Amex Blue Business Plus card review: Double points for no annual fee
Editor's Note
Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express overview
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is the best no-annual-fee (see rates and fees) Amex small-business card. It offers 2 Amex Membership Rewards points per dollar on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year (then 1 point per dollar). Membership Rewards points are exceptionally valuable because they transfer to 20-plus airline and hotel partners. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Given the overwhelming number of business rewards credit cards available, it's safe to say that there is a business card with the right benefits and perks for your operation — no matter the size.
The Amex Blue Business Plus is an underrated credit card, since it's the single most rewarding Amex business credit card for everyday spending. In addition to a simple rewards-earning structure, the card offers some valuable benefits for small businesses — all with no annual fee.
While you may have heard about business cards stacked with valuable perks and spending bonuses, such as The Business Platinum Card® from American Express or the American Express® Business Gold Card, the Blue Business Plus perfectly complements these cards. Not only does this card have no annual fee, you'll be able to earn twice as many Amex points for purchases that don't fall into one of the other cards' bonus categories.
It's recommended that you have a credit score of 670 or above to apply for this product.
Here's everything you need to know about this solid business credit card.
Blue Business Plus welcome offer
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first three months of Card Membership.
Remember that American Express has a once-per-lifetime policy for earning welcome bonuses. As a result, if you've had this card in the past, you may not be eligible for any welcome offer on it.
Blue Business Plus benefits
Despite being a no-annual-fee card, the Blue Business Plus offers several perks that could be highly valuable for small businesses:
- Expanded buying power: This benefit allows you to spend beyond your credit limit to help pay for larger purchases. This additional spending must be paid in full by your due date; the amount up to your credit limit can be carried from month to month. Note that this does not mean that American Express will grant you unlimited spending power — the amount adjusts based on various factors, including your use of the card, payment history and credit history.
- Employee cards: American Express allows you to get up to 99 employee cards at no additional cost (see rates and fees), making it easy to rack up rewards through your employees' spending.
- Amex Offers: These are statement credits or bonus points with specific merchants, which can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year.
- Insurances: This card offers extended warranty* and purchase protection*
* 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.
Earning points with the Blue Business Plus
Earning points on the Blue Business Plus is straightforward — one of the greatest merits of the card. You earn 2 Amex points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent on the card annually (then 1 point per dollar).
This is the best earning rate for everyday purchases on a business card — equal to a 4% return, based on TPG's valuations.
There are no bonus categories to keep track of, which makes it very easy to manage.
Redeeming points with the Blue Business Plus
The Membership Rewards points you'll earn with the Blue Business Plus are the same as those you earn with cards such as the Business Platinum Card and can be transferred to 21 loyalty program partners.
Though you'll generally get the most value from your Amex points by transferring them to a travel partner, you can also redeem points for cash back, Amazon purchases, Uber rides, gift cards and more. However, these tend to offer much lower value for your points.
Alternatively, you can use points to book travel directly through Amex Travel, but if that's the type of redemption you're after, you'll want to pair the Blue Business Plus with the Business Platinum Card to get a 35% rebate on airfare booked with points (up to 1 million points back per calendar year on the Business Platinum).
Transferring points with the Blue Business Plus
The Blue Business Plus earns Amex Membership Rewards points, which you can transfer to 18 airline and three hotel partners. These include Delta SkyMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
You can use these points to virtually fly anywhere in the world, from economy flights to Hawaii, business-class tickets to Europe and first-class journeys to Japan.
Senior credit cards editor Matt Moffitt likes to watch out for transfer bonuses to key programs, which can reduce the cost of a flight or hotel redemption by up to 50%.
Related: Amex Business Platinum for flights: When to transfer vs. when to pay with points
Which cards compete with the Blue Business Plus?
There are many small-business credit cards on the market that compete with the Blue Business Plus, including:
- If you prefer Chase: Try the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card, which earns 1.5% cash back — or a return of 3% when paired with a card earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points (based on TPG's valuations) — on all purchases, all for no annual fee. You'll also receive a welcome offer. For more information, check out our full review of the Ink Business Unlimited.
- If you prefer Capital One: Go for the Capital One Spark Miles for Business(see rates and fees) Like the Blue Business Plus, it earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, although some differences exist. Capital One's card doesn't have a spending cap for that earning rate but carries a $95 annual fee (waived the first year). When using the miles, you can redeem them for travel at 1 cent apiece — or you can transfer Capital One miles to 15 airline and three hotel partners. For more information, check out our full review of the Ink Business Unlimited.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best business cards.
Related: Your guide to the Chase Ink Business credit cards
Is the Blue Business Plus worth it?
If you own a small business and want to earn lucrative Membership Rewards points on your everyday business spending, you should consider Amex's Blue Business Plus Credit Card. Its industry-leading return of 4% (TPG's valuation) on the first $50,000 spent each year is fantastic — as is the fact you can earn this many points without paying an annual fee.
Bottom line
Depending on the types of purchases your business makes, it makes the most sense for you to pair this card with another Amex business card that offers bonus categories. A great sibling is the American Express Business Gold Card, which earns 4 Amex points per dollar spent on the two categories in which you spend the most each month (on up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) — all with an annual fee of $295 ($375 if application is received on or after 2/1/24) (see rates and fees).
Application link: Amex Blue Business Plus
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold Card, click here.
Additional reporting by Benji Stawski and Stella Shon.