3 hacks to get the most out of an Amex Business Card

Want to get more bang for your buck with your current Amex Business Cards? Or maybe you’re considering applying for one? Here are 3 hacks to get the most out of American Express® Business Cards – including how to unlock a tasty time-limited welcome bonus.

This guide is a paid content promotion brought to you by American Express. Both these offers are time limited.

The American Express® Business Platinum Card: earn 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points when you spend £10,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership. Offer ends 31 March 2022. 18+, subject to approval. Terms apply. Learn more

The American Express® Business Gold Card: earn 50,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points when you spend £5,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership. Offer ends 31 March 2022. 18+, subject to approval. Terms apply. Learn more.

Before you choose a new card for your business spending, it’s smart to compare your options as there are different types of card designed for different types of usage – some offer rewards, some offer cashback and there are various welcome bonuses available. You can compare your options in our business cards guide and table.

But if you’re in the market for new card, it’s a good time to consider Amex. The brand has just announced the return of its most generous ever welcome bonus for 2 of its Business Cards, but you have to sign up as a new Cardmember by midnight on 31 March, 2022.

The American Express Business Platinum Card and the American Express Business Gold Card are both charge cards – not credit cards – offering interest-free spending and a range of rewards. Cardmembers must pay off their balance in full each month, and both come with a fee (£595 for the Platinum Card and £175 for the Gold Card, but with Gold this fee is waived for first 12 months currently).

Whether you already have one of these, or you’re considering getting one, here are 3 ways to make the most out of the latest offers.

1. Earn more rewards

First, there’s the current golden hello. If you sign up as a new Cardmember by the deadline and spend £10,000 on a Business Platinum Card in the first 3 months, you’ll receive the bonus of 100,000 Membership Rewards points shortly after the 3 months are up. With Gold, it’s 50,000 points for a spend of £5,000 in the first 3 months.

Charge cards typically come with a higher spending limit than you’d get with a credit card, meaning that you could put all your business expenses on your Amex Platinum or Gold and reap the rewards, provided that you pay off the balance in full each month.

So you could put your PPC budget or software licences on your Amex, for example – as long as the providers accept Amex, you can rack up points in multiple ways. And if a provider doesn’t take Amex, you can pay via PayPal, and still use your Amex.

You’ll earn 1 Membership Rewards point for almost every full £1 you spend on your Business Platinum or Gold Card. On the Gold Card you can earn 10,000 extra Membership Rewards points if you spend £20,000 per quarter, and for both Gold and Platinum, you can earn one additional point for every £1 spent when you book your flights, hotels, car hire or experiences through American Express Travel.

Another way to earn more, as an existing Business Platinum or Gold Cardmember, is to use the latest referral deal, which also expires on 31 March, 2022. If you’re a Platinum Cardmember and successfully refer a friend or colleague, you’ll get an extra 30,000 Membership Rewards points; for Gold Cardmembers, it’s 20,000 points.

2. Get the whole team contributing

You can get more points for the business by sharing out additional cards with your colleagues.

With the Business Platinum Card, you can get one complimentary Business Platinum Supplementary or Employee Card, and up to 98 complimentary Business Gold Cards. You can also opt to get supplementary Platinum Cards for £295.

If you have a Business Gold Card, you can get up to 99 complimentary employee Gold Cards.

3. Make the most of existing benefits

A recent survey of 500 business leaders by Amex found that 3 in 4 (74%) are looking forward to travelling more in 2022. You could convert 100,000 Membership Rewards points to Avios, to fund an off-peak return business class flight with British Airways from the UK to New York or Washington.

You can also use points for technology via gift cards from Amazon or Currys. There are hundreds of online stores where you can use points to buy equipment for your business. But you can also use points to offset business expenses – they can become credit towards your Internet service or the cost of fuel, for example.

Platinum Cardholders also have access to exclusive discounts, pre-sale concert tickets and competitions with American Express Experiences® (formerly American Express Invites).

You’ll find more about what each of these cards offers, plus eligibility criteria and terms and conditions on the American Express site.

To see our full table of charge cards and credit cards for businesses, use our comparison guide.