The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express – Review
The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express is a popular small business credit card with a fairly standard rewards program and no annual fee. Like many other Amex business credit cards, the rewards program is based on Membership Rewards, a proprietary portal that allows you to redeem for a wide range of merchandise and cash equivalents.
Blue Business Plus is meant for business owners with good to excellent credit. It competes with a number of other popular small business credit cards, including Capital One Spark Miles for Business. Blue Business Plus also competes with American Express’s color-coded business charge card family, which includes the Plum Card, Business Green Rewards, Business Gold Rewards, and the Business Platinum Card.
Get rewarded for business as usual. Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. The 2X rate applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, and 1 point per dollar thereafter.
You can redeem accumulated Membership Rewards points for general merchandise, travel, transportation (including Uber rides), gift cards, statement credits, and other items at Amex’s Membership Rewards portal. Point values vary by redemption method, with merchandise generally worth $0.01 per point and statement credits worth $0.006 per point.
There is a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers.
Following the end of the introductory period, variable regular APR applies. It’s currently 13.24%, 17.24%, or 21.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors – see rates and fees.
Blue Business Plus has no annual fee or fees for additional employee cards. Foreign transactions cost 2.7%. Balance transfers cost the greater of $5 or 3%. Late and returned payments cost up to $38 each.
Unlike American Express charge cards, Blue Business Plus has a spending limit. However, cardholders can spend above their credit limits without first applying for a higher limit, provided they pay off the amount spent above the limit in full by their statement due date. Above-limit spending is not unlimited – according to American Express, it “adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.”
Blue Business Plus comes with a nice lineup of business-friendly benefits, including digital receipt storage, expense tagging and tracking, and the ability to designate an employee as your account manager and dispute resolution point person.
Blue Business Plus also has a host of perks not explicitly geared toward business customers. The most noteworthy include one-year extended warranties on all items with original warranties of five years or less, return protection for all returns rejected within 90 days of original purchase, 24/7 roadside assistance, and baggage insurance worth up to $1,250 for carry-on luggage.
This card requires good to excellent credit.
American Express has a somewhat deserved reputation as an issuer of gold-plated and platinum-plated cards with luxurious fringe benefits, impeccable service, and generous loyalty features. Many of the company’s high-end credit and charge cards live up to this image – but not all of them.
The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express is a middle-of-the-road rewards card that doesn’t require massive revenues or an off-the-charts credit score – a true business credit card for the rest of us. Blue Business Plus’ broad appeal does come with some drawbacks, including a so-so rewards system, but there are worse cards out there. If you don’t qualify for a more generous American Express card at the moment, it’s not a bad place to start.
With a no annual fee and attainable underwriting requirements, this card is ideal for low- to moderate-spending business owners who aren’t likely to qualify for a more generous card at the moment. It’s not ideal for business owners who crave luxurious benefits or generous rewards, nor those with heavier spending requirements.
No annual fee and a long 0% APR introductory promotion are nice perks. Foreign transaction fees, mediocre rewards and relatively low spending limits are problematic. Overall, this is a very good card for smaller, frugal business owners with good to great, but not amazing credit.
Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Categories: American Express Business, Credit and Debt, Credit Cards, Reviews, Small Business
Brian Martucci writes about frugal living, entrepreneurship, and innovative ideas. When he’s not interviewing small business owners or investigating time- and money-saving strategies for Money Crashers readers, he’s probably out exploring a new trail or sampling a novel cuisine. Find him on Twitter @Brian_Martucci.
Comments Disclosure: The below responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
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