American Express® Business Gold Card Vs. Ink Business Preferred®

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, and the American Express® Business Gold Card offers 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of opening an account.

Between the two, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card comes out ahead, especially when you consider that you’ll get 25% more value when you redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for travel through Chase.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee, while the American Express® Business Gold Card charges a $375 annual fee. Because of the large discrepancy, the American Express® Business Gold Card may only make sense if you can spend enough in the card’s bonus categories to make that money back in rewards or are able to take full advantage of the statement credits.

With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

The American Express® Business Gold Card, on the other hand, earns 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on the 2 select categories where a business spends the most each month (up to $150,000 combined purchases per calendar year), 3 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar is earned for other purchases. Eligible categories include:

• Transit purchases including trains, taxi cabs, ferries, buses, subways, rideshare services, tolls and parking
• U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
• Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
• U.S. purchases at gas stations
• U.S. purchases at restaurants including takeout and delivery
• Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)

Both cards have generous earnings, but taking a look at your business expenses and seeing which of these two cards’ bonus categories you can take advantage of the most will help you in deciding the card that better suits your business needs.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website

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5.0

Forbes Advisor created additional star ratings so that you can see the best card for specific needs. This card shines for this use, but overall the star ratings may differ when compared to other cards.

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On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website

Up to 3X Reward Rate

Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable andRead More

Welcome Bonus

Earn 100,000 bonus points

Annual Fee

$95

Regular APR

21.24%-26.24% Variable

Credit Score

Excellent, Good (700 - 749)

Editor's Take

Frequent business travelers who spend generously within the bonus categories will find extreme value in this card.

Expert Commentary

Julian Kheel

Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert

With over 15 years of professional experience studying credit cards and travel loyalty programs, Julian Kheel has served as CNN’s senior editor covering travel and credit cards, as well as the editorial director for The Points Guy, and worked as a consultant for the biggest airlines. He is currently the CEO of Tripsight Inc., an award tools company that recently released Points Path, the first browser extension that automatically adds the prices of flights in miles into Google Flights search results to help travelers decide when to best use their travel rewards.
 
Julian first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainment. (And yes, of course it’s all real.) He has previously written about travel and credit cards for U.S. News & World Report, Upgraded Points and Going, and created weekly columns for the travel websites Frequent Miler and Travel Codex.
 
In addition to appearing as a TV analyst to discuss travel and loyalty programs on national segments for CNN, Bloomberg News, CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Yahoo Finance and Cheddar TV, Julian has also been featured on ABC and CBS Radio, and has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune on travel-related topics as well.

Julian Kheel

Julian Kheel

Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert

With over 15 years of professional experience studying credit cards and travel loyalty programs, Julian Kheel has served as CNN’s senior editor covering travel and credit cards, as well as the editorial director for The Points Guy, and worked as a consultant for the biggest airlines. He is currently the CEO of Tripsight Inc., an award tools company that recently released Points Path, the first browser extension that automatically adds the prices of flights in miles into Google Flights search results to help travelers decide when to best use their travel rewards.
 
Julian first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainment. (And yes, of course it’s all real.) He has previously written about travel and credit cards for U.S. News & World Report, Upgraded Points and Going, and created weekly columns for the travel websites Frequent Miler and Travel Codex.
 
In addition to appearing as a TV analyst to discuss travel and loyalty programs on national segments for CNN, Bloomberg News, CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Yahoo Finance and Cheddar TV, Julian has also been featured on ABC and CBS Radio, and has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune on travel-related topics as well.

Credit Cards and Travel Rewards Expert

In this age of digital media, many small business owners find themselves spending significant money on social media ads. That makes the Ink Business Preferred and its bonus earning on advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines incredibly valuable. Plus, you’ll be able to transfer your rewards to any of Chase’s airline and hotel partners directly from the card without needing to combine them with any other personal Chase card.

Pros & Cons

• Remarkable welcome bonus
• No foreign transaction fees
• Employee cards at no additional cost
• Rewards for common business expenses

• Has annual fee
• Rewards cap on high earning categories
• Potential gaps in reward coverage for key business categories

Card Details

• Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
• Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
• With Zero Liability you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more – your points don’t expire as long as your account is open
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• Member FDIC

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you can redeem in a variety of ways, including:

• Transfer to travel partners: All transfers are 1:1
• Book travel through Chase: 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point
• Statement credits: 1 cent per point
• Cash back: 1 cent per point
• Gift cards: 1 cent per point
• Apple products: 1 cent per point
• Pay with points shopping online: 0.8 cents per point

You’ll also get a variety of redemption options with the American Express® Business Gold Card through the Membership Rewards Program, but many of them offer less value. Here’s what’s available:

• Transfer to travel partners: Most transfers are 1:1
• Book travel through American Express: 0.7 to 1 cent per point
• Gift cards: 0.5 to 1 cent per point
• Pay with points shopping online: 0.7 to 1 cent per point
• Statement credits: 0.6 cents per point
• Merchandise: 0.5 cents per point

Both cards allow you to transfer your points to airline and hotel loyalty programs. With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you’ll get a 1:1 ratio on all transfers, regardless of the partner. Chase travel partners include:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

With most American Express partners, you’ll get a 1:1 ratio on your transfers, but not all. Here are Amex’s partners with their ratios:

