AmEx Blue Business Plus: A Powerful Card, Until You Outgrow It
Build your Membership Rewards balance without an annual fee. Earn 2X points on purchases up to $50,000 annually, and gain cash-flow flexibility with a 12-month intro APR period.
The bottom line:
The Blue Business Plus is a high-value card for growing businesses — especially if you’re stacking Membership Rewards points. The $50,000 cap is a real limitation, but it's a problem most small-business owners will be happy to have.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
16.74%-26.74% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening
Rewards rate
1x-2x
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.
Points
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Intro offer
15,000
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.
Points
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
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, 16.74% - 26.74%, 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.
Compare to other cards
4.4
NerdWallet rating
at American Express
4.2
NerdWallet rating
Annual fee
$0
Annual fee
$0
Annual fee
$375
Regular APR
16.74%-26.74% Variable APR
Regular APR
16.74%-24.74% Variable APR
Regular APR
17.74%-28.49% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases
Intro APR
N/A
Need more options? Check our picks for best business credit cards of 2026
The Signify Business Cash is a top-notch alternative if you value cash back over points. You get 2% back on purchases with no cap, so you can’t outgrow it. Like the Blue Business Plus, this card has a 12-month intro APR period and no annual fee.
While the Blue Business Plus delivers simplicity, the Business Gold delivers maximum value. You earn 4X points in your top two spending areas each month, up to $150,000 annually. Eligible categories include advertising, gas, transit, software and restaurants, among others. There is a $375 annual fee, but it’s easy to recoup if your spending matches the card’s bonus categories. Terms apply.
Full review
The Blue Business Plus is a business travel card without any real travel perks — with one key exception. It gives you access to the coveted AmEx Membership Rewards ecosystem.
Other AmEx points cards charge a high annual fee and typically leverage bonus categories. But the Blue Business Plus gives you 2X points on up to $50,000 in purchases annually, no matter the category (1X thereafter). And it has a $0 annual fee. Terms apply.
That combo makes the Blue Business Plus a great business credit card for:
- Freelancers and contractors.
- Companies spending less than $50,000 annually.
- Existing AmEx cardholders.
Pairing the Blue Business Plus with another AmEx card unlocks the most value. Pool Membership Rewards points across business and personal cards to build your balance fast. Then leverage transfer partners to redeem them well above face value.
Despite earning travel points, the Blue Business Plus is not a good fit for international travel. Or international spend, period. The card charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee that applies to purchases abroad or with overseas suppliers.
The card is best for:
✔️ Annual spending < $50,000.
✔️ Financing startup costs, large purchases.
✔️ Banking AmEx rewards.
Card details: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
🎉 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.
💰 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.
💲 Annual fee: $0.
💷 Foreign transaction fee: 2.7%.
📈 APR: 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 16.74%-26.74% Variable APR.
📍 Minimum credit limit: Not disclosed.
🎆 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.
To view rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, see this page.
Where the AmEx Blue Business Plus shines
2X points on everything (up to $50K)
You get 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on every purchase, up to $50,000 annually, and 1X points after that. Terms apply. No categories to track, no optimization required. For most small-business owners, that simplicity is the whole pitch.
Those points punch above their weight, too. At face value, they’re worth around 1 cent each. But transfer them to an AmEx airline or hotel partner and their value could more than double. Especially if you take advantage of transfer bonuses or hunt for reward flight deals.
For instance, Flying Blue (Air France-KLM’s frequent flyer program) runs monthly promos with up to 50% off standard award rates. You can book a business class flight from Chicago to Paris for roughly 60,000 miles one way via Flying Blue. The same flight could cost $6,000, or more.
Membership Rewards points are typically worth 1 cent per point when you redeem them via AmEx travel. That means 60,000 points equals $600. But transfer those points to Flying Blue at a 1:1 ratio and you'd get roughly $6,000 in value — a 10X return.
Plays well with other Amex cards
Pairing the Blue Business Plus with other AmEx cards is a pro move — and the math is simple.
Most premium AmEx cards earn just 1X points outside their bonus categories. The Blue Business Plus turns those gaps into 2X points (on up to $50,000; 1X thereafter). And everything flows into the same Membership Rewards balance. Plus, you can pool points with personal cards.
Carry an AmEx Business Gold? Route non-bonus spending through the Blue Business Plus.
Have a personal AmEx Gold? Earn 4X on dining and groceries, then route all your business spending through the Blue Business Plus for 2X points. Terms apply.
