Best American Express Business credit cards of June 2023

Written by
Ryan Noonan
Edited by
Tracy Stewart
Reviewed by
Courtney Mihocik
Edited by
Tracy Stewart
Reviewed by
Courtney Mihocik
Updated May 30, 2023

If you’re seeking the best credit card for your business, look no further than American Express, which offers high-value rewards programs and some of the industry’s most generous perks. The best business credit cards vary based on your company’s needs and spending patterns. American Express offers lucrative rewards, expense tracking and premium travel perks such as airport lounge access for established businesses. For new entrepreneurs and startup owners, Amex offers cards with unique financing options and money-saving features. Below, you’ll find our top picks for Amex business cards and several valuable tips on choosing the right one for your business.
Image of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Best business card for travel

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
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on American Express's secure site
4.8 Bankrate review
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See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Intro offer

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Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Image of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Best for business perks with no annual fee

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
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on American Express's secure site
4.3 Bankrate review
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See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Intro offer

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Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Image of American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Best for business startups

American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
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on American Express's secure site
4.5 Bankrate review
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See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Intro offer

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Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Image of American Express® Business Gold Card

Best business card for EARNING REWARDS

American Express® Business Gold Card
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on American Express's secure site
4.4 Bankrate review
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Intro offer

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Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Image of Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

Best for airline-specific perks

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
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on American Express's secure site
4.7 Bankrate review
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Intro offer

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Annual fee

Recommended credit

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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On This Page

Comparing the top American Express business credit cards

Card name Best for Rewards Bankrate review score
The Business Platinum Card from American Express Best for travel 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com, 2X points on prepaid rental cars booked through 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
(Read full card review)
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express Best for no-annual-fee rewards 2X points on up to $50,000 in purchases per year (unlimited 2X points on prepaid rental cars booked through AmexTravel.com), 1X points after that 4.3 / 5
(Read full card review)
American Express Blue Business Cash Card Best for business startups 2 percent cash back on all eligible purchases (up to $50,000 per year, then 1 percent) 4.5 / 5
(Read full card review)
American Express Business Gold Card Best for earning rewards 4X points on up to $150,000 per year in two select categories your business spends the most in each billing cycle and 2X points on rental cars booked through AmexTravel.com 4.4 / 5
(Read full card review)
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card Best for airline-specific perks 3X miles on Delta and hotel purchases; 1.5X miles on purchases over $5,000 (up to 50,000 additional miles per year); 1X miles on all other purchases 4.8 / 5
(Read full card review)

A closer look at our top American Express business credit cards

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Best for travel

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

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Owners get what they pay for with this premium business card. It offers a haul of valuable annual credits and provides access to some of the best luxury travel lounges around, all while rewarding top business expenses like electronic goods and hardware supplies. This card is built for high-spending, established businesses, whether online, brick-and-mortar or both.
Frequent business travelers who desire the height of luxury and comfort on their trips.
This card offers luxury travel benefits and high rewards returns at a premium price. If top-tier travel rewards are your primary focus outside the business-centric perks, consider the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card a strong alternative. This card can earn even higher rewards returns when booking through Capital One Travel, and your base rewards rate could also be more rewarding. You’d still gain access to some lounges, but fewer than what comes with the Business Platinum. Plus, you’d receive all of these perks for a more reasonable $395 annual fee.
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Best for no-annual-fee rewards

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

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The highest rewards tier offered by this card is not limited by specific spending categories, making it ideal for businesses with a well-rounded approach to spending. While cardholders face a spending cap for their top rewards tier, that cap is generous at up to $50,000 for 2X points per year, then 1X points.
Small-business owners who want straightforward rewards without paying an annual fee.
Finding a competitive travel business card with no annual fee can be tricky but possible. If you want to avoid spending caps, the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card offers an unlimited 1.5 percent base rewards rate on all purchases, including travel and business expenses.
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Best for business startups

