Chase Ink Business Cash vs American Express Business Gold
Two business cards for different spend profiles. The Ink Business Cash ($0) earns 5% at office supply stores and on telecom services (up to $25,000/yr combined) — best for businesses with real office and phone bills. The Business Gold ($375) earns 4x on your top two categories each billing period, auto-selected from six eligible buckets — best for businesses with diverse, shifting spend. Neither substitutes for the other; the fit depends on whether your top categories match Ink Cash's fixed structure or Business Gold's flexible 4x.
Chase Ink Business Cash
Small businesses with real office-supply and telecom spend. The 5% back at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services (first $25,000 combined per year) is the best $0-fee business earn rate for that spend profile — and the points are Ultimate Rewards when paired with a premium Chase card.
American Express Business Gold
Service businesses with concentrated spend in two clear top categories (Amex picks your 2 highest categories each month from a list of 6: airfare, advertising, gas, restaurants, computing/hosting, shipping). The 4x on top-2 categories at our 1.4 cpp MR benchmark beats most business flat-rate cards.
Pick Chase Ink Business Cash if
Businesses with concentrated office-supply and telecom spend that want no annual fee
5% at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone (first $25,000/yr combined) is the best $0-fee earn rate for that profile. The rewards are Ultimate Rewards points, worth more if you also hold a premium Chase card to transfer through. No fee means nothing to earn back.
Pick American Express Business Gold if
Businesses with diverse spend concentrated in Amex's six eligible categories
4x on your two highest categories each month — from airfare, advertising, gas, restaurants, computing/hosting, and shipping (up to $150,000/yr) — beats most flat-rate business cards for high spenders whose top buckets shift. The points are transferable Membership Rewards. But the $375 fee needs real category volume to pencil out.
Skip both if
Businesses whose biggest spend is payroll, rent, or SaaS subscriptions — none of that counts for either card, so a flat 2% business card returns more. Note also the Ink Cash's 3% foreign transaction fee versus the Business Gold's none.
Head-to-head
| Dimension | Chase Ink Business Cash | American Express Business Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $375 |
| Top earn structure | 5% at office supply + internet/cable/phone (up to $25,000/yr); 2% at gas and dining (up to $25,000/yr) | 4x on your 2 highest of 6 eligible categories each month (up to $150,000/yr, then 1x) |
| Category flexibility | Fixed categories — you earn 5% only where Chase defines it | Auto-selects your top 2 categories monthly from the eligible list |
| Points currency | Ultimate Rewards — 1 cpp cash, more if paired with a premium Chase card | Membership Rewards — transferable (~1.4 cpp at our benchmark) |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% | None |
| Intro APR | 0% on purchases for 12 months, then 17.49% – 25.49% variable | None (Pay Over Time; ongoing 20.74% – 28.74% variable) |
| Honest knock | The 5% caps at $25,000/yr combined, then drops to 1% — and it's a poor card abroad at 3% FX | Amex picks your top 2 from THEIR list — if your real top spend is payroll or rent, the 4x never fires |
Reviewed by the ClearValue Editorial Team · Last updated 7/8/2026. ClearValue Cards may earn a commission when readers take the quiz and match through links on this site. See disclosure.