Amex Business Gold limits 4x on ads and wireless to named merchants from 17 February 2027
From 17 February 2027 the American Express Business Gold Card earns 4x on advertising only when you buy directly from Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, GoDaddy or Yelp, and on wireless only when you pay one of 11 named US carriers. The top-two-category structure and the $150,000 yearly cap do not change.
In this article
The Amex Business Gold pays 4x in whichever two of its six categories you spend most in each billing period. Two of those six are about to get much narrower. American Express has added the change to the card's own terms, and Doctor of Credit and Upgraded Points both reported it on 16 and 17 October.
What changes on 17 February 2027
Amex's terms now read that advertising and wireless purchases "will be limited to purchases made directly with" a named list of companies.
| 4x category | Until 16 Feb 2027 | From 17 Feb 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising | Online, TV and radio ads from US media providers | Only bought directly from Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, GoDaddy or Yelp |
| Wireless | Monthly service from any US wireless provider | Only paid directly to Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Frontier, Comcast, Charter, Spectrum Mobile, UScellular, Optimum, Ultra Mobile or Mint Mobile |
Purchases from Google Fi, third parties, authorized retailers and resellers are already excluded from the wireless category, and stay excluded.
What does not change
Per the same terms page:
- You still earn 4x in the top 2 of 6 categories each billing period, on up to $150,000 of combined spend in those categories per calendar year, then 1x.
- The other four categories are untouched: US electronics retailers and software or cloud providers, US restaurants (takeout and delivery included), US gas stations, and transit (trains, taxis, rideshare, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, subways).
Who loses
- Businesses advertising outside the big six. LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Reddit, Pinterest, podcast networks, local TV and radio stations, and ad agencies billing on your behalf all fall out of 4x. For many small businesses that was the reason to hold this card.
- Anyone on a smaller carrier or MVNO not on the list. Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile made it; most other prepaid brands did not.
- Anyone whose ad spend runs through an agency or reseller, since the purchase must be made directly with the platform.
If your ad money already goes straight to Meta and Google, nothing changes for you.
What to do before February
- Check how your ads are billed. If an agency pays the platforms and invoices you, that spend stops earning 4x.
- Look at your top two categories. If advertising was one of them only because of excluded platforms, restaurants, gas or software may now take its place, and the card may still earn well.
- Re-run the fee math if your 4x spend shrinks.
We have also corrected the Business Gold's category list in CardPolo's catalog from this terms page; the old line still listed airfare and US shipping. To see whether the card still beats a flat-rate business card on your actual spend, run it through Polo Match or value the points in the points calculator.
Sources
Every claim on this page is backed by a primary or reputable source.
Cards affected
Card figures on CardPolo come from our catalog, each with an issuer source and a verified date where we have checked it. Spot something out of date? Tell us at [email protected].
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