Across the Amex business range, the charge card vs credit card distinction matters more than the rewards difference. We checked all five cards: Gold and Platinum force full monthly payment; BA Accelerating and Amazon let you carry a balance.
Business Basic sits in between with a flexible payment option. Your supplier mix and cash flow decide which structure works.
Every Amex business card needs a personal guarantee from the director or LLP member, so you are personally liable if the business cannot clear the balance.
Charge Cards vs Credit Cards in the Amex Range
Gold and Platinum are charge cards: you must pay the full balance each month with no minimum-payment option or carry-over flexibility. Interest doesn’t apply because you’re expected to clear in full. We verified this against Amex’s own card pages and card terms.
If you run a seasonal business (a landscaping firm billing £15k in summer and £3k in January) a charge card forces full clearance when cash is tightest. You need credit-card flexibility to survive the low months.
BA Accelerating and Amazon let you carry a balance and pay interest monthly if you choose. If your cash flow varies, credit card flexibility is essential.
If you want an Amex card with no annual fee, Business Basic is the option. It earns no Membership Rewards points. Amex publishes the 29.1% Pay Over Time rate for Gold and Platinum, but its published Basic terms show no Pay Over Time rate, so any rate on Basic appears only in the credit agreement you see before you sign.
Pay Over Time is also available on Gold and Platinum at 29.1% variable APR, limited to the card’s Flexible Payment Option (FPO) credit line. The minimum payment on the FPO balance is £50 (or the whole balance if lower), or more if interest, fees and 4% of the balance come to more. Use it as a short-term buffer, not a financing strategy.
Which Amex Card?
| Your Situation | Best Fit |
|---|---|
| High spend, clear monthly, want flexible rewards | Business Gold |
| Frequent business travel, high spend, want lounge access | Business Platinum |
| New to Amex, want lower fee commitment or occasional flexibility | Business Basic |
| Fly British Airways regularly | BA Amex Accelerating |
| High Amazon Business spend | Amazon Amex |
| Verified 5 October 2026. | |
Annual Fee Break-Even: What You Need to Spend
If you’re weighing the £195/year cost, your return depends on what Membership Rewards points are worth to you and how much spend you can put on the card.
You value each Membership Rewards point based on your redemption method: transferred to Avios for short-haul flights it’s roughly 1p; via the Amex shopping portal it’s 0.4–0.5p. We estimate 0.8p for a business traveller using points for travel rather than portal credit.
At £3,000/month spend you earn 36,000 points annually, worth £288 at 0.8p, a net gain of £93 after the fee. At £5,000/month you’re looking at £480 return.
Capital on Tap pays 1% cashback with zero fee: at £3,000/month that’s £360. No fee to subtract. The Gold only overtakes it at upper spend levels, and only when you transfer to Avios rather than taking portal credit.
If you’re comparing Platinum to Gold, Platinum’s £650/year fee is steep: calculate your personal break-even before committing. The earn rate varies by category and by whatever promotion is running, and Amex publishes no standing table of either, so a break-even calculated today is a break-even for today.
If you miss a minimum payment, the penalty is £12. Amex’s terms also let it suspend the account if you break the agreement, and it restores use once the reason no longer applies. The terms set no fixed day count and no reinstatement fee.
On charge cards, suspension means you can’t use the card until it is resolved, so a missed payment can cut off your spending entirely, which the £12 never does.
Can You Earn Enough Points to Justify Two Amex Cards?
Pairing Gold with BA Accelerating isn’t worth it unless monthly spend exceeds £8,000 and you have separate use cases for Membership Rewards and Avios. Two fee-bearing cards double the break-even threshold and split your spend across two programmes. For most businesses, one card maximises return.
What Travel Benefits Does the Platinum Actually Include?
If you’re considering Platinum for its travel perks, Europ Assistance underwrites the travel cover (Chubb covers the other benefits): £2m medical, £7,500 cancellation, £2,000 baggage (£500 per item, £50 excess), and 120-day per-trip limit. No cover for cardholders aged 80+.
You’ll want to check the full policy document for exclusions before making this your only travel cover. The limits are reasonable for most business travel but not universal.
If you travel with colleagues, the Global Lounge Collection (1,550+ airport lounges) covers you, your Business Platinum Employee Cardmember and a guest each, whichever airline or class you fly.
Does the First-Year Fee Waiver Change the Calculation?
Yes, but it can also trap you. The £0 first year is a genuine saving, and at £1,500–£2,500/month spend you’ll earn a reasonable return in year one.