American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

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The card’s Expanded Buying Power feature gives business owners a longer runway to cover unexpected expenses that may push them over their credit limit. This perk is a unique extension of purchasing power new businesses may not often have access to.
Business startups that want to earn straightforward, flat-rate cash back.
The Blue Business Cash card does not charge an annual fee and boasts strong flat-rate rewards, but it may be held back by its yearly spending cap on 2X categories. If you can stomach taking on a reasonable annual fee, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus offers unlimited 2 percent rewards on all purchases with no spending caps.
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Best for earning rewards

American Express® Business Gold Card

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American Express offers six valuable, business-oriented reward categories. You will retroactively earn 4X points on the two highest-spending categories each billing cycle until you pass $150,000 in combined bonus category purchases for that calendar year (earns 1X on other purchases).
Small-business owners with flexible spending habits.
Though the Business Platinum Card from American Express comes with a steep $695 annual fee, jet-setting business owners might find its premium travel perks and comprehensive airport lounge network worth every cent.
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Best for airline-specific perks

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

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The $250 annual fee can be quickly offset with a lucrative welcome offer and the annual domestic companion certificate each year after renewing your card. Cardholders, primarily dedicated Delta flyers, have plenty of other features to take advantage of, including free first-checked bag on Delta flights, priority boarding, in-flight savings and a significant amount of travel and shopping protections.
Habitual Delta flyers and occasional travelers looking to save on yearly domestic vacation costs can receive plenty of value from the SkyMiles Platinum Business card.
If you’re not loyal to Delta or its partners, the American Express Business Gold Card comes with exceptional rewards earning potential and The Hotel Collection credits that may help offset the lack of Delta-specific features. The Business Gold Card also comes with Amex’s impressive Membership Rewards program, which offers greater flexibility for point redemption.

Pros and cons of American Express business credit cards

Pros

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    Lenient qualification: For some, it can be easier to qualify for a business credit card than a line of credit or a bank loan. Plus, you’ll receive a host of business-focused benefits.

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    Credit limits: Amex business credit cards usually provide higher credit limits than consumer credit cards, which can be helpful when funding large purchases.

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    Funding access: A business credit card can help address cash flow concerns, especially for new businesses looking to expand.

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    Loyalty perks: American Express has partnerships with some of the world's top hotel and airline brands, allowing cardholders to receive extra rewards and value with their credit card.

Cons

  • High annual fees: Some of Amex’s top-tier cards carry a steep annual fee. While the rewards these cards offer can make it worthwhile, some may be unable to justify the additional cost.

  • Liability: Business owners may be personally liable for any unpaid debt on their business credit cards, and business credit can affect your personal credit.

  • Fewer protections: Business credit cards are subject to different consumer protections than many personal credit cards under the Credit CARD Act of 2009; however, many issuers will voluntarily extend these protections to their business products.

  • Higher interest: American Express cards can be expensive to keep, especially with relatively high average interest rates and fees. These costs can negatively impact your business’s bottom line if you’re not careful.

How does Corporate Membership Rewards® work?

American Express offers access to its renowned Membership Rewards® program on its consumer and business credit cards. Still, it also allows businesses to turn every purchase into an investment in the company with Corporate Membership Rewards. This program enables users to book business trips, recognize employees with gift cards, supply the office and everything in between. For an annual membership fee of $75 per card, members can also redeem points for a credit on your company’s card statement and earn points that do not have an expiry date.

On top of that, members can earn up to 1.25 Membership Rewards points for every dollar charged to their Amex corporate card for business expenses such as travel accommodations and utility bills. Plus, they can earn 2 Membership Rewards points for each dollar spent on foreign currency transactions, Grab transactions, computer hardware, software and cloud services and online advertising. Interested business owners and employees can enroll by logging into American Express @Work or by contacting your Amex representative.

