three months of card membership
- No monthly or annual credits such as on the Amex Business Platinum or consumer Amex Gold cards
- There may be better options for small businesses who don't spend a lot
- Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
- More Rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases. **
- **4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.*
- Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.*
- Pay Over Time Option: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month-or pay over time with interest.*
- *Terms Apply
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. |
| 1X | 1X is earned for other purchases. ** |
| 25% | Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.* |
Intro Offer
Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*70,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$295Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
If you’re business does a lot of spending, you can probably justify spending the $295 annual fee that’s associated with the American Express Business Gold card. This card allows you to earn points in the top two categories you spend the most in. If you max out the categories each year, you could walk away with 600,000 Membership Rewards points annually. Amex has 22 airline and hotel partners you can transfer points to and often offers limited time transfer bonuses that you can take advantage of to increase the value of existing points.Pros
- Earn 4x Membership Rewards points in the top 2 spending categories each month (on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year)
- Pay for eligible flights booked with Amex Travel with points and get 25% of them back
- Comes with a 70,000-point welcome offer
Cons
- Hefty $295 annual fee
- Must spend $10,000 on the card in the first three months of card membership
- No monthly or annual credits such as on the Amex Business Platinum or consumer Amex Gold cards
- There may be better options for small businesses who don't spend a lot
- Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
- More Rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases. **
- **4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.*
- Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.*
- Pay Over Time Option: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month-or pay over time with interest.*
- *Terms Apply
- See Rates & Fees