Amex Business Gold vs The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

Both business cards worked out on the same spending: rewards, welcome bonus, fees and perks, line by line.

amex business gold

American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card

4.5

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The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

3.1

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Worked out on a typical small business spending $4,000 a month. Enter yours to see your own numbers.

$1,866

First-year value

$1,363

$536

Every year after

$663

Amex Business Gold is worth $503 more to your business in year one.

From year two, The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card pulls ahead by $127 a year.

How the first year adds up

Rewards and the welcome bonus in, the annual fee, FX fees and employee cards out, at your spending.

$915.19
in American Express Membership Rewards points a year

Annual rewards

Better of the two$963.36
in RBC Avion (Elite) Rewards points a year
+ $1,330Better of the two
first year only

Welcome bonus

+ $700
first year only
− $199

Annual fee

Better of the two− $120
− $180
2.5% on $600/mo

FX fees

− $180
2.5% on $600/mo
$1,866.19Better of the two

First-year value

$1,363.36

Where each card earns

A year of your spending on each card, category by category, biggest spend first.

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card earns more on 17 of your 17 categories.

$239.4
at 1x

All Other Business Expenses

$12,600 a year

Better of the two$252
at 1x
$116.74
at 1x

US Dollar Purchases

$6,150 a year

Better of the two$122.88
at 1x
$91.2
at 1x

Recurring Bills & Subscriptions

$4,800 a year

Better of the two$96
at 1x
$68.4
at 1x

Gas & EV Charging

$3,600 a year

Better of the two$72
at 1x
$68.4
at 1x

Dining & Restaurants

$3,600 a year

Better of the two$72
at 1x
$57
at 1x

Office Supplies

$3,000 a year

Better of the two$60
at 1x
$45.6
at 1x

Phone, Internet & Cable

$2,400 a year

Better of the two$48
at 1x
$34.2
at 1x

Hotels

$1,800 a year

Better of the two$36
at 1x
$34.2
at 1x

Shipping & Courier

$1,800 a year

Better of the two$36
at 1x
$34.2
at 1x

Accounting & Bookkeeping

$1,800 a year

Better of the two$36
at 1x
$23.26
at 1x

Other Foreign Currencies (EUR, GBP, etc.)

$1,230 a year

Better of the two$24.48
at 1x
$22.8
at 1x

Electronics & Software

$1,200 a year

Better of the two$24
at 1x
$22.8
at 1x

Air Canada

$1,200 a year

Better of the two$24
at 1x
$22.8
at 1x

Transportation

$1,200 a year

Better of the two$24
at 1x
$11.4
at 1x

Other Airlines

$600 a year

Better of the two$12
at 1x
$11.4
at 1x

Car Rental

$600 a year

Better of the two$12
at 1x
$11.4
at 1x

Other Travel

$600 a year

Better of the two$12
at 1x
$0
10,000 points each quarter when you charge $20,000 in net purchases to your Card

Spend bonuses

on top of the rates

$0
none
$915.19

Rewards in a year

Better of the two$963.36

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.

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

  • Enjoy 35,000 Welcome Avion points upon enrollment1

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

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

Worth $700 at your spending

35,000 Avion points on enrollment

35,000 pts

Fees, rates and eligibility

What each card costs to hold and to use abroad, and who it's for.

$199

Annual fee

Better of the two$120
$50

Employee cards

$50
2.5%

Foreign transaction fee

2.5%
American Express Membership Rewards

Rewards

RBC Avion (Elite) Rewards
American Express

Network

Visa

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

300
Poor
693
Fair
743⁎
Good
790⁎
Very Good
833⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on TransUnion scoring

Income required

Min Personal Income:

N/A

Min Household Income:

N/A

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

Interest rates

Purchase:

19.99%

Cash Advance:

22.99%

Balance Transfer:

22.99%

Recommended credit score

300
Poor
560
Fair
660⁎
Good
725⁎
Very Good
760⁎
Excellent
⁎Estimates based on Equifax scoring

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

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

  • Earn 1 Avion point for every $1 spent in net purchases with your card3

Insurance and perks

What both cards include comes first in each list.

Amex Business Gold

Insurance

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    yes
  • heart lock

    Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

    $100,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500
  • mobile device insurance

    Mobile Device Insurance

    $1,000

Perks

  • travel

    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.
  • airport waiting room

    Priority Travel

    Enjoy premium benefits at the Toronto Pearson Airport, including access to the Pearson Priority Security Lane and discount on parking.
  • Amex logo

    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™

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

Insurance

  • lost baggage

    Lost or Stolen Baggage

    $500
  • hourglass timer

    Baggage Delay

    $500
  • car insurance

    Car Rental Damage & Theft

    Included
  • heart lock

    Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance

    $500,000
  • extended warranty

    Extended Warranty

    Up to 1 year
  • purchase protection

    Purchase Protection

    90 days
  • burglar

    Hotel Burglary Insurance

    $2,500
  • hourglass timer

    Flight Delay

    $500
  • cancel airplane

    Trip Cancellation

    $1,500
  • pause

    Trip Interruption

    $5,000

Perks

  • gas station

    Gas Discount

    save 3¢/L on fuel and always earn 20% more Petro-Points at Petro-Canada and 20% more Avion points at Petro-Canada

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

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

A straightforward travel rewards card: 1 Avion point per dollar on everything, no bonus categories to chase. The real appeal is the flexibility — Avion points transfer to British Airways Avios, WestJet dollars, and Cathay Pacific miles, giving you multiple ways to get value from your spending. At $120/year it’s reasonably priced for a travel card, and the 35,000-point welcome bonus helps offset the fee in year one. The 1x flat rate won’t wow anyone, but if you want a simple earn-and-transfer card for a business that spends broadly, this does it well. Just know that non-travel redemptions are poor value.

  • Decent reward flat rate
  • Flexible redemption options
  • Comprehensive insurance
  • Interest-free grace period
  • Potential annual fee discount
  • Gas discounts
  • Low base earn rate
  • No lounge access
  • Supplementary card fees
  • Foreign transaction fees
  • Limited premium perks
  • No emergency medical insurance
  • Limited additional cards

More business card comparisons

Each card against every other business card we review.

Amex Business Gold

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

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.

The RBC Avion Visa Business Credit Card

1 To receive the 35,000 Welcome Avion points (“Welcome Points”), your application must be approved by us. The Welcome Points will appear on your first credit card statement after your application has been approved. Only the primary business owner on the account is eligible for the Welcome Points; additional business owner(s) and cardholder(s), existing RBC Avion Visa Business cardholders, as well as existing RBC Avion Infinite Visa Business cardholders, applying for or transferring to the RBC Avion Visa Business credit card are not eligible for this offer. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Royal Bank of Canada reserves the right to cancel, modify or withdraw this offer at any time, including if we suspect that you may be manipulating or abusing it, or engaging in any suspicious or fraudulent activity, as determined by Royal Bank of Canada in its sole discretion.


3 Avion points are earned on net purchases only; they are not earned on cash advances (including balance transfers, cash-like transactions and certain bill payments), interest charges or fees, and credits for returns and adjustments will reduce or cancel the points earned by the amounts originally charged.