Amex Business Gold vs National Bank Business Mastercard
Both business cards worked out on the same spending: rewards, welcome bonus, fees and perks, line by line.
Worked out on a typical small business spending $4,000 a month. Enter yours to see your own numbers.
$1,866
First-year value
Doesn't earn rewards
$536
Every year after
Doesn't earn rewards
Only Amex Business Gold earns rewards we can work out.
Compare the fees, rates and perks below.
How the first year adds up
Rewards and the welcome bonus in, the annual fee, FX fees and employee cards out, at your spending.
Annual rewards
Welcome bonus
Annual fee
FX fees
First-year value
Where each card earns
A year of your spending on each card, category by category, biggest spend first.
All Other Business Expenses
$12,600 a year
US Dollar Purchases
$6,150 a year
Recurring Bills & Subscriptions
$4,800 a year
Gas & EV Charging
$3,600 a year
Dining & Restaurants
$3,600 a year
Office Supplies
$3,000 a year
Phone, Internet & Cable
$2,400 a year
Hotels
$1,800 a year
Shipping & Courier
$1,800 a year
Accounting & Bookkeeping
$1,800 a year
Other Foreign Currencies (EUR, GBP, etc.)
$1,230 a year
Electronics & Software
$1,200 a year
Air Canada
$1,200 a year
Transportation
$1,200 a year
Other Airlines
$600 a year
Car Rental
$600 a year
Other Travel
$600 a year
Spend bonuses
on top of the rates
Rewards in a year
Welcome bonus
Each offer as the issuer words it, then which milestones your spending reaches.
Amex Business Gold
- Earn a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Membership Rewards® points in your first year.
- Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $7,500 in purchases within the first three months of Cardmembership.
- Plus, earn an additional 20,000 points after spending $30,000 on your Card in your first 12 months of Cardmembership.
- That’s up to $700 in statement credits to reinvest in your business.
National Bank Business Mastercard
No welcome bonus right now.
Amex Business Gold
Worth $1,330 at your spending
Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $7,500 on your Card in your first 3 months
50,000 pts
Earn 20,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $30,000 on your Card in your first year
20,000 pts
National Bank Business Mastercard
Fees, rates and eligibility
What each card costs to hold and to use abroad, and who it's for.
Annual fee
Employee cards
Foreign transaction fee
Rewards
Network
Amex Business Gold
Interest rates
Purchase:
21.99% - 29.99%1
Cash Advance:
N/A1
1 This charge Card has both Due in Full and Flexible Payment Option balances. All Due in Full balances must be paid each month. Interest rate of 30% applies to each delinquent Due in Full charge. This rate is effective from the day account is opened. The Preferred rate of 21.99% applies to your Flexible Payment Option balance. If you have 2 separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option rate for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option Rate will be 29.99%. These rates are effective from the day the Flexible Payment Option is first available on your account.
Recommended credit score
Income required
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
National Bank Business Mastercard
Interest rates
Purchase:
20.99% or 14.5%^
Cash Advance:
22.99% or 14.5%^
Balance Transfer:
22.99% or 14.5%^
Recommended credit score
Income required
Min Personal Income:
N/A
Min Household Income:
N/A
How each card earns
The earn rates and caps, as each issuer sets them.
Amex Business Gold
- 1x point per $1 spent on all purchases
- 10,000 points each quarter when you charge $20,000 in net purchases to your card
National Bank Business Mastercard
- Pay just $30 in annual fees with a minimum credit limit1 of $1,000 and reduce your rate to 14.5% on purchases, balance transfers and cash advances.2,3
- Get up to $10,000 in coverage against fraudulent uses of your credit card by authorized cardholders.
Insurance and perks
What both cards include comes first in each list.
Amex Business Gold
Insurance
Purchase Protection
90 days
Lost or Stolen Baggage
$500
Baggage Delay
$500.svg)
Car Rental Damage & Theft
yes
Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance
$100,000
Mobile Device Insurance
$1,000
Extended Warranty
1 year
Hotel Burglary Insurance
$500Flight Delay
$500
Perks
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Travel Credit
Book two or more consecutive nights at participating properties through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel to receive a $100 credit for amenities or a complimentary room upgrade, if available.
Priority Travel
Enjoy premium benefits at the Toronto Pearson Airport, including access to the Pearson Priority Security Lane and discount on parking.
Amex Experiences™
Access Front Of The Line® Amex Presale & Reserved Tickets to some of your favourite concerts and theatre performances and special offers and events curated for Cardmembers with Amex Experiences™
National Bank Business Mastercard
Insurance
Purchase Protection
90 days
Perks
No extra perks.
Our take
Amex Business Gold
The American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card is an excellent choice for business owners who also travel seeking an entry-level card that offers a strong balance of generous travel benefits without excessive costs. With a relatively low annual fee, this card provides flexibility and a range of perks that make it stand out among other options.
- Flexible rewards
- Travel perks
- Foreign transaction fees
- Limited travel insurance
- Lower acceptance
National Bank Business Mastercard
This is a no-rewards, no-frills business card — and that’s exactly the point. There’s no annual fee, no points to track, and no complicated structure. What you get is a clean way to separate business expenses from personal ones, with the option to drop your interest rate to 14.5% for just $30/year. That makes it one of the better options if your business occasionally carries a balance. It won’t earn you anything on spending, but for businesses that just need a functional credit line without paying for features they’ll never use, it does the job.
