The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Review: Earn Membership Rewards Points While Paying No Annual Fee
Review
Updated
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Membership Rewards points are some of the best transferable rewards, but most business credit cards that earn points charge an annual fee. Most -- but not all. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is the only no annual fee business credit card that earns valuable Membership Rewards points. (See rates and fees.) Best of all, you won't need to track bonus categories to earn bonus points on many of your purchases. Check out the full Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card review to see how it works.
On American Express's Secure Website.
On American Express's Secure Website.
On American Express's Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: 0% on purchases, 12 months from date of account opening
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
17.49% - 27.49% Variable
Rewards 2X points on the first $50,000 spent in purchases each year, 1X points on purchases thereafter
1x - 2x points
Annual Fee
No annual fee
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.
15,000 Membership Rewards® points
This card is an excellent no-annual-fee option designed for small businesses that want simple, high-earning rewards. You’ll earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on the first $50,000 spent each year, then 1X after that—making it one of the best flat-rate rewards cards available. With flexible spending power that adjusts to your business needs, this card is a strong choice for business owners looking to earn valuable points without worrying about bonus categories or annual fees.
This credit card is a good fit for: Business owners who want to earn Membership Rewards points without tracking categories or paying an annual fee.
Earning rewards points is just one of multiple perks to this card.
The marquee feature of the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is its purchase rewards. You'll earn 2X Membership Rewards points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent in purchases each year. This means there are no categories to track or activate. After that, you'll get 1x points per dollar. Terms apply.
Membership Rewards are hugely popular -- and for good reason. You can get a great per-point value when you transfer your points to one of dozens of hotel and airline partner programs. Even though the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express isn't specifically a travel rewards credit card, you can still earn your way to free flights and hotel stays.
Speaking of Membership Rewards points, the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express also has an easy way to earn a bundle of them: the welcome offer. New cardholders can earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points just for spending $3,000 on their card in the first 3 months. Terms apply.
One thing to note here is that American Express welcome offers can vary depending on where you get your offer. Even using incognito or private browsing may change the offer. If you're not seeing the best welcome offer, try changing your browsing options or checking for a referral offer from another site.
Another excellent offer for new cardholders is the intro 0% APR deal. You can get 0% APR on new purchases for the first 12 months from date of account opening. That's an entire year of no interest fees on qualifying purchases. Terms apply.
Remember you need to make at least the minimum monthly payment on time even during the intro offer. Your purchase APR will revert to the go-to APR of 17.49% - 27.49% Variable after the introductory period ends.
A high flat-rate rewards rate could be worth paying an annual fee. But thankfully, you don't have to make that choice with this card. The The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has absolutely no annual fee. Terms apply.
This means even during slow months when you're not making many purchases, you're not paying extra just to keep your credit card on standby. It's also helpful if you want to add in another business credit card, perhaps one with bonus category rewards, to help maximize your overall rewards potential.
Read more: Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards
If you want to earn cash back: The The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is similar to the Blue Business Plus, except this card earns cash back rewards. You'll also pay no annual fee, get an intro APR offer, and can qualify for a welcome offer. Terms apply.
If you want no foreign transaction fees: The Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business charges no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, making it a good choice for buying abroad or from foreign suppliers.
See more: Best Cash Back Business Credit Cards
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| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card | Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business |
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Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
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Apply Now for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
On American Express's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
On American Express's Secure Website. |
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Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
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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. 15,000 Membership Rewards® points |
Welcome Offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months. $250 |
Welcome Offer: N/A |
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Rewards Program: 2X points on the first $50,000 spent in purchases each year, 1X points on purchases thereafter 1x - 2x points |
Rewards Program: 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. 1% - 2% cash back |
Rewards Program: 1.5% cash back |
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Intro APR: Purchases: 0% on purchases, 12 months from date of account opening Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: 0% on purchases, 12 months from date of account opening Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: 0%, for 12 months Balance Transfers: N/A |
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Regular APR: 17.49% - 27.49% Variable |
Regular APR: 17.49% - 27.49% Variable |
Regular APR: 20.99% - 28.99%, variable |
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Annual Fee: No annual fee |
Annual Fee: No annual fee |
Annual Fee: $0 |
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Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Apply Now for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
On American Express's Secure Website. |
Apply Now for The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
On American Express's Secure Website. |
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Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. - Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. - Extended warranty, purchase protection, and car rental loss & damage underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. - Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. - Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. - Extended warranty, purchase protection, and car rental loss & damage underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. - Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business is unavailable on Motley Fool Money. All information was collected independently and not reviewed for accuracy or provided by the credit card issuer. Some items may be out of date.
There are a few places this card falls short compared to some competitors.
The most notable con of the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is that it comes with a foreign transaction fee of 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.. These fees are charged when:
In today's digital world, it's easier than ever to make a foreign transaction, even if you never leave the country. That great deal on supplies from an overseas company will likely route through its bank -- hitting you with a foreign transaction fee. Although 2.7% isn't super high for a few smaller transactions, it can really add up on large purchases.
The fact that the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express comes with an intro 0% APR offer on new purchases is a nice pro. But if you've already made the purchases you need to save on, it's a lot less helpful. Since the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express's intro APR offer doesn't extend to balance transfers, you're out of luck if you really need that deal on a balance you already have with another credit card.
The personal guarantee is a downside shared by most small business credit cards, including the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. When you apply, you're agreeing to accept liability for your credit card debt -- both jointly with your business, and separately on your own. In other words, if your business goes under, you are still personally responsible for paying off your credit card balance. If you don't, your personal credit will be affected and debt collectors will likely come, too.
Read more: Best Business Credit Cards
The The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is best for business owners who have good to excellent personal credit. In general, that means a personal credit score of 670 or higher, though Amex will look at your entire credit profile, not just your scores.
And yes, that's your personal credit history, not just your business credit. Due to the personal guarantee, American Express will evaluate your personal credit history as well as any applicable business credit history when considering your application.
Read more: Best Credit Cards
The The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a good option for small business owners who don't want to track bonus categories. It may also be a good fit for companies with expenses that simply don't fit into popular categories. The card's $0 annual fee and welcome bonus both add to the appeal. Keep in mind the foreign transaction fees mean you'll pay extra for purchases abroad or from foreign suppliers. You can check our list of credit card reviews for other options if you need a card without foreign transaction fees.
Keep reading: Best Rewards Credit Cards
At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Motley Fool Money is 100% owned and operated by The Motley Fool. Our knowledgeable team of personal finance editors and analysts are employed by The Motley Fool and held to the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Mastercard. The Motley Fool recommends Amex.