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Bankrate Insight

Entrepreneurs and business owners don’t need to operate a formal business structure, like a corporation or LLC, to get a business credit card. You also don’t need an employer identification number (EIN); you can apply as a sole proprietor using a Social Security number. As long as you sell a good or service, issuers usually consider you an eligible small-business owner.

What you need to apply for an Amex business credit card

Applying for an American Express business credit card is nearly the same as applying for a personal Amex credit card. However, it can be tricky to navigate a few additional steps if it's your first time applying. Existing Amex cardmembers can sign into their account to expedite the process, but new customers will begin by filling out some personal information and details about your business.

  1. Legal business name

    Generally, a sole proprietor should use their name as the business name. However, if you have set up a legal structure (LLC, etc.) or registered a name for your business, then you’ll put that name here.

  2. Business name on card

    The business name that will appear on your credit card just below the cardholder or authorized user’s name. You can put your legal business name here, but sometimes it won’t fit in the provided box.

  3. Business address

    This can be a separate business address or the same as your home address if you do business from home.

  4. Company structure

    In many cases, your company structure will be considered a sole proprietorship. But, if you have a partner, select partnership. Choose a corporation if you have established a legal business structure, such as an LLC or S-Corp.

  5. Number of employees

    This includes all current employees, including yourself, so you’ll always select at least one.

  6. Annual business revenue

    The total amount of money your business earns in a year before taxes or other expenses are factored in. If you’re just starting out, it’s fine to put zero.

  7. Estimated monthly spend

    This number should include all anticipated expenses you plan to put on the card each month.

  8. Federal tax ID

    Sole proprietors that haven’t registered for a Federal tax ID can use their Social Security number.

  9. Company role

    You will likely select the owner but choose the title that best fits your role with the business.

After completing these steps, you’ll be directed to fill out some basic personal information including your billing address and total annual income, which includes any income you can use to pay your bills and any profits you’ve taken from your business thus far. You can also opt to include your non-taxable annual income, which is optional but may be helpful if you receive any income exempt from federal income tax, like Social Security and disability benefits.

In the news: How to maximize your Amex airline fee credit

If you’re a current or prospective user of The Business Platinum Card from American Express, you can look forward to an impressive list of travel-related benefits to help make up for the steep annual fee. One of the standout perks offered is the annual airline fee credit, which allows frequent travelers to save money on certain expenses when flying with Delta or designated airlines. 

Holly D. Johnson explains the airline selection process, what the credit is eligible to cover and the best ways to use the annual credit to maximize your travel. She also walks through the best way to use your additional credits, such as the incidental fee credit.

How we rate the best American Express business cards

While we consider all aspects of a credit card when calculating the 5-star Bankrate Score, the criteria for Amex business cards emphasize features most valued by business owners. Scoring on this page places a weighted emphasis on factors including:
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    APR (Annual Percentage Rate)
    Some Amex cards offer lower variable APRs, while others allow business owners to manage debt from large purchases with 0 percent intro APR offers.
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    Rewards rates
    When evaluating each card, we consider both the earning structure rate and corresponding redemption values that a small or medium business owner can expect with each eligible purchase.
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    Annual fee
    Whether the card charges an annual fee and if so, how much the card’s overall value and benefits could offset the fee.
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    Introductory offers
    If the card has a welcome offer or similar sign-up incentive and how much it adds to the card’s overall value.
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    Bonuses, discounts and perks
    On top of the bonus offers, we factor in the value of additional perks like airport lounge access, free employee cards and rental car insurance to calculate the total expected value.

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

Frequently asked questions about Amex business credit cards

Ryan Noonan Arrow Right Former Writer
Ryan Noonan is a former writer for Bankrate and CreditCards.com and is a graduate of the School of Journalism at Ohio State University. 
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Tracy Stewart Arrow Right Senior Credit Cards Editor
Tracy Stewart is a personal finance writer specializing in credit card loyalty programs, travel benefits, and consumer protections.

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.