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Best American Express business credit cards of December 2024

Updated December 05, 2024

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Showing 5 results

Best overall

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
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4.8
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)
Apply nowLock

on American Express's secure site

See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply

Intro offer

Earn 150,000 points

Rewards Rate

1X - 5X

Annual fee

$695

Regular APR

18.74% - 27.74% Variable

Why you'll like this: Its top-class welcome offer can offset the card’s large annual fee for several years.

Best for business perks with no annual fee

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.1
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)
Apply nowLock

on American Express's secure site

See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply

Intro offer

15,000 Membership Rewards® points

Rewards Rate

2X

Annual fee

No annual fee

Regular APR

17.74% - 25.74% Variable

Why you'll like this: The card’s solid flat rate makes it easy to stack reward points for all your business-related purchases, without skimping on business perks.

Best for business startups

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
4.3
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)
Apply nowLock

on American Express's secure site

See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply

Intro offer

$250 statement credit

Rewards Rate

1% - 2%

Annual fee

No annual fee

APR

17.74% - 25.74% Variable

Why you'll like this: The ability to earn low-fuss cash back rewards makes it easy to earn and redeem rewards while letting you focus on growing your business.

Best business card for custom bonus categories

American Express® Business Gold Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
5.0
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)
Apply nowLock

on American Express's secure site

See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply

Intro offer

Earn 100,000 points

Rewards Rate

1X - 4X

Annual fee

$375

Regular APR

18.74% - 27.74% Variable

Why you'll like this: The ability to earn big rewards in two out of six eligible categories of your choosing gives this card terrific reward flexibility.

Best for Delta travelers

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

Bankrate score

star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
star iconstar iconstar iconstar iconstar icon
5.0
Bankrate review
Recommended credit score:(670 - 850)
Apply nowLock

on American Express's secure site

See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply

Intro offer

Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles

Rewards Rate

1.5X

Annual fee

$350

Regular APR

20.24% - 29.24% Variable

Why you'll like this: You can enjoy Delta perks, generous ongoing rewards and a valuable annual companion pass for qualifying business purchases.

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Comparing the top American Express business credit cards

Card name Best for Rewards Bankrate review score

Best overall

5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

1.5X points per dollar spent (on up to $2,000,000 per calendar year) on both purchases of $5,000 or more and on select category purchases

 

4.8 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Best for no-annual-fee rewards

2X points on up to $50,000 in purchases per year (unlimited 2X points on travel booked through AmexTravel.com), 1X points after that

4.1 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Best for business startups

2 percent cash back on all eligible purchases (up to $50,000 per year, then 1 percent)

4.3 / 5

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(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Best for custom bonus categories

4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.

3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.*

5.0 / 5

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(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Best for Delta travelers

Earn 1.5X miles* on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more. Terms and miles cap apply.

5.0 / 5

Info Icon
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock Icon
on American Express's secure site
See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

What are American Express business credit cards?

American Express business credit cards offer lucrative rewards, expense tracking and premium travel perks. American Express is one of the largest credit card issuers and constantly ranks as one of the best in the world when accounting for perks and accessibility. It also holds the top ranking in J.D. Power’s 2024 credit card satisfaction study.

Whether it’s a general rewards Amex card, luxury travel card or co-branded card, established business owners, new entrepreneurs and startup owners can find a card that meets their business needs.

Pros and cons of American Express business credit cards

Pros

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    More accessible: It could be easier to qualify for a business credit card than a line of credit or a bank loan.

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    Credit limits: Amex business credit cards usually provide higher credit limits than consumer credit cards or charge cards with no preset limit, which can be helpful when funding large purchases.

  • Checkmark Icon

    Excellent rewards and perks: American Express business cards cover many rewards categories and offer numerous perks to provide extra value.

Cons

  • High annual fees: Some of Amex’s top-tier cards carry steep annual fees that may be hard to justify if you can’t make the most of a card’s rewards and perks.

  • Liability: Business owners may be personally liable for unpaid debt on their business credit cards.

  • Higher interest: American Express cards can be expensive, often carrying relatively high average interest rates and fees.

Choosing the best Amex business card

American Express has some of the best business cards on the market. However, its cards may not be the best fit for everyone. The right Amex business card for you depends on the type of business you have, your spending habits and your creditworthiness. Here are some tips for choosing the right card for your business:

Still unsure if a travel credit card is right for you? Check out our Credit Card Spender Type Tool where you can get personalized credit card recommendations based on your credit score, spending habits and daily needs.

Expert advice on American Express business cards

If you want your Amex card to be a worthwhile part of your business card stack, you need to be strategic with how you use the card. Bankrate writer Ryan Flanigan shared his experience with American Express business cards and how he combines cards that earn in different categories:

"American Express business cards have been a great way for me to earn a lot of Membership Rewards points while covering most bonus categories. I also get so much value from all the perks and credits, especially when traveling. No other issuer comes close to offering what Amex does. The Amex business trifecta of the Blue Business Plus, Business Gold and Business Platinum beats any other combination of cards."

— Ryan Flanigan, Writer, Credit Cards

Holding a trifecta of cards like Flanigan recommends can help maximize your rewards. Combinations like the Amex trifecta, the Chase trifecta and the Citi trifecta offer maximum value for personal and business expenses by taking advantage of the range of benefits each issuer offers.

Maximizing American Express business cards

American Express business cards carry several exclusive features that can help you maximize rewards, manage debt and plan travel. Here are a few tips to help you maximize your Amex business card:

  • Credit Card Reviews Icon

    Use your Membership Rewards® wisely

    American Express has one of the highest credit card point values on the market. Bankrate currently values American Express Membership Rewards at 1 cent per point when booking through the issuer and around 2.0 cents per point when you transfer to one of Amex’s transfer partners. Other redemption methods have lesser value, worth only 0.5 to 0.7 cents, a downside for business owners who don’t travel often. Businesses can also take advantage of Corporate Membership Rewards tos redeem points for business trips, gift cards, office supplies and more. 

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    Use Pay Over Time for large purchases

    While we don’t recommend carrying a balance, sometimes it's necessary. With Pay Over Time, you have time to pay off eligible purchases over a set period with interest, instead of paying the entire balance. On the surface, the feature may not have much appeal but when you’re in a tight spot with an unexpected expense, it can be a useful tool.

  • Travel Icon

    Make the most of travel perks

    Some American Express business cards offer travel credits and perks that that can benefit most travelers. Perks on various cards include a CLEAR® Plus membership credit, airline and hotel credits, airport lounge access and a Pay With Points rebate when you pay for certain airfare with points. If your business requires you to travel frequently, you might consider choosing an Amex card with valuable travel perks that can add convenience to your airport experience and help soften the blow to your travel budget.

Frequently asked questions about Amex business credit cards

How we assess the best Amex business credit cards

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50+
cards rated
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700+
data points considered
Debt Icon
10
spending categories analyzed
Credit Card Reviews Icon
40+
perks evaluated

When evaluating the best business cards, we consider a mix of factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether cards offer features that fit the priorities of a diverse group of small-business owners, from earning rewards in popular business spending categories to getting payment flexibility or high-value perks. Whenever possible, we also feature cards that are available at various credit levels and price points.

We analyzed over 50 of the most popular business credit cards and scored each based on its rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup.

Here are some of the key factors that we considered:

Have more questions for our credit card editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate.