American Express Launches Huge Business Card Bonuses: Up to 120,000 Points

American Express has today relaunched the biggest sign-up bonus ever seen on a UK payment card. The American Express Business Platinum Card is offering a massive 120,000 Membership Rewards points — which convert directly into 120,000 Avios or 120,000 Virgin Points. Meanwhile, the Business Gold Card (free for the first year) is offering 60,000 points.

As a holder of both these cards, I genuinely think these are the most compelling offers in the UK points and miles space right now. If you run a limited company and haven't applied yet, this is the time to seriously consider it.

Both offers run until 5th May 2026, and crucially, there are absolutely no restrictions on who qualifies for the welcome bonus. It doesn't matter what other Amex cards you hold or have held — if you're accepted and hit the spending target, you'll receive the bonus. Full stop.

120,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £12,000 within three months of approval. The card carries an annual fee of £650 (tax deductible as a business expense), though this is offset significantly by the card's benefits including £200 in Amex Travel credit and £150 in Dell credit annually.

60,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £6,000 within three months of approval. The card is completely free for the first year (then £195 per annum). This makes it an exceptionally low-risk way to collect a massive points haul.

You can apply for both cards and receive the welcome bonus on each — so the maximum available is a combined 180,000 Membership Rewards points.

Membership Rewards points are incredibly flexible. The headline conversion for most of our readers will be 1:1 into Avios or Virgin Points. That means the Business Platinum bonus alone gets you 120,000 Avios — enough for a return business class flight from London to most US destinations with British Airways (off-peak pricing starts at 80,000 Avios one way, but check our Avios pricing tool for exact costs to your destination).

Here's what 120,000 points converts to across different programmes:

For the 60,000 Business Gold bonus, simply halve the figures above. Even 60,000 Avios gets you a long way — that's enough for a return trip to New York in economy, or a one-way business class flight to certain Middle Eastern destinations.

This is where there's an important change from previous offers. Since January 2026, both cards are only available to Limited Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs). Sole traders are unfortunately no longer accepted for Business Gold or Business Platinum.

The eligibility criteria are otherwise fairly straightforward:

That last point is worth emphasising. Even if your limited company is relatively new or not generating significant revenue, you can still apply provided you meet the personal income threshold.

Since 2024, American Express removed all restrictions on business card sign-up bonuses. This means:

This is a stark contrast to the personal Amex cards, where the 24-month rule still applies. The business cards operate on a completely different system.

Having carried this card for a while now, the benefits I get the most value from are:

There are a couple of structural changes worth noting if you've held these cards before:

Firstly, both cards now include a Flexible Payment Option. They're no longer strictly charge cards — you can now choose to roll over part of your balance (up to your Flexible Payment Option limit) with interest at 29.1% variable. Any balance above that limit must still be paid in full monthly. If you pay in full each month (as I'd recommend), nothing changes for you in practice.

Secondly, as mentioned, sole traders are no longer accepted. This is a significant change that will unfortunately exclude some of our readers. If you're a sole trader looking for a business card that earns Avios, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Card remains an excellent option — it's free, earns 1 Avios per £1 spent, and is available to sole traders. You can read more in our business credit card recommendations.

I hold both the Amex Business Gold and Business Platinum, and I consider them essential parts of my points-earning strategy. The Business Platinum in particular has been tremendous value for me — the Priority Pass lounge access alone has made countless airport visits far more comfortable, and the travel insurance gives genuine peace of mind.

If I were choosing just one of these cards today, I'd lean towards the Business Gold as a starting point. Why? Because it's free for the first year, the spending requirement is half that of the Platinum (£6,000 vs £12,000), and 60,000 points for zero annual fee is an incredible deal. You can always upgrade to Business Platinum later if the additional benefits justify the £650 fee for your travel habits.

That said, if you travel frequently and can meet the £12,000 spend in three months, the Business Platinum is hard to beat. The combination of 120,000 points, lounge access, hotel statuses, and comprehensive insurance makes the effective cost of the card far lower than the sticker price suggests.

And remember — you can apply for both cards and receive both welcome bonuses. That's a potential 180,000 Membership Rewards points, which converts to 180,000 Avios. To put that in perspective, that's enough for a return business class flight to Tokyo with British Airways during off-peak dates (100,000 Avios each way off-peak).

You can apply for the American Express Business Platinum Card (120,000 points) or the American Express Business Gold Card (60,000 points, free for year one) through our links. Decisions are typically instant, so you'll know quickly if you've been accepted.

These offers expire on 5th May 2026. I'd recommend applying sooner rather than later, particularly as Amex has a history of pulling enhanced offers early if they hit their acquisition targets.

For a full rundown of all the best UK credit cards for earning Avios and other travel rewards, check out our Avios earning credit card guide or our business credit card recommendations.

Happy points collecting!

Jack

Disclaimer: Smart With Points is a journalistic website and newsletter. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. Smart With Points may receive a commission from some of the links in this article. Terms and conditions apply to all offers mentioned.