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This comparison covers only the American Express Business Gold Card and the American Express Business Platinum Card. They earn differently, list different credits, and only one of them lists airport lounge access.
Business Gold is built around your top two spending categories each billing cycle. Business Platinum is built around Amex Travel bookings, a larger credit list, and lounges.
Below are the fees, the earn rules, the credits with enrollment called out, the lounge list, and when holding both is allowed. The credit lists are the product-page lists. They aren’t added together.
- $375 Business Gold annual fee
- $895 Business Platinum annual fee
- 4X Gold, top 2 of 6 categories
- 5X Platinum, flights and prepaid hotels on Amex Travel
Card terms here follow the American Express Business Gold and Business Platinum pages as of October 3, 2026.
Our own free tracker, RewardTracker.io, lets you track two cards free; a one-time $10 unlock adds the rest of the catalog on that account.
At a Glance: Business Gold vs Business Platinum
- Fees: Business Gold lists a $375 annual fee and Business Platinum lists an $895 annual fee, on both the product pages and the business-card compare page.
- Business Gold earn: 4X Membership Rewards points on the top 2 of 6 eligible categories each billing cycle, on the first $50,000 (Amex pages differ; see the 4X cap note) in combined purchases from those top-2 categories each calendar year, then 1X. It also earns 3X on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel and 1X on other eligible purchases.
- Business Platinum earn: 5X on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel, and 2X on eligible purchases in key business categories or on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of those purchases per calendar year, with 1X on other eligible purchases.
- Credits: Business Gold lists a flexible business credit and ChatGPT Business, Squarespace, and Walmart+ credits. Business Platinum lists hotel, Hilton, airline-fee, CLEAR+, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, Dell Technologies, ChatGPT Business, Adobe, Indeed, and wireless credits.
- Lounges: the Business Gold page doesn’t list airport lounge access. Business Platinum lists The Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club on an eligible Delta flight with 10 complimentary visits each year, Priority Pass Select with enrollment required, and access to over 1,550 airport lounges.
- Fit: Gold fits a business whose largest billing-cycle spend falls in two of the six 4X categories. Platinum fits a business that books flights and prepaid hotels through Amex Travel and wants lounge access and the larger credit list, at the $895 annual fee.
Fees, credits, and terms can change; check the official American Express Business Gold and Business Platinum pages before you apply.
How the Rules Apply
Rule scenario 1: restaurants and gas
Your biggest billing-cycle spend is U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and U.S. gas stations. Those two categories are the ones that can earn 4X on Business Gold that cycle if they are your top 2.
Takeaway: Gold’s 4X follows whichever two of the six categories lead each billing cycle.
Rule scenario 2: advertising and wireless
Your largest spend is U.S. media-provider purchases for advertising in select media and monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a U.S. wireless telephone service provider. Those are two of the six 4X categories.
Takeaway: media and wireless are both on Gold’s list of six.
Rule scenario 3: Amex Travel bookings
You book flights and prepaid hotels on Amex Travel. That is the 5X path on Business Platinum and the 3X path on Business Gold.
Takeaway: Amex Travel bookings are where the two cards’ earn rates differ most.
Rule scenario 4: credits that need enrollment
You want the flexible business credit, or the Hilton, Dell Technologies, Adobe, Indeed, wireless, ChatGPT Business, or Squarespace credits. The product pages mark those as enrollment required, so enrollment comes first.
Takeaway: check each credit’s enrollment line before you plan around it.
Rule scenario 5: an eligible Delta flight
You’re flying an eligible Delta flight. That is the condition named for the 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club visits each year on Business Platinum.
Takeaway: the Sky Club visits are tied to an eligible Delta flight.
Rule scenario 6: holding both cards
Your business holds both the Business Gold Card and the Business Platinum Card at the same time. An American Express article dated August 7, 2026 says that is allowed.
Takeaway: the two cards aren’t mutually exclusive.
Rule scenario 7: adding employee cards
You add employee cards. Each card type has its own annual-fee wording, and each account can have up to 99 Employee Cards.
Takeaway: the Gold and Platinum employee-card fees are stated separately below.
