American Express pour  Entreprise

Which American Express Business Card Should I Choose?

To the point Here are the five American Express Canada credit cards for professionals, sole proprietors and small businesses.

Amex Business Cards - Who are business cards for?

American Express Business Cards are different from the corporate ones reserved for large companies.

American Express Business Cards are good for:

  • Sole-proprietors
  • Professionals
  • Small businesses

In many cases, self-employed people tend to charge their business expenses to their personal credit cards. It’s hard to find your way around at the end of the year!

bonvoy companycard featured image
The Marriott BonvoyTM Business American Express® Card

Amex Business Cards - Criteria for applying for an American Express Business card

If you want to apply for an American Express Business Card, it is advised to have a registered business.

Note that this is not a determining criterion when applying for a small business Card: it is quite possible to register your name instead of the company’s name. In many cases, small business owners with less than $30,000 of revenue per year include this on their personal tax returns.

If you’d still like to register your business, here’s how to do it with the Registre des Entreprises du Québec. Or via Ownr.

A tutorial to complete the Small Business Card application

If you need help filling out your first American Express Business Card application, we’ve written a tutorial here.

Amex Business Cards - Charge Card or Credit Card?

It is essential to know the difference between charge cards and credit cards.

American Express Business Charge Cards

A charge card is a card you must fully pay each month. Its most significant advantage: it has no pre-set spending limits. Besides, with up to 55 interest-free days, you can maximize your cash flow How convenient!

American Express Business Charge cards are:

For small businesses making a lot of transactions per month, our advice will be to head to a CHARGE card like the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®.

American Express Business Credit Cards

A credit card is a card whose balance can be carried forward from month to month against interest payment (not recommended) and has an established credit limit.

It is always possible to get a limit increase (if offered by American Express, there will be no impact on the credit score).

And it’s possible to transfer credit you’re not using on consumer American Express credit cards (like the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card) to your new Business credit card.

American Express Business Credit Cards are:

If you’re a professional or sole proprietor with some monthly transactions, a CREDIT card will be recommended, such as the American Express Business Edge™ Card. This is the least expensive American Express business credit card.

Amex Business Cards - Business Cards for all profiles

American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card: for Air Canada Travellers

Do you want to earn Aeroplan points with your small business purchases? The American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card is for you!

With this card, you get:

  • 3 points for your Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations purchases
  • 2 points for your accommodation and car rental purchases
  • 1.25 points for all other purchases

Besides, you enjoy access to Maple Leaf lounges in North America, the first piece of checked baggage for you and up to 8 travelling companions, an annual companion pass and exclusive benefits with Air Canada.

The American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card is the best Aeroplan credit card for self-employed individuals, professionals or small business owners travelling on Air Canada or using Aeroplan.

American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business Card: one free night every year

The Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card has a $150 annual fee.

As significant Marriott Bonvoy users, we renew this card year after year to benefit from an exciting advantage: the Annual Free Night Award (a 35,000 points value).

marriott bonvoy certificat moxy
the annual one-night free certificate

We generally use this certificate in large cities abroad to get the best possible return. It is not uncommon for a hotel night to cost 300 euros or US Dollars: the $150 annual fee is profitable!

It may also be a great card for small businesses having large gas or restaurant purchases since it offers 3 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar in these categories.

The Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card is therefore particularly recommended for self-employed workers, professionals or small businesses staying at Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

It complements the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card: we keep both cards year after year.

Business Platinum Card® from American Express: for Airport VIP Lounge Access

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a $799 annual fee. This makes it the most expensive of the three cards offering Membership Rewards points.

With a high annual fee, this card has a lot of benefits such as:

Business Platinum Card® from American Express Centurion
Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Centurion Lounge access in San Francisco

And it’s on this last point where the Business Platinum Card® from American Express makes the difference. With this card, you will get unlimited access to more than 1,300 airport lounges, accompanied by a guest, and in many cases, up to 2 children.

Therefore, the Business Platinum Card® from American Express is particularly recommended for self-employed, professional or small business owners travelling regularly in Canada or worldwide. Its unlimited lounge access to airport lounges is an undeniable advantage.

American Express Business Edge™ Card: for electronic purchases and office supplies

The American Express Business Edge™ Card is an exceptionally affordable business credit card with only a $99 annual fee.

With this card, you earn 3 points per dollar for several types of purchases:

  • office supplies and electronics (Apple, Best Buy, STAPLES, etc.)
  • rides and gas
  • eats and drinks

No business credit card offers such a return for office supplies and electronics purchases.

Edge Staples

Therefore, this card is particularly recommended for these types of purchases.

