SME Offer: Up to 70,000 points with the American Express Business Gold Rewards Card

Fact checked by
Jean-Maximilien Voisine
Jean-Maximilien Voisine Jean-Maximilien Voisine
Jean-Maximilien Voisine is the President and Founder of Milesopedia and a leading expert in rewards programs, credit cards, and travel across Canada, France, and the U.S.A. Now 40 years old and a father of two, he has explored more than 100 countries—many of them alongside his wife Audrey and their children. Specializing in loyalty programs such as Aeroplan, Flying Blue, American Express Membership Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy, Jean-Maximilien helps travellers unlock the full potential of their points and benefits. His mission: empower others to travel better and smarter across North America and Europe.
All posts by Jean-Maximilien Voisine
A smiling person holds a vase in a pottery shop, with an American Express Business Card
To the point Get up to 70,000 welcome bonus points for the American Express Business Gold Rewards Card.

Welcome Offer

Earn a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Membership Rewards® points with the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®

  • 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $7,500 in purchases within the first three months of Cardmembership.
  • 20,000 additional points after spending $30,000 on your Card in your first 12 months of Cardmembership.

Plus, earn 10,000 bonus points in each calendar quarter when you spend $20,000 or more.

With this Card, you earn 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar on your purchases.

You can then use your points in many ways:

  • Statement credit for travel purchases
  • Statement credit for all purchases
  • Transfer to partner programs (Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, Delta Skymiles, Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, etc.).
  • Book your flight with American Express Travel at a special rate

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to:

  • 70,000 points Aeroplan
  • 70,000 Avios
  • 70,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 84,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Alternatively, 70,000 Membership Rewards points can also represent a value of $700 for travel or for any purchase charged to the Card.

Also, as a cardmember, you get many advantages such as up to 55 interest-free days to maximize your cash flow.

Finally, you are covered with reliable insurance for your travels and purchases.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Our review of this welcome offer

With the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®, you earn a quarterly bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points. To do so, you’ll need to charge $20,000 in purchases to your American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card® during the calendar quarter.

These points are added to the ones you typically receive for your purchases. So if you charge $20,000 in purchases to your American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card® each quarter, here’s what you’ll get each year:

Quarter Purchases Points for purchases Bonus points Total
1 $20,000 20,000 10,000 30,000
2 $20,000 20,000 10,000 30,000
3 $20,000 20,000 10,000 30,000
4 $20,000 20,000 10,000 30,000
Total $80,000 80,000 40,000 120,000

120,000 Membership Rewards points for $80,000 in purchases, that’s 1.5 Membership Rewards points per dollar of purchase, more than you could get with the Business Platinum Card® from American Express (which awards 1.25 Membership Rewards points per dollar and has a $600 higher annual fee)!

Thus, small businesses with this quarterly spending level would benefit greatly from opting for the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®. Furthermore, this quarterly bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points is valid not only for the first year, but also for subsequent years!

Truth be told, you’d have to spend $160,000 a year for the Business Platinum Card® from American Express to become more attractive than the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®.

However, don’t forget that the Business Platinum Card® from American Express comes with other benefits (such as a $200 annual travel credit or unlimited access to airport lounges).

With the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®, you receive a welcome bonus of 70,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $7,500 within the first three months.

Let’s see what happens when we add this to the quarterly bonus of 10,000 Membership Rewards points:

Quarter Purchases Points for purchases Bonus points Total
1 $20,000 20,000 70,000 90,000
2 $20,000 20,000 10,000 30,000
3 $20,000 20,000 10,000 30,000
4 $20,000 20,000 10,000 30,000
Total $80,000 80,000 100,000 180,000

180,000 Membership Rewards points for $80,000 in purchases represents 2.25 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent! No other business card will offer you a similar return in the first year!

Value of Membership Rewards Points

70,000 Membership Rewards points are worth $700 when used against any purchase charged to your card, which is a value of 1 cent per point.

However, in our opinion, the value can be much greater by transferring your points to partner loyalty programs such as Aeroplan, The British Airways Club, Flying Blue or Marriott Bonvoy!

Personally, I use my Membership Rewards points by transferring them to Aeroplan to book flights:

Or I use my Membership Rewards points via the American Express Fixed Points Travel Program for certain North American destinations: the return is 2 cents per point (thus a value of $1,400 for 70,000 points).

Austrian Business Class B767 02
Austrian 767 Business Class

How to Apply for an American Express Business Card

Everyday Life Benefits

A Single Earning Rate for All Purchases

With the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®, you earn 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar on all purchases.

Membership Rewards points can be transferred to:

  • Airline programs such as Aeroplan, British Airways Club, Delta Skymiles or Flying Blue
  • Hotel programs such as Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors.

Purchase and Travel Insurance

Purchase and travel insurance on the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card® are attractive, with high levels of reimbursement, whether for flight delays, baggage delays, assistance abroad, high-end car rentals and more.

