Applying for a business credit card can open a whole new avenue to earning travel rewards points. There are business cards that align with the various airlines and hotels. There are also those that earn transferrable points with Chase and American Express. While there are plenty of options available, the best business card for everyday spending is the American Express® Blue Business® Plus.

It has a simple earning structure of 2x Amex Membership Rewards points and it comes with no annual fee. This makes it a wonderful complementary card for those who already earn Membership Rewards points from other popular cards, such as the personal or business Platinum and Gold cards.

Who is this card for?

Obviously since this is a business credit card, not everyone can apply. However, you don’t need to own a traditional business to apply for a business credit card. If you have a side hustle that makes money, you have a business. This is a great card for beginners because the flat 2x earnings rate means you don’t need to keep track of bonus categories. Earning a flat rate is easy to understand and requires no extra thought or work.

And for experts wanting to accumulate Amex Membership Rewards® points, this card can help with that strategy. Earning 2 points per dollar may not sound like a lot, especially when comparing to other Membership Rewards eligible credit cards. For example:

• The Business Platinum Card – earns 5 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked at amextravel.com
• The Business Gold Card – earns 4x points on two select categories where you spend the most each month
• American Express Gold Card – earns 4x points on dining and grocery purchases and 3x points on travel booked directly with airlines

However, all of the above cards earn just 1x points on purchases outside of each card’s bonus categories. This is where the Blue Business Plus becomes the perfect partner card for those who own other Membership Rewards earning cards. If you use the Blue Business Plus for all non-bonus category purchases, you’ll earn an extra point for every dollar spent. Over time, those extra points can really add up.

You can apply for the American Express® Blue Business® Plus here.

Card Features

Bonus Offer

Unfortunately there’s no welcome bonus on this card. However, by signing up via a friend’s referral link, you may be able to snag 10,000 bonus points.

Annual Fee

This card has no annual fee.

Earning Rates

The American Express® Blue Business® Plus card earns 2x points on all purchases, up to the first $50,000 spent annually (1x thereafter). There are no bonus categories to keep track of which makes things easy. However, it also means you should put things like dining, travel or groceries on other higher earning cards.

Redeeming Points

Membership Rewards points earned from the Blue Business Plus are the same as ones earned with other Amex business or personal cards. These points can be transferred to any of Amex’s 22 travel partners.  

For example, you could transfer 25,000 Membership Rewards points to Delta to fly one-way from New York to Paris for Christmas. Tickets often sell for around $800, so the value of those 25,000 points is around 3.2 cents per point ($800 / 25,000 points). That makes for an effective return rate of 6.4% (2 points per dollar multiplied by 3.2 cents per point = 6.4 cents per dollar)!

For more information on Amex’s flexible points program, check out The Complete Guide to American Express Membership Rewards®.

Card Benefits

Low Intro APR

0% intro APR for the first 12 months on purchases, then a variable APR of 17.99 – 25.99%.

Expanded Buying Power

This benefit allows you use your card beyond its credit limit to help pay for larger purchases. There are no over-limit fees, no enrollment steps and you can continue to earn Membership Rewards points on purchases above your credit limit. It’s really just as simple as paying the minimum due each month, which will include any amount you spend over your credit limit. Just remember, 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 us and other factors.

Purchase Protection

This benefit covers your new purchases for 90 days against damage or theft up to $1,000 per covered purchase and $50,000 per card. As always, make sure you read the fine print for benefit terms and conditions. 

Extended Warranty Protection

With this benefit, you can extend the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by one additional year. This applies to eligible warranties of five years or less on covered purchases in the United States or its territories.

Secondary Car Rental Insurance

Secondary coverage is what most credit cards offer and it applies after your own personal auto insurance policy. Typically it means that your auto insurer pays the claim, but the card will reimburse your deductible and potentially other costs not covered by your personal policy. To be covered for damage or theft of a rental vehicle, you must use your card to pay for the entire rental and decline the collision damage waiver with the rental company. This does not include liability coverage.

What other cards compete with Amex Blue Business Plus?

There are many small business cards on the market, but only a few could really classify as direct competitors.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card

This card from Chase offers a fixed 1.5% cash back or 1.5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on all purchases. There is no annual fee and a very generous 50,000 point sign-up bonus, after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Similar to Amex Membership Rewards, points earned with Chase have even more value when you transfer to airline or hotel partners.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

This card earns 2x points like the Amex Blue Business Plus, but there are a few important differences. First the card has a $95 annual fee, although it’s waived in the first year. Second, when it’s time to redeem for travel, the miles are worth 1 cent apiece. You can also transfer miles to Capital One transfer partners but at a rate of either 2 : 1.5 or 2 : 1 (whereas Amex’s transfer ration is a more bountiful 1 : 1).

The Capital One Spark Cash for Business works the same way, except you earn 2% cash back instead of 2x miles.

Bottom Line

If you’re a small business owner and want to earn sought after Amex Membership Rewards points, you should consider the American Express® Blue Business® Plus card. The appeal is in it’s simplicity. A flat 2x earnings rate makes it a great card for everyday, non-bonus spending. Plus it can provide even more value when paired with another Amex Membership Rewards eligible credit card. For instance, pair it with the American Express Gold Card, which earns 4x points on dining and groceries, to really supercharge your earnings!

Apply here for the American Express® Blue Business® Plus Card.