$0 annual fee
Very few travel rewards cards skip the annual fee. The Blue Business Plus is one of them. It’s also the only AmEx card that earns Membership Rewards with a $0 annual fee.
The tradeoffs are real, though. No travel credits. No lounge access. But you do get a long intro APR period — a benefit rarely paired with travel rewards, and a more meaningful one for businesses managing cash flow.
💬 From our Nerds: A points insurance policy
Membership Rewards points don’t expire — as long as you have an open AmEx points card. Enter the Blue Business Plus.
Keep it open and preserve your points, even if you downgrade or cancel a premium card. Consider it a no-annual-fee insurance policy for your points.
You can also use a standalone AmEx Business Checking account to hold onto your points. But doing so will cost you some transfer partner options.
—<em> Kelsey Sheehy, senior writer covering small business</em>
Intro APR offer
Need to buy equipment? Fund a new software subscription? Finance a big inventory buy? The Blue Business Plus card gives you 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 16.74%-26.74% Variable APR. Terms apply. That's a full year of breathing room that most business travel cards don't offer.
Credit limit wiggle room
Sometimes business expenses can’t wait. While most business cards cut you off at your credit limit, the Blue Business Plus offers Expanded Buying Power. This gives you a flexible cushion to spend above your credit limit — useful if a big purchase pushes you close to the edge. How much flexibility depends on your account history and financial profile.
Reasons to consider a different card
Easy to outgrow
The Blue Business Plus is great for growing businesses, but it has a ceiling. If you consistently clear the $50,000 annual spending cap, you’re leaving points on the table.
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business matches the Blue Business Plus on simplicity. It earns 2 miles per dollar with no annual cap. There is an annual fee ($0 intro for the first year, then $95), but there’s also a bigger welcome offer. Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
If your spending starts to concentrate in specific buckets — advertising, gas and software, for example — the American Express® Business Gold Card is a good upgrade option. It’s also a great companion to the Blue Business Plus. This card earns 4X points in your top two eligible spending categories, up to $150,000 annually. There is a $375 annual fee, but you can quickly recoup that cost and then some. Terms apply.
Spend about $10,000 in the bonus categories and you’ll offset your annual fee. Max out your bonus categories for the year and you could earn $6,000 worth of Membership Rewards points.
Foreign transaction fees and limited acceptance abroad
The Blue Business Plus has two strikes against it for international spenders.
First, it charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee. That’s a significant added cost if you frequently travel outside the U.S. The fee also applies to purchases from overseas vendors, so it can hit you at home and abroad.
The second strike: While AmEx has expanded its acceptance significantly in recent years, its global footprint still lags behind Visa and Mastercard and can be spotty outside major cities. If you travel internationally, opt for a business card with no foreign transaction fees. If you stick with AmEx, carry a Visa or Mastercard as a backup.
Redeeming for cash back isn't as lucrative
The Blue Business Plus isn’t a cash-back card — if you try to use it like one, you'll feel the difference. Redeeming Membership Rewards points for a statement credit gets you just 0.6 cents per point. Redeem for travel through AmEx or its partners, and that jumps to 1 cent or more.
If cash back is your priority, there are better options. The Blue Business® Cash is a virtual twin of the Blue Business Plus — no annual fee, same $50,000 annual cap — but it earns cash back instead of points. Terms apply.
The Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash® Card is another strong option. You still get 2% cash back and an intro APR period, but with no spending cap and a better welcome offer.
A weak welcome offer
While the Blue Business Plus delivers on points for purchases, it falls short on the welcome offer. New cardholders earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $3,000 in the first three months — that’s worth around $150 in travel redemptions.
Other business cards offer bonuses worth two to three times that. Though they also require a higher spend to earn the bonus.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card consistently has one of the best welcome offers for a business card. Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It has a $95 annual fee.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card has no annual fee and a much larger welcome offer than the Blue Business Plus: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It earns 1.5% on purchases with no cap.
How we evaluated The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
NerdWallet's experts do the following for our business credit card reviews:
- Compare The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express to similar cards. NerdWallet’s writers and editors evaluate how the card’s rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its peers. This is the basis of our star rating.
- Get feedback from business owners. We gather insight directly from business owners when possible. We also scan online forums for discussion specific to the Blue Business Plus. Since we cannot confirm the accuracy of these comments, they do not affect our ratings.
- Survey the card’s issuer. We conduct an annual survey to get details that are less available to the public, but important for business owners. We ask about spending controls, minimum credit limits and credit limit increases, among other things.
View 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.
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.
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.
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.