Amex business credit cards for UK limited companies compared

American Express offers UK limited companies five business cards: the Business Gold and Business Platinum charge cards, and three credit cards that earn Avios or Amazon Rewards. Annual fees run from £50 to £650 after any first-year offer, and a director is personally liable on all five. We checked every card on 12 October 2026.

The biggest difference between Amex's business cards is how you repay, not the rewards. Business Gold and Business Platinum expect the balance in full each month, with an optional Flexible Payment Option at 29.1% p.a. (variable). The British Airways and Amazon cards let you carry a balance.

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Amex's five UK business cards at a glance

The five Amex business cards differ most in their annual fee and in what they earn: Membership Rewards points, Avios, or Amazon Rewards. Every figure below comes from americanexpress.com, checked on 12 October 2026.

The table lists Amex's cards alphabetically by short name, with the iwoca Credit Card, iwoca's own business credit card, as the last row for comparison. 'Annual fee' is the fee after any first-year offer, and 'Earns' is the standard rate on everyday spending.

Which card could suit your company depends on where you spend and how you repay:

• Most of your buying is on Amazon: the Amazon Business or Amazon Business Prime card, which lets you take 60 or 90 days' extra time to pay on Amazon orders instead of earning rewards.
• You clear the balance every month and want points you can transfer to airlines and hotels: Business Gold, or Business Platinum if lounges and travel credit are worth its higher fee to you.
• Your team flies British Airways regularly: British Airways Accelerating Business, which earns Avios directly.
• You want cashback on all spending without an annual fee: the iwoca Credit Card.

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Business Gold and Business Platinum are charge cards

With Business Gold and Business Platinum, you're expected to pay the full balance each month, and you get up to 54 days interest-free on purchases. The Flexible Payment Option lets you carry part of the balance at 29.1% p.a. (variable).

A charge card works well when your card spending is steady and paid from regular income. Amex says the spending limit on both cards adjusts to how your business spends and repays, rather than being set in advance. The Flexible Payment Option is a line of credit that comes with the card, so in a quieter month you can pay part of the balance and carry the rest without a new application.

The British Airways and Amazon cards are standard credit cards. You can pay the balance in full to avoid interest, or pay over time at the purchase rate. The British Airways card gives up to 56 days interest-free when you pay in full.

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Who qualifies for an Amex business card?

Amex's Business Gold and Business Platinum are only open to limited companies and limited liability partnerships, and the person applying must be a director or member. Applicants also need a personal income of at least £20,000 (Gold) or £35,000 (Platinum).

For every card, Amex asks that you're 18 or over, have a permanent UK home address, and that the business has a UK bank or building society account. The minimum income is the applicant's personal income, not the company's turnover.

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A director is personally liable on every Amex business card

Amex asks a director to stand behind the company's balance on all five cards. Business Gold and Business Platinum need a director's guarantee and indemnity, and the BA and Amazon cards make the company and a director joint cardmembers.

This matters because a limited company's debts usually stay with the company, not its directors. With Business Gold and Business Platinum, Amex won't issue a card until a director who is actively involved in running the business signs a personal guarantee. With the British Airways and Amazon cards, the agreement says Amex can ask either joint cardmember, the company or the director, for the entire balance.

Employee cards add to the same account. Business Gold and the British Airways and Amazon cards come with up to 20 free employee cards, and Business Platinum includes one Platinum and 19 Gold employee cards. The main cardmember is liable for everything spent on them.

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What Amex business cards cost beyond the annual fee

Interest only applies if you don't clear the balance: 29.1% p.a. on the Flexible Payment Option, 26.6% p.a. on the BA card and 26.4% p.a. on the Amazon cards, all variable. Every card also charges 2.99% on non-sterling spending and £12 for a late payment.

The representative APR includes the annual fee, so it's highest where the fee is large compared with the credit limit Amex assumes (£1,200 for its credit cards). All the rates are variable, so they can change while you hold the card.

You pay no interest on any of these cards if you clear the full statement balance by the due date each month.

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Whether the annual fee pays off depends on your spending

Rewards cover the cost of a card only when what you redeem is worth more than its annual fee. At £3,000 a month of card spending, each Business Gold point needs to be worth at least 0.54p to cover the £195 fee.

The worked example below assumes £36,000 a year goes on the card at the standard earn rate, with the fee after any first-year offer. The last column shows what each point or Avios must be worth for the rewards to cover the fee.

