The Amex Blue Business Plus is an underappreciated credit card since it is the best lucrative Amex business credit card for everyday spending. In addition to a straightforward rewards structure, the card provides some useful perks for small businesses – all without an annual charge. This guide has a full review of all you need to know about Amex Blue Business Plus including the signup bonus and how you can win their 50K offer. Let’s get to it.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Overview
The American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card provides no annual fee and a reasonable rewards rate on purchases of up to $50,000 per year. It is an excellent card for small business owners with an annual budget in this range. However, it may also be a good option for startup entrepreneurs who do not yet have a regular budget.
As your company grows, Blue Business Plus combines particularly well with other American Express cards as a flat-rate business rewards card, allowing it to remain an important partner in your rewards plan for the foreseeable future.
What are the Pros and Cons?
Let’s look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of the Amex Blue Business Plus credit card:
Pros
- You will not be required to utilize reward points to offset an annual charge.
- It features a buy intro APR that is comparable to other business credit cards.
- The Expanded Buying Power option may let you spend up to a certain amount above your standard credit limit.
Cons
- Under Amex blue business plus credit card, the 2X bonus category only earns rewards on the first 50k dollars in purchases
- Because there is no introductory APR on balance transfers, it may not be the best solution for managing high-interest debt on your other cards.
- For purchases from international merchants, there is a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee.
Who is this Card for?
First and foremost, keep in mind that because this is a business card, not everyone is eligible to apply. You do not, however, need to have a real brick-and-mortar shop or a formalized corporation to be eligible. Simply selling products online or freelancing may qualify you for a business credit card.
American Express designed this card primarily for small businesses with low revenue, such as sole proprietorships and startups, that it felt may benefit from an initial interest rate and increased purchasing power (more on the card’s advantages later).
The Blue Business Plus is also ideal for people who are close to or above Chase’s 5/24 restriction, as applying does not increase your total. However, American Express has its own set of criteria, and if you already have many Amex cards, your application for Blue Business Plus may be declined.
Amex Blue Business Plus Welcome Offer
Right now, the American Express Blue Business Plus credit card is offering a welcome bonus of 15,000 signup bonus points after $3,000 in qualified purchases within the first three months of card membership.
Historically, this card did not come with a welcome bonus, therefore the 15,000-point bonus is unusual. As a result, now is an excellent moment to apply for Blue Business Plus. Just keep in mind that the Amex Blue Business Plus credit card has a once-per-lifetime signup bonus restriction. As a result, if you’ve previously held this card, you may be ineligible for this promotion.
Amex Blue Business Plus Rewards Rate
The American Express Blue Business Plus card earns points on everyday transactions through the flexible American Express Membership Rewards program. Because it is one of the few cards with no annual charge that offers rewards at a generous flat rate, this card can provide excellent value to small business owners. Furthermore, the card’s spending limit on its greatest rewards rate is reset every year. You should also be aware of the following functions:
#1. How you earn
You’ll earn 2X points on purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points beyond that. You’ll also get unlimited 2X points when you book prepaid rental cars through the American Express Travel portal.
There are no spending categories to keep track of, making it simple to accumulate a significant number of rewards with the Blue Business Plus without needing to spend carefully.
#2. How to redeem
American Express offers a variety of redemption choices, including travel, retail, and gift cards via the issuer’s portal. You can also transfer your points to over a dozen hotel and airline partners, or use your rewards as a statement credit to offset your card expenditures.
Pay with Points can be used at checkout with select merchants and for prepaid rental vehicles booked through Amex Travel.
How Much Are Amex Blue Business Plus Points Worth?
Depending on your redemption selection, each reward point could be worth between 0.5 and 2.1 cents.
Paying using points and redeeming them for items, gift cards (value varies by store, but up to a 1:1 value), or statement credits is the worst way to use your points because you will only receive 0.5 cents to 0.7 cents per point in most circumstances. If you want to get the most out of your points, redeem them for air travel through the Amex Travel portal, which will give you a point value of one penny per point.
The easiest approach to get the most out of your points is to use them for travel, particularly transfers to a partner airline or hotel. You’ll need to organize your redemption with your preferred transfer partner ahead of time, but this can be a smart approach to maximize the value of your credit card rewards.
If you need to utilize points quickly, you can reserve prepaid hotel rooms, automobiles, cruises, and planned trips. However, this will only result in a profit of 0.7 cents per point.
Other Cardholder Perks
Aside from rewards, this card provides features that can help you manage your business expenditures, such as increasing your purchasing capacity and giving you staff cards. Here’s an overview of the key advantages of the Blue Business Plus card.
#1. Fast application process
This card features a simple online application process. In fact, your American Express Blue Business Plus approval might come in as little as 30 seconds.
