Amex Blue Business Plus review: Your business's everyday multi-tool for rewards

Nav’s verdict

Think of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express as the compact blade that handles the basics so you can focus on growth, not gimmicks. The card should appeal to:

• Small businesses that want straightforward travel rewards for no annual fee.
• Businesses that spend less than $50,000 per year.
• Small business owners who don’t want the hassle of tracking bonus categories.
• New businesses or those with large expenses coming up that they want to finance with a low intro APR.

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The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

American Express is a Nav Partner | Terms, Rates & Fees | Terms apply

A great business card for flexible spending and travel rewards points.

Pros

• Competitive intro APR offer and rewards rate
• No annual fee
• For a limited time, earn Membership Rewards® points on initial spending.

Cons

• Foreign transaction fee.

Intro APR

0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening

Purchase APR

16.74% - 26.74% Variable

Annual Fee

$0

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.

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But even a multi-purpose tool isn’t the best for every job. Skip the Blue Business Plus if:

• You want a cash-back card. Consider the Plus’ sibling. to earn cash back rather than Membership Rewards The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on the first $50,000 of purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter.
• You want to maximize your earnings in specific categories. Consider the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card .Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
• You want a flexible spending credit line that you pay off each month along with enhanced earnings. Consider the American Express® Business Gold Card which is a charge card rather than a credit card . Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.*

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express overview

The The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a no-annual-fee credit card that awards spending with Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards are valuable because they are so flexible, with the best value redemptions being toward travel.

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card at a glance

Is the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express a credit card or a charge card?

The The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Expressis a credit card, not a charge card like other Amex cards such as the American Express® Business Gold Card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. The difference between the two card types is that a charge card requires full payment each month without a pre-set limit, while a credit card is designed to be a revolving credit line with a specific limit and the ability to carry a balance with interest. 

The term “no pre-set limit” needs definition. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you can charge a McMansion, as Amex will still look at your credit profile before approving an especially large purchase. Fortunately, you can check your spending power in advance via the online app.

The The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express does offer Expanded Buying Power, which is the ability to go over your credit limit with prior authorization. Just keep in mind that the amount over your credit limit will have to be paid with that month’s statement rather than being financed like the rest of your balance. 

Welcome offer and intro APR

New cardholders of the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express can 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. Membership Rewards can be worth up to 2 cents per point in certain airline transfer scenarios, such as booking a premium airline ticket, though value varies depending on redemption method and availability.

The intro APR offer makes the card more valuable for first year ownership and applying for the card can make sense before a large purchase, provided you can pay off the balance before the introductory period ends.

Rewards and earning rates

The The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express makes earning easy by offering an easy-to-understand rewards. rate. Earn 2X 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. Terms and limitations apply.Most purchases qualify, with the exception of gift cards, travelers checks, cash equivalents, and card interest or fees. 

Here’s what that looks like in real life:

Annual cap and how to maximize it

If you want to get the most out of your The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, the sweet spot is spending around $4,000 on the card monthly (as makes sense for your business). If you spend more than that, you can use a two-card strategy to maximize your points and switch your spending to another card that offers a bonus on spending once you hit the cap. 

Fortunately Amex makes it easy to track your progress. You can see your spending by month or year within your online account so you’ll know when you are close to the $50,000 annual cap. Note the annual cap is computed by calendar year, not cardmember year, so the cap resets each January 1st. Terms subject to change; see issuer terms for current details.

How to redeem Membership Rewards points

Unlike a cash-back card, the Membership Rewards points you earn can have a wide variety of values depending on how you use them. Here’s a chart to help you compare the redemption options. TL:DR: Transfer points to airline partners and redeem for business class flights for the highest value redemption. 

Amex transfer partners and best-value redemptions

While learning Amex transfer partners takes time, it can be well worth the effort. Last year I redeemed just 50,000 Membership Rewards points, transferred to Aeroplan, on round-trip business-class flights to Panama on Copa Airlines. 

This example demonstrates the most important thing to know about transfer partners: You don’t have to fly the specific airline your points transfer to. Airlines operate within alliances and you can often find partner space using your points. Here’s a quick shorthand to know:

The process of sending points to airline partners to redeem for flights may seem confusing, but Amex has taken the sting out of finding award seats. The Point.me award search engine is integrated right into your Membership Rewards portal so you can live search for your ticket before sending points to a partner. 

