AmEx Blue Business Plus Review: Outstanding Rewards, No Annual Fee
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Our Take
4.9
This small-business card is ideal for those looking for high flat-rate rewards, introductory 0% APR and no annual fee. It comes with caps on bonus rewards, though, so it could be less valuable for big spenders.
on American Express' website
Quick Facts
Pros & Cons
Pros
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro APR period
Transfer partners
Cons
Spending caps on bonus rewards
Requires good/excellent credit
This card is a near twin of the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express except that you earn cash back instead of points. Specifically, you get 2% back on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year, and 1% after that. Terms apply. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
Compare to Other Cards
Annual fee$0 | Annual fee$95 |
Regular APR21.24%-26.24% Variable APR | |
Intro APR0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening | Intro APRN/A |
Recommended Credit Score |
Recommended Credit Score |
Full Review
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express offers excellent flat-rate rewards for an annual fee of $0. For those with small businesses or side hustles who prefer American Express Membership Rewards points over cash back, it's a great option. You'll earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year and 1 point per dollar spent after that. There’s also a solid introductory 0% APR period.
The spending cap on rewards can impact its overall value, though. Businesses with expenses that far exceed $50,000 a year might be better off with a different business credit card.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Key features
Card type: Small business.
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 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year and 1 point per dollar spent on spending above $50,000. Terms apply.
NerdWallet values Membership Rewards points between 0.5 cent and 1 cent each, depending on how you redeem. They can be redeemed for things like travel, gift cards and statement credits. Points can also be transferred to other airline and hotel loyalty programs. Potentially, if you're able to transfer rewards and take advantage of a good redemption opportunity, you could get more than 1 cent out of each point.
APR: Introductory 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:
Power to spend above your limit, to a point, with Expanded Buying Power.
Give a trusted individual access to manage your card account when you're unavailable by designating an account manager.
Employee cards at no cost (you can add up to 99 employee cards on your account).
Terms apply.
Benefits of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
No annual fee
Other American Express small business cards that earn Membership Rewards points charge an annual fee, which can make sense for anyone who would use all the high-end perks a premium card offers. But if your preference is value at a modest price, a $0 annual fee is hard to beat. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express racks up rewards on your purchases while reducing a business expense.
Simple, generous rewards rate
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. Among small-business cards, few cards offer a rate this high for no annual fee. And it isn’t just for new cardmembers — the opportunity to earn double points resets each year. That could earn this card a spot in your wallet for the long term.
Intro APR offer
Managing a small business or side hustle can come with some hefty bills, so you may need extra time to pay down a credit card balance. 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 18.49%-26.49% Variable APR. Terms apply. It’s rare to find such a lengthy 0% APR offer on a small-business card.
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 Travel 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, but high spenders can offset it with their rewards earnings.
Redeeming for cash back isn't as lucrative
Membership Rewards points are worth half a cent to one cent a piece, 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 American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card. It functions almost identically to The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, but the main difference is you earn cash back that’s automatically credited to your statement instead of Membership Rewards points. The annual fee is $0 (see rates and fees). The cash back version also has an intro APR period: 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%-26.49% Variable APR.
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 into business travel cards with no foreign transaction fee, such as the Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card, which has a $0 annual fee, no spending caps and a bonus for new cardmembers.
You can visit NerdWallet's list of the best business credit cards to see how these products compare.
Is The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express right for you?
If you want a $0-annual-fee small-business card with outstanding flat-rate rewards, a good 0% intro APR offer and some room to spend more when needed, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a great choice. World travelers, big spenders and fans of cash back may want to explore other options.
on American Express' website
