Amazon Business AmEx Review: Pick One of Two Perks on Amazon Spending

Choose between rewards on Amazon-related purchases or a 60-day interest-free break. You don’t need an Amazon Prime membership to qualify.
Melissa Lambarena
By Melissa Lambarena 
Edited by Kenley Young

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Our Take

3.8

NerdWallet rating 
The bottom line:

You'll get valuable, flexible incentives, if you don't mind keeping track of them. But Amazon super-users might be better served by the Prime version of this card: the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card.

Jump to: Full review
Amazon Business American Express Card
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
19.49%-27.49% Variable APR
Intro APR
N/A
Rec. credit score
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Apply now

on American Express' website

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • No foreign transaction fees

  • Bonus categories

Cons

  • Requires good/excellent credit

  • Spending caps on bonus rewards

Alternate Pick: For Prime members
Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
NerdWallet rating 
Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
Prime benefits for prime members

If your business already has an Amazon Business Prime membership, step up to this card. It offers a higher rate at Amazon (5% rather than 3%) or a longer 0% period (90 days rather than 60). Terms apply.

Read our review

Compare to Other Cards

NerdWallet rating 
NerdWallet rating 
Annual fee

$0

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

19.49%-27.49% Variable APR

Regular APR

18.49%-26.49% Variable APR

Intro APR

N/A

Intro APR

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

Recommended Credit Score
Recommended Credit Score
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Full Review

The Amazon Business American Express Card offers cardholders a choice when it comes to their eligible Amazon-related spending: Either earn 3% back on it, or get an interest-free window of 60 days during which you can pay off those purchases. Terms apply.

Regardless of which option you choose, the card will also earn you 2% back at U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations, and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers. You'll also get 1% back on other purchases. Terms apply.

If your business could benefit from those rewards categories or from periodic two-month breaks on interest throughout the year — and if you don’t mind shopping on Amazon.com or at Amazon properties to snag such benefits — this card can be a convenient way to stretch your budget. And you don't have to be an Amazon Prime member to qualify for it.

🤓Nerdy Tip

If you do spend enough at Amazon.com to merit an Amazon Prime membership, you'll likely get more value from this card's big brother, the $0-annual-fee Amazon Business Prime American Express Card. It, too, offers the choice between earning rewards on Amazon-related spending or getting an interest-free period on that spending — but both the rewards rate and the interest-free terms are superior. Terms apply (see rates and fees). For more information on that version of the card, see our full review here.

Amazon Business American Express Card: Basics

To view rates and fees of the Amazon Business American Express Card, see this page.

Card type: Small business.

Annual fee: $0.

Welcome offer: Get a $100 Amazon Gift Card upon approval for the Amazon Business American Express Card. Terms Apply.

Rewards:

  • 3% back on U.S purchases at Amazon.com, Amazon Business, Amazon Web Services and Whole Foods Market, or a 60-day interest-free period.

  • 2% back at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers.

  • 1% back on all other purchases.

  • Terms apply.

Rewards come in the form of points in the Amazon rewards program. Every 100 points earned in "% back" rewards are equal to $1. Rewards can be applied toward a purchase on your card statement, or toward purchases upon checkout at Amazon.com and via Amazon Business (U.S.).

🤓Nerdy Tip

Beginning on Oct. 1, 2020, the Amazon Business American Express Card will earn 3% back on the first $120,000 spent each calendar year and 1% thereafter.

APR: The ongoing APR is 19.49%-27.49% Variable APR.

Foreign transaction fee: None. (But as an American Express card, international acceptance may be limited.)

Other perks:

  • Online access to business-related tools.

  • Shopping and travel protections including return protection, car rental loss and damage insurance, among others.

Why you might want the Amazon Business American Express Card

Valuable, Flexible incentives

With the Amazon Business American Express Card, you’ll earn a solid 3% rewards rate at Amazon and its eligible properties or a 60-day interest-free period, depending on your preference. For purchases at Amazon Business, Amazon Web Services, Amazon.com, Whole Foods Markets, Amazon Go and Amazon Books, you can choose your preferred option on your card management page. Purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers will also earn 2% back. All other purchases earn 1% back. Terms apply.

An easy-to-snag welcome offer

New cardholders earn an introductory offer: Get a $100 Amazon Gift Card upon approval for the Amazon Business American Express Card. Terms Apply. For a card with a $0 annual fee, that’s a nice incentive that can cover some upfront expenses.

Business-expense tracking tools

The Amazon Business American Express Card offers a full suite of tools to help you manage your business, including access to downloadable, line-item expense reports. Plus, the AmEx business app — accessible via iOS and Android devices — allows you to take photos of receipts, categorize transactions, and manage employee spending to stay organized for tax purposes.

Why you might want a different card

There's a lot of reward tracking required

With this card, not only will you have to keep track of tiered bonus categories, but you’ll also have to remember which offer you selected (rewards or a no-interest period) on your Amazon-related purchases. A good alternative would be a business card like the Capital One Spark Cash Plus, which offers no-frills rewards. You'll earn 2% cash back on all purchases, no category tracking required. Plus, it has an eye-catching sign-up bonus. There's an annual fee to consider, but remember that annual fees on business cards can be tax-deductible if you meet requirements. If you’re adamantly opposed to annual fees regardless, consider the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, which offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

It may not travel particularly well

The Amazon Business American Express Card does offer some travel protections, and it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. But since it’s an American Express card, you may face limited acceptance internationally. The aforementioned Capital One Spark Cash Plus doesn’t charge such fees. But if you’re in the market for travel rewards rather than cash back, you might consider a card like the Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card. It earns a flat 1.5 points per $1 spent and, as a Mastercard with no foreign transaction fees, it’s ideal for travel abroad.

You can find LONGER 0% INTRO APR PERIODs UPFRONT

While the Amazon Business American Express Card does offer 60-day interest-free windows on specific purchases, it doesn't offer a lengthy upfront 0% intro APR on all purchases. The ongoing APR is 19.49%-27.49% Variable APR. A better option for you might be The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card. It offers an intro 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%-26.49% Variable APR. That’s enough of a break to pay off a large purchase or several. The card earns 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in purchases made annually, and then 1% back after that. Terms apply (see rates and fees). It has a $0 annual fee. (Prefer AmEx Membership Rewards points to cash back? Consider the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express.)

Is the Amazon Business American Express Card right for you?

The Amazon Business American Express Card may be right for you if you don't mind tracking reward tiers and incentives on individual purchases.

But if you’re already OK with such tracking and you already shop frequently enough at Amazon and its eligible properties, the card's Prime-focused sibling — the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card — will probably offer you more value.

And if you simply don’t shop a lot with Amazon at all, you're better off with a general small-business rewards credit card that can offer rewards on all of your purchases.

To view rates and fees of the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Amazon Business American Express Card, see this page. 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.

on American Express' website

Methodology

NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.