Attention Business Owners: Do you or your spouse own a business? Do you or your spouse advertise in your business? My husband has his own law firm and he advertises monthly in various forms of media. Because of this, I had him get the American Express Business Gold Rewards Card as he earns extra American Express Membership Rewards Points per dollar spent on all of this advertising. Each year, he is racking up A LOT of points just from these advertising charges alone!!!
It works like this.
As of January 2015, you can choose one of five categories to earn 3x Membership Rewards points per $1. These categories are:
1) Airfare purchased directly from airlines, 2) Advertising, 3) Gas Stations, 4) Shipping, and 5) Computer hardware, software and cloud computing purchases.
You earn 2x Membership Rewards points in the remaining four categories and 1x points on all other purchases. 3X and 2X points are received only for the first $100,000 in purchases in each of the five categories per year. 1X points thereafter.
Guess which category I chose? :-), Yup, advertising!
In addition to advertising, Rob knows to break out this card at gas stations and for other mentioned business purchases as he is earning 2 points per dollar there as well.
I personally think it is a good idea to have a few different credit cards from your spouse as you can both take advantage of different sign up bonuses, spend requirements and point earning capabilities. When Rob got this card back in September, 2011, he took advantage of an offer where he got 50,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points after he spent $10,000 in 5 months and the annual fee of $175 was waived the first year. Last year there was an even better offer from American Express where you could earn 75,000 Membership Rewards Points if you spend $10,000 in four months with a waived first year fee. WOW!! Hopefully we will see an offer like this again from American Express.