Amex Business Cards
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Applying for Amex business cards is almost exactly the same process as applying for a personal Amex credit card — but there are a few differences if you’ve never done it before.
If you already have an Amex credit card, you can sign into your account to shorten the application process. But if you’re new to Amex, the first page of your business-card application will look like this:
The basic information, like your your personal information, is straightforward, so let’s look at the boxes that can be tricky and what you should enter for each one:
Legal business name: As a rule of thumb, for a sole proprietor you should use your name as the business name. If you are a sneaker reseller and don’t have an LLC or other form of business, your name would be used as the legal business name on card applications. However, if you have set up a legal structure for your business (LLC, etc.) or registered a name for your business (aka a fictitious name or DBA – doing business as), then you’ll put the name you registered here.
Business name on card: This is the business name that will appear on your credit card just below the name of the cardholder (you or the authorized user). You can just put your legal business name here, e.g. TCLICK LLC
Business address: This can be the same as your home address if you do business from home or don’t have a separate business address.
Company structure: In most cases your company structure will be “sole proprietorship.” If you’re running a business by yourself, you’re mostly likely a sole proprietor. This includes most freelancers, resellers, etc. But, if you’ve got a partner, select “partnership.” If you have set up some sort of legal business structure (LLC, S-Corp, etc.), choose “corporation.”
Number of employees: You count as an employee so you’ll always select at least one.
Annual business revenue: This is all the money your business earns in a year before taxes or any other expenses. If you’re just starting out in business, it’s okay to put zero.
Estimated monthly spend: The amount of monthly expenses you anticipate putting on the card.
Federal tax ID: If you’re a sole proprietor and you haven’t registered for a Federal tax ID, you use your Social Security number here.
Role in company: You are probably the owner, but if you’re not, select whichever best fits your job title.
Once you’ve filled out the last page and hit “continue,” you’ll get to a page like the one below (unless you’re signed into your Amex account).
On the second application page most of the questions are straightforward, but in the “Total Annual Income” box be sure you’re including all of your eligible income. If you’re over 21, this includes any income you can reasonably expect to use to pay your bills. Your “Total Annual Income” will include any profits you’ve taken from your business as well.
The Non-Taxable Annual Income box is optional and can be left blank, but if you receive any income that is exempt from federal income tax (Social Security, child support, disability benefits, etc.), you can enter that annual total.
The final step is selecting which address (home or business) you’d like American Express to send your bill to and then reviewing the terms and conditions. At this point you can save the application and apply later or submit it for review. Often you’ll get an instant response, but sometimes your application can go into pending status.
Once you are done, American Express will send you your employee cards in sets of 1-2 cards so expect a lot of mail envelopes. After your main/initial card has arrived, activate your card to gain access to the employee control dashboard. Personally, I activated each of my cards as they came in, which can be done here (I would recommend activating all of them, although I’ve had friends that haven’t, but to air on the side caution):
All of your cards will start with the same numbers except for the last 5 numbers (American Express Cards have 15 numbers and 4 digit CVV). The most efficient way to manually import cards is to create a spreadsheet with the cards first 10 numbers in column A and then the last unique 5 numbers in column B. Copy cell 1 in column A that contains the 10 digits and paste the same set of numbers down to row 100. In column B starting with the first row, cell B1, input the unique 5 ending numbers of each card. Repeat this for each card from cell B1 to B100. In column C you can use a formula to concatenate the two cells to capture your full card number, e.g. enter the following formula in cell C1, =CONCATENATE(A1,B1) .To replicate this for the rest of the cells in column C, drag the bottom right corner of cell C1 to C100. After all your card numbers are populated in column C, select cells C1 thru C100 and copy the cells. Once you’ve hit copy, right click and select paste special values (this will remove the formulas so the next time you copy/paste into a different file, you won’t paste a formula instead of a value). Your expiration dates should all be the same month and year, the only other unique part of the card you’ll have to capture is the CVV which is the 4 digit number aka your card verification value (typically 3 digits on Visa, Mastercard, etc.) I recommend putting your cards into a spreadsheet since you will have to create one anyway for the profile converter you’re using.
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If your card application is denied or put into the pending category, one option is to call Amex’s reconsideration line (877-399-3083 for new accounts). Sometimes answering a few simple questions or verifying minor details is all you’ll need to do to get an application approved. Other times you might be able to shift credit from existing accounts to the new card or be able to close an existing account to get your new application approved. Every situation is different but talking to an agent on the phone is an opportunity to humanize your application or at the very least find out the specific reasons your application was declined. American Express allows you to make up to 4 personal and 4 business lines under one account. Please remember that the majority of American Express business cards are charge cards and not credit cards. Read more about the differences here: Once you’ve applied and been approved, you can begin to generate employee cards. American express allows you to make up to 99 individual employee cards, so 100 in total if you include your main card. Each business line can only generate 99 physical cards. Their site will not stop you from creating more than 99 so keep track when you are making them or else customer service will call you a few days later to remind you of this. Start by logging into your American Express Account. Navigate to the employee control screen and click the “Add Employee Cards” button.
*One important thing to note, for Platinum/Gold cards, you have the option to make Plat/Gold employee cards. DO NOT DO THIS, you will be charged additional fees. Just select the American Express Green card (no additional fee) and will still obtain the same benefits as your regular card. Once you’re on the next screen, you’ll be asked to enter the employees name, name on the card, and email address. I use my name for each card, do not use random or fake employee names (unless you have real employees you want to make cards for). You can create 5 employee cards at a time. Use autofill and repeat until you reach 100 cards (this can be done in one sitting, takes about 10 minutes).
Business Platinum Card - Business Gold Card - Business Plum Card - Explore all different American Express business card options before settling on one. Find which benefits work best for your business and make an informed decision prior to apply.
