Our Take
4.5
NerdWallet rating
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. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
17.49%-27.49% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening
Apply now
on American Express' website
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, 17.49% – 27.49%, 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
View Rates & Fees
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
Full Review
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
at Chase | at U.S. Bank | at American Express |
Annual fee $0 | Annual fee $0 | Annual fee $0 |
Regular APR 17.49%-23.49% Variable APR | Regular APR 17.99%-26.99% Variable APR | Regular APR 17.49%-27.49% Variable APR |
Intro APR 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months | Intro APR 0% intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 12 billing cycles | Intro APR 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening |
Recommended credit score 690-850good - excellent | Recommended credit score 690-850good - excellent | Recommended credit score 690-850good - excellent |
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 $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
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.At a glance: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
💳 Card type: Cash-back business card.
💲 Annual fee:
$0
.💰 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 17.49%-27.49% 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.
See complete rates and fees 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 17.49%-27.49% Variable APR
(terms apply). This can help you finance bulk inventory purchases or buy you time to pay down equipment upgrades.» MORE: Best 0% APR business cards
Credit limit flexibility
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.
Automatic redemptions
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 $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
No bonus categories
If your spending easily falls into common business categories, a card with bonus categories like the
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
may make sense. 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 Rewards Center when using your card.
Foreign transaction fee and no travel rewards
If your business purchases inventory overseas or employees regularly travel abroad, opt for a business card with no foreign transaction fees.
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). (See rates and fees.)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.
» MORE: See our picks for best business travel credit cards
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 rates and fees ).
AmEx Membership Rewards points redemption value
- Book flights with AmEx Travel: 1 cent per point.
- 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.View rates and fees of
Capital One Spark Cash
.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.
Apply now
on American Express' website
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.
