Amex Gold and Platinum Business Cards: 60,000 or 120,000 Boosted Sign Bonuses Up For Grabs

American Express has unveiled two huge sign-up offers for business owners, of 60,000 Membership Rewards points for the Business Gold, or a huge 120,000 Membership Rewards points for the Business Platinum.

However, in January American Express announced a series of significant changes to both cards. The welcome bonuses aren't affected but plenty else is. We'll walk you through everything.

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Who can apply?

Before we get into the bonuses, a quick note on eligibility. Following changes in January 2026, both the Business Gold and Business Platinum are now only available to directors of limited companies and members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs). Sole traders can no longer apply.

If you're a sole trader who already holds one of these cards, then don't panic. You can keep it. But if you cancel, you won't be able to reapply. More on what's available to sole traders at the end of this article.

American Express Business Gold Card

• Sign-up bonus: 60,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £6,000 in the first three months

• Fee: Free in year one, then £195 annually

• Who qualifies: Directors of limited companies and LLP members

• Offer valid until: 5 May 2026

• Card type: Charge card — balance must be settled in full each month

The Business Gold Card is designed as a flexible, cost-effective entry point into Amex rewards for businesses of all sizes. With no fee in the first year, it's a low-risk way to earn a sizeable haul of Membership Rewards points while also streamlining your expenses. Those 60,000 points transfer 1:1 into Avios or Virgin Points.

Other Perks You'll Enjoy With Business Gold

• Membership Rewards points: Earn 1 point per £1 spent, or 2 points per £1 when booking flights, hotels, car hire or experiences through American Express Travel — no limit, no expiry

• Flexible cashflow: Up to 54 days to pay, interest-free

• Expense management: Integrate with QuickBooks or Xero, and manage spend through the Amex app or online portal

• Employee cards: Add up to 20 complimentary cards, collecting points across your business spend

• Purchase and refund protection: Purchase protection up to £2,500 within 90 days, refund protection up to £300, and travel accident cover up to £250,000

• The Hotel Collection: Book hotels for upgrades (where available), late checkout, and a US$100 credit per stay

• Dell Technologies credit: Up to £100 annually in statement credits, split across two halves of the year (enrolment required)

• Amex Offers: Tailored savings with a wide range of retailers, credited back to your account

American Express Business Platinum Card

• Sign-up bonus: 120,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £12,000 in the first three months

• Fee: £650 annually (pro-rata refund if you cancel; often deductible as a business expense)

• Who qualifies: Directors of limited companies and LLP members

• Offer valid until: 5 May 2026

• Card type: Charge card — balance must be settled in full each month

The Business Platinum Card is the flagship of Amex's business range, combining a genuinely historic welcome bonus with a smorgasbord of travel benefits. 120,000 Membership Rewards points is, frankly, ginormous. It equals the largest bonus we have ever seen on this card.

The £650 annual fee is not small, but the combination of that bonus, £200 annual Amex Travel credit, and full lounge access means this card can pay for itself fairly quickly if you travel at all regularly for work.

Other Perks You'll Enjoy With Business Platinum

• Membership Rewards points: Earn 1 point per £1 spent, or 2 points per £1 when booking flights, hotels, car hire or experiences through American Express Travel

• Flexible cashflow: Up to 54 days to pay, interest-free

• Expense management: Integrate with QuickBooks or Xero, and manage spend through the Amex app or online portal

• Employee cards: One complimentary Business Platinum employee card plus up to 19 Business Gold employee cards

• £200 annual Amex Travel credit: £200 per membership year to spend on eligible bookings through American Express Travel (must be used in a single transaction)

• Global lounge access: Unlimited access to Centurion Lounges worldwide, plus 8 complimentary UK Priority Pass pre-book entitlements per calendar year (each entitlement covers one person)

• Fine Hotels + Resorts: Book from over 1,500 luxury properties with daily breakfast for two, guaranteed 4pm checkout, and on-property credits

• The Hotel Collection: Book hotels for upgrades (where available), late checkout, and a US$100 credit per stay

• Hotel status: Complimentary Gold status with Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, Radisson Rewards, and Melia

• Car rental benefits: Discounts and free upgrades with Hertz and Avis (enrolment required)

• Worldwide travel insurance: Covers you, your partner, dependent children under 25, and supplementary cardmembers on trips up to 120 days

• Purchase and refund protection: Purchase protection up to £2,500 within 90 days and refund protection up to £300

• Dell Technologies credit: Up to £150 annually in statement credits, split across two halves of the year (enrolment required)

• The Times & Sunday Times: Complimentary annual digital subscription (enrolment via the Amex Experiences app required)

• Amex Offers & Experiences: Tailored savings with a wide range of retailers, plus priority access to events and experiences

The new flexible payment option

American Express is introducing a "Flexible Payment Option" for new applicants, allowing part of the balance to be carried. There is an interest free period, but after that it is to be repaid with interest.

Depending how you look at it, this could give you flexibility, or it could be a way for Amex to profit off hard times.

• Purchase rate: 29.4% variable

• Interest-free period: Up to 54 days

Will I actually get the bonus?

Yes. There are no cross-card rules, no waiting periods based on other Amex products you hold. If you're accepted and you hit the spend target within three months, the bonus is yours. Full stop.

Wasn't there extra points for monthly spend?

Yes. Spearheading the recent changes was the removal of spend bonuses. Business Platinum cardholders currently earn 10,000 bonus points for every month they spend over £10,000 . Business Gold cardholders earn 10,000 bonus points per quarter for spending over £20,000. These are are both being removed April 2026. Both are being replaced with other benefits such as Amex Travel credits and merchant-specific perks like Enterprise car rental credits. Check each card for full details.

What if I'm a sole trader?

Unfortunately, the door has closed on both these cards for sole traders as of January 2026. If you've been holding one, you can keep it. If you were to cancel, this means you won't be able to reapply.

The only Amex business card still available to you is the British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card, which earns both Avios and On Business points. On Business points work similarly to Avios for paying for flights. It currently carries a 30,000 Avios welcome bonus. We'll have a full guide to this card soon.

Final thoughts

Both of these offers are among the most generous we've seen on any card, and the 120,000 point Platinum bonus is the largest this card has ever carried. If you're an eligible limited company director or LLP member, the deadline is 5 May 2026.

Full details can be found here on the American Express website.

Full coverage of the changes can be found here.

Sam

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