The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Last Updated: October 5, 2023
Key Benefits
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.
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.49% - 26.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
You've got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power.
*The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.
No Annual Fee
Terms Apply - See Rates & Fees
To the Point
Get double the points on every single purchase, with no extra cost. The Blue Business Plus, Credit Card from American Express, is just about the most straightforward, versatile, and rewarding no-annual-fee business credit card on the market right now. Business owners may often overlook this diverse and easy-to-use tool because it doesn't have any flashy bonus rewards categories. We believe that's exactly why this particular business card really outshines other more expensive business credit cards.
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express has a simple yet rewarding earnings structure, which can fuel your business by earning 2X Membership Reward points on all everyday purchases up to $50,000, with absolutely no category restrictions. If you spend over $50,000, you will earn 1X Membership Rewards points per dollar. That means whether you are running digital advertisements on Facebook or purchasing supplies at Office Depot to keep your business running, you will still be earning twice the points toward future travel!
Speaking of travel, do you need to send your employees on a business trip? If you book their travel on the AmexTravel.com portal, you will receive 1X additional Membership Rewards points, earning a total of 3x Membership Rewards points for your business travel. Wait, it gets even better! I bet you are thinking, "How much is this business credit card going to cost"? We know starting a business or just running the day-to-day is not cheap, and luckily the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express won’t cost you anything because it doesn't have an annual fee. This way, you can earn freely without more fees cutting into your rewards or adding to your business expenses! Even better yet, you can provide up to 99 employee cards for absolutely no cost!
These reasons are precisely why we chose the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express for Points Passport's very first business card years ago. Additionally, 0% interest on all purchases in the first 12 months (then 18.49% - 29.49% variable) is a great asset for building your company or essentially leveraging a "free" loan from American Express to build your business even faster. This huge perk makes this card absolutely perfect for small businesses or sole proprietors, as they won’t have to worry about paying any interest on start-up costs for the first year, as long as they make the minimum monthly payment.
We value this welcome bonus at $300, based on a valuation of a Membership Reward Point to be worth $0.02/point. If you were thinking of starting a business or running a side hustle but do not have the upfront money to fund it, the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express can be the solution to your problem!
Sound good? Check out the link below to learn more about the best business credit cards! When you apply using our links, we receive a small compensation that helps support our site.
Not sure if this is the right card for you? Keep reading and let’s dive in!
Value Proposition
At Points Passport, we like to make the value proposition of the cards we review easy to understand. In order to do that, we break down the value into two parts: the initial sign-up and the sustaining costs that occur every year after. In the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express case, there is no annual fee, so at no point will this card add any cost to your business. Even better, there is no interest in your balance in the first 12 months. Due to typically high-interest rates on credit cards, we do not recommend holding a balance on your cards. Although with 0% APR for the first 12 months, you can pay off the minimum balance monthly until that last month. This way, you can hold onto your capital by parking it in a safe high-yield savings account to earn interest on it while spending on your Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express. Since you are not accruing any interest payments, you'll be able to use your cash to make money! Then, at the end of the 12 months, you can pay the card off in full and have a little extra thanks to the interest you earned in savings (or you will have a variable APR between 18.49% - 26.49% variable APR). This being said, we do not recommend concentrating on earning points and miles if you cannot pay off your credit cards in full each month, or 12 months in this case.
Phase 1 - Welcome Bonus
Enjoy a 15K welcome bonus, and an 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from the account opening date. After that, your APR will be a variable rate.
First-Year Benefits:
15,000 Membership Rewards Points
$0 Annual Fee
0% APR for the first 12 months
Welcome Bonus + Benefits - Annual Fee = Net Cost/Value
15,000 Membership Rewards Points Welcome Bonus: $300 + 0% APR/12 months - $0 annual fee = $300+* Net Value
*: The 0% APR can be of massive value depending on your spending and how pricey your other potential business cards’ APR may have been. For example, if you can borrow money at 5% interest and you borrow $10,000, then you'd pay $500/year in interest. When compared to credit card APRs, even at a "low" 15%, the same $10,000 borrowed could potentially save you $1,500 in the first year. Of course, this analysis will vary from person to person and business to business based on many factors beyond the scope of this article. We recommend you make the best decision for you and/or your business based on your circumstances.
Phase 2 - After the Welcome Bonus (Year 2+)
2nd Year Benefits:
No equation is necessary here; the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express is a free, no annual fee business credit card. This card lets you spend 12 months with 0% APR. Clean and simple! You don't have to worry about applying for costly loans and dealing with red tape. That can take time, and time is money, so that alone adds even more value to this business card.
Now, let's assume you plan to actually use this card to spend on your business each year. If you spend $100 a week, that's $5,200 a year. With the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express, you do not have to worry about spending categories because you will earn 2X Membership Rewards Points on every single purchase.
$5,200 x 2X Membership Rewards points = 10,400 Membership Rewards Points.
Those 10,400 Membership Rewards Points are worth approximately $208. So updating our formula, we find:
Annual Benefits + Membership Rewards Points Earned - Annual Fee = Net Value/Cost
$0 Second Year (and beyond) Benefits + $208 in Membership Rewards Points - $0 annual fee = $208 Net Value
Depending on your spending patterns and business needs, you can end up earning much more due to the flexibility of the Membership Rewards earned on this credit card. If you were to meet the $50,000 2X Membership Reward Point cap during the year, that would accrue a whopping 100,000 Membership Reward Points, valued at $2,000 when fully optimized for redemption. With the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express, you are getting approximately 4% back on spending with your first $50,000 in purchases, provided no travel is booked through the Amex Travel portal, as the travel portal earns an additional Membership Reward per dollar which is a total of 3X Membership Reward Points. As you can see, there is huge potential for points earning, which equates to free travel from this no annual fee business credit card!
