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AmEx Blue Business Plus: A Valuable But Flawed Business Travel Card
Earn double points on purchases up to an annual cap, snag a generous intro APR offer and gain some credit limit flexibility.
Credit Cards and Personal Loans Expert; Travel Expert | All things credit cards, personal loans, points/miles programs and general travel tips.
Sara Rathner is a credit cards and travel expert at NerdWallet. She's appeared on the "Today" show, "NBC Nightly News" and CNBC's "Nightly Business Report" and has been quoted in The New York Times, Yahoo Finance, Time, Reuters, NBC News, Business Insider and MarketWatch. Before joining NerdWallet, Sara worked at The Motley Fool for nearly 10 years. She also worked as a freelance personal finance writer and paraplanner and has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. Twitter: @sarakrathner.
Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
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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.
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, 17.99% - 25.99%, 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.
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening
Intro APR
N/A
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 6 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
Full Review
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
is a solid business credit card. But you’ll get the greatest value using its rewards for travel — and 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 Blue Business Plus lacks any real travel benefits — think travel credits, discounts, status or lounge access — while also charging a foreign transaction fee (
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 Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
is best for small-business owners who:
Expect to spend less than $50,000 annually on their business credit card.
Need an intro APR period to finance startup costs or larger purchases.
Prefer the simplicity of a flat rewards rate.
Want to earn travel rewards vs. cash back.
If your business spends more than $50,000 annually, consider this alternative:
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.
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.
0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.99%-25.99% Variable APR
.
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.
Why you might want The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
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
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 17.99%-25.99% Variable APR
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.
Why you might want a different card
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.
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 (
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
), 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 Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
, except it earns cash back instead of points.
Another outstanding option is the Wells Fargo Signify Business Card, which earns 2% back (no annual cap), offers a long intro APR period and has no annual fee.
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).
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
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.
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.