The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and American Express® Business Gold Card are top-tier cards that offer competitive rewards and benefits.
The Amex Business Gold offers tailored rewards, earning 4x points in your top two spending categories each billing cycle from a list of six options (capped at $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year). With up to $395 in annual statement credits and valuable redemption options through Membership Rewards transfer partners, this card can be a powerful earning tool for many businesses.
The Ink Preferred offers great rewards for small business owners. With bonus points on travel, shipping, advertising, and communication services, plus valuable travel protections, it’s a solid choice for companies looking to maximize their everyday spending.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Full Reviews: American Express® Business Gold Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Overview: Ink Business Preferred vs Amex Business Gold
Welcome Bonuses
Ink Business Preferred
The Ink Business Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Amex Business Gold
The Amex Business Gold currently offers the following welcome bonus: 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.
Earning Rewards
Ink Business Preferred
The Ink Business Preferred offers several nice bonus categories that can be lucrative to small business owners, including:
- 3 points per dollar on travel;*
- 3 points per dollar on shipping purchases;*
- 3 points per dollar on internet, cable, and phone services;*
- 3 points per dollar on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines;* and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible spending.
The 3x bonus points are limited to the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases every account anniversary year. After reaching the $150,000 cap in these bonus categories, your earning rate drops to 1 point per dollar spent.
Amex Business Gold
The Amex Business Gold earns 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar in your top 2 categories each billing cycle, including:
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio);
- U.S. purchases at gas stations;
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
4x points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year, then earn 1 point per dollar.
You can also earn 3x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked via AmexTravel.com. All other eligible purchases earn 1 point per dollar.
Winner:
It depends on your business expenses and when you make those purchases.
The Ink Business Preferred is better for travel expenses, shipping, and internet, cable, and phone services.
On the other hand, the Amex Business Gold allows you to earn 4x points on six categories, but you’re restricted to your top 2 spending categories per billing cycle.
Card Benefits and Perks
Ink Business Preferred
The Ink Business Preferred offers the following benefits to cardholders:
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.
Cell Phone Protection: When you use your card to pay your monthly phone bill, you’ll receive valuable coverage against damage or theft of your device.
Primary Rental Car Insurance: When you rent a car and pay with this card, you’ll receive comprehensive coverage including damage and theft protection. Simply decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and charge the entire rental to your card to activate coverage. This insurance covers damage, theft, and valid loss-of-use charges worldwide.
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation.
Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans.
120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Amex Business Gold
The Amex Business Gold offers the following benefits:
$20 Monthly Credit: Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
Walmart+ Credit: Get $12.95 back in statement credits each month when you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card.
No Preset Spending Limit: This card offers the spending flexibility of no preset spending limit, which adjusts according to factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.*
Baggage Insurance Plan covers your baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen and you purchase your ticket with this card.*
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.*
Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Winner:
The Amex Business Gold wins this round because aside from the basic travel and protection benefits, it also offers several statement credits.
Value of the Annual Fees
Ink Business Preferred
The Ink Business Preferred carries a $95 annual fee, which aligns with industry standards for a business card offering this level of rewards and benefits. For most businesses, the card’s bonus categories, sign-up bonus, and additional perks will more than offset this moderate fee, providing a net positive value. To illustrate, earning just 4,750 points annually (worth about $95 based on a 2.0 cent per point valuation) will cover the annual fee cost. This equates to spending $1,584 across the 3x bonus categories, an easily attainable target for many businesses. In fact, many businesses will earn far more than this in rewards each year, making the annual fee a minor investment for a substantial return. The key is to ensure your business spending aligns well with the card’s bonus categories and benefits to extract the maximum value possible.
Amex Business Gold
The Amex Business Gold Card has an annual fee of $375 (rates & fees). While this is a substantial cost, the card offers several benefits that can help offset it. You’ll receive annual statement credits for eligible purchases at retailers like FedEx, Grubhub, office supply stores, and for Walmart+ membership. The card also provides valuable earning potential, giving you 4x points in your top two spending categories each billing cycle, up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year.
Winner:
The Ink Business Preferred has great travel and purchase protections for a reasonable annual fee.
Redeeming Rewards
Ink Business Preferred
The Ultimate Rewards points you earn with the Ink Business Preferred are among the most valuable and flexible rewards currencies available, providing many redemption options to suit your needs and preferences. One of the simplest ways to redeem points is through the Chase Travel℠ portal, where each point is worth 1.25 cents towards travel purchases like flights, hotels, rental cars, and cruises. This option provides a straightforward way to get solid value from your points without having to worry about blackout dates, availability restrictions, or complex award charts. Plus, unlike traditional airline and hotel award bookings, you will earn points and miles on the flights and stays booked through the portal. However, you can get more value by transferring points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners (listed below) can unlock even greater value. Points transfer to partners at a 1 to 1 ratio, such as United, Hyatt, Air Canada, and Air France. By strategically booking high-value award redemptions, you can often realize significantly more than 1.25 cents per point in value. If you prefer simpler redemptions, you can also cash in your points for statement credits, direct deposits, gift cards, or purchases at Amazon or Apple, typically at a rate of 1 cent per point.
Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
Aer Lingus
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air France/KLM
British Airways
Emirates
Hyatt Hotels
Iberia
IHG Hotels
JetBlue
Marriott
Singapore
Southwest
United
Virgin Atlantic
Amex Business Gold
American Express Membership Rewards points are a versatile and valuable currency for travelers. The program offers numerous redemption options, with transfers to airline partners being the most lucrative way to use your points. Amex partners with 18 airlines and 3 hotel chains, allowing you to access a wide range of travel possibilities. Some of the best redemptions include booking business class flights to Europe through Air France-KLM Flying Blue for as low as 50,000 miles one-way. Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club offers excellent value for Delta One flights to Europe at 50,000 points, significantly less than booking directly through Delta. For those planning a trip to Asia, transferring to ANA Mileage Club can yield incredible value. Round-trip business class flights from the West Coast to Tokyo can be booked for just 90,000 miles. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is another great option, especially for their renowned long-haul flights like New York to Singapore. Domestic travelers can benefit from transferring to British Airways Executive Club for short-haul American and Alaska Airlines flights, with awards starting at just 8,250 Avios for distances up to 650 miles. While transferring to airline partners typically offers the best value, Amex also allows direct redemptions for flights through their travel portal. However, this option generally provides lower value at 1 cent per point. To maximize your Membership Rewards, focus on high-value airline transfers for premium cabin international flights. With strategic planning, you can unlock extraordinary travel experiences and significant savings on your next adventure.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
Aer Lingus Avios
AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
ANA
Avianca LifeMiles
British Airways Avios
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Delta SkyMiles
El Al [1,000 to 20]
Emirates
Etihad Guest
Hawaiian Airlines
Iberia Avios
JetBlue [250 to 200]
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Singapore KrisFlyer
Virgin Atlantic
Choice
Marriott Bonvoy
Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
Winner:
It’s a tie. Both Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards are solid programs that offer valuable redemption options for their members.
The Verdict
Comparing the Amex Business Gold and Ink Business Preferred is challenging because they are both great cards.
The Ink Business Preferred is a great all-around card, especially for travel purchases for a reasonable annual fee.
But the Amex Business Gold could be a better option if you can maximize your spending in the 4x categories and take advantage of the monthly credits.
Which card are you going to choose?