Transfer Partner	Transfer Ratio
Aer Lingus AerClub	1:1
Aeromexico Rewards	1:1.6
Air Canada Aeroplan	1:1
Air France/KLM Flying Blue	1:1
ANA Mileage Club	1:1
Avianca Lifemiles	1:1
British Airways Executive Club	1:1
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles	1:1
Delta Air Lines	1:1
Emirates Skywards	1:1
Etihad Guest	1:1
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles	1:1
Iberia Plus	1:1
JetBlue TrueBlue	1:0.8
Qantas Frequent Flyer	1:1
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer	1:1
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club	1:1
Choice Hotels Rewards	1:1
Hilton Honors	1:2
Marriott Bonvoy	1:1

See MoreSee Less

While Amex offers more transfer partners than Chase, its ratios aren’t all equal, giving you less value with certain transfers. American Express also charges a small excise tax offset fee on transfers to U.S. airline frequent flyer programs. Chase doesn’t charge this fee.

American Express® Business Gold Card

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On American Express's Website

Partner Offer

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Rates & Fees / Terms Apply

4.4

Forbes Advisor created additional star ratings so that you can see the best card for specific needs. This card shines for this use, but overall the star ratings may differ when compared to other cards.

Apply Now

On American Express's Website

Up to 4X Reward Rate

Earn 4X points in the 2 select categories where you spend the most each month (4X points applies to theRead More

Welcome Bonus

Earn 70,000 points

Annual Fee

$375

Regular APR

19.49% - 28.49% Variable

Credit Score

Good,Excellent (700 - 749)

Editor's Take

A business with significant spending can justify the annual fee and earn massive rewards through the 4x points rate on eligible purchases.

Pros & Cons

• Flexible redemption and points transfer options
• Robust travel benefits
• Automatic 4 points per dollar on the two categories where you spend the most each billing period on up to $150,000 in annual spending

• Very high annual fee relative to benefits
• 4 points per dollar rate capped at $150,000 in annual spending

Card Details

• 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.*
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.
• Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
• Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
• Your Card – Your Choice. Choose from Gold or Rose Gold.
• *Terms Apply

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.

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

In addition to its versatile rewards program, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card also offers the following benefits:

• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Auto rental collision damage waiver
• Cellphone protection
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty protection
• Roadside dispatch

Note that the card’s auto rental collision damage waiver acts as primary coverage if you’re renting a vehicle for business purposes.

With the American Express® Business Gold Card, you’ll get the following benefits:

• Cards available in gold or rose gold
• Up to $395 in annual statement credits
  • Up to $20 per month back for eligible purchases at FedEx, GrubHub and office supply stores
  • Up to $155 back annually for a monthly Walmart+ membership (up to $12.95 a month. Subject to auto-renewal)
• No preset spending limit
• Pay Over Time option
• Cellphone protection¹
• Secondary car rental loss and damage insurance²
• Baggage insurance plan³
• Trip delay insurance¹

Neither card offers luxury benefits like airport lounge access, but you can get some value from the perks they do offer. If you want your card’s spending limit to grow with your business, the American Express® Business Gold Card may be the better choice. That said, you have to pay your bill in full each month, except for purchases that qualify for the Pay Over Time feature.

Alternatively, if you want more flexibility to pay off your purchases over time or you want more insurance protections, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card could be the better choice.

Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee. Just note that American Express isn’t as widely accepted abroad as Visa, so the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card may be a better choice if you do a lot of business internationally.

In terms of interest, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card charges 21.24% - 26.24% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies. In contrast, the American Express® Business Gold Card doesn’t charge a standard APR because it requires full payment each month. If you use the Pay Over Time feature for certain purchases, though, the APR ranges from 19.49% - 28.49% Variable.

Flat-Rate Rewards

If you prefer simplicity with your credit card rewards, you may consider a credit card that offers the same rewards rate on every purchase you make. With the Capital One Spark Cash Plus*, for instance, you’ll earn a flat 2% cash back on every purchase and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. The card’s annual fee is $150.

No Annual Fee

If you’re an independent contractor or self-employed, or you simply don’t want to pay an annual fee, neither of these cards may be right for you. Instead, you may consider a no annual fee business card such as The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) or the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, both of which offer great rewards without a yearly charge.

Premium Perks

Neither card offers notable features beyond some standard insurance protections. If you can stomach a higher annual fee in exchange for more valuable perks like airline fee credits, statement credits towards your TSA Precheck or Global Entry application and access to airport lounges, among others, consider The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees).

Both the American Express® Business Gold Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offer solid rewards, but the right one for you will largely depend on the makeup of your business expenses.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers a better welcome bonus, and potentially larger bonus rewards rate than the American Express® Business Gold Card, depending on how you spend. That said, if you only want to redeem your points for travel, the Ink Preferred’s 25% redemption bonus will put it ahead.

You may also consider transfer partners. If you frequently fly Delta, for instance, the Amex Business Gold may be a better fit. But if you prefer to fly United or Southwest, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card could be the right choice.

Take the time to evaluate your expenses, preferences and goals to determine whether the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or the American Express® Business Gold Card is the right credit card for you or if you should consider one of the other top business credit cards.

To view rates and fees for American Express® Business Gold Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.

¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
²Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
³Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.