The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
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Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent
(670 - 850)
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a
person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for.
However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any
financial product.
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Best for everyday business expenses
- Annual Fee:
- No annual fee
- Purchase Intro APR:
- 0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
- Regular APR:
- 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
Bankrate Rating
This is one of the best offers from our partner American Express.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Details and benefits
With the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express, you’ll earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases up to $50,000 per year and 1X points after that.
You’ll enjoy a zero percent introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening (13.24 percent — 19.24 percent variable), and there’s no annual fee.
Additionally, there’s no fee for employee cards. (see rates and fees) If you add an Additional Employee Card Member to your account, you’ll earn points for their purchases alongside your own.
However, if your business travel often takes you outside of the U.S. you should use another card – this card charges a foreign transaction fee after conversion to U.S. dollar (see rates and fees).
You should also note that there’s a fee when booking airfare through the American Express portal or transferring your points to a frequent flyer program (see rates and fees).
Advantages
- Flexible redemption options, including gift cards, travel and shopping
- No blackout dates for travel and no expiration on rewards points.
- Zero percent intro APR offer on purchases for the first 12 months from account opening (13.24 percent — 19.24 percent variable thereafter)
- No annual fee
- Earn up to $100 in the form of statement credits at each of the following merchants: Dell Technologies, DocuSign or FedEx after you make an eligible purchase on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership
Disadvantages
- The welcome bonus only applies to certain merchants.
- $50,000 per year spending cap on 2X category, then 1X
- 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee after conversion to U.S. dollars.
Is the Blue Business Plus worth it for you?
The Blue Business Plus credit card will suit you well if you’re a small business owner looking to earn rewards for general, business-related expenses.
Before going any further, it’s important that you have a solid understanding of your business’ spending habits. The 2X category cap may hinder your rewards earning potential if your business comfortably spends $50,000 or more per year (rewards rate drops to 1X after you hit the $50,000 spend cap).
If you value welcome bonuses, you might be disappointed with this card’s lack of one. Despite this drawback, you will have access to the following AmEx perks:
- Auto Rental Insurance
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement
- Purchase Protection
- Zero Fraud Liability
- Roadside Assistance
- Extended Warranty Program
- Travel Accident Insurance
- Access to Account Manager, American Express® Business App and other Expense Management Tools
Get the most value from the Blue Business Plus
The Blue Business Plus offers a zero percent introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening (13.24 percent – 19.24 percent variable thereafter). If you’re interested in paying off a large business purchase, the introductory offer allows you to do so for 12 months without paying a dime in interest.
If you frequently travel outside of the United States for business, we suggest using a different card for purchases made abroad. The Blue Business Plus charges 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee (after conversion to U.S. dollars) on all purchases made outside of the U.S.
How much are the Blue Business Plus rewards worth?
Let’s take a look at how much your Membership Rewards® points would be worth with a spending example:
If you maxed out the 2X category ($50,000 per year) by spending $4,166.66 per month, you’d earn $1,000 worth of Membership Rewards® points.
Overall, you’ll get the most value out of your points by transferring them to one of AmEx’s travel partners. According to The Points Guy’s April 2019 point valuations, Membership Rewards® points redeemed for travel are worth 2 cents, whereas they’re normally valued at 1 cent.
How to redeem rewards
Points are redeemable for travel, gift cards, shopping, entertainment, merchandise, charity and more. In order to redeem, simply visit the Membership Rewards portal via your online account or by visiting MembershipRewards.com.
For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Review, please click here.