What a point is worth depends on how you use it. Transferring points to an airline, booking through American Express Travel, and taking a statement credit can each give a different value, so there's no single answer to what 50,000 Amex points are worth. It helps to compare business credit card rewards by what you'd actually redeem them for.

The Amazon cards cost £50 a year at most, so whether they pay off depends mainly on how much of your spending goes through Amazon.

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How to apply for an Amex business card

You apply on the American Express website, and Amex says the form takes less than 10 minutes, with a response in 60 seconds. Have your company's details, your personal income and a UK business bank account ready.

1. Check which cards you're likely to get with Amex's eligibility checker, which doesn't affect your credit score.
2. Choose a card, read its terms, and select Apply now on the card page.
3. Give your personal details: your name, date of birth, nationality, UK home address, and personal annual income.
4. Give the company's details: its name, registration number, trading and registered addresses, directors and main shareholders, and turnover.
5. Sign the agreement and, for Business Gold or Business Platinum, the director's guarantee.

If you already hold an Amex business card, you manage it in the Amex app or through your American Express online account.

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The iwoca Credit Card as an alternative to an Amex business credit card

The iwoca Credit Card gives UK limited companies 1% cashback on all spending with no annual, foreign exchange, or late payment fees. You get up to 42 days interest-free and a credit limit of up to £250,000.

If your company wants a card for everyday spending that earns something back without an annual fee to recover, the iwoca Credit Card works differently from Amex's fee cards in a few ways:

• Cashback in pounds: it's added to your account automatically and reduces your balance, so its value doesn't depend on how you redeem it.
• The same rate abroad: with no foreign exchange fee, spending in other currencies earns the same cashback as spending in pounds.
• A credit card, not a charge card: the interest-free period is a 30-day billing cycle plus 12 days to pay. If you'd rather spread a bill, you can pay at least 10% of the balance or £100, whichever is higher. Interest rates start at 14.99% a year, with a 35.40% representative APR (variable).
• No impact on your personal credit score when you apply: applying takes about five minutes, and we run a soft search on your personal credit file.

We lend to UK limited companies, and a director applies. Like Amex, we ask for a personal guarantee: if the business can't repay, the guarantor becomes personally responsible for the outstanding balance. You can't use the card to withdraw cash.

The same three questions apply when you compare it with other credit cards for limited companies: how you repay, what you earn, and what you pay to hold the card. You can check your eligibility and apply on the iwoca Credit Card page.

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Amex business card FAQs

Is it hard to get an Amex business card?

Getting an Amex business card depends on meeting the card's eligibility rules and passing Amex's credit check, which looks at your ability to repay and your credit history. For Business Gold and Business Platinum, you also need to apply as a director or member of the business.

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Does applying for an Amex business card affect your credit score?

Applying for an Amex business card triggers a credit check, while Amex's eligibility checker leaves only a soft search that doesn't affect your credit rating. Amex's card pages don't publish a minimum credit score or turnover.

Before you apply, you can see your company's Equifax business credit score for free with iwoca Credit Compass, along with the factors affecting it. Repaying any business card on time can help your business credit score over time.

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Can a new limited company get an Amex business card?

A newly formed limited company can apply for an Amex business card, as the eligibility lists Amex publishes don't set a minimum trading period. Approval still depends on Amex's credit check, which looks at the director's personal income and credit history as well as the business.

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Are Amex business cards accepted everywhere?

Some businesses don't accept American Express, so check with your main suppliers before relying on an Amex card for most of your spending. Amex has a search tool on its website for finding businesses that accept its cards.

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What purchase protection comes with Amex business cards?

Business Gold, Business Platinum, and the BA card cover eligible items stolen or damaged within 90 days for up to £2,500 each, plus refund protection up to £300. The British Airways card agreement also gives you Section 75 rights on purchases over £100 and up to £30,000.

The iwoca Credit Card is a business card, so it doesn't fall under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. For a faulty purchase, check the merchant's refund policy or your card network's chargeback rights.

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Do Amex business cards have a 0% introductory rate?

None of the five Amex business card pages checked on 12 October 2026 advertised a 0% introductory rate. The welcome offers are bonus points or credit instead.

Business Gold gives 20,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £3,000 in the first three months, Business Platinum gives 50,000 points when you spend £6,000 in the first three months, and the Amazon cards have a welcome offer worth up to £100. Offers change, so check the card page before you apply.