What Is the Easiest AmEx Business Card to Get?

AmEx business cards offer a variety of rewards, perks and benefits so you’ll need to size up several options.
Brian O'Connor
By Brian O'Connor 
Published
Edited by Christine Aebischer

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There are a number of American Express business credit cards that come with rewards and perks designed to benefit business owners. That leaves many applicants wondering what the easiest AmEx business credit card to get might be. What constitutes the easiest AmEx business card, however, is complicated.

Every AmEx business credit card requires certain basics from applicants, including strong personal credit (typically a FICO score of at least 690), as well as business revenue and liquidity (if your company is established enough to have these).

Because the qualifications across these cards are similar, there isn't necessarily an AmEx business card that's any easier to obtain than any other. But that doesn't mean you should blindly pick among the offerings, particularly if you're just starting your business. Read on for more details on the factors you should consider when choosing an American Express business card, and compare the offers near the bottom to find the best card for your business needs.

Good to excellent credit is a must

American Express doesn’t specifically spell out its credit score requirements for business cards, but applicants should have good to excellent credit, with scores ranging from 690 to 850.

Your personal finances play a large role in whether or not you can get a business credit card. New businesses may not have enough credit history on their own to help issuers determine their creditworthiness, so a personal credit history helps fill in the gaps. If your personal credit score is low, you may have a hard time getting a card for your business.

If you’re below the average American Express credit score, rejection isn’t necessarily guaranteed. Other factors, such as personal income, can have an impact. The same goes for your business credit history, annual revenue and cash reserves.

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5.0

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4.6

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Annual fee 

$0

Annual fee 

$150

Annual fee 

$0

Regular APR 

18.49%-24.49% Variable APR

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Rates & Fees

Regular APR 

18.49%-26.49% Variable APR

Rates & Fees

Intro APR 

0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months

Intro APR 

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Intro APR 

0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening

Likelihood of approval 

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Look at rewards, fees and purchase flexibility

Since American Express business cards usually require the same credit score range, finding the easiest AmEx business card to get is likely to end up being a draw. Instead, consider the advantages each card provides, such as rewards, fees and purchasing power. These are areas where American Express business cards tend to differ the most.

For instance, if you travel frequently, you may want to consider a card that rewards you with airline miles or hotel perks. If you’re more concerned with keeping costs low and are fine with flat-rate rewards, having a card with an introductory 0% annual percentage rate and no annual fee could be a strong option. Should you want the ability to buy above your credit limit, a card that emphasizes purchase flexibility might be a good choice.

Top American Express Business Cards

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Our pick for: Introductory APR and $0 annual fee

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
NerdWallet rating 

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express offers a strong rewards program and a $0 annual fee. It also offers 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%-26.49% Variable APR. Terms apply.

This card offers 1x to 2x points on everyday business purchases. You can get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases every year; after that, you’ll receive 1x points for all additional purchases. Terms apply. The flexibility that comes with points-eligible purchases makes this a good card for business owners who want a broad range of opportunities to earn points, while the $0 annual fee makes it an easier card to get for business owners who want to keep extraneous expenses down.

American Express® Business Gold Card

Our pick for: Customizable rewards

American Express® Business Gold Card
NerdWallet rating 

Not every business has the same kind of expenses. That’s why the American Express® Business Gold Card offers six bonus categories that can earn you rewards for everyday spending. Better still, this card automatically earns 4x points for your two most commonly used categories every month (up to the first $150,000 in combined purchases).

Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply. This is in addition to the 4x points you can get from two categories each calendar year (up to the $150,000 limit).

The annual fee on the American Express® Business Gold Card comes in at $375, which means you should consider how often you plan to use the card before applying. But if you expect to use a business card often, this option might be a good fit.

The Plum Card® from American Express

Our pick for: Flexible financing

The Plum Card® from American Express
NerdWallet rating 

Many businesses require a large amount of working capital but may not have consistent cash flow to match. The Plum Card® from American Express can help you with flexible spending: You can take up to 60 days to pay your balance without interest when paying the minimum due by the payment due date. If you pay the bill within 10 days of the statement closing date, there's a 1.5% early pay discount. Terms apply.

Additionally, this card has no preset spending limit; the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history. Terms apply.

The Plum Card® from American Express also comes with an annual fee of $250. There are no foreign transaction fees with this card either, which can come in handy if you need to use it overseas.

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

Our pick for: Hotel rewards

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
NerdWallet rating 

If you travel often, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card can help you make the most of your business expenses with Marriott hotel rewards. You’ll get rewarded for everyday business purchases as well as eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program.

Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply.

Better still, you’ll get the following: 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. 2x points on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply. Terms apply.

To view rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Plum Card® from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, see this page.
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