This might be the best Amex card combo: Amex Gold and Amex Business Platinum

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Given how fluid points and miles programs can be, we often advise that you diversify the types of travel rewards you earn. However, it’s sometimes a good idea to double down with a specific rewards program — especially if it’s one where the points are transferable to a number of different airlines and hotels.

One such program is American Express Membership Rewards — and now’s a great time to establish a reserve of Membership Rewards points with The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card.

Both cards are currently offering solid introductory welcome offers that might have you considering whether to apply for one, the other or both.

In fact, pairing the Amex Business Platinum and Amex Gold cards might be the best Amex card duo possible, thanks to their highly complementary earning structures and benefits packages.

Here are some of the reasons you might want to keep both in your wallet.

Two cards, two welcome bonuses

Let’s get the awkward part out of the way. Both cards charge pretty high annual fees — $695 for the Amex Business Platinum (see rates and fees) and $325 for the Amex Gold (see rates and fees). That’s up to $1,020 in fees each year, which is pretty costly; the good news is that these fees can be offset in the first year by these cards’ introductory offers.

New Amex Business Platinum cardmembers can earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Plus, new cardmembers can earn a $500 statement credit after spending $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel in the first three months of card membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. Offer ends June 30.

New Amex Gold cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership.

Without even taking their bonus spending categories into account, you’d be looking at an overall points haul of at least 210,000 Amex Membership Rewards points by hitting those spending requirements.

You may even be able to get a higher welcome offer for the Amex Gold through the CardMatch tool. Not everyone will receive the same offers, and offers may change at any time.

TPG’s May 2025 valuations peg Amex Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece, making 210,000 Membership Rewards points worth $4,200  — though potentially much more, depending on how you redeem them.

Related: Card showdown: Amex Business Gold vs. Amex Business Platinum

Keep things professional

Speaking of card combinations, there are many great reasons why you might want to get both a personal and business card. Doing so can help you separate your work and personal expenses.

Putting higher, work-related spending on a business card can keep that activity off your personal credit report, which can, in turn, help raise your personal credit score by lowering your credit utilization ratio.

The Amex Business Platinum’s business-related statement credits and special earning rates (see below) are two more great reasons to put your work-related spending on that card instead of a personal one. Then, you can designate the Amex Gold Card for more everyday things like U.S. supermarket purchases and dining expenses.

Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.

Related: The power of the Amex trifecta: Platinum, Gold and Blue Business Plus

Earning overdrive

One of the biggest selling points of getting both the Amex Business Platinum and the Amex Gold is how you can mix and match their bonus-earning categories to maximize your everyday spending.

Use the Amex Gold Card to rack up:

• 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 a year, then 1 point per dollar)
• 4 points per dollar spent on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 a year, then 1 point per dollar)
• 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
• 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases through amextravel.com.
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Use the Amex Business Platinum for:

• 5 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com
• 1.5 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases in the following areas (on up to $2 million per calendar year total; 1 point per dollar spent thereafter):
  • U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers
  • U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
  • U.S. shipping providers
  • Each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

To get a bit more granular, if you tend to book airline tickets directly with airlines, you can continue doing so with the Amex Gold since it earns 3 points per dollar whether you use it to pay through the airline or Amex Travel.

However, if you can shift more of your travel bookings to Amex Travel, you can leverage the Amex Business Platinum’s 5 points per dollar earning rate not just on airfare but also on prepaid hotels.

You can book hotels through Amex’s Hotel Collection with either card. The Amex Gold earns 2 points per dollar on those bookings, while the Amex Business Platinum earns 5 points per dollar. Eligible charges vary by property; a minimum two-night stay is required for Hotel Collection bookings.

However, with the Amex Business Platinum, you also have access to even higher-end properties and more valuable perks through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts.

Related: Here’s your guide to the Amex Platinum prepaid hotel credit

Stretch your points further

Amex has a Pay with Points feature, where you can redeem Membership Rewards for reservations made directly through Amex Travel. You get 1 cent per point toward flights, and less than that for other types of bookings, such as hotel stays.

