Amex Business Gold vs. Chase Ink Business Preferred

If you are a small business owner, then earning points and airmiles with a business credit card is a great way to cut costs. Selecting the right business card for your company can help you access discounts on business travel, office supplies, gas spending, and gift cards. But with so many different cards on the market, how do you know which is the best fit for your business operations?

In the article below we will look at the American Express Business Gold Card and the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card. These two popular business credit cards offer some of the best travel rewards and benefits for companies that spend frequently on business trips.

Both the Chase Ink Business Preferred and Amex Business Gold cards will allow you to earn rewards points on spending categories suited to businesses. When you sign up for one of these cards, you will also benefit from a bonus sum of reward points when you reach an achievable spending requirement.

Below we will break down the travel benefits available with each card and give you all the information you need to decide which card is best for your small business.

Benefits of the American Express Business Gold Card vs. Chase Ink Business Preferred Card

Before we delve into each benefit in detail, here is a breakdown of the different benefits and fees for each credit card offering.

Chase Ink Preferred Benefits and Fees

· $95 Annual Fee.

· No Foreign Transaction Fees.

· 120,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points after you spend $8,000 with your card within the first three months.

· 3x Chase rewards for each dollar spent on Travel, Shipping, Phone, Internet, Cable, and online advertising using your card (up to a limit of $150,000 a year.)

· 1x reward point for each dollar spent with the card.

· Primary Car Rental Insurance on business rentals.

· Insurance for Trip Cancellations and Interruptions.

· Roadside Dispatch Assistance.

You can transfer the rewards points you earn on your Chase Ink Business Preferred card with Chase travel partners or spend them on the Chase Travel Portal. Other options include redeeming them as cash-back credit or gift cards.

Amex Business Gold Card Benefits and Fees

• Annual Fee: $375
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None
• Welcome Offer: Currently, the welcome offer is 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 in the first three months. However, this offer can change.
• Earning Rates: 4x points on two select monthly spending categories (e.g., airfare, advertising, tech, shipping, gas stations) up to $150,000 per year. 1x point on all other purchases.
• Other Benefits: Secondary car rental insurance, trip delay insurance, damaged or lost baggage insurance.
• Redemption Options: Membership Rewards points can be transferred to American Express travel partners, used for American Express Travel, redeemed for statement credits, or used for gift cards

Both this Chase and Amex business card offer the opportunity to maximize the value of your spending by rewarding all of your spending and offering extra points for common company expenditures.

Which Card Has the Best Welcome Offer?

Both the American Express Business Gold Card and the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card offer competitive welcome bonuses.

Amex Business Gold Card:

• Current offer: Typically, the Amex Business Gold Card offers 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 in the first three months.
• Redemption value: The value of Membership Rewards points varies based on the redemption method. Generally, you can expect to get around 1 cent per point when redeeming for travel through American Express Travel.

Chase Ink Business Preferred Card:

• Current offer: The Chase Ink Business Preferred Card often offers 120,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 in the first three months.
• Redemption value: Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to Chase travel partners, used for Chase Ultimate Rewards travel, or redeemed for cash back or gift cards. Redemption values can vary depending on the redemption method.

Choosing the Best Offer:

• Spending requirement: Consider your business spending habits and how quickly you can meet the spending requirement.
• Redemption preferences: Think about how you plan to redeem your points. If you prefer to travel through American Express Travel, the Amex Business Gold Card might be a better option. If you have a variety of redemption preferences, the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card's Ultimate Rewards program could be more versatile.

Remember to check the official websites of American Express and Chase for the most up-to-date welcome offers and terms.

Which is Better for Earning Points?

Both the American Express Business Gold Card and the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card offer competitive points-earning potential.

American Express Business Gold Card:

• Earnings: 4x points on two select monthly spending categories (e.g., airfare, advertising, tech, shipping, gas stations) up to $150,000 per year.
• Flexibility: The bonus categories are automatically assigned based on your spending, making it easy to maximize your earnings.

Chase Ink Business Preferred Card:

• Earnings: 3x points on travel, shipping, phone, internet, cable, and online advertising up to $150,000 per year.
• Broader categories: The Chase card offers a wider range of bonus categories.

Choosing the Best Card:

• Spending patterns: If your business spends heavily in two of the Amex Business Gold Card's bonus categories, it might be the better choice. If your spending is more diverse, the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card could be more advantageous.
• Redemption preferences: Consider how you plan to redeem your points. If you prefer American Express travel partners, the Amex card might be a better fit.

Which Business Credit Card Has the Best Annual Fee?

Now that we have looked at the benefits and points-earning potential of each card, how much will it cost for you to access them? As a small business owner, you will naturally be looking to keep your costs as low as possible.

Both of these small business credit cards come with an annual fee. It will be up to you to decide whether the associated benefits make the fee an annual investment for your company. Both offer a reasonable array of benefits which may offer discounts that outweigh the fee payment.

The Chase Ink Business Preferred Card has a low annual fee of $95 compared to the $375 fee of the Amex card. So, in this case, Chase is the winner. However, you will need to assess the value of each benefit for your business before deciding which provides the best discounts and perks.

Takeaway: American Express Business Gold vs Chase Ink Business Preferred: Which is Best?

Both the American Express Business Gold card and the Chase Ink Business Preferred card are excellent options for a small business owner. The best card for you may depend on whether you can maximize the 4x points on offer with the Amex card, or whether you want to take advantage of the Chase card’s lower fee.

If your business currently spends more than the spending limit of $150,000 on both cards, then you may find you get the best value by applying for both!