Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
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Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
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Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
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You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
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objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
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Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Overview
The bottom line:
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers straightforward, solid cash back, and it does the redemption work for you. Consider it if your business expenses vary and are less than $50,000 a year.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
17.24%-27.24% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening
Rewards rate
1%-2%
Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. Terms Apply.
Cashback
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Intro offer
$250
Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months. Terms Apply.
Pros & Cons
Pros
High cash-back bonus rate
Intro APR period
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
Spending caps on bonus rewards
Low rate after you hit bonus cap
More details from American Express
Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 17.24% – 27.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. APRs will not exceed 29.99%
Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That’s why you’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
No Annual Fee
Terms Apply
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is an excellent starter card for new businesses and side hustlers.
You’ll get 2% cash back on your first $50,000 in eligible purchases each calendar year, and 1% after that. (Terms apply.) AmEx automatically credits that money to your statement. There’s also a long intro APR period and a small — but easily attainable — welcome offer.
But the card is easy to outgrow. A cash-back card without a rewards cap will net you more money when your operating budget increases. A bonus category card will also likely earn you more as your expenses consolidate in specific areas, like shipping, office supplies or telecom.
This card is ideal for:
✔️ Very small businesses.
✔️ Less than $50K annual spend.
✔️ No annual fee.
Not a fit? Consider these business credit cards
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
This card has no annual fee and earns a flat 1.5% cash back. While that rate is less than the American Express® Blue Business Cash Card, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card has no caps or reward limits. It also has a more substantial welcome offer: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
If your business spending is concentrated in areas like shipping, office supplies, gas or advertising, you’ll earn more rewards with the U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card . This card offers an unlimited cash-back rate (of up to 3%) in those areas. It also has an intro APR period, no annual fee and a solid welcome offer.
💰 Welcome bonus: Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months. Terms Apply.
🎉 Rewards: Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. Terms Apply.
📈 APR: 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-27.24% Variable APR.
📍 Minimum credit limit: Not disclosed.
💷 Foreign transaction fee: 2.7%.
🎆 Other benefits:
Flexibility to spend a limited amount above your credit limit with AmEx’s Extended Buying Power. Terms apply.
Add up to 99 employee cards to your account for no additional fee.
Can set unique spending limits for each employee card and restrict purchases by category/merchant type.
for The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card.
Benefits and perks
2% back, no annual fee
There's no need to track categories or juggle multiple cards. Everything you buy with The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card will net you 2% cash back until you hit that $50,000 annual spending cap. Then, you'll earn a 1% cash back on all spending. Terms apply.
If you max out the spending cap, you'll net $1,000 back. Other cards may offer greater potential earnings — but not many with an annual fee of $0.
0% intro APR offer
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-27.24% Variable APR (terms apply). This can help you finance bulk inventory purchases or buy you time to pay down equipment upgrades.
Most credit cards decline any charges above your stated credit limit. But The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card gives you the flexibility to spend in excess of your credit limit when needed. Terms apply.
This can be especially helpful if you start with a low credit limit — something online commenters note about the American Express® Blue Business Cash Card.
You can check your “spending power” online in advance to see if the charge will be approved. Just note, you need to pay any balance above your credit limit in full every month or you’ll face penalty fees.
As long as your account is in good standing, you'll get an automatic statement credit each month for your cash back (terms apply). That’s a plus for time-strapped business owners who don’t want to worry about redeeming rewards
It may count as a drawback, though, for those who want their cash back deposited into a business bank account or plan to stockpile rewards for specific redemptions.
Drawbacks and alternatives
Annual spending cap
Businesses that spend much more than $50,000 each year would likely be better off with a cash-back business card that offers unlimited rewards. The Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card , for example, earns 2% back on all purchases, with no limit on how much you can earn and no annual fee. It also offers a better welcome bonus and matches the Blue Business Cash’s intro APR period.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card from Chase is another solid alternative. It has a slightly lower cash-back rate (1.5% cash back on all spending), but you’ll come out ahead compared to The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card if you spend more than $100,000 annually on it. The welcome offer is a big selling point, too: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
This no-annual-fee option offers the following rewards: Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas and EV charging stations (transactions of $200 or less)*, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants (*excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs). Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Center when using your card.
The Capital One Spark Cash Select is one of the few cash-back cards to offer no foreign transaction fees. It has no annual fee, a great welcome offer and flat-rate rewards (unlimited 1.5% cash back).
You can also go for a business travel card to avoid foreign transaction fees, like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card . As with most travel cards, there is an annual fee ($95) but there’s also a huge welcome offer: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Chase Ultimate Rewards® points can be redeemed for cash — 1 point is worth 1 cent. But they are worth even more when redeemed for travel via the Chase Travel℠ portal.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card vs. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is another card to consider if you're interested in domestic travel. This card is identical to the American Express® Blue Business Cash Card (including the foreign transaction fee) except for one crucial detail: The Blue Business Cash earns cash back while the American Express Blue for Business Plus earns AmEx Membership Rewards.
If you prefer cash back, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is the clear winner. You’ll earn 2 cents for every dollar spent, up to the annual cap, then 1 cent per $1.
The value of Membership Rewards points will vary depending on how you redeem them. Travel is the best bang for your points (see
Book hotels with AmEx Travel: 0.7 cents per point.
Transfer points to AmEx travel partner: 1:1 transfer ratio. Value varies.
Redeem for statement credit: 0.6 cents per point.
Redeem for gift cards: Up to 1 cent per point.
How we evaluated The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
NerdWallet's business credit card experts compared The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card to other cash-back business cards, evaluating how the card's rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its peers. We also surveyed American Express, the card's issuer, gathering information about employee cards, spending controls, credit limits and how often cardholders are considered for a credit limit increase. This data, alongside feedback from business owners — solicited directly and gathered via online forums like Reddit — helped inform our review of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card.
To view rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, see this page.
The information related to the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
The expanded buying power benefit on The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card allows you to exceed your credit limit up to a certain amount. Terms apply.
You must pay the portion that exceeds your credit limit in full every billing cycle. AmEx will include it in your minimum payment. If you don’t pay the total minimum payment due, you’re charged interest and a penalty rate for the entire balance.
Your expanded buying power is determined by your spending habits, payment history, credit record and other factors.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card lets you carry a balance like a typical credit card.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card isn't ideal for taking abroad as it charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee. Terms apply. The card is fine for domestic travel, though flat-rate cash back limits its appeal. A card with higher rewards for hotels, airfare, gas or other travel expenses may be a better choice.