However, Amex Business Platinum cardmembers receive a 35% bonus using Pay with Points in two circumstances:

• For a first- or business-class ticket on any airline
• For a ticket in any cabin on the same airline they designate for their up to $200 airline fee statement credit they receive each calendar year (enrollment is required; terms apply)

This benefit is capped at 1 million points per calendar year.

While Pay with Points isn’t for everyone, there are a few great reasons to use it. First, you get a solid value of 1 cent per point redeemed this way (or more with the Amex Business Platinum).

Second, you don’t have to worry about transfer partners, transfer times or award availability with a particular airline. Finally, when you redeem via Pay with Points, it’s basically like paying cash for your ticket, so you’ll still earn elite miles for your travel.

Keep in mind, however, that hotels may not honor elite status or offer elite night credits for hotel stays booked through travel portals like Amex Travel.

Related: How to decide whether to use cash or miles for airline tickets

Statement credits galore

Another great reason to have both the Amex Business Platinum and the Amex Gold is to stack their various statement credits.

The Amex Gold Card provides up to $10 per month in Uber Cash toward either rides or Uber Eats orders in the U.S. after adding your card to your Uber account and paying with any Amex card (up to $120 per calendar year), plus a further up to $10 per month in dining credits (up to $120 per calendar year) for a potential total of up to $240 in statement credits each calendar year.

If you use the card to make a Hotel Collection booking of two nights or more, you get a $100 on-site credit for qualifying activities. You can also receive up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year (up to $50 semi-annually) at Resy-affiliated restaurants in the U.S. and on eligible Resy purchases. Additionally, you can receive up to $84 in statement credits each calendar year (up to $7 a month) at U.S. Dunkin’ locations.

Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.

For its part, the Amex Business Platinum comes with a plethora of statement credits. Among those to look out for are:

• Up to $400 per calendar year in statement credits toward U.S. Dell purchases (up to $200 semi-annually)*
• Up to $360 per calendar year with Indeed (up to $90 per quarter)
• Up to $200 per calendar year with Hilton (up to $50 per quarter)
• Up to $200 in airline incidental fee credits per calendar year
• Up to $199 per calendar year in statement credits for a Clear Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal)
• Up to $150 per calendar year with Adobe (subject to auto-renewal)* and up to $120 toward U.S. wireless phone bills each calendar year (up to $10 per month)
• $120 toward Global Entry or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck (every 4 years for Global Entry or every 4½ years for TSA PreCheck)

Enrollment is required; terms apply.

*These credits are set to change July 1.

Maximize all of the statement credits from both cards to get significant value out of the annual fees you’re paying. What’s more, none of these statement credits overlap from card to card, so you don’t sacrifice anything by carrying them both.

Related: The different flavors of Amex Platinum – which one is right for you? 

Other benefits

While the Amex Gold is short on perks beyond statement credits, the Amex Business Platinum includes a lot more benefits.

Those include access to various airport lounges, such as Amex Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs* and Priority Pass lounges. You can also register for Gold elite status with Marriott and Hilton.

Cardmembers also get elite status with various rental car agencies, plus International Airline Program discounts for folks who fly premium cabins.

Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.

*Eligible Business Platinum Card Members will receive 10 Visits per Eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight. Cardmembers receive unlimited visits if they spend $75,000 or more in a calendar year. 

Earning rates and statement credits aside, these benefits alone can make carrying the Amex Business Platinum worth it. If you travel at least a few times each year, lounge access and hotel elite status should be very easy to take advantage of.

Related: 8 things to do when you get the American Express Business Platinum Card

Bottom line

It’s usually a good idea to diversify the types of travel rewards points you earn. However, given how versatile they are, it can also make sense to double down with one program or another, including Amex Membership Rewards.

The right mix of Amex cards will depend on your needs and spending habits, but the Amex Business Platinum and Amex Gold can make a winning combination thanks to their corresponding perks and bonus categories. You can get both to leverage not only lucrative welcome offers but also excellent everyday points accrual rates and other benefits to enhance your travel experience.

To learn more, check out our full reviews of the Amex Gold and Amex Business Platinum.

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Apply here: American Express Gold Card

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here.