AmEx Blue Business Plus: A Valuable But Flawed Business Travel Card
Earn double points on purchases up to an annual cap, snag a generous intro APR offer and gain some credit limit flexibility.
Overview
The bottom line:
This no-annual-fee small-business card is ideal if you're looking for high flat-rate rewards to redeem for travel. It comes with caps on bonus rewards, though, so it could be less valuable for big spenders.
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
1x-2x
Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms apply.
Points
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Intro offer
15,000
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
Points
Pros & Cons
Pros
High rewards 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 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 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 at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
- 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 Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a solid business credit card
The positives: You’ll get up to 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent and a long intro APR period for no annual fee. Points are most valuable when redeemed for travel, and if you spend $50,000 on the card in a year, you’ll net 100,000 Membership Rewards points. Assuming 1 cent per point, that’s $1,000 in travel — potentially more if you leverage travel partners. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
The aforementioned flaws: The card cuts off its highest rewards when you hit that $50,000 in annual spending (you’ll get 1 point per dollar after that). And the American Express Blue for Business Plus lacks any real travel benefits — think travel credits, discounts, status or lounge access — while also charging a foreign transaction fee (2.7%) for international purchases.
Whether or not those might not be deal breakers depends on how much your business spends — many businesses will hit that $50,000 cap in a matter of months — and whether you travel abroad or purchase inventory overseas.
The card is best for:
✔️ Spending less than $50,000 annually.
✔️ Financing startup costs or larger purchases.
✔️ Flat-rate travel rewards.
Not a fit? Consider these business credit cards
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
IN THIS REVIEW
At a glance: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
To view rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, see this page
💳 Card type: Business travel card
💲 Annual fee: $0.
💰 Welcome offer: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
🎉 Rewards: Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. 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:
- Power to spend above your limit, to a point, with Expanded Buying Power.
Secondary rental car coverage - Terms and conditions apply.
NerdWallet values Membership Rewards points
Full list of AmEx transfer partners
Benefits and perks
Simple, generous rewards rate (to a point)
If you prefer travel points generally, and AmEx Membership Rewards specifically, the Blue Business Plus checks those boxes. You'll earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on up to $50,000 in purchases each calendar year, and 1 point back thereafter. Terms apply.
No annual fee
Other American Express small-business cards that earn Membership Rewards points charge steep annual fees. Paying those costs can make sense if you'll use all the high-end perks those premium cards offer. But if your preference is value at a modest price, a $0 annual fee is hard to beat for a travel business credit card
Intro APR offer
Managing a small business or side hustle can mean big expenses that don’t always jive with your expected cash flow. You can finance those purchases interest free with The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. You'll get an intro 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-27.24% Variable APR. Terms apply.
No annual fee
Almost all business travel cards come with an annual fee of $95 or higher. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express bucks that trend. You can earn AmEx Membership Rewards points, which are most valuable when redeemed for travel, without paying a steep annual fee. While you’ll forgo other travel perks, like credits or airport lounge access, you do get a long intro APR period — something rarely offered with travel cards.
Credit limit wiggle room
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express gives you the power to spend above your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power. The extra amount you can charge isn't the same for all cardholders. It varies based on factors including your card use, payment and credit history and the financial information you provided when you applied for the card. This additional credit limit can go up or down for you based on these factors over time.
Drawbacks and alternatives
Lower rewards rate after spending $50,000 each year
With The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, your double-points-earning potential ends once you hit $50,000 in spending in a calendar year. That's a decent return, but if you spend a good deal more than that per year, you can do better.
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Redeeming for cash back isn't as lucrative
Membership Rewards points vary depending on what you redeem them for. Booking travel or buying gift cards toward some travel expenses will get you a value of one cent per point, but statement credits are worth only 0.6 cents per point.
If cash back is your preferred way to redeem rewards, consider the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card
If you prefer to stick with AmEx, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is another strong option.
Puny welcome offer
One of the great benefits of using a business credit card for expenses is earning rewards for your everyday spending. While the Blue Business Plus delivers on points for purchases, it falls way short on the welcome offer: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
That’s equivalent to roughly $150 if you redeemed those points for travel via the AmEx portal. But other travel and cash back cards, including those with no annual fee, boast bonuses worth three times that (or more).
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
On the travel side, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Foreign transaction fees and limited acceptance abroad
Using points earned on this card to book travel is a valuable option. But the card isn't ideal to use on international trips. American Express cards aren't accepted as widely as other cards overseas, and a 2.7% foreign transaction fee makes any purchase abroad more expensive. If you travel internationally for business, look for a business card with no foreign transaction fees
How we evaluated The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
NerdWallet's business credit card experts compared The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express to other travel business cards, evaluating how the card's rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its peers. We also surveyed AmEx, 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 for Business Plus.
Notes from card issuers
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
This card earns 2 American Express Membership Rewards points
The defining difference is in the rewards they earn: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express earns Membership Rewards points, while The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card earns cash back. Otherwise, the cards earn rewards at comparable rates and have comparable APRs. Both have a $0 annual fee.
Although American Express's business cards were once primarily charge cards — meaning they required you to pay your balance in full each month and didn't have a preset spending limit — The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a traditional credit card that has a credit limit and allows you to carry a balance.
However, it does offer you the flexibility to spend beyond your set credit limit. The amount you can spend above the limit adjusts based on your card use, payment and credit history, financial information and other factors. Any amount spent above your limit must be paid in full at the end of the billing cycle; it's included in your minimum payment. Purchases up to your credit limit can be paid off over time. Terms apply.
To qualify for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, you'll need good to excellent credit. That's generally defined as a score of 690 or better. Credit scores alone don't guarantee approval, though. Issuers also look at your income, debts and other factors.
In general, you don’t have to operate a formal, registered business, like a corporation, partnership or LLC, to qualify for business credit cards, but you do need to be in business for yourself. Sole proprietors, contractors, freelancers and gig workers can also qualify.