ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Amex vs Barclaycard

Two business charge cards, Business Gold and Business Platinum, for UK limited companies and LLPs, and the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card, which sole traders can also apply for. All earn points or Avios and carry an annual fee. Business credit cards from Barclays for UK businesses with turnover between £10,000 and £6.5 million: Select Cashback with no annual fee, and Premium Plus with a £150 fee, 0% on purchases for six months and a lower FX fee. We also show Incard, our pick for businesses whose main costs go on cards.

By the editorial team. How we make money.

Where Incard beats both

You spend thousands a month on cards, especially on advertising, software or travel
You want a euro account, which Amex or Barclaycard don't list
You want a US dollar account, which Amex or Barclaycard don't list
You're comfortable with safeguarding instead of FSCS cover

cashback a year on Incard's £0 Free plan from £5,000 a month of eligible ads, software and travel spend. Simple arithmetic, not a forecast.

£600

Apply for Incard on incard.co

We may earn a commission if you apply.

What a year of card spending earns you

Incard Free against Amex's cheapest plan, at your monthly spend on ads, software and travel.

Monthly card spend on ads, software and travel£5,000

£795 a year better off with Incard

Incard Free: £600 cashback, £0 fees
Amex's cheapest plan: no cashback, £195 fees

Simple arithmetic, not a forecast: 1% on eligible ads, software and travel spend at merchants on Incard's eligible brand list, and each plan's published monthly fee. Other fees, such as FX and ATM charges, aren't included. Amex's cheapest plan: Business Gold: £195 a year (£0 in the first year).

Amex suits you if

You want points or Avios on business spend and will pay an annual fee
You pay the balance in full each month and want up to 54 days interest-free
You're a sole trader collecting Avios with the British Airways Accelerating Business card
You want airport lounge access through Business Platinum

Barclaycard suits you if

You want a business credit card with no annual fee and spend £2,000 or more a month on it
You want 0% on purchases for the first six months (Premium Plus)
You pay in foreign currencies and would pay £150 a year for a 0.99% FX fee
You want to add free cardholders and set spending controls

At a glance

**Table notes:** correct as of 8 November 2026, from each provider's own pages listed under Sources. “Not listed” means the provider's pages we checked don't say.
	Amex	Barclaycard	Incard
Type and protection	Credit card · no deposits held	Credit card · no deposits held	E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS
Who can open one	UK sole traders, UK limited companies and LLPs	UK sole traders and UK limited companies	UK sole traders, UK limited companies, LLPs, Swiss GmbHs and AGs and Swiss sole traders
Cheapest plan	Business Gold: £195 a year (£0 in the first year)	Select Cashback: £0 a year	Free: £0 a month
Plans (monthly)	Business Gold £195 a year (£0 in the first year), British Airways Accelerating Business £250, Business Platinum £650	Select Cashback £0, Select charge card £42, Premium Plus £150 a year	Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199
Card cashback	Gold and Platinum: 1 Membership Rewards point per £1, 2 on American Express Travel; British Airways Accelerating: 1.25 Avios per £1	Select Cashback 1% uncapped in months with £2,000+ spend; Premium Plus 0.5%, up to £400 a year	Free: 1% on ads, software and travel, 0.5% on other eligible spend. Higher on Grow and Plus. Uncapped
Card payments in other currencies	2.99%	2.99% on Select Cashback; 0.99% on Premium Plus	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus
Domestic transfers	Not a current account; you need a UK business bank account	Not listed	100 included on Free, 250 on Grow, then £0.30 each
International transfers	Not listed	Not listed	3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)
ATM withdrawals	British Airways Accelerating: 3% (£3 minimum) per cash advance; not listed for Gold and Platinum	3% (minimum £3) per cash withdrawal, plus interest	2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad
Cash deposits	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed
Currencies you can hold	Not listed	Not listed	GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs
Accepting card payments	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed

Where they differ

Based on what each provider lists on its own pages. If a feature isn't listed, check with the provider before you rule it out.

Only Incard lists a euro account, a US dollar account, accounts for Swiss GmbHs and AGs and accounts for Swiss sole traders.

What each one is, and who can open one

Amex

The cards are offered by American Express Services Europe Limited (company number 1833139), authorised and regulated by the FCA under registration number 661836. These are charge and credit cards from a lender: you spend on credit and repay American Express, and it doesn't hold your deposits, so FSCS deposit protection doesn't apply. If you overpay, American Express returns the overpayment and pays no interest on it.

Who can open one: Business Gold and Business Platinum: UK limited companies and LLPs, applied for by a director or member aged 18 or over with a permanent UK home address, personal income and business turnover of at least £20,000 (Gold) or £35,000 (Platinum), and a UK business bank or building society account. A director or member must give a guarantee. British Airways Accelerating Business: sole traders and small businesses, with an applicant aged 18 or over, a permanent UK home address, income of at least £20,000 and a UK business bank account. Full Amex profile.

Barclaycard

Barclaycard is a trading name of Barclays Bank PLC, authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and the PRA (Financial Services Register number 122702). A credit or charge card from a lender: you borrow from Barclays Bank PLC and repay it, and the card doesn't hold your deposits, so FSCS deposit protection doesn't apply to a card balance.

Who can open one: UK-based business owners and directors, including sole traders, with directors and employees aged 18 or over and business turnover (or a new-business plan) between £10,000 and £6,500,000 a year. You and the business mustn't be bankrupt, existing credit must have been managed well for the last 12 months, and you can't have been declined for a Barclaycard commercial card in the last six months. Full Barclaycard profile.

Incard

Incard Ltd is authorised by the FCA as an electronic money institution (firm reference number 1027309). It is not a bank. Safeguarded: Incard keeps customer funds separate from its own money, in accounts with authorised credit institutions, and doesn't lend or invest them. Funds are not protected by the FSCS.

Who can open one: UK limited companies and LLPs, UK sole traders and freelancers registered with their local authority, and Swiss GmbH, AG and sole-trader businesses. EEA onboarding is paused until an expected restart in 2027. Public sector bodies, cooperatives, charities, foundations and trusts aren't accepted, and a long list of industries is restricted. Full Incard profile.

Our e-money vs bank account guide explains what safeguarding and FSCS cover mean if a provider fails.

When Incard isn't the answer

Incard isn't the right account if

Your business is registered outside the UK and Switzerland. EEA onboarding is paused until an expected restart in 2027
You're a charity, cooperative, foundation, trust or public body, or work in one of Incard's restricted industries