- $0 annual fee (including additional cards)
- Option to lower interest rate to 14.5% with $30 annual fee
- Helps separate business and personal expenses
- No rewards program (no points or cash back)
- Limited insurance coverage
- No travel perks or premium benefits
More business card comparisons
Each card against every other business card we review.
Amex Business Gold
vs Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve
vs Amex Platinum Business
vs BMO CashBack Business Mastercard
vs BMO® Ascend World Elite®* Business Mastercard®*
vs CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card for Business
vs CIBC bizline® Visa* Card
vs Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express® Card
vs National Bank Platinum Business Mastercard
vs Ramp Corporate Card
vs RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business Credit Card
vs RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡
vs Scotia Momentum Business Visa
vs Scotia Momentum® for business No Fee Visa* Card
vs Scotiabank Passport Business
vs TD Business Cash Back Visa* Card
vs TD Business Travel Visa* Card
vs TD® Aeroplan® Visa* Business Card
vs The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card
vs WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard® for Business
National Bank Business Mastercard
vs Amex Aeroplan Business Reserve
vs Amex Platinum Business
vs BMO CashBack Business Mastercard
vs BMO® Ascend World Elite®* Business Mastercard®*
vs CIBC Aventura® Visa* Card for Business
vs CIBC bizline® Visa* Card
vs Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express® Card
vs National Bank Platinum Business Mastercard
vs Ramp Corporate Card
vs RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business Credit Card
vs RBC® Business Cash Back Mastercard‡
vs Scotia Momentum Business Visa
vs Scotia Momentum® for business No Fee Visa* Card
vs Scotiabank Passport Business
vs TD Business Cash Back Visa* Card
vs TD Business Travel Visa* Card
vs TD® Aeroplan® Visa* Business Card
vs The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card
vs WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard® for Business
Legal
Amex Business Gold
*Terms and conditions apply.
This charge Card has both Due in Full and Flexible Payment Option balances. All Due in Full balances must be paid each month. Interest rate of 30% applies to each delinquent Due in Full charge. This rate is effective from the day account is opened. The Preferred rate of 21.99% applies to your Flexible Payment Option balance. If you have 2 separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option rate for your account will be 25.99%. If you have 3 or more separate Missed Payments in a 12 month period, the Flexible Payment Option Rate will be 29.99%. These rates are effective from the day the Flexible Payment Option is first available on your account.
Account must be in good standing. Membership Rewards points (points) earned by the Basic Cardmember on all purchases, less credits and adjustments. Interest charges, annual fees, other fees and cash equivalent transactions are not purchases and do not qualify for Membership Rewards points. A minimum purchase of $0.50 is required to earn points. Earn one (1) point for every $1.00 in eligible purchases charged to your card.
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
National Bank Business Mastercard
Little details that matter
Customer service or report a lost or stolen card |
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|---|---|
Report fraudulent use by an authorized cardholder |
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Chargeback |
®Mastercard and Mastercard BusinessCard are registered trademarks, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Authorized user: National Bank
TM ID Check and Identity Check are trademarks of Mastercard International Inc. Authorized user: National Bank.
1 Subject to credit approval from National Bank.
2 Grace period: No interest will be charged on purchases made during the month, provided the client pays the balance in full within twenty-one (21) days of the statement date. This grace period does not apply to cash advances or balance transfers. Minimum payment: If your account balance is lower than $10, you must pay the entire balance. If you reside in the province of Quebec, your minimum payment will correspond to 2.5% of the credit card account balance plus any overdue payment or $10, whichever amount is higher. If you are a business that chose the corporate responsibility, please refer to the cardholder agreement and account statement. Account statement: A statement is sent monthly.
| Average balance | |
|---|---|---|
Annual interest rate | $500 | $3,000 |
22.99% | $9.45 | $56.69 |
20.99% | $8.63 | $51.76 |
14.5% | $5.96 | $35.75 |
11.7% | $4.81 | $28.85 |
*Variable interest rate in effect on April 24, 2023.
3 Subject to credit approval from National Bank. The total of all amounts transferred cannot exceed $5,000.
4 Certain conditions apply. Visit mastercard.caopens in a new tab for more information. Refer to the credit card terms and conditions.
This content is made available by National Bank and its affiliates for information purposes only. It does not create any legal or contractual obligations for National Bank and its affiliates. The conditions described herein are not exhaustive and are subject to change.
Some of our cards offer a compensation plan in the event of fraud by a cardholder. If necessary, the fraud compensation plan entitles you to a refund limited to the real loss resulting from fraudulent use of the card or account by the cardholder. This plan only applies in the event of fraudulent use by a cardholder who is not also an authorized signatory. The refund amount can be up to $100,000 per account per 12-month period. To use this plan, the company and all authorized signatories must fully collaborate with the Bank and file an official complaint with law enforcement authorities. The application of the fraud protection plan is governed by the conditions set out in section 14 of the credit card agreement. In particular, the plan does not apply if, through negligence, the cardholder contributed to the unauthorized or fraudulent use of the card or account by any person other than a cardholder.
National Bank is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. If you apply and get approved for a National Bank Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from National Bank, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
