Business Green Rewards Card From AmEx: Is It Worth Its Annual Fee?

The simple rewards structure and welcome bonus can be valuable, but you might find better bang for your buck.
Jennifer Calonia
By Jennifer Calonia 
Updated
Edited by June Casagrande

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If you’re in the market for a new business card, you might be considering one from American Express. Aside from its co-branded cards, AmEx offers six business cards, including the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express. Although this card's annual fee is $0 intro for the first year, then $95 (This offer is no longer valid on our site.), you’ll need to determine whether the card is worth carrying. Terms apply.

Here are a few points to consider when deciding whether the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express would be useful for you.

Valuable perks

Welcome bonus offer

Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases with the Business Green Rewards Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply. (This offer is no longer valid on our site).

According to AmEx's Award Calculator, this welcome bonus offer alone is worth $150 when redeemed for travel through American Express Travel. If you’re confident you can meet this minimum spend within the promotional period, this bonus more than makes up for the annual fee for one year. Terms apply.

Although a welcome bonus offer is better than no bonus at all, there are more lucrative bonus promotions offered elsewhere. For example, the Capital One Spark Cash for Business has a more valuable bonus: Earn a one-time $500 cash bonus once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.

No interest charges

Other cards may charge interest, but the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express doesn’t. Standard cardholders aren't able to roll over balances between statements — it requires you to pay the entire statement in full every month, helping you save money on interest. Terms apply.

You’ll need to be mindful of your business spending and cash flow to ensure you have sufficient funds to repay each statement’s balance. Eligible cardmembers can choose the Pay Over Time feature to extend payments over several months, with interest.

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No preset purchase limits

Since you’re expected to pay your entire statement each month, the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express doesn’t have a preset spending limit. This gives your business greater access to cash flow when you need it most, helping you and your employees remain flexible as needed. Terms apply.

Although the card doesn’t have a preset spending limit, AmEx still monitors your payment history, credit and other criteria on an ongoing basis to adjust your spend power. Cardholders can pay over time with interest.

Straightforward travel rewards

If you prefer a no-fuss rewards program that doesn’t require tracking changing bonus rewards categories, you might enjoy the ease of this one. With the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express, you can earn:

  • 2x points per dollar spent on AmExTravel.com.

  • 1x points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

There’s no ambiguity about what type of travel (that is, rideshare versus flights, hotels versus short-term rentals) is eligible for 2x points — AmEx makes it plain and simple that travel purchases on AmExTravel.com will earn you extra rewards. Terms apply.

Although you can earn double the rewards on business travel, it’s not the best card to take with you abroad. That’s because purchases made outside of the U.S. incur a 2.7% foreign transaction fee. If you spent $3,000 overseas, for example, you’d be charged $81 in fees — that’s nearly the amount of the annual fee you’d normally pay. If you travel and spend internationally, consider a card with no foreign transaction fees.

Employee cards

One of the advantages of the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is the convenience of adding employee cards for no cost. You can manage your business finances with ease, as transactions made on employee cards also earn rewards and you can set up unique spending limits on individual cards. Terms apply.

Adding employee cards without annual fees is a standard among AmEx’s other business cards, like the American Express® Business Gold Card as well.

The bottom line

Is this card worth it? With the waived annual fee in the first year and the welcome bonus offer, you might get your money’s worth out of the card for about two years. That’s if you meet the spend requirements and conduct most of your travel arrangements on AmExTravel.com. Terms apply.

After two years, you might find more competitive offers and rewards programs through other card issuers.

All information about the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is no longer available through NerdWallet.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

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