Business Green Rewards Card from vs. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Rather than restricting your boosted rewards rate to travel, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card also provides 2X points, but on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year, then 1X points), for no annual fee. In fact, this broader rewards scope may be more lucrative if you don’t plan to spend well beyond this annual limit or utilize Amex’s travel transfer partners. However, this is a traditional credit card with a defined credit limit.
But on the bright side, you can request expanded buying power to cover any big expenses around the corner. The Business Green card still has an edge over this feature, though, since the issuer still has to approve each request and your extra wiggle room isn’t unlimited. How much your credit line can be temporarily increased depends on your credit record with Amex — based on factors like payment history, typical credit utilization, etc. — and you’ll have to fully pay off those over-limit purchases as part of your minimum payment that month.
If you don’t mind considering cash back over travel cards, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a true charge card and one of the few business cards outside Amex with a flexible spending limit. It rakes in unlimited 2 percent cash back on all purchases and surpasses Amex’s travel portal rewards rate with 5 percent cash back on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel. However, its $150 annual fee is a little higher and you can’t carry a balance like the Business Green may allow.
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express vs. American Express® Business Gold Card
If the Blue Business Plus card’s capped rewards and credit line hobble your rewards spending, paying up for the American Express Business Gold card’s heftier $295 annual fee could be worth the upgraded rewards and purchasing power.
The Business Gold card’s benefits largely lie in its stronger rewards rates since it strangely doesn’t carry any other perks like annual credits to help justify the higher annual fee. However, its 4X points on two of six select business expense categories (up to $150,000 in combined purchases, then 1X points) can be much more lucrative than the Business Green card’s rates, especially since the Busines Gold’s potential categories include airfare, U.S. restaurants and more. What’s more, the Business Gold card also boosts your rewards’ value by 25 percent if you use your points to pay for your flight.
Despite a much higher annual fee, it’s not much harder to offset the annual fee with the Business Gold card’s rewards. It would take spending at least $396 each month on American Express Travel purchases with the Business Green to offset its $95 annual fee after the first year. However, putting your points toward Amex airfare means you’ll only need to spend around $100 more each month — at least $492 in your 4X-point categories — with the Business Gold to recoup its annual fee.
That means businesses with smaller overhead costs that lean toward travel may find the Business Green more cost-effective. However, many businesses will have a much easier time earning rewards with everyday expense-oriented categories, so the Amex Business Gold could be worth it for the majority of businesses.
Best cards to pair with the American Express Business Green Card
Splurging for an additional, pricey American Express card would likely defeat the Business Green card’s cost-effectiveness, so we recommend pairing it with one of the traditional Amex business credit cards. With another $95 or no-annual-fee card, you can shore up the Business Green card’s scope of bonus categories.
However, the Business Green’s low rewards rate makes it difficult to find a card that complements it without stepping on its toes or making it obsolete. The aforementioned Blue Business Plus card’s 2X points on all purchases can cover anything outside your Business Green travel category — even your business’ bills. The Business Green can then cover your travel purchases, making it easier to stay below the Business Plus card’s $50,000 annual spending cap (beyond which you’ll only earn 1X points).
But if you’re serious enough about your rewards strategy to craft a card combination with the Business Green, it may be worthwhile to consider upgrading to a higher-tier Amex card first.