Here is a summary of insurance coverages (this information is informational. Refer to the brochure supplied with your American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®).

Insurance Coverage
Flight delays Charge your airline tickets to your American Express Business Gold Rewards Card and receive up to $500 (maximum in combination with Baggage Delay Insurance) for reasonable and necessary hotel, motel, restaurant or incidental expenses incurred within 48 hours if your flight is delayed or you are denied boarding for four hours or more without alternate transportation.
Misdirected baggage Book a flight with your American Express Business Gold Rewards Card and receive up to $500 (maximum in combination with Flight Delay Insurance) for all reasonable and customary purchases of clothing and minor essential items made within four days, if your baggage is not returned to you within six hours of your departure flight’s arrival at your destination.
Lost or stolen baggage When you charge the full cost of your airline tickets to your American Express Business Gold Rewards Card, you’re insured against loss or damage to your personal effects, carry-on baggage or checked baggage while travelling, up to a combined maximum of $500 per trip.
Car Rental Theft and Damage Save money when travelling with complimentary Car Rental Theft and Damage Insurance. Where permitted by law, you will automatically be insured against damage or theft of your rental car with a maximum Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $85,000. To take advantage of this protection, simply decline the loss/damage coverage or similar option offered by the rental company and charge the entire rental to the American Express Business Gold Rewards Card. There’s no additional charge for this coverage, and you save yourself the daily insurance fee (usually $16 to $23 per day) charged by the car rental company.
Hotel/motel burglary Automatic coverage of up to $500 for the loss of most personal belongings, excluding cash, if your hotel room is burglarized. Coverage is in effect as long as you have fully booked and paid for your accommodations with your American Express Business Gold Rewards Card.
Travel accident
of $100,000
You’re covered for up to $100,000 in the event of accidental death or dismemberment for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when you travel on public transportation (plane, train, boat or bus) and charge the full cost of your tickets to your À la carte Gold Business Rewards Card. Supplementary Cardholders, their spouses and dependent children under 23 are also covered.
Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan This protection automatically covers, without registration, eligible purchases against accidental physical damage and theft up to $1,000 per event (and not per item purchased), for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase if you pay for your entire purchase with your Business Gold Rewards Card. You may be reimbursed for eligible events not covered by other insurance.
Purchase Protection Plan This plan automatically doubles the duration of the original manufacturer’s warranty, up to a maximum of one additional year, if you pay in full with your American Express Business Gold Rewards Card. This applies to items paid for with the Card anywhere in the world, provided the manufacturer’s warranty is valid in Canada and the U.S. and does not exceed five years. Jewelry, motorized vehicles, and their parts are excluded from this coverage. You must obtain authorization before having an item repaired. Replacement and repair costs for each eligible item cannot exceed $10,000, up to $25,000 per cardholder, per policy year, for all claims.
Mobile Device Insurance When you pay for or finance the entire purchase price of an eligible mobile device with your Card, you can get coverage of up to $1,000 per insured person in case of theft, loss, or accidental damage, anywhere in the world.
Milesopedia stock car rental agencies

A Membership Rewards Card

Redeeming Points to Book Flights With American Express

American Express has two charts:

  • Flexible points: here you use your points at a value of 1,000 Membership Rewards points = $10
  • Fixed Points: the fare will depend on the destination
American Express lounge logo 1

And this is how we will be able to get the most value out of our Membership Rewards points!

Up to 1,000 Membership Rewards points = $20. That is 70,000 points = $700!

Using Points Towards Any Expense

Another way to use Membership Rewards points: by applying them to your purchases. The rate is 1,000 Membership Rewards points = $10.

That is 70,000 Membership Rewards points = $700!

Membership Rewards Transfer Partners

Here are all the transfer partners for American Express Membership Rewards program:

Partners Conversion rates
Aeroplan New Logo 70,000 Membership Rewards points
=
70,000 Aeroplan points
flying blue logo 70,000 Membership Rewards points
=
70,000 Flying Blue Miles
in asia miles 70,000 Membership Rewards points
=
52,500 Asia Miles
british airways club 70,000 Membership Rewards points
=
70,000 Avios
pg logo delta skymiles e1496111335578 70,000 Membership Rewards points
=
52,500 miles
etihad guest 70,000 Membership Rewards points
=
52,500 miles
hilton honors e1488115875520 70,000 Membership Rewards points
=
70,000 Hilton Honors points
marriott bonvoy logo 70,000 Membership Rewards points
=
84,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Bottom Line

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Marie-Ève Leclerc
Marie-Ève Leclerc
Marie-Ève, Web Director at Milesopedia, is an expert in budget travel and a slow travel enthusiast. Specializing in Aeroplan, Scene+, and Marriott Bonvoy programs, she spends nearly six months a year abroad, making travel her way of life. Constantly seeking the best waves to surf, excellent coffee, and strategies to extend her travels, she is often found in coworking spaces with fellow digital nomads or by the sea, watching the sunset.
All posts by Marie-Ève Leclerc

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