#2. Expanded buying power
If you need to make a major purchase that exceeds your Amex Blue Business Plus credit limit, you now have greater purchasing power. American Express may allow you to go beyond your credit limit to cover business expenses such as equipment and inventory, but this is not infinite.
Instead, it is adjusted based on your card usage, payment history, credit history, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors. You must also pay off the over-limit percentage as part of your minimum payment at the end of each billing period.
#3. Employee cards
Blue Business Plus enables you to obtain additional cards for your staff and create unique spending limits for them.
#4. Account manager
The account manager feature allows you to grant access to your accounts to a trusted helper so that they can monitor your finances for you.
#5. Travel benefits
If you travel, you’ll like the fact that this card includes supplemental car rental loss and damage insurance as well as a Global Assist Hotline. Also, if you need assistance with an emergency, such as a lost passport or missing luggage, call the hotline. If you travel more than 100 miles from home, Amex additionally provides translation services as well as emergency legal and medical recommendations.
Amex Blue Business Plus Rates and Fees
The Amex Blue Business Plus, in particular, features no annual fee and a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, allowing you to fund major business needs for one year without paying interest. This introductory deal is especially valuable for new cardholders who need to finance purchases with the card during their first year. This is a unique feature of Blue Business Plus because many popular business cards do not offer introductory APR deals.
After the introductory period, your normal APR will range from 18.24% to 26.24% (variable), depending on your creditworthiness. If you go over your spending limit, the Expanded Buying Power feature protects you from an over-limit fee, but there are a few other rates and fees to be aware of if you’re having trouble paying off your amount.
A returned payment or two or more late payments in one year will result in a penalty APR of 29.99 percent. This penalty APR is valid for at least 12 billing cycles and may result in you incurring high-interest debt. There is also a $39 late and returned payment fee and a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee with the Blue Business Plus Credit Card.
Alternative Cards to the Amex Blue Business Plus Card
The Blue Business Plus credit card is great for small business owners who want a card with a straightforward rewards system, no annual fee, and an introductory APR period. This card is not suitable for business owners that run huge enterprises and spend more than $50,000 per year (at least not as their primary business card). As a result, here are some other options:
#1. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
The Ink Business Unlimited card is worth considering for individuals seeking for a no-annual-fee business card that earns flexible points and has a simple earning structure. The card earns an unlimited 1.5% back on every dollar spent, making it an excellent choice for those who manage businesses with high yearly expenses.
#2. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
If you’re searching for a more well-rounded choice that allows you to maximize spending in the areas where your company spends the most, the Ink Business Preferred card could be ideal. The Ink Business Preferred card offers 3 points for every $1 spent on travel, shipping, ad expenditures made through social media sites or search engines, and internet, cable, and phone services.
If your company spends a lot of money in one or more of these categories, you may earn hundreds of thousands of Ultimate Rewards points per year.
Is the American Express Blue Business Plus Card Worth It?
For small business owners who want a card with a simple point-earning system that they can use for all of their business spendings throughout the year, the Amex Blue Business Plus card is definitely worth having. The Amex Blue Business Plus card is one of the finest credit cards for monthly payments for business owners because it rewards 2x points for $1 spent (on up to $50,000 in annual spending).
Of course, the card is useful for more than just earning points. It’s also ideal for business owners seeking for employee cards with no extra fees and perks like purchase protection and extended warranty protection.
Even better, you get all of the card’s high earning potential and features without paying an annual fee.
Can Anyone Get Blue Business Plus Card?
You must have good to outstanding credit to be approved for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. This is typically considered as a score of 690 or higher. However, credit scores alone may not ensure approval.
What Is the Credit Limit for Blue Business?
The credit limit for the American Express Blue Business CashTM Card typically ranges from $1,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on creditworthiness. This card also provides increased purchasing power, allowing you to surpass your credit limit.
Does Blue Business Plus Report to Personal Credit?
The Amex Blue Business Plus card reports solely the business credit as long as you are in good standing. Otherwise, personal credit bureaus may receive information.
Does Amex Blue Business Do a Hard Pull?
No company provides reviews or endorses editorial or user-generated content. Yes, when you apply for one of Amex’s corporate credit cards, it performs a hard pull on your credit record.
How Much Business Credit Can You Get With a 700 Credit Score?
With a credit score of 700, you can borrow $50,000 to $100,000 or more. The actual amount of money you will receive is determined by variables other than your credit score.
What Credit Score Do You Need for the Blue?
690 or above is required. However, credit scores alone may not ensure approval.
Conclusion
If you own a small business and want to earn valuable Membership Rewards points on your everyday business spending, you might consider the American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card. Depending on the types of transactions your company makes, pairing this card with another business card that offers bonus categories may make sense.
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