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The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is offering 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases within 3 months of Card Membership. We value these 15k points at around $300 in value.
With the card, you earn 2X points on all purchases with no category restrictions. This rate applies to the first $50k in spending per year. You’ll earn 1 point per dollar after that cap is reached.
The card has no annual fee (see Rates & Fees, Terms Apply) but it doesn’t come with many perks. Consider another alternative if your business spending is high. The rewards earned can justify an annual fee.
| Bonus Available | 15,000 Membership Reward Points® after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. |
| Bonus Value* | $300 |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases with no category restrictions. On up to $50,000 in annual spending, then 1x points thereafter. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees? | 2.7% |
| Annual Fee | $0 |
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by MoneysMyLife and not the card issuer. Read our card review for more details.
View our latest valuations here.
See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply
Recommended Credit Score (Get Your Free Score)
PROS
- No annual fee
- Flexible credit limit
- Transfer partners
CONS
- Good-Excellent credit needed to qualify
- Capped rewards
- Foreign transaction fees
INK BUSINESS UNLIMITED® CREDIT CARD
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card from Chase offers a $750 bonus (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) when you spend $7,500 within the first 3 months of account opening. This card has no annual fee.
Get unlimited flat 1.5% Cash Back rewards on every purchase with this card. There are no categories to keep up with.
Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can pool your rewards with other Ultimate Rewards Cards (e.g. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card). Pair it with one of these cards, use the available transfer partners, and 750k Ultimate Rewards points can be worth up to $1,500 in value.
15,000 Membership Rewards Points Offer
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
Compare this offer to other top credit card bonuses here.
Here are some ideas to help meet the spending requirement for the bonus:
Earning Membership Rewards Points
The Blue Business Plus card’s rewards structure is pretty straightforward. Get 2 Membership Rewards points for every $1 spent on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year. On spending above $50,000, receive 1 point for every $1 spent.
There are no bonus categories to keep track of, which makes the Blue Business Plus a good option for your everyday business purchases. But to get the most bang for your buck, consider pairing it with another card which offers bonus categories that match your company’s spending.
Redeeming Membership Rewards Points
Like many other rewards cards, the value of your points depends on how you use them. Using the program’s travel partners can yield the highest value. Each Membership Rewards point is worth up to an average of $0.02. That’s an excellent value considering the industry standard is just $0.01 per point.
When it comes time to redeem your Membership Rewards points, you have a variety of options, including:
| Redeem for… | Value |
| Travel via Amex or Expedia | $0.005 – $0.01 / point |
| Transfer to travel partners | Varies by partner |
| Statement credits | $0.006 / point |
| Merchandise | Varies by retailer |
| Unique experiences | Varies by venue |
| Gift cards | Varies by retailer |
| Charity donations | $0.007 / point |
The best way to use your Membership Rewards points is to transfer them to one of 20+ travel partners (see below). This lets you leverage your earned points for higher-class flights with various airlines and routes. Or, premium rooms at higher-tier hotels. With this strategy, you can get up to an average value of 2 cents per point.
The Blue Business Plus Card’s Expanded Buying Power
The Blue Business Plus credit card allows you to spend beyond your credit limit to make big purchases for your business, at no extra cost. You’ll earn points on these large expenses as well.
The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors.
Any amount spent over your limit must be paid back on top of the minimum payment due that billing period. If you fail to pay it in full, you’ll get hit with a high penalty APR which will negate any rewards earned from the purchase.
Bottom Line
Looking for a low-cost, no-frills rewards card for your business? The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express is a worthy consideration. It gives you a decent rewards rate, excellent points value and room to spend beyond your credit limit, when needed.
But if you’re looking for a big introductory offer, bonus categories or a good card to travel with, you’ll want to give the Blue Business Plus card a pass.
What’s The Competition?
Below are some of the top competitors/alternatives to the Blue Business Plus card from American Express you should consider.
Here are some other good business card options that don’t cost you anything to carry:
INK BUSINESS CASH® CREDIT CARD
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card from Chase has an offer for $750 bonus cash back (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) when you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. This card has no annual fee.
This card earns 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. It also earns 2% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined spending at gas stations and restaurants each anniversary year. All other purchases earn an unlimited 1% cash back.
You can redeem your rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more.
The Ink Business Cash Credit Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards. This allows for more redemption possibilities when paired with other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards (e.g. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card). Pair it with one of these cards, use the available transfer partners, and 75k Ultimate Rewards points can be worth up to $1,500 in value.
INK BUSINESS UNLIMITED® CREDIT CARD
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card from Chase offers a $750 bonus (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) when you spend $7,500 within the first 3 months of account opening. This card has no annual fee.
Get unlimited flat 1.5% Cash Back rewards on every purchase with this card. There are no categories to keep up with.
Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can pool your rewards with other Ultimate Rewards Cards (e.g. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card). Pair it with one of these cards, use the available transfer partners, and 750k Ultimate Rewards points can be worth up to $1,500 in value.
CAPITAL ONE SPARK CASH SELECT FOR BUSINESS
The Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business is one of the best Business cash back credit cards with no annual fee. There’s an intro offer where you can earn a $200 bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
Business owners like this card because it earns unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, regardless of category. Employee cards are available at no additional cost and will also earn the 1.5% rewards from their business spending. There are no foreign transaction fees with this card.
CAPITAL ONE SPARK MILES SELECT FOR BUSINESS
The Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business has an offer for 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months. We value these 20k miles to be worth around $280 when you use Capital One’s transfer partners.
This card earns 1.5 miles per $1 on all purchases.
Earn 5X miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One TravelSM using this card. You can get more flexibility with your miles with Capital One’s 10+ transfer partners. Read more about this here.
Pay no annual fee or foreign transaction fees with this card.
These Amex cards have annual fees, but offer great rewards. Worth a look if your business spending is significant.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® BUSINESS GOLD CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
For a limited time, the American Express Business Gold Card has an offer for 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
This card earns 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. These 4X points are capped at the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.
Other card benefits include an Airline Bonus, where you’ll get 25% points back after you redeem points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel. This is capped at up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.
The annual fee is $295 for this card. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
THE BUSINESS PLATINUM CARD® FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a welcome offer for 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. We value 85k points to be worth around $2,000.
This card earns 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel.
For each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more you’ll earn 50% more points (an extra half point per dollar). You are restricted to 1 million additional points per year.
Use Membership Rewards Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year. You will also get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership when you use your Card.
This is a premium business card with a $595 annual fee. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
| OFFER LINK | OFFER | OUR REVIEW |
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Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Disclaimer: These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. It is not the bank advertiser's or any other entity's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.