Amex Business Gold vs US Bank Altitude Connect
Side-by-side comparison across fees, rewards, welcome bonuses, and eligibility.
EXPRESS
US Bank Altitude Connect wins 2-1. No-fee 4x travel — rare combination of no fee + premium earn rate. Amex Business Gold is still the right call if small businesses — 4x on top 2 spend categories from a list of 6..
Side-by-side
| Criterion | Amex Business Gold | US Bank Altitude Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | · $375 | No annual fee |
| Joining fee | = None | = None |
| Top reward rate | = 4% (shopping) | = 4% (travel) |
| Base reward rate | = 1% | = 1% |
| Forex markup | = No FX fee | = No FX fee |
| Welcome bonus | = 70,000 Membership Rewards points after $10,000 spend in 3 months | = 50,000 points after $2,000 spend in 120 days |
| Fee waiver threshold | = No waiver | = N/A (no fee) |
| Min income | = — | = — |
| Min credit score | · 720 | 700 |
| Editorial rating | 4.5/5 | · 4.4/5 |
Benefits compared
Amex Business Gold
- 4x on top 2 categories ($150K cap): airfare, gas, advertising, tech, restaurants, US shipping
- $20 monthly FedEx + Grubhub credit
- $240 Amex Business Line of Credit access
- No foreign transaction fees
US Bank Altitude Connect
- 4x on travel + gas + EV charging stations
- 2x at restaurants + grocery + streaming
- 1x on everything else
- $30 annual streaming credit
- No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees
- Cell phone protection
FAQ
›Amex Business Gold vs US Bank Altitude Connect: which is better?
US Bank Altitude Connect wins on more dimensions (2 vs 1). But the right answer depends on your specific spending pattern — see the calculator below.
›Can I get both?
Yes — if your credit profile supports it, holding both is the optimal play. Use Amex Business Gold for its best categories, US Bank Altitude Connect for its best categories. Just watch the combined annual fees against your spend.
›Which one has the better welcome bonus?
Amex Business Gold: 70,000 Membership Rewards points after $10,000 spend in 3 months. US Bank Altitude Connect: 50,000 points after $2,000 spend in 120 days.