The risk: you commit to the card, set up supplier payments around it, and face the £195 fee in year two when your actual return doesn’t justify it. Run the break-even calculation at the post-waiver fee before you apply, not after.
The Amex Acceptance Problem
If you’re counting on Amex, check acceptance first: it has improved in the UK but isn’t universal. Major supermarkets, online retailers, and large suppliers usually take it.
Smaller businesses, some professional services firms, and trade suppliers don’t accept Amex. A card that works at major retailers can therefore still fail at the suppliers taking most of your business spend.
Before applying, we recommend running a 15-minute supplier audit: pull your last three months of statements, identify your top ten suppliers by spend, and ask each whether they accept American Express.
If more than three of your top ten say no, a meaningful share of your card spend won’t earn Amex rewards.
Discover the gap after the first-year fee waiver ends and you’re paying £195 for a card your most important suppliers won’t take.
You’ll need a Visa or Mastercard alongside Amex if acceptance doesn’t work, which loses the consolidation benefit. See our full business credit card comparison for Visa and Mastercard options.
For charge card holders this matters most: without balance-carry flexibility, you need consistent Amex spend to justify the fee. Below £2,500/month, a no-fee Visa with 1% cashback (like Capital on Tap) gives better net return with no acceptance friction.
If Amex Doesn’t Work
American Express Business Card FAQs
What is the difference between an Amex charge card and a credit card?
A charge card requires you to pay the full balance every month. There is no option to carry debt or pay a minimum. Gold and Platinum are charge cards.
A credit card lets you carry a balance and pay interest. BA Accelerating and Amazon Amex are credit cards. Business Basic now sits between the two: a charge card by default, with a flexible payment option. Amex publishes no rate for that option on Basic.
Which Amex business card is best for Membership Rewards points?
The Business Gold Card. It earns 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 on all spend, with no pre-set spending limit. The Platinum earns at a higher rate on certain categories but costs £650/year, so the Gold is the better starting point unless your monthly spend consistently exceeds £8,000.
Which Amex business card earns Avios?
The BA Amex Accelerating Business Card earns Avios directly, not Membership Rewards. It costs £250/year. If you fly BA regularly and want Avios without converting from another programme, this is the only Amex business card that does it.
Is the Amex Business Gold Card free?
The first year is £0. After that it costs £195/year. Our break-even analysis on this page shows you need roughly £2,500/month in Amex-eligible spend to justify the fee through rewards alone. If your spend is lower, a no-fee card may give you a better net return.
Can sole traders apply for an Amex business card?
Yes, for three of the five. Gold and Platinum are for limited companies and LLPs only. Sole traders can apply for Business Basic, BA Accelerating and the Amazon card as an individual with their business details. Amex will run a personal credit check.
Do Amex business cards let you carry a balance?
Only the credit cards: BA Accelerating, Amazon Amex, and Business Basic (with its flexible payment option). The Gold and Platinum are charge cards: the full balance is due monthly. If cash flow flexibility matters, you need a credit card, not a charge card.
Are Amex business cards widely accepted in the UK?
Acceptance has improved but isn’t universal. Most large retailers, supermarkets, and online merchants accept Amex. Some smaller suppliers, trade businesses, and professional services firms don’t. We recommend checking your top suppliers before committing to an Amex card as your primary business card.
Which Amex business card is best for travel perks?
The Business Platinum Card. It includes airport lounge access, travel insurance, and hotel benefits. However, the £650/year fee is steep. The Gold card includes Travel Accident Insurance (up to £250,000) and Travel Inconvenience Insurance (up to £200) at £195/year but no lounge access, so it is the better choice unless you travel often enough to use the Platinum’s lounges regularly.
Related Pages
Explore more of our credit card coverage:
- Best business credit cards compared
- Best business charge cards
- Best cards for air miles and Avios
- Best business credit cards for travel
- Capital on Tap vs Amex head-to-head
- Credit cards vs charge cards explained
How we reviewed Amex Business Credit Cards
Ranking criteria. We ranked the cards by annual cost, eligibility, payment structure, rewards and acceptance. The order reflects what each card returns after its fee and whether the business can use it for enough of its normal spending.
Data sources. We checked each provider’s pricing page, terms and product documentation directly in October 2026. Comparison sites, press releases and affiliate material were not used as evidence, and regulatory status was cross-checked against the FCA register.
Update cadence. We re-verify every provider on this page at least monthly, and whenever a provider changes pricing, eligibility, or terms. The verification date on the page reflects the most recent full review. Some links on this page are affiliate links, see our editorial policy.