American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card

If you’re searching for a flexible rewards business credit card, be sure to look into the American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card. This card could work well for a business owner who will spend $50,000 or less in expenses per year. That price point is where AmEx caps the double-point reward on cash back, so spending more than that means your cash-back benefits won’t be as illustrious. 

Additionally, the card is unique because it allows you to choose between cash back or bonus points. As a cardholder, you can decide which reward will help your business the most. Many business credit cards offer one or the other, so the option to choose is an exciting feature.

Down to business with the American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card

Here are the most important factors of the American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card for you to consider before taking the leap.

• APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers (requested in the first 60 days) for 12 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 14.74%-20.74%.
• Annual Fee: $0
• Reward Rates:  Earn two Membership Rewards Points for every dollar spent OR 2% cash back for every eligible purchase made up to $50,000 each year. Then earn one Membership Point OR 1% cash back for every dollar spent.
• Intro offer: N/A

This card’s lack of an introductory offer could be a drawback to choosing this card for your business credit card.

Perks and features of the American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card

The American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card offers many fantastic features for its members. Check out our helpful breakdown of perks to see if this card could work for your business.

• Expanded Buying Power. AmEx allows you to spend over your card limit without charging an over-limit fee as long as you pay the full minimum balance each month. Your card can work harder for you on months you need to spend a bit more to grow your business.
• No annual fee. No APR for the first 12 months.
• Travel protection. Car rental loss and damage insurance. Access to the Global Assist® Hotline.
• Shopping protection if you sign up for cash-back rewards. Get purchase protection and one year added to a warranty of five years or less when you use the card.
• Entertainment Access® if you sign up for cash-back rewards. Get access to member-only events near you and the opportunity to purchase pre-sale tickets for entertainment.

Is the American Express Blue Business Plus Card right for my business? 

Who would be a great candidate for the American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card? A small business owner looking for a simple credit card with flat-rate rewards and flexible earning options could do well with this card. As long as your business doesn’t spend over $50,000 per year — the cap to earn double rewards — the card could work for you. Additionally, the choice in either cash back or reward points puts more power in your hand. With this card, you can decide which of the two rewards would most benefit your company.

Who might want to skip this card? First, a business owner who spends over $50,000 per year in expenses could find a better rewards card. With this American Express card, your bonus rewards cut off at $50,000, which means the major perk of this card vanishes.

If you’re looking for a card with unlimited double rewards, look into the Spark Cash from Capital One. With this card, there is no cap for earning 2% cash back on purchases. Furthermore, you’ll receive an introductory offer of $500 when you spend $5,000 in the first three months and $1,500 when you spend $50,000 in the first six months of opening the card. You can invest this cash back directly into your business.

Also, anyone who travels internationally for their business can likely find a card than the American Express Blue Business card that’s better suited to their needs. Not only does this card carry a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, which can add up when you travel often, but American Express isn’t accepted as widely around the world as other networks like Visa or Mastercard. Furthermore, this card doesn’t have an introductory offer beyond the 0% APR for the first 12 months on purchases and balance transfers. 

The bottom line

Overall, the American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card might not be the best on the market for most people. It doesn’t have an introductory offer for new cardmembers like other companies do. This lack of an offer means you’ll lose out on potential cash back, points, or miles by merely signing up with this card. Although other cards may charge an annual fee while this one doesn’t, you will likely more than make up for that fee with the rewards you earn.

Furthermore, because the card caps your double points at $50,000, you would have to make sure your business wouldn’t spend more than that each year in order to maximize your earnings. Thus, this card might not make sense for companies that will — or possibly will — spend more than that each year.

If you would prefer your business not be limited in its spending and continue to receive rewards, you might want to look elsewhere. Otherwise, small businesses looking for a no-fee credit card that offers the choice of bonus points or cash back might consider this card the right fit for their company.