American Express Gold Business Credit Card

• No annual fee for the first year, $169 thereafter (tax deductible)
• Great control over your paperwork and business expenses. Complete your Business Activity Statement (BAS) with ease by downloading your Card account details and GST breakdown directly to your Quicken, Microsoft Money, MYOB or Excel financial software
• Increased cash flow of up to 51 credit-free days to help extend the breathing space between the day you purchase and item and the day the American Express bill is due.
• Supplementary Cards for employees so you can consolidate your paperwork and gain better visibility of your team's expenses
• Domestic and Overseas Travel Insurance
• Access to the Membership Rewards program where $1 spent = 1 Membership Rewards point5. There's no cap or expiry of points whilst your account is current
• Read the terms and conditions

• $0 p.a. for the first year
• Includes free transport and travel insurance
• 24/7 globally available support
• Annual fee goes to $169 p.a. after first year
• Additional card fee of $119 p.a.

How does the American Express Gold Business Credit Card compare for rates and fees against an average credit card? Based on the data from our website this credit card comparison scorecard shows:

		Purchase Rate	Cash Adv Rate	Annual Fee	Bal. Transfer Rate	Bal. Transfer Rate Period
	American Express Gold Business Credit Card	-%	-%	$0	-%	- months
	The Average Credit Card	17.17%	21.04%	$95	3.04%	7 months

With the AMEX Gold Business Card you’ll gain access to one of the leading global rewards programs, get travel benefits including free travel insurance and will enjoy a competitive annual fee.

Pros

The Membership Rewards programs you get access to are great, with the choice of either Choices or Ascent. Just choose based on what will benefit you most (Ascent gets you frequent flyer points, Choices doesn’t and they have different earn rates). They both have great points-earning rates of up to 2 points per $1 spent. Ascent has no caps and your points won’t expire as long as your account remains current.

This card is wired for business so the features are perfect for the businessman or woman. There is no pre-set spending limit, so you can spend as much as you need each month, allowing you to take advantage of business opportunities as they come up. The 51 day interest free period gives you reasonable breathing space between the time of a purchase and when you need to pay it off, again, allowing you flexibility and room to move if you need it. Additionally, you’ll receive travel insurance cover such as domestic and international travel cover when you use your card to pay for your travel arrangements. So if your business takes you around the country or around the world, you could save hundreds of dollars. If you use your card and any supplementary cards for business purposes only, you can even get a tax deduction on the annual fee. Just check with your accountant on this and any other issues, such as how you spend rewards, and make sure you get it all right when tax time comes.

Security wise, you are loaded with this card! You’ll get transport inconvenience cover, transport accident cover, online fraud protection, emergency card protection and of course, globally available customer service with someone to speak to 24/7. Needless to say if you travel a lot, you’ll love the perks this card has to offer.

Lastly, American Express provides a range of tailored expense management solutions designed to help you maintain control of your corporate expenses. For example, you can get statements downloaded straight into Quicken or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet – saving you time when preparing your BAS.

Cons

Sometimes there are hidden costs and in this case, you’ll have to pay a little extra for the rewards programs or sign up for frequent flyer programs paying the additional fees there. There may also be taxation implications associated with your participation in the membership rewards program. Again, check with your accountant on these issues.

AMEX is not as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard so make sure the places you shop take the card or you’ll be paying fees and won’t get to enjoy the rewards.
As with any card, keep on top of monthly repayments or you’ll soon wish you didn’t have the card!

Conclusion

This is an excellent card built for business. There are plenty of ways you can save yourself a bundle if you use the card to its maximum potential, not to mention you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing you’re covered in a multitude of ways. Definitely worth your consideration for use in the business world.