We’ve talked a lot about regular (“personal” or “consumer”) credit cards, but there are also a few “business” cards. Those issued by American Express offer some of the most valuable welcome bonuses in Canada (with amazing benefits too), and you don’t need an incorporated business to be eligible to get them!
Here are the details.
Eligibility for Amex “business” cards
Having the word “business” in the card name can seem a little confusing indeed.
But no, contrary to the widespread myth, you do not need to be incorporated as a business and you do not even need to be self-employed or anything at all to get an American Express “business” card.
There are no requirements at all in fact, as you read yourself on their official application page!
There are a few special instructions for the application itself though!
How to apply for Amex “business” cards
For the legal name of the business, put your full name.
For the business income, you can estimate a very minimal non-employment income that you might want to reach in any given way (maybe you’ll resell things on Facebook Marketplace for example), they won’t ask for proof of income this way.
The number of employees would be 1 (you) if you don’t have any employees.
That’s what I did with my American Express Business Gold Card just to show you, even though I could’ve used Flytrippers as a business. My name appears as the business name under my name.
As with personal credit cards, Amex pretty much only looks at your credit score, unlike all other banks.
(Other banks often have minimum income requirements for regular cards and only allow businesses to get “business” cards too!)
So with Amex, you can get those “business” cards to have even more potential to earn free travel!
The welcome bonuses for “business” credit cards are very high, but some of them come with higher minimum spend requirements than regular consumer cards. So that’s sometimes the main obstacle, as it can be a bit more difficult to reach them, even with our tips.
It’s worth the effort though, to get the most valuable points out there, which are often those offered by Amex (either Amex points, Aeroplan points, or Marriott points).
The best Amex “business” cards in Canada
Here are the best Amex “business cards” worth considering at the moment!
| Best Amex "business" credit cards |
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 Valuation (BONUS)(≈ 6.9% back on $7.5k)
Rewards: ≈ $713
Card fee: $199
Spend required:$7.5k in 3 mos.
Best for: More valuable Amex points for Aeroplan or Avios
 LUCRATIVE
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Valuation (BONUS) (≈ 7.5% back on $15k)
Rewards: ≈ $1922
Card fee: $799
Spend required:$15k in 3 mos.
Best for: Big spenders & luxury travelers
LUCRATIVE
|
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Valuation (BONUS) (≈ 9.6% back on $5k)
Rewards: ≈ $630
Card fee: $150
Spend required:$5k in 3 mos.
Best for: Valuable Marriott certificate another must-have
 LUCRATIVE
|
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| Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information. |
| Best Amex "business" credit cards |
WELCOME BONUS ( VALUATION) |
Best for |
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Card: no business required
Min. spend (bonus): $7.5k in 3 mos.
|
Rewards: ≈ $713
Card fee: $199
|
More valuable
Amex points
for Aeroplan or Avios
|
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Card: no business required
Min. spend (bonus): $15k in 3 mos.
|
Rewards: ≈ $1922
Card fee: $799
|
Big spenders
& luxury
travelers
|
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|
Card: no business required
Min. spend (bonus): $5k in 3 mos.
|
Rewards: ≈ $630
Card fee: $150
|
Valuable Marriott
certificate
another must-have
|
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Card: no business required
Min. spend (bonus): $10.5k in 3 mos.
|
Rewards: ≈ $1172
Card fee: $599
|
Frequent Air Canada
travel
& maximizing Aeroplan
|
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| Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Financial institutions are not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "See More" to see most up-to-date information. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Summary
American Express “business” cards are a great way to earn even more travel rewards. All travelers are eligible to get them, despite what the name seems to indicate!
Have any questions about American Express “business” cards? Ask us in the comments below.
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