Amex Business Gold limits advertising and wireless 4X to named merchants in 2027
From February 17, the U.S. card’s advertising and wireless categories narrow to direct purchases at specified companies; the top-two-category structure remains.
TL;DR
Starting 2027-02-17, U.S. Amex Business Gold advertising and wireless purchases must meet named-merchant restrictions to qualify for the 4X categories. Review who actually bills your business before assuming recurring spend will keep earning bonus points.
- The change affects two bonus categories; it does not remove the card’s entire 4X structure.
- Qualifying spend must still rank among the account’s top two eligible categories each billing period.
What changed
American Express has added a dated restriction to its U.S. Business Gold terms. From 2027-02-17, advertising and monthly wireless telephone service will qualify for their bonus categories only at specified companies, with direct billing required. The notice was surfaced by Doctor of Credit on October 16, 2026.
That matters if your business uses smaller advertising platforms, an agency that bills you itself, or a phone provider outside the list. A familiar expense label will no longer be enough to establish eligibility under these categories.
Which purchases qualify
| Category | Eligible direct purchases | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. online, TV and radio advertising | Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, GoDaddy and Yelp | Check the company charging the card, not just the platform on which an ad appears. |
| U.S. monthly wireless telephone service | Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Frontier, Comcast, Charter, Spectrum Mobile, UScellular, Optimum, Ultra Mobile and Mint Mobile | The list concerns monthly phone service; it is not blanket eligibility for every purchase from these companies. |
| Bonus selection and cap | 4X in the top two of six eligible categories per billing period, on up to $150,000 combined each calendar year | The cap is shared across those categories and the account, rather than renewed separately for each merchant. |
Who should review their card choice
Businesses with substantial spending outside the named merchants should revisit their expected rewards before renewal. The other four categories remain in the published structure: U.S. electronics/software/cloud providers, U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations and transit. Compare your own eligible spending rather than treating this as a universal loss of value.
The terms already separately exclude Google Fi and certain third-party, retailer and reseller wireless purchases. Their absence from the new list should not be described as proof that those purchases qualified before. This notice also does not establish a change to another card’s wireless statement credit.
What to do next
- List the merchant shown on each recurring advertising and phone charge, including agency-billed campaigns.
- Ask Amex about uncertain billers before relying on future bonus earnings; retain the response and applicable terms.
- Add the effective date to your benefit notes and compare rewards after the change, subject to the top-two-category rule and annual cap.
Sources
Official terms were checked on October 17, 2026. Merchant coding and the information received by Amex still determine whether a particular charge earns bonus points.
Keep exploring
Before you act
- This article covers the U.S. Business Gold card. Confirm uncertain merchant eligibility with Amex; a listed company does not make every charge a qualifying purchase.
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