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express key benefits and business features

For a no-annual-fee card, the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has a nice sprinkling of perks and benefits. Here’s what you can expect. 

Employee cards, spend controls, and expense tools

• Free employee cards: Issue cards to employees with the ability to track employee purchases and set limits on employee cards. 
• Vendor Pay by Bill.com: Take advantage of card benefits and cash management tools with no monthly fee for the first user. 
• QuickBooks integration: Connect the card to your QuickBooks account for instant spending categorization. 

Purchase and travel protections

• Purchase protection: Covers eligible items up to $10,000 per occurrence, $50,000/year for damage/theft within 90–120 days of purchase. Excludes used goods or autos.
• Extended warranty: Adds up to 1 year on eligible warranties of 5 years or less (U.S. purchases only). Caps at $10,000/claim, $50,000/year.
• Car rental loss/damage waiver: Secondary coverage for theft/damage when using primary insurance. Decline rental company's CDW.

Fees and costs to know

Credit requirements and eligibility

Here’s what you can expect if you are considering a The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express 

• American Express states that you can expect a personal credit pull when you apply for a business credit card. 
• You can apply with an SSN if you are a sole proprietor, otherwise you will need an EIN. 
• Amex does not publish a specific credit score you need for approval, but you can expect that they’re looking for good to excellent credit, which is generally defined as a FICO® Score of at least 670. 
• Before you apply, you’ll want to have your docs ready. You’ll need your SSN or EIN, business type, estimated annual income, and monthly spending. 

Who should get the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

In general, consider the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express as your starter business travel rewards card. 

Best for

• Broad everyday spenders chasing flexible points.
• Owners in the Amex rewards ecosystem on their personal cards.
• New/small businesses under $50K annual card spend.
• Sole proprietors wanting free employee tools.

Not ideal for

• Cash back loyalists.
• Heavy international buyers due to the foreign transaction fee.
• High-volume spenders blowing past the $50,000 annual 2X rewards cap.
• Perk chasers needing robust travel insurance or lounge access.
  The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Expressalternatives

If you’re not sure if the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is for you, here’s a quick summary of other cards that may be a better fit. 

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Choose the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card if you like everything about the Plus version except its rewards currency as the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is essentially the same card, but earns cash back instead of Membership Rewards points. 

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The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

American Express is a Nav Partner | Terms, Rates & Fees | Terms apply

One of the highest cash back rates available for small business cards.

Pros

• Attractive intro financing offer
• High rates of cash back for business spending
• No annual fee.

Cons

• No rewards bonus for initial spending
• Foreign transaction fees.

Intro APR

0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening

Purchase APR

16.74% - 26.74% Variable

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer

Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.

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Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Consider the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card if you like the idea of a large welcome bonus, because the Ink Unlimited offers a larger bonus than the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Expressfor the same $0 annual fee. (Based on publicly available offers as of February 2026. Offers may change.) The downside is that you’ll earn less on your spending each year until you hit the $50,000 mark. 

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Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Terms, Rates & Fees

All information about the Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card has been collected independently by Nav. This card is not currently available through Nav. To see what business credit cards are available, please visit the Nav Credit Card Marketplace.

Pros

• All information about the Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card has been collected independently by Nav
• This card is not currently available through Nav
• To see what business credit cards are available, please visit the Nav Credit Card Marketplace.

Cons

• All information about the Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card has been collected independently by Nav
• This card is not currently available through Nav
• To see what business credit cards are available, please visit the Nav Credit Card Marketplace.

Intro APR

0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months

Purchase APR

18.49% - 24.49% Variable

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer

Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Choose the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express if your first question upon entering an airport is “Where’s the lounge?” The sky-high $895 annual fee only makes sense if you fully utilize the perks. 

How we rated this card

Nav used the following criteria to rate the Blue Business Plus:

• Annual fee
• Intro APR
• Rewards earning rate and redemption options
• Perks and benefits

The most important criteria we used is suitability: As no tool is perfect for every job, no card is best for every user. The ideal user of the Blue Business Plus is a small business owner that wants to dabble with travel rewards without the commitment of a large annual fee. 

The bottom line

If you want an entry-level business card that earns travel rewards, look no further than the Amex Blue Business Plus. With no annual fee and an intro APR, the card is an ideal tool for new businesses that need to buy inventory or expensive hardware. But if you want cash back or you are a big spender, look for a card that’s a better fit. 

Frequently asked questions