ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

Incard vs Amex Business: cashback or points for your business spending?

American Express's UK business cards earn Membership Rewards points or Avios and all carry an annual fee, from £195 for Business Gold after a free first year. Incard pays uncapped cashback in money on eligible card spend on a £0 plan, from an account with GBP, EUR and USD IBANs.

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Incard suits you if

You want cashback in money, not points, with no annual fee
You want to spend your own money rather than repay a card each month
You pay in other currencies: 1.8% on Incard Free against Amex's 2.99%
You're a Swiss business, or a UK sole trader who doesn't want a credit card

Amex Business 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

Apply for Incard on incard.co

We may earn a commission if you apply.

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.
	Incard	Amex
Type and protection	E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS	Credit card · no deposits held
Who can open one	UK sole traders, UK limited companies, LLPs, Swiss GmbHs and AGs and Swiss sole traders	UK sole traders, UK limited companies and LLPs
Cheapest plan	Free: £0 a month	Business Gold: £195 a year (£0 in the first year)
Plans (monthly)	Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199	Business Gold £195 a year (£0 in the first year), British Airways Accelerating Business £250, Business Platinum £650
Card cashback	Free: 1% on ads, software and travel, 0.5% on other eligible spend. Higher on Grow and Plus. Uncapped	Gold and Platinum: 1 Membership Rewards point per £1, 2 on American Express Travel; British Airways Accelerating: 1.25 Avios per £1
Card payments in other currencies	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus	2.99%
Domestic transfers	100 included on Free, 250 on Grow, then £0.30 each	Not a current account; you need a UK business bank account
International transfers	3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)	Not listed
ATM withdrawals	2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad	British Airways Accelerating: 3% (£3 minimum) per cash advance; not listed for Gold and Platinum
Cash deposits	Not listed	Not listed
Currencies you can hold	GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs	Not listed
Accepting card payments	Not listed	Not listed

Annual fees

Every business card on Amex's UK site has an annual fee: Business Gold £195 (£0 in the first year), British Airways Accelerating Business £250 and Business Platinum £650. Incard's Free plan is £0, and its paid plans are Grow at £49 a month and Plus from £199.

Cashback vs points

Business Gold and Platinum earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1, or 2 on American Express Travel; the British Airways card earns 1.25 Avios per £1. What those are worth in pounds depends on how you redeem them.

Incard pays cashback in money: 1% on advertising, recurring software and travel and 0.5% on other eligible spend on Free, uncapped. On £5,000 a month of ad and software spend that's about £600 a year, against Business Gold's £195 fee from the second year. Simple arithmetic, not a forecast. See which brands count.

Spending abroad

Amex charges a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee. Incard charges 1.8% on Free and 1.5% on Grow and Plus, and lets you hold GBP, EUR and USD, with £5,000 a month of exchange at the interbank rate on Free.

Account vs charge card

Business Gold and Platinum are charge cards: anything above your Flexible Payment Option limit must be paid in full each month, with up to 54 days interest-free, and 29.1% p.a. (variable) on balances you spread. A director or member must give a guarantee. Because you borrow, there are no deposits for the FSCS to protect.

Incard is an account you pay into and spend from, safeguarded by an FCA-authorised e-money institution and not covered by the FSCS. Amex asks for a UK business bank or building society account, so you'd need one alongside Incard to apply.

Gold and Platinum are for UK limited companies and LLPs with turnover of at least £20,000 or £35,000; the British Airways card is open to sole traders. Incard accepts UK limited companies, LLPs and registered sole traders, and Swiss GmbH, AG and sole-trader businesses.

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

Our verdict

Incard is the better fit if you want a predictable return in money on ads, software and travel with no annual fee, and lower FX fees. Amex is the better fit if you value travel perks, lounge access or Avios enough to pay the fee, and clear the card every month.

Our pick for card spend

Open an Incard account

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E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS

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