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As a small business owner, I prioritize business credit cards that maximize my business's returns. Sometimes, that means building points for a specific award redemption. Other times, it's about leveraging valuable perks. Two strong contenders that are versatile enough to achieve both outcomes are the American Express® Business Gold Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees).
Which of these cards is better for your business? Let’s break it down.
Page Contents
Annual Fees
The first consideration is cost. The Amex Business Gold charges a $375 annual fee (Rates & Fees), while the Ink Preferred costs just $95.
On cost alone, the Ink Preferred wins because it's more affordable. But do the points it earns, redemption opportunities, and long-term perks make it the better overall value? Let’s take a closer look.
(Terms apply)
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome Bonus
Both the Amex Business Gold and Ink Preferred offer new applicants a welcome bonus. Here's a look at the current offer on each card:
- Amex Business Gold: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
- Ink Preferred: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
After meeting the minimum spending requirement, you'll earn a lot of Membership Rewards points with the Amex Business Gold or a lot of Ultimate Rewards points with the Ink Preferred.
But one thing about the minimum spending requirements is pretty apparent: you have to spend nearly twice as much to unlock the Amex Business Gold‘s new applicant bonus compared to the Ink Preferred.
Winner: Ink Preferred
The allotment of points you can earn with each card's welcome offer is similar. However, the Ink Preferred‘s minimum spending requirement is much lower than the Amex Business Gold‘s — by several thousand dollars.
Headline Benefits
On each card's application page, you'll find its attention-grabbing benefits. On the Ink Preferred, these benefits are minimal. What stands out is 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027, and Ultimate Rewards points being worth more towards Chase Travel℠ redemptions. But again, the card has a $95, so a modest set of benefits isn't unreasonable.
On the other hand, the Amex Business Gold has a much higher annual fee, with more benefits to justify it. Here's a look at the two primary annual fee-justifying perks Card Members have access to:
- $240 Flexible Business Credit: Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use your Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Card.
Winner: Amex Business Gold
The Amex Business Gold has more lucrative benefits than the Ink Preferred, and it's not particularly close. If you combine the two headline perks, you can unlock up to $395 in value, which exceeds the card's $375 annual fee (Rates & Fees).
Earning Points
How many points you earn is a key factor in any business card decision. While welcome bonuses are attractive, they're a one-time event. In this section, we’ll focus on each card's ongoing earning structure.
Amex Business Gold
The Amex Business Gold earns 4X Membership Rewards points per dollar in your two highest spending categories each billing cycle (from the following list):
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
*4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these two categories each calendar year.
You’ll also earn 3X points per dollar on flights and hotels booked via Amex Travel and 1X points per dollar on all other purchases.
Ink Preferred
The Ink Preferred earns 3X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on the first $150,000 in combined spending annually (then 1X) across these categories:
- Shipping purchases
- Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- Travel
Additionally, you can earn 5X points per dollar on Lyft rides (through September 2027) and 1X points per dollar on all other purchases.
Winner: Ink Preferred
For businesses with predictable spending, the Ink Preferred takes the cake. The card earns points across several relevant business categories at a lucrative rate.
In contrast, the Amex Business Gold can potentially be more rewarding, but its categories can be difficult to navigate if your business expenses vary from month to month. You'll inevitably earn 1X on many purchases if your business spending falls in more than two of its six possible categories.
Related: Why The Ink Preferred Is My Primary Travel Card
Redeeming Points
Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards are both incredibly valuable programs. However, the differences between these programs could encourage you to pick one card over the other.
Amex Business Gold: Membership Rewards
Amex Membership Rewards points shine brightest when transferred to one (or more) of its 21 transfer partners. Some of our favorite Amex transfer partners include Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, and ANA Mileage Club. Whether you’re booking domestic flights or long-haul international trips, there’s something for everyone.
However, Amex’s hotel transfer partners (there are three) generally offer poor value for your points. Transferring to airlines and booking flights is almost always the best way to maximize the points you earn.
You can view the full list of Amex transfer partners below:
For non-travel redemptions, you can use points at a rate of one cent per point for statement credits, cash back, gift cards, or flights booked through the Amex Travel portal.
Ink Preferred: Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase Ultimate Rewards program debuted in 2009 and has since become a powerhouse program, offering 11 airline partners and three hotel partners.
Personally, I find World of Hyatt to be the crown jewel among Chase’s transfer partners. As my favorite hotel loyalty program, it’s a central part of my points-earning strategy. However, the lineup of airline partners, including Southwest and United, and international programs like Air Canada Aeroplan and Air France/KLM Flying Blue, are also valuable.
Here’s the full list of Chase transfer partners:
In addition to transfers, the Ink Preferred lets you redeem points through the Chase Travel℠ portal at a rate of up to 1.75 cents per point, depending on the specific redemption. While this is a fair rate, it's still less than the 1.95¢ apiece rate for which AwardWallet users typically redeem Chase points by leveraging transfer partners.
Finally, you can redeem points for cash back, gift cards, statement credits, or deposit into a bank account at a flat rate of one cent per point.
Winner: Ink Preferred
There are too many good options for airlines and hotels in the Ultimate Rewards program for Membership Rewards to overcome. There’s definitely an argument to be made by airline lovers that Membership Rewards has a more compelling portfolio of airline partners, but for me, I prefer the value that I can unlock from Ultimate Rewards' roster of partners
Travel and Purchase Protections
Insurance benefits and travel and purchase protections aren't the flashiest perks, but they can be invaluable when you need them. Here's a comparison of what each card offers:
Amex Business Gold
- Trip Delay Insurance: $300 per trip (12+ hour delays)
- Lost/Damaged Luggage Insurance: Up to $1,250 for carry-ons and $500 for checked bags
- Secondary Rental Car Insurance: Up to $50,000 per claim
- Purchase Protection: Covers damage or theft for up to 90 days, with a maximum of $1,000 per purchase and $50,000 per year
- Extended Warranty: Adds one year to warranties of 5 years or less
- Cell Phone Protection: Covers damage or theft for up to $800 per claim (twice per year), with a $50 deductible per claim. Monthly cell phone bills must be paid with the card to qualify.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates & Fees)
Ink Preferred
- Trip Delay Insurance: $500 per trip (12+ hour delays)
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance: Up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip
- Lost/Damaged Luggage Insurance: Up to $3,000 per person (higher limits for valuables)
- Luggage Delay Insurance: $100 per day (up to 5 days)
- Primary Rental Car Insurance: Covers theft/damage
- Purchase Protection: Covers damage or theft for up to 120 days, with a maximum of $10,000 per purchase and $50,000 per year
- Extended Warranty: Adds one year to warranties of 3 years or less, up to $10,000 per item
- Cell Phone Protection: Covers damage or theft for up to $1,000 per claim (three times per year), with a $100 deductible per claim. Monthly cell phone bills must be paid with the card to qualify.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Winner: Ink Preferred
The Ink Preferred‘s protections are better in almost every category for insurance. Plus, the card offers primary rental car insurance which can mean real savings when you're on the road and run into an unfortunate situation.
What’s the Best Card for Your Business?
For most small businesses, the Ink Preferred takes the crown. Its affordable annual fee, lucrative earning categories, and versatile redemption options make it a practical choice. That said, the Amex Business Gold shines if your spending aligns with its 4X categories, and you can justify its high annual fee by leveraging its statement credits.
Ultimately, the best card for you depends on your business needs. Hopefully, this guide helps you make an informed decision!
- Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 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 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
- Rates & Fees
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
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