Annual Fees and What Employee Cards Cost
| Card | Annual fee | Employee cards |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Business Gold Card | $375 | The annual fee is $95 per employee card. Up to 99 Employee Cards. Each Employee Business Expense Card is $0. |
| American Express Business Platinum Card | $895 | The annual fee for each Employee Business Platinum Card is $400. Each Employee Business Expense Card is $0. Up to 99 Employee Cards can be added. |
The $375 and $895 figures appear on both the Business Gold product page and the Business Platinum product page, and on the business-card compare page.
The official additional-card annual-fee page says accounts opened on or after September 18, 2025 are charged $400 for each Additional Business Platinum Card. Accounts opened before that date that were not notified of a change are charged $350. Additional Business Expense Cards have no annual fee.
The personal Platinum card has its own additional-card fee page, separate from these business employee-card fees: see Amex Platinum authorized user fee and benefits. For personal Platinum annual-fee context, there’s a separate post on the personal Platinum annual fee, which isn’t a substitute for the business fees above.
How Business Gold Earns on the Top Two Categories
Business Gold earns 4X Membership Rewards points on the top 2 eligible categories each billing cycle, chosen from 6 categories:
- Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases from electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a U.S. wireless telephone service provider
The 4X cap
4X applies to the first $50,000 in combined purchases from those top-2 categories each calendar year, then 1X. Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle count toward that cap. Amex’s own pages differ: the product page, the compare page and the article’s body text say $150,000, while the article’s comparison table says $50,000, so we use the lower figure and readers should confirm on Amex’s site before applying.
Everything else
- 3X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel.
- 1X on other eligible purchases.
- A footnote says that, effective February 17, 2027, select merchants only apply to the media and wireless categories.
The personal Gold versus personal Platinum comparison is a separate page and doesn’t change these business earn rules: Amex Gold vs Amex Platinum.
How Business Platinum Earns on Amex Travel and Large Purchases
- 5X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel.
- 2X on eligible purchases in key business categories or on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of those purchases per calendar year.
- Highest bonus only: a purchase eligible for more than one bonus receives only the highest bonus.
- 1X on other eligible purchases.
The compare page names the 2X key-business categories as U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers, plus each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
Where Membership Rewards points can be transferred is covered separately, with no partner list here: Membership Rewards transfer partners.
Business Gold Credits and Enrollment
- Flexible business credit: up to $20 in statement credits each month, up to $240 a year, after eligible U.S. purchases at Grubhub, office supply stores, and shipments at UPS.com. Enrollment required.
- ChatGPT Business credit: up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business subscriptions. Enrollment required; subject to auto-renewal.
- Squarespace credit: up to $150 back each calendar year on U.S. purchases with Squarespace. Enrollment required; subscription purchases subject to auto-renewal.
- Walmart+ credit: the page labels it a $155 Walmart+ credit and says to use the card to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes, excluding Plus Ups, back each month.
The Business Gold product page does not list airport lounge access.
The personal Gold card has its own Amex Gold credits checklist, which is a separate page and not this business credit list.
Business Platinum Credits and Enrollment
| Credit | What the product page lists |
|---|---|
| Hotel | Up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually, up to $600 a year, on prepaid bookings through Amex Travel with Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay. |
| Hilton | Up to $50 quarterly, up to $200 a year, on eligible purchases made directly with Hilton. Enrollment required. |
| Airline fee | Up to $200 per calendar year for incidental fees charged by one selected qualifying airline. |
| CLEAR+ | Up to $219 per calendar year for an auto-renewing CLEAR+ membership, excluding taxes and fees. |
| Global Entry or TSA PreCheck | Either a $120 statement credit for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 for a TSA PreCheck application fee every 4 years. |
| Dell Technologies | Up to $150 on U.S. purchases directly with Dell Technologies, plus an additional $1,000 statement credit after $5,000 or more of those purchases, per calendar year. Enrollment required. |
| ChatGPT Business | Up to $300 per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business. Enrollment required. |
| Adobe | A $250 statement credit per calendar year after $600 or more of U.S. purchases directly with Adobe. Enrollment required. |
| Indeed | Up to $90 quarterly, up to $360 a year. Enrollment required. |
| Wireless | Up to $10 per month, up to $120 a year, for wireless phone service purchased directly from a U.S. wireless telephone service provider. Enrollment required. |
After $250,000 of eligible purchases in a calendar year, the page lists up to $2,400 in statement credits the next calendar year on American Express One AP monthly fees, and up to $1,200 in statement credits the next calendar year on flights booked on Amex Travel.
