My review of the American Express Business Gold card (+ referral)

To get a referral link for the American Express Business Gold card, click here then click on “See all cards” to choose the Business Gold and the referral benefits that come with it.

American Express: what is it?

“Do you take Amex?”: you may have already heard this question in a store or restaurant. But do you know what American Express is?

Very popular in the United States and Canada, this company is much less so in France.

American Express is a company that offers payment cards, like Visa and Mastercard do.

The subtlety with Amex is that you can order an Amex card regardless of your current bank. The principle: you provide your bank details (RIB) with a direct debit authorization. Once a month, Amex will debit the total amount of your previous month’s expenses. In other words, Amex gives you credit, and completely free of charge.

Who Accepts the American Express Card?

Although it is increasingly accepted, the Amex card is not accepted everywhere. The main reason is that the fee charged to the merchant is higher than for a Visa or Mastercard. It’s thanks to this higher fee that Amex offers you a number of benefits.

However, it is becoming rare to see major chains refuse Amex, and many merchants and restaurants now accept it.

Same goes for online purchases: some accept it, others don’t. A useful trick is to link your Amex card to your PayPal account. This way, you can pay with Amex, via PayPal,even if the online store doesn’t accept it natively.

The American Express Business Gold card

As its name suggests, the American Express Business Gold card is reserved for businesses.

Its first big advantage is that it allows free deferred payment for up to 58 days, which can be great for your cash flow management.

The other two advantages are cashback and insurance. We’ll detail these points below.

Cashback

That’s what Amex is known for: cashback.

Every time you use your American Express to pay, you’ll accumulate points. €1 spent = 1 reward point.

1,000 reward points are worth €5, which you can use either as a statement credit or for a purchase in the Amex online store.

This represents a cashback rate of 0.5%. However, it’s possible to optimize this rate since you can convert reward points into points from other loyalty programs. For my part, I exchange my reward points for Marriott points, which allows me to treat myself to a free hotel night from time to time.

The Amex Business Gold abroad

You can use your Amex card anywhere in the world, whether to pay or to withdraw cash from an ATM.

However, I wouldn’t recommend using it outside the eurozone, as Amex will charge you a 2.8% currency conversion fee on each transaction.

Insurance included with the Amex Business Gold card

The Amex Business Gold card includes some interesting insurance.

First, extensive coverage and assistance for travel in case of accidents, delays, lost baggage, medical expenses, or repatriation…

Also very interesting, and reserved for premium cards: car rental insurance. Thanks to your Amex, you won’t need to take the optional insurance from rental companies; Amex will cover you in case of vehicle damage. If you rent cars regularly, this benefit can save you tens or even hundreds of euros a year.

How much does the American Express Business Gold card cost?

The Business Gold card is almost free for the first year.

Indeed, the annual fee is €97.5 for the first year, but you get 30,000 reward points as a welcome gift. These points are worth €150.

From the second year onward, the annual fee goes up to €195/year.

The referral offer

If the American Express Business Gold card interests you, feel free to ask me for a referral link in the comments.