The two flagship mid-tier business cards, built around different earning shapes. The Ink Business Preferred ($95 AF) earns 3x in four fixed categories — travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, and advertising — up to a $150,000/yr combined cap. The Business Gold ($375 AF) earns 4x on whichever two of six eligible categories you spend most in each month, also capped at $150,000/yr combined before dropping to 1x. Both charge no foreign transaction fee; the real split is fixed-vs-flexible categories and a $280 gap in annual fee.
Scored against our published methodology · Updated July 18, 2026
Take the 60-second quizSmall business owners spending $5,000+/yr on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, or advertising (search + social) — the 3x category at $150k cap annually transfers to United at our 1.5 cpp benchmark for real value. Chase cut Ultimate Rewards → Hyatt transfers from 1:1 to 4:3 for this card (June 2026); United remains 1:1.
Find your match
American Express
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.
Find your matchBest for — by the numbers
Per-spec leads are computed from each issuer's published facts and our scored methodology — there is no single overall winner. Reviewed July 18, 2026. ClearValue Cards earns compensation solely through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool. This compensation does not influence editorial scoring or ordering.
| Spec | Chase Ink Business Preferred | American Express Business Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 | $375 |
| 0% intro APR period | None | None |
| Ongoing APR (from) | 17.74% | 17.74% |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards score | 17/20 | 16/20 |
| Fee-structure score | 16/20 | 13/20 |
| ClearValue score | 83/100 | 75/100 |
| Late fee | Up to $40 | $39, or 2.99% of the past-due Pay in Full amount, whichever is greater |
A check marks the card that leads that spec on published figures. Rows with no marker are either tied or judgment calls (fee wording, late-fee terms) where a single "winner" wouldn't be honest to the data.
Tap the spec you care about — we'll show which card leads on it.
For Annual fee, the Chase Ink Business Preferred leads ($95).
Businesses with steady spend concentrated in travel, shipping, telecom, or search/social advertising that want the lower fee
3x across a broad $150,000 annual bucket at $95/yr, with points worth 1.25 cpp in the Chase travel portal or more transferred to United (1:1) or Hyatt (4:3 as of the June 2026 devaluation). The fixed categories are wide enough that most service businesses hit at least one every month.
See your matchesBusinesses with diverse, shifting spend that lands in Amex's eligible buckets (airfare, advertising, gas, restaurants, computing/hosting, shipping)
4x on your two highest-spend eligible categories each billing period, with no need to plan ahead — Amex picks for you. Membership Rewards price out around 1.4 cpp at our transfer benchmark, but the $375 fee needs real category volume across two buckets each month to clear.
See your matchesBusinesses whose biggest costs are payroll, rent, or SaaS subscriptions — neither card's categories touch that spend, so a flat-rate card like the Capital One Spark Cash Plus returns more with none of the category bookkeeping.
Answer a few questions about how you spend and we'll point you to the cards that actually fit — no guesswork.
Take the 60-second quizAnnual fee
Chase Ink Business Preferred: $95
American Express Business Gold: $375
Top earn categories
Chase Ink Business Preferred: 3x on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, and advertising (up to $150,000/yr combined, then 1x)
American Express Business Gold: 4x on your 2 highest of 6 eligible categories each month (up to $150,000/yr combined, then 1x)
Category flexibility
Chase Ink Business Preferred: Fixed — you earn 3x only in the four named categories
American Express Business Gold: Auto-selects your top 2 categories monthly from the eligible list
Points value
Chase Ink Business Preferred: 1.25 cpp in the Chase travel portal; more via United or Hyatt transfers
American Express Business Gold: Membership Rewards — transferable (~1.4 cpp at our benchmark)
Card structure
Chase Ink Business Preferred: Revolving, 17.74% – 26.74% variable APR
American Express Business Gold: Pay Over Time (charge-card structure), 17.74% – 28.49% variable APR
Foreign transaction fee
Chase Ink Business Preferred: None
American Express Business Gold: None
Honest knock
Chase Ink Business Preferred: The categories are narrowly defined — Amazon ads and in-store courier spend often don't count
American Express Business Gold: Amex auto-selects your top 2 from THEIR list — if your real top spend is payroll or rent, the 4x never fires
Neither is universally better — it depends on how you spend. On our published 100-point methodology the Chase Ink Business Preferred scores 83/100 (Solid pick) and the American Express Business Gold scores 75/100 (Worth considering). Businesses with steady spend concentrated in travel, shipping, telecom, or search/social advertising that want the lower fee should lean Chase Ink Business Preferred; businesses with diverse, shifting spend that lands in Amex's eligible buckets (airfare, advertising, gas, restaurants, computing/hosting, shipping) should lean American Express Business Gold. Take the 60-second quiz to see which fits your profile.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred carries $95, sourced from the issuer's published Schumer Box as of July 14, 2026. The American Express Business Gold carries $375, as of July 15, 2026. Fees change — confirm the current number at the issuer before you decide.
Businesses with steady spend concentrated in travel, shipping, telecom, or search/social advertising that want the lower fee tend to do better with the Chase Ink Business Preferred; businesses with diverse, shifting spend that lands in Amex's eligible buckets (airfare, advertising, gas, restaurants, computing/hosting, shipping) with the American Express Business Gold. If neither describes you cleanly, take the 60-second quiz for a match.
We score every card across five dimensions — effective rewards, fee structure, audience fit, transparency, and the weakness named — 0–20 each for a 100-point total. The Chase Ink Business Preferred earned 83/100 and the American Express Business Gold earned 75/100. Scoring follows our published methodology and is never influenced by compensation.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Cards is not a card issuer, a bank, or a lender. ClearValue Cards earns compensation solely through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool. This compensation does not influence editorial scoring or ordering. Card facts are sourced from each issuer's published Schumer Box and terms — confirm current numbers at the issuer. See disclosure.
