Our Take
4.4
NerdWallet rating
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.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
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 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, 17.49% - 27.49%, 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.
View Rates & Fees
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
Full Review
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
is a solid business credit card. You’ll get the greatest value using its rewards for travel. But as a travel business credit card, the American Express Blue for Business Plus
has some obvious flaws. 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
at Chase | at American Express | at American Express |
Annual fee $95 | Annual fee $0 | Annual fee $0 |
Regular APR 20.24%-26.24% Variable APR | Regular APR 17.49%-27.49% Variable APR | Regular APR 17.49%-27.49% Variable APR |
Intro APR N/A | Intro APR 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening | 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 |
If your business spends more than $50,000 annually, consider the
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
: This isn't a flat-rate card, but you have the potential to earn more rewards and with a higher cap: Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year, Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases - with no limit to the amount you can earn
. This card does have an annual fee ($95
), , but it also has a much larger welcome offer: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
(See rates and fees.)If you want to earn cash back rather than travel points, consider
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
: The sibling card to The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
, it functions almost exactly the same — except you'll earn cash back instead of points. 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 17.49%-27.49% 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 in the U.S. and abroad if you pay for the vehicle with your Blue Business Plus Card from American Express and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental counter.
- Terms and conditions apply.
NerdWallet values Membership Rewards points between 0.6 cent and 1 cent each, depending on redemption use. They can be redeemed for travel, gift cards and statement credits, among other things. Points can also be transferred to other airline and hotel loyalty programs. If you transfer rewards and take advantage of a good redemption opportunity, you could get 2.8 cents out of each point, per NerdWallet's valuation.
Airlines
- Aer Lingus (1:1 ratio).
- AeroMexico (1:1.6 ratio).
- Air Canada. (1:1 ratio).
- Air France/KLM (1:1 ratio).
- ANA (1:1 ratio).
- Avianca (1:1 ratio).
- British Airways (1:1 ratio).
- Cathay Pacific (1:1 ratio)
- Delta Air Lines (1:1 ratio).
- Emirates (1:1 ratio).
- Etihad Airways (1:1 ratio).
- Hawaiian Airlines (1:1 ratio).
- Iberia Plus (1:1 ratio).
- JetBlue Airways (2.5:2 ratio).
- Qantas (1:1 ratio).
- Qatar Airways (1:1 ratio).
- Singapore Airlines (1:1 ratio).
- Virgin Atlantic Airways (1:1 ratio).
Hotels
- Choice Hotels (1:1 ratio).
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts (1:2 ratio).
- Marriott Hotels & Resorts (1:1 ratio).
For details on transfer ratios, see AmEx's website.
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 17.49%-27.49% 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
earns 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases with no annual cap on earnings, plus it comes with a superb sign-up bonus. It does charge an annual fee ($0 intro for the first year, then $95
; see rates and fees), but high spenders can offset it with their rewards earnings.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
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
. This card takes the biggest benefits of the AmEx Blue Business cards offer and does them better. You get 2%
cash back on all purchases (no caps), a lengthy intro APR period and a competitive welcome offer: Earn a $500 cash rewards bonus when you spend $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
And there is no annual fee.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
, for example, has no annual fee and a stellar welcome offer: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
It also earns 1.5%
on all purchases, with no caps.On the travel side, the
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
has one of the best welcome offers around: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Ink Business Preferred has a $95
annual fee.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
. View rates and fees of
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
.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 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.
Insurance Benefit: Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply.
- Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
- Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
- Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Apply now
on American Express' website
Frequently Asked Questions
This card earns 2 American Express Membership Rewards points per dollar on the first $50,000 in spending per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar afterward. Terms apply.
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.