Lounge Access on Business Platinum
The Business Platinum product page lists access to:
- The Centurion Lounge
- Delta Sky Club when flying an eligible Delta flight, with 10 complimentary visits each year
- Priority Pass Select membership, with enrollment required
- Other select partner lounges
The page says access to over 1,550 airport lounges. It also says additional access may be available, including unlimited Delta Sky Club access after meeting an eligible spend threshold.
The Business Gold product page doesn’t list airport lounge access, so lounge access is the gap named on the Platinum product page.
For Sky Club context on the personal Platinum, which doesn’t restate these Business Platinum lounge rules, see Delta Reserve vs Delta Platinum vs Amex Platinum for Sky Club access.
Who Each Card Fits, and Holding Both
Business Gold
Fits a business whose largest billing-cycle spend falls in two of the six 4X categories, and that wants the flexible shipping and office credit plus the ChatGPT Business, Squarespace, and Walmart+ credits, without lounge access listed on the Gold page.
Business Platinum
Fits a business that books flights and prepaid hotels through Amex Travel and that wants the lounge access and the larger credit list.
Holding both. An American Express article dated August 7, 2026 says: “Yes. American Express allows businesses to hold more than one Business Card at the same time, including the Business Gold Card and the Business Platinum Card.”
Employee cards. Fees stay as stated above: $95 per employee card, with up to 99 Employee Cards, Platinum Employee Cards are $400 or $350 depending on account opening date and notice, and Employee Business Expense Cards have no annual fee.
For the personal-card versus business-card question, there’s a separate post: Amex Platinum vs Amex Business Platinum.
Fees, credits, and terms can change; check the official American Express Business Gold and Business Platinum pages before you apply.
TL;DR – Verdict
Match the fee to the spend. Business Gold fits a business whose largest billing-cycle spend falls in two of the six 4X categories. Business Platinum fits a business that books flights and prepaid hotels through Amex Travel and wants lounge access and the larger credit list.
Enrollment matters. Credits the product pages mark as enrollment required need enrollment, and the Business Gold page lists no airport lounge access. Use a credit only as the product page states it, and don’t treat the Gold page as a lounge card.
Both is allowed. American Express allows a business to hold more than one Business Card at the same time, including the Business Gold Card and the Business Platinum Card.
Fees, credits, and terms can change; check the official American Express Business Gold and Business Platinum pages before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the annual fees?
The Business Gold product page and the compare page list $375. The Business Platinum product page and the compare page list $895.
How does each card earn points?
Business Gold earns 4X on the top 2 of 6 categories each billing cycle, on the first $50,000 (Amex pages differ; see the 4X cap note) in combined purchases from those top-2 categories each calendar year, then 1X, plus 3X on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel and 1X elsewhere. Business Platinum earns 5X on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel, 2X on the named key-business categories or on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more up to $2 million per calendar year, and 1X elsewhere, with only the highest bonus if a purchase qualifies for more than one.
Does Business Gold include lounge access?
The Business Gold product page doesn’t list airport lounge access. Business Platinum lists The Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club when flying an eligible Delta flight with 10 complimentary visits each year, Priority Pass Select with enrollment required, other select partner lounges, and access to over 1,550 airport lounges.
Which credits need enrollment?
On Business Gold, the flexible business credit, ChatGPT Business credit, and Squarespace credit require enrollment. On Business Platinum, the Hilton, Dell Technologies, ChatGPT Business, Adobe, Indeed, and wireless credits require enrollment, and Priority Pass Select membership requires enrollment.
Can a business hold both cards?
An American Express article dated August 7, 2026 says yes: American Express allows businesses to hold more than one Business Card at the same time, including the Business Gold Card and the Business Platinum Card.
What do employee cards cost?
The Employee Business Gold Card annual fee is $95 per employee card, with up to 99 Employee Cards, and each Employee Business Expense Card is $0. Each Employee Business Platinum Card is $400 on the Business Platinum terms and the employee-card fee page. Accounts opened on or after September 18, 2025 are charged $400 for each Additional Business Platinum Card, and accounts opened before that date that were not notified of a change are charged $350. Additional Business Expense Cards have no annual fee.