Blue Business Plus Credit Card Review 2023 (2023)

For business owners who wish to earn American Express Membership Rewards points, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a simple solution. With robust earnings of 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners up to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar on all other purchases, the card offers a solid option for everyday usage. The American Express Blue Business Plus Card also has no annual fee.

The biggest downside? The foreign transaction fee of 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars. This makes the card a bad option for international travelers. It’s also not a good fit for businesses with over $50,000 in annual spending.

• Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners up to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
• 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate of 18.24% - 26.24%
• Foreign transaction fee is 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
• Secondary car rental damage and loss insurance

Earning Rewards

The American Express Blue Business Plus Card offers a straightforward earnings structure. You’ll earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners up to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Redeeming Rewards

American Express Membership Rewards points are valuable in part because of their flexibility. The points can be transferred to many partner airlines, most at a 1:1 ratio.

In addition, American Express offers frequent transfer bonuses, allowing cardholders to access additional value. Among the airline transfer partners are Delta (for SkyTeam airlines), British Airways and Iberia Avios (Oneworld) and Air Canada Aeroplan (Star Alliance).

Membership Rewards can also be redeemed for a large variety of gift cards in travel, retail and restaurant categories. Rates vary depending on the vendor and fluctuate between 0.5 cents and 1 cent per point. Pay with points is available with some vendors, most notably Amazon at 0.7 cents per point. The card also offers the ability to use points to wipe charges off of your bill, but at 0.6 cents per point, it’s a terrible value.

For those who don’t plan to redeem rewards for travel, the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (Terms apply) is a better choice since it earns cash back instead of points.

Rewards Potential

Calculating the rewards potential of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is easy. Businesses that spend $50,000 or less per year can simply multiply their annual spending amount by 2%.

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government and industry reports in order to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. From this data, we estimate that a sample small business has $32,072 in expenses that can be reasonably charged to a credit card. At 2 points per dollar spent, that equates to 64,144 Membership Rewards points per year.

Businesses that max out the first $50,000 in spending could earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points per year. After transferring the points to a partner airline, a business could reasonably expect to earn enough miles to redeem for four domestic round-trip tickets in economy on Delta, American or United, depending on the route and travel season.

• 24/7 Global Assist Hotline: Access to emergency assistance coordination while traveling.¹
• Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: When you use your card to pay for a rental vehicle and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental counter, you may receive secondary auto coverage in an eligible territory. Terms apply.²
• Amex Offers: Amex Offers allow cardholders to earn statement credits and bonus points on eligible purchases after registering for offers.
• Employee Cards: Employee cards are available at no additional cost.
• Extended Warranty: Get up to one additional year of warranty on an eligible manufacturer’s warranty when you pay with your card.³
• Purchase Protection: Covers eligible purchases from damage, loss or theft. Terms Apply.³

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 18.24% - 26.24% Variable
• Purchase Intro APR: 0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
• Balance Transfer Intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual Fee: No annual fee
• Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
• Cash Advance: N/A
• Foreign Purchase Transaction Fee: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express vs. American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The Blue Business Plus and American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (See rates & fees) cards offer nearly identical earning structures. While the Blue Business Plus Card earns Membership Rewards points, the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers cash back—2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%.

Businesses that want to earn points that can be redeemed for travel and are willing to put in a little more effort may get more value from the Blue Business Plus Card, but those looking for simple cash-back rewards will prefer the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express vs. Business Green Rewards Card from American Express*

The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express* from American Express is another Membership Rewards-earning card, but the Blue Business Plus card beats it in almost every category. The Business Green Card comes with the following rewards structure: 2 points for per dollar on eligible purchases at American Express Travel and 1 point per dollar on eligible purchases.

With a $95, it’s hard to justify choosing the Green Card over the Blue Business Plus card.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Those looking to dive deeper into the rewards-earning space should consider the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. The card earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards and can also be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to airline and hotel partners. Redemption for cash back is possible at a value of 1 cent per point.

Businesses with more than $50,000 in annual spending or that spend significantly in the bonus categories offered by the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card may come out ahead of the Blue Business Plus.

Related: Best Business Credit Cards of 2023

The American Express Blue Business Plus Card’s earn rate of 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners up to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar on all other purchases makes the card a good choice for many businesses. Membership Rewards are a versatile tool in the travel rewards toolkit, but this is not a card to use while traveling internationally or for businesses with credit card expenses of more than $50,000 a year.

To view rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express from American Express, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, please visit this page.
¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
²Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
³Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.