Also, it is possible to add up to 99 supplementary cards to the same account for free! This can be convenient for small transportation companies to earn 3 points per dollar for their gas station purchases.

The American Express Business Edge™ Card is therefore particularly recommended for the self-employed or professionals, especially those who transfer their Membership Rewards points to other loyalty programs such as Aeroplan or Marriott Bonvoy.

Amex Small Business Gold Card: for the quarterly bonus

Once known as the “entry-level” card , the American ExpressMD Small Business Gold Rewards Card is usually the one that small businesses that make many purchases start with. Its annual fee is $199.

By charging $20,000 in net purchases to your Card account in each calendar quarter, you’ll earn up to 40,000 bonus Membership Rewards points per year!

For example, let’s take a one-quarter billing period beginning April 1 and ending June 30. Therefore, you must have made $20,000 in purchases on your card to qualify for the 10,000 point bonus. Please note: purchases must be charged to the account before the deadline and not “pending”. Otherwise, you won’t get your bonus.

Then the points are deposited within eight weeks, but in our experience, it is very fast.

American Express Business Cards - Welcome offers

Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Earn up to 120,000 points with this welcome offer for the Business Platinum Cardᴹᴰ from American Express :

  • 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you charge $15,000 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership
  • 40,000 points when you make a purchase between 14 and 17 months of Cardmembership

You can use your Membership Rewards points in many ways:

  • Transfer points to airline partners: Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways / Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Delta Skymiles, etc.
  • Transfer points to hotel programs (Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy)
  • Redeem points for statement credits to offset any eligible purchase charged to your Card (1,000 points = $10)
  • And more!

120,000 points have a minimum value of $1,200 for a statement credit and much more if you transfer your points to a partner.

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:

  • 120,000 Aeroplan points
  • 120,000 Avios points
  • 90,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 144,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you earn 1.25 Membership Rewards points per dollar on all purchases. What’s more, you’ll enjoy a host of travel and business benefits:

  • Complimentary and unlimited access for you and an additional traveller to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide.
  • $200 Annual travel credit
  • $100 Card Statement Credit for Nexus
  • Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
  • Hilton Honors Gold Status
  • Access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program
  • Up to $120 in eligible Wireless Credits each year

With this Card you can maximize your cash flow with up to 55 interest free days. It is a card that is particularly appreciated by contractors when making large purchases in home improvement stores, for example.

Finally, the Business Platinum Cardᴹᴰ from American Express stands out for the many insurances it offers: rental car theft and damage, $500,000 travel accident, emergency medical expenses (out of province or country), lost or stolen luggage, flight delay and misdirected luggage, hotel or motel burglary, Purchase Protection, Purchase Security.

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

American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®

Earn up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points with this limited-time welcome offer for the American Express Gold Rewards Card for small businesses:

  • 40,000 Membership Rewards points after $7,500 in purchases in the first 3 months
  • 10,000 bonus points when you charge $20,000 in net purchases to your Card account each calendar quarter (up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points)

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:

  • 40,000 Aeroplan points
  • 40,000 Avios points
  • 30,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 48,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Alternatively, 40,000 Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for $400 worth of travel or any other Card purchase.

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.

American Express Business Edge™ Card

American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card

With this welcome offer for the American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card, you can earn up to 90,000 Aeroplan points.

Here’s how:

  • Earn 65,000 Aeroplan points after spending $10,500 in purchases on your Card within the first 3 months.
  • Plus, earn an additional 25,000 Aeroplan points when you spend $3,500 in purchases in month 13.

With this Card, you earn 3X the points on purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations. And 2X the points on hotels and car rentals. Everywhere else, you will earn 1.25X the points.

With this Card, you receive many Air Canada travel benefits, such as access to Maple Leaf Lounges in North America for you and one guest, priority check-in, priority boarding and priority baggage handling.

Enjoy your first checked bag free (up to 23kg/50lb) for up to 9 people travelling on the same reservation on Air Canada®* flights.

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

Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card is the best credit card for travelling self-employed professionals and small business owners.

With this welcome offer, you can earn 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by spending $5,000 in the first 3 months after joining.

It’s a Card we recommend keeping because each year at renewal, you get an Annual Free Night Award (for up to 35,000 points at hotels worldwide) and 15 Elite Night Credits per year, counting towards your Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.

With this Card, you earn 5 points per dollar on all purchases at Marriott Bonvoy properties. And you can earn 3 points per dollar for:

  • Gas
  • Dining purchases
  • travel purchases

And 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.

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

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4.4 Milesopedia Rating
Jean-Maximilien Voisine
Jean-Maximilien is an expert in Canada and France about Loyalty programs, Credit cards and Travel. He is the Founding President of Milesopedia.

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