For most sole traders and small operators, cashflow isn’t a spreadsheet problem, it’s a waiting problem. Clients pay late. Platforms hold funds. HMRC wants its cut on time regardless. Meanwhile, rent, software subscriptions and suppliers don’t care whether your last invoice is still “with accounts”.
To help, American Express has launched a new Flexible Payment Option designed to give small business owners more breathing room when cashflow gets tight, without forcing them into loans, overdrafts or personal savings.
Available to new Business Platinum and Business Gold Cardmembers, the feature allows businesses to choose how they repay their monthly card balance. Instead of being forced to pay everything off in one go, cardholders can pay the full balance, the minimum amount due, or anything in between, with interest only applied to the amount carried forward.
Crucially, nothing changes for those who can pay in full. If the balance is cleared by the statement due date, no interest is charged. Cardholders also continue to benefit from up to 54 days interest-free before payment is due, helping keep cash in the business for longer.
For many sole traders and small business owners, managing uneven income is the reality, invoices land late, clients delay payment, and costs don’t wait. American Express says the new option is aimed at supporting businesses through those short-term pressure points, without pushing owners towards separate borrowing or dipping into personal finances.
Ruchi Sharma, Vice President of UK Commercial at American Express, said the feature gives business owners flexibility when opportunities, or unexpected costs, arise, allowing them to smooth payments rather than stall growth.
The Flexible Payment Option is built directly into the card and managed through the Amex app or online account, meaning there’s no separate application process or loan product to juggle.
Alongside payment flexibility, Business Platinum and Gold Cards continue to operate without a pre-set spending limit, with available spending power adjusting dynamically based on how the business uses the card. Cardmembers can also earn Membership Rewards points on everyday spending, which can be redeemed for travel, experiences or purchases.
For self-employed people running lean operations, the launch reflects a wider shift towards embedded finance tools that sit quietly in the background, there when needed, invisible when not, rather than rigid lending products that assume predictable monthly income.