Blue Business Plus Benefits Deep Dive
2x Membership Rewards Points on ALL purchases up to $50,000 annually
1x Membership Rewards Points on all purchases after $50,000 each year
No Annual Fee
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months, then a variable rate of 18.49% - 26.49% variable APR based on your creditworthiness
Expanded Buying Power: Spend above your credit limit, which allows you to tackle business needs as they come automatically—no need to call to request a credit increase. Keep in mind that the amount you can spend is not unlimited and is adjusted based on your payment history, credit record, financial resources, and various other factors.
Account Manager: Designate an account manager to access and manage your business card account.
Employee Cards: Add up to 99 employee cards, which can earn you Membership Rewards Points for no additional fee
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Purchase Protection: When something you buy breaks or is stolen, American Express has you covered! They will cover accidental damage or theft for up to 90 days from the moment you make the purchase. This protection has come in handy for us on several occasions of damaged and lost items while on business trips! In our experience, American Express has been a breeze when dealing with situations like this. Check out the full terms from American Express here.
Extended Warranty: Shop with less worry knowing the manufacturer's warranty can be extended up to an additional year. This benefit applies to warranties of 5 years or less, make sure your purchases are eligible with American Express' first terms here.
Amex Offers: Amex Offers can help your business save more money, resulting in more income on things you purchase anyway. Adding offers is quick and easy on the mobile app. Some Amex Offers we have seen are FedEx Freight, Office, and Shipping 10% back, Dell 10% back, Dropbox 40% back, and +1 additional Membership Rewards Points on Dell purchases. These Amex Offers are posted to your account as a statement credit.
Transfer Partners: Gain the ability to transfer your hard-earned Membership Rewards Points to transfer partners such as Delta, British Airways, Etihad, Hilton, Marriott, and many more. This benefit is significant because most rewards cards only allow access to transfer partners with their more premium annual fee cards. In this case, you are gaining access to getting much more value out of your Membership Rewards Points without paying any annual fee.
Foreign Transaction Fee: 2.7%. For every $1,000 you put on this card while traveling globally, you’ll incur a $27 fee, so keep that in mind.
Travel Benefits: Although the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express is more so geared toward business, you do get a few travel perks!
Baggage Insurance: If your baggage gets lost, stolen, or damaged, you are covered up to $500 per person for checked bags, and $1,250 per person for carry-ons.
Secondary Rental Vehicle Coverage: Pay for the entire rental on your card and decline the rental company’s insurance to take advantage of this perk. Although it's better than nothing if you don't have a more premium credit card, we still recommend renting vehicles using a credit card that holds Primary Rental Vehicle Coverage such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Upgrade with Points: Use your Membership Rewards Points to upgrade an airline ticket to a better seat or cabin! Get more information on airline partners and the upgrade process here.
APR – ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE
While we’re not financial advisors, nor do we give any type of financial advice, our first rule at Points Passport for taking advantage of credit card benefits, maximizing earning points, and optimizing redemptions is to never carry a credit card balance. If you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or read our articles regularly, you’ll know we don’t pay interest on our cards and believe in paying off all of our credit cards every month in full. That way, the cards we keep in our wallets always yield a positive ROI (Return On Investment). The second we carry a balance, we find that we lose too much value, and the charges on the card aren’t worth the points they yielded. If you’re like us and pay your balance in full, please feel free to skip down to The Final Point.
If, for some reason, you either forget to make a full payment or you’re in a situation where it makes sense to carry a balance for you, you’ll want to know the interest rates, APR (Annual Percentage Rate), and other fees are. The Annual Percentage Rate for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express ranges from 18.49% - 26.49% variable APR on purchases at the time this article was written. (See Rates and Fees). If you need to contact American Express regarding the terms, offer details, and the latest rates, you can also contact them at American Express 200 Vesey Street, New York City, New York 10281, United States.
The Final Point
The Points Passport highly recommends the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express, thanks to its versatile rewards and benefits for any business. With 2X Membership Rewards earning capabilities on all purchases, this card could quickly become your star employee. Once you add that this card costs you absolutely no annual fee yet opens the door to Membership Rewards Points transfer partners, the Points Passport sees no reason a start-up or small business owner wouldn't have this card in their wallet. If you spend any money on your business, you will come out ahead with Membership Reward Points valued at about 2 cents per point or more, using our optimization strategies.
Additionally, the introductory 0% APR is perfect for those cumbersome start-up costs you could slowly pay down over time while income starts generating. Without having to pay interest to a bank for a loan or deal with other business cards' astronomical APRs, this could be the saving grace for a small start-up business. If you use AmexTravel.com for travel bookings for work, the Blue Business Credit Card from American Express sweetens the rewards even more, earning 3X Membership Rewards.
Overall, the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express could fit into any business owner's wallet. Thanks to its lucrative earning potential, 12 months of 0% APR, lack of an annual fee, and diverse yet simple earning structure, we will keep it in our wallets for years to come. The best part is that it genuinely does not matter what you are purchasing because you will be rewarded double for it!
Is this the right card for your business? If so, please consider supporting Points Passport by using the link below to learn more. We receive a small compensation when you do!
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired.