AmEx Blue Business Cash Review: Straightforward Rewards, No Annual Fee

The card offers an easy-to-understand flat rate on everything you buy, and it even does the redemption work for you.
Robin Saks Frankel
Kimberly Palmer
By Kimberly Palmer and  Robin Saks Frankel 
Edited by Ryan Lane

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Our Take

4.9

NerdWallet rating 
The bottom line:

Big spenders or those who spend heavily in specific areas can get more value out of other cards, but this is a solid pick for business owners seeking simplicity.

Jump to: Full review
Best Small-Business Credit Card
 
 
Best Small-Business Credit Card
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
18.49%-26.49% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening
Rec. credit score
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Apply now

on American Express' website

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • No annual fee

  • High rewards rate

  • Intro APR period

  • Cash rewards

Cons

  • Spending caps on bonus rewards

  • Requires good/excellent credit

Alternate Pick: For Membership Rewards
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
NerdWallet rating 
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Get points rather than cash

This card is a near twin of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card except that you earn American Express Membership Rewards points rather than cash back. Specifically, you get 2 points per dollar spent on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year, and 1 point per dollar after that. Terms apply.

Read our review

Compare to Other Cards

NerdWallet rating 
NerdWallet rating 
Annual fee

$0

Annual fee

$95

Regular APR

18.49%-26.49% Variable APR

Regular APR

21.24%-26.24% Variable APR

Intro APR

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

Intro APR

N/A

Recommended Credit Score
Recommended Credit Score
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Full Review

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is one of the few small-business credit cards that offers up to 2% cash back without charging an annual fee. Terms apply.

That makes it a great deal for entrepreneurs looking to earn a high flat rate on everyday spending without having to keep track of bonus categories. The card’s 0% intro APR offer on purchases is also useful for those looking to finance upfront expenses.

But this card’s rewards rate falls to 1% after you’ve used it to spend $50,000. If you're a bigger-spending business owner or you have predictable monthly expenses that fall neatly into specific categories, you can find more lucrative cash-back business credit cards. And if it's travel rewards you want, you'll need to look elsewhere.

» MORE: See our picks for best business travel credit cards.

🤓Nerdy Tip

This card has a nearly identical twin: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, which earns Membership Rewards points, rather than cash back. Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for travel, among other things.

Key features of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

To view rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, see this page.

Card type: Small business.

Annual fee: $0.

Welcome offer: 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 18.49%-26.49% Variable APR.

Foreign transaction fee: 2.7%.

Other benefits:

  • Get more flexibility with the ability to spend a limited amount above your credit limit.

  • Give a trusted individual access to manage your card account when you're unavailable by designating an account manager.

  • Get car rental loss and damage insurance if your eligible rental is damaged or stolen and you use The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card to reserve and pay for the vehicle and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental counter.

  • Terms apply.

Why you might want The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Solid, straightforward rewards

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 an unlimited 1% cash back on 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.

Credit limit flexibility

If your spending level varies significantly from month to month or you have a period of purchasing in which you need some wiggle room, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card might be able to help. According to the card's terms, you can spend in excess of your credit limit. You’ll just need to pay the balance above your credit limit in full every month or you’ll face penalty fees.

0% intro APR offer

Business credit cards with 0% APR intro periods of a year or longer aren’t especially common. But The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers one:0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%-26.49% Variable APR. This can buy you time to pay down a big purchase.

Automatic redemptions

As long as your account is in good standing, you'll get an automatic statement credit for your rewards without any effort on your end. This may count as a drawback for those who want to save up their rewards for specific redemptions. But for time-strapped business owners, there's no need to wait until you've accumulated a certain amount and no remembering to log in to get your rewards. This card takes care of that for you.

No annual fee

For budget-conscious small business owners, avoiding an annual fee is a plus, especially if your spending doesn't justify the rewards that can come from cards that charge annual fees.

Why you might want a different card

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 — such as the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card from Chase. While that card has a lower cash-back rate (1.5% cash back on all spending), you’ll come out ahead if you spend more than $100,000 annually on it. Like The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, it also doesn't have an annual fee.

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is an option with 2% cash back with no limit. However, it’s a charge card, which means you’ll need to pay your full balance each month, and comes with an annual fee of $150.

If your spending easily falls into common business categories, a card with bonus categories like the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® may make sense. This no-annual-fee option offers the following rewards: Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants. Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases.

Foreign transaction fee and no travel rewards

Frequent overseas travelers will want a business card with no foreign transaction fees. But The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card charges 2.7% of each transaction.

Beyond that, if you’re a frequent traveler, you have plenty of options for travel business credit cards that offer bonus rewards on flights, rental cars and other travel expenses.

Options to consider: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers standout luxury travel perks and no foreign transaction fees — but it also comes with a steep annual fee of $695. The Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card is a solid no-annual-fee option, but with fewer benefits.

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 travel. This card is identical in every way to The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card except for one crucial detail: the kind of rewards they earn.

If you're looking for straight-cash back and you're OK with it as a statement credit, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is the clear winner for its simple rewards structure and automatic redemptions. Earning 2% cash back on the card on up to $50,000 annually means you'll earn 2 cents for every dollar spent. Even when you hit that spending cap and the earning rate drops to 1% cash back, that's still worth 1 cent for every dollar.

With The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (see rates and fees), depending on how you redeem your Membership Rewards points, you can typically get a value between half a cent to one cent per point (and potentially two cents or more for some travel-related redemptions). Redeeming Membership Rewards points for a statement credit is an option, but points are worth only 0.6 cents each when redeemed this way.

Gift cards and merchandise are also options for using your points stash, but their value also tends to be less than a penny per point.

Should you get The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card?

If your business expenses are varied and less than $50,000 a year, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a straightforward way to earn solid cash back. The card gets an easy-to-understand flat rate on all purchases, and it does the redemption work for you.

Someone who spends heavily in specific categories, like gas or office supplies, may find more benefit from a card that offers elevated earnings in those areas. Or someone who wants greater flexibility with their rewards might find that a card with multiple redemption options is a better fit.

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.
Frequently asked questions

You earn 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases per calendar year. All other purchases earn 1%. Terms apply.

The 2% cash back rate is capped at $50,000 in spending each year, but you still earn 1% cash back after that (terms apply), so there is not a cap on total rewards.

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. Your expanded buying power is determined by your spending habits, payment history, credit record and other factors. The portion in excess of your credit limit is required to be paid in full every billing cycle, and it's included 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.

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card lets you carry a balance like a typical credit card. Keep in mind, though, that if you use the card’s expanded buying power benefit — an option that allows you to exceed your credit limit up to a certain amount — you will have to pay off the balance above your credit limit in full at the end of each billing cycle.

It's fine for domestic travel, but The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card isn't ideal for taking abroad. As an American Express card, it isn’t as widely accepted by international merchants as Visa and Mastercard. Perhaps more important, it charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee. Terms apply.

The key difference is the rewards they earn. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a cash-back card, while The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express earns Membership Rewards points. Other features are mostly comparable. So the decision comes down to whether you prefer cash back (which, since it's cash, has a set value) or points (whose value depends on how you redeem them — travel, gift cards, statement credit, point transfers and so on).