While the public offer for the Amex Business Gold card is 100,000 points after spending $15,000 in the first three months, select referral links now offer 175,000 points for the same spending requirement.
We’ve had this card for a few years and were lucky to get the 175K offer through a referral link.
If you’d like to take advantage of this limited-time offer, use this referral link to apply.
(And thank you!)
After signing up, or if you’re already a cardholder, check your account to see if you’re eligible for the higher offer. If so, feel free to share your link in the comments. I keep a database of working links and rotate them live on the site.
Key Facts About Business Gold
The Amex Business Gold card earns 4X points on your top two spending categories each billing cycle from the following list:
- Advertising in select media (online, TV, radio).
- Electronic goods, software, and cloud system providers.
- U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
- Gas stations.
- Transit purchases.
- Wireless telephone service charges.
Other perks include:
- Flexible transfers. Ability to transfer points to 20 airlines and hotels.
- $240 annual business credit. Up to $20 in monthly credits for FedEx, Grubhub and office supply store purchases. (Enrollment is required.)
- Walmart+ credit. Get $12.95 back each month for a Walmart+ membership. (Enrollment is also required for this one, and yes, this seems off-brand for a business card to me as well.)
- No foreign transaction fees. Use the card abroad with no extra fees.
- Annual fee. $375.
My Best Use of American Express Membership Rewards
Once you get the Amex Business Gold Card and spend $15,000, you’ll have at least 190,000 Membership Rewards points in your account, assuming none of the spend is in 4X categories.
But to simplify, let’s assume you end up with 200,000 points after earning the welcome bonus.
Now, here’s what I’d do with those points.
Hilton has really upped its game recently, especially after partnering with SLH Hotels. This means you have access to many small, independent properties under the Hilton brand, giving you more unique options.
Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio, so your 200,000 Membership Rewards points turn into 400,000 Hilton points.
Pro tip: Often, there are transfer bonuses for Hilton, so it’s worth waiting for those to get even more value.
Hilton has a massive footprint, but if I were planning a trip, I’d look at Hawaii — specifically, the Hilton Waikiki Beach — which goes for around 59,000 points per night.
You can get six nights with a bonus on the most famous beaches in the world.
One important thing to know about Hilton is that if you have Silver, Gold or Diamond Elite status, you get a fifth night free when booking four nights with points.
So you could stretch your points further.
My Dream Trip: Zemi Beach House in Anguilla
One trip I’ve been planning is a return to Anguilla where I went for my honeymoon. The hotel I want to stay at is the Zemi Beach House.
We’ve been wanting to take the kids there, so here’s my plan:
- Earn Hilton status. By getting a Hilton credit card, you automatically earn at least Silver status (and possibly more depending on the card). This would qualify me for the 5th-night-free perk.
- Free night certificate: Many Hilton cards also offer a free night certificate once you hit $15,000 in spending.
How I’d Use My Points For a 7-Night Stay:
- 4 nights using 400,000 Hilton points (converted from my 200,000 Amex points).
- 1 free night with Hilton’s 5th-night-free benefit.
- 1 more free night using the free night certificate from my Hilton card.
- If I use the points I earn from spending on the Hilton card, I could get enough for another night, making it a 7-night stay.
Bonus tip: If I wait for a transfer bonus, I could stretch those points even further, potentially extending the trip.
This might not be the simplest plan, but it’s how I would get the most value out of my points. Yours may be different, but the goal is to think big here.