Amazing Deal Alert: Amex Business Gold Rewards Card
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Offer expired on May 9th, 2013:
Although the current public offer on the Amex Business Gold Rewards card has been 50,000 points for a few weeks now, it looks as though my affiliate link is actually generating an offer for 75K Membership Rewards points for the same $5,000 spend in 3 months and the annual fee of $175 is waived the first year. I'm not sure how long this will last, so if you have been considering this card for the bonus, get it today before it's gone.
Screenshot the offer when you apply so you are sure to get the full bonus at this application link. When American Express offers limited-time bonuses this high on this card, they last anywhere from a day to a about a week, so if you've been waiting for a high bonus on it, today's your day.
Even better - the last time the bonus was 75,000 points back in March, you had to spend $10,000 in 4 months, so your spending requirement is just half that now.
Before you apply, remember, per the terms and conditions,"Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have had this product or any Business Gold, Green or Platinum Card account within the last 12 months." So if you've opened another Amex OPEN business charge card (NOT a personal card) in the last 12 months, you can't apply for this one.
However, you should still be able to qualify for this offer if you just have Amex's personal cards like the Platinum or the Premier Rewards Gold, or Amex's other business cards like the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express or the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express.
Like the Premier Rewards Gold card, this card has a similar 3/2/1 spend bonus structure where you earn 3x points on airfare, 2x points on purchases in the U.S. for advertising in select media, gasoline at U.S. stand-alone gas stations, and shipping and 1x points on other purchases. Update: Now you will also earn 2x on purchases made with from select computer hardware, software and cloud computing providers.
Remember, even if you don't have a major business you can still qualify for business cards like this one though American Express OPEN cards are exclusively for business owners. Most issuers will let you get a business credit card by applying with your own social security number if your business is a sole proprietorship (a business run by one person). Plus, since Amex is going to run a credit check anyway, it should be possible for you to apply for a personal card on the same day if you were considering getting a personal Amex card anyway, so it counts as a single hard credit pull.
To read about great ways to maximize Membership Rewards points and why I find them so useful, check out my Top 10 post on reasons I like Membership Rewards cards, but one of the major reasons is the program's numerous transfer partners, giving you the ultimate flexibility when redeeming your points.
But just as a quick example, British Airways is a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards, and is currently offering a 35% transfer bonus from Amex to BA Avios until June 7. So if you can meet the minimum spending requirement quickly and ask Amex to post your points or get a points advance that the bonus will go towards paying off, you could then transfer them to BA for a total of 102,500 Avios for spending just $5,000 on the card. Compare that to the most recent 100,000-Avios sign-up bonus on the British Airways Visa, which required you to spend $20,000 to score the full 100k bonus, and this looks like a much better deal.
75,000 Amex points also equates to $750 as a base value if you use Amex's Pay With Points feature rather than transferring to a travel partner program - that way you still get mileage and elite credit on any flights you purchase, which is a pretty great value for a card with no annual fee for the first year.
Transfer Partners
75,000 Membership Rewards can be worth a tremendous amount of value thanks to the program's 21 airline and hotel transfer partners which include:
Airlines
Star Alliance: Air Canada Aeroplan, Singapore, All Nippon Airlines
Oneworld: British Airways, Iberia, Cathay Pacific
Skyteam: Delta, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Alitalia, Aeromexico
Other: Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, El Al, Frontier, JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines
Hotels
Starwood 3:1
Hilton 1: 1.3
Best Western 1:1
Jumeirah 23:1
If you are considering doing an app-o-rama to get multiple cards before this offer expires, the other top rewards credit card deals on the market are on my Top Deals page.
Some readers have reported having trouble seeing the 75K offer, but I also just clicked on it through this post on my iPhone and it populated for me, so you can always try applying through your phone.
Share your experiences in the comments below.
Hat tip: TPG reader Nick, who first saw the 75K offer on the application landing page.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.