Amex Blue Business Cash card review: A solid small-business credit card for earning cash back with no annual fee and a rare welcome bonus

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Amex Blue Business Cash card review: A solid small-business credit card for earning cash back with no annual fee and a rare welcome bonus

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Regular APR

13.24% to 19.24% variable APR

Credit Score

Good to Excellent

Featured Reward

$250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your card in your first 3 months

Intro APR

0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening

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Pros & Cons

Details

Pros

Good choice for earning 2% cash back on all your eligible purchases up to $50,000 a year
Intro APR offer
No annual fee

Cons

If your business spends more than $50,000 a year, you’ll want to use a different card to earn bonus cash back once you meet that threshold

Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That’s why you’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
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 American Express and other factors.
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.24% – 19.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.
No Annual Fee
Terms Apply

Review: Is the Amex Blue Business Cash the best small-business card for you? If you’re spending money on your business anyway, you should be rewarded for those purchases. With the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, you can earn unlimited cash back on your spending with no annual fee (See Rates).

You’ll earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases, on the first $50,000 spent per calendar year (then 1% back). If you take full advantage of the 2% tier and spend an average of $4,167 per month on the card, you’ll earn $1,000 in annual cash-back rewards (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars).

Read more: The best small-business credit cards of 2021

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is also appealing if you have large purchases coming up that you want to pay off over time, or want to consolidate debt without incurring high-interest charges. The card offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, then a 13.24% to 19.24% variable APR. 

Usually, a major drawback of the American Express Blue Business Cash Card is that it doesn’t offer a welcome bonus. Currently, however, it’s offering a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your card in your first 3 months. Be sure to have a look at other small-business cards, like the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, which offer substantial intro bonuses and also don’t charge an annual fee.

If you prefer earning transferable points or spend significantly over $50,000 per calendar year, there are likely better credit cards for your business. In some cases, paying an annual fee could unlock much more lucrative rewards. But for small businesses looking for a straightforward cash-back card with no bonus categories to track, this card is worth a look.

Comparison: Blue Business Cash vs other Amex small-business cards*the American Express® Business Gold Card 4x categories include airfare purchased directly from airlines, US gas stations, US restaurants, US shipping providers, US computer hardware, software, and cloud systems from select technology providers, and US purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)

Amex Blue Business Cash vs other small-business credit cardsHow to use rewards from the Amex Blue Business Cash cardThe American Express Blue Business Cash Card works like a cash-back card, but you won’t actually get any cash. Instead of worrying about accumulating a balance and cashing out, American Express automatically credits your cash back rewards (earned in the form of Rewards Dollars) to your statement.

Read more: The best cash-back credit cards of 2021

This type of redemption, known as a statement credit, is as good as cash because it lowers your next bill by how much you’ve earned. After a billing statement with eligible purchases, the statement credit automatically appears in your account on the next billing statement you receive. It’s important to note that you won’t receive a statement credit if you do not make your minimum payment or if you cancel your card before the credit is issued.

Benefits and featuresAmex offers a decent set of benefits on this card, including valuable travel and purchase protections that are more common on cards with an annual fee.

Introductory 0% APR on purchasesThe American Express Blue Business Cash Card comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, after which you’ll pay a 13.24% to 19.24% variable APR.

Read more: The best 0% APR and low-interest credit cards of 2021

Using an introductory APR offer can save you a lot of money on interest if you have large purchases you’d like to pay for over time, but be sure you have a plan and means to pay off your debt before the introductory period expires. 

Purchase protectionPurchase protection covers eligible new purchases made with your card for up to 90 days for accidental damage and theft, up to $1,000 per item and $50,000 per account each calendar year. If you buy a new business cell phone and drop it and crack the screen a week later, you’ll be glad you have this perk.

Extended warrantyWhen you pay for an eligible purchase with the American Express Blue Business Cash Card, you’ll get up to one additional year added to manufacturers’ warranties of five years or less. Coverage is up to $10,000 per eligible item and up to $50,000 per card account each calendar year.

Car rental loss and damage insuranceIf you travel for business and need to rent a car, this benefit allows you to skip paying extra for the rental company’s expensive collision and damage insurance.

Read more: The best credit cards with primary car rental insurance

When you charge the entire car rental cost to your American Express Blue Business Cash Card and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver, you’ll receive secondary auto rental coverage. Some restrictions apply, so be sure to read the limitations.

Global Assist HotlineAmerican Express Blue Business Cash Card members can call the Amex Global Assist Hotline for help with translation services, missing luggage, emergency legal and medical referrals, lost passport assistance, and more. The Global Assist Hotline will help arrange these services, but you’re responsible for any costs incurred.

American Express ExperiencesAmerican Express Experiences offers presale tickets to concerts and events when you have the American Express Blue Business Cash Card. This includes Broadway shows, concerts, sporting events, and cardmember-only events. 

Amex OffersLike other American Express cards, the American Express Blue Business Cash Card includes targeted discounts and bonus rewards at participating merchants through Amex Offers. 

Small-business benefitsThe American Express Blue Business Cash Card also includes a suite of tools and features useful for small-business owners, including:

Access to the American Express business app, which can help you scan and organize receipts and export expense reports. Employee cards with spending limits that you can set up online or by calling American Express**Expanded buying power, which lets you spend beyond your credit limit when you pay the minimum due each month (including any amount that goes over your credit limit.

Regular APR

13.24% to 19.24% variable APR

Credit Score

Good to Excellent

Featured Reward

$250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your card in your first 3 months

Intro APR

0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening

Chevron icon
It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

Pros & Cons

Details

Pros

Good choice for earning 2% cash back on all your eligible purchases up to $50,000 a year
Intro APR offer
No annual fee

Cons

If your business spends more than $50,000 a year, you’ll want to use a different card to earn bonus cash back once you meet that threshold

Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That’s why you’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
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 American Express and other factors.
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.24% – 19.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.
No Annual Fee
Terms Apply

Fees and costsThe American Express Blue Business Cash Card has no annual fee, so it won’t cost you anything to keep for the long term, assuming you always pay off the card balance in full by the due date. 

If you make two or more late payments in a 12-month period, don’t make the minimum payment by the due date, or have a returned payment, you’ll trigger the penalty APR and pay a higher rate at least until you’ve made on-time payments 12 months in a row.

Read more: The best credit cards without foreign transaction fees

The card adds foreign transaction fees, so it’s not a good choice for international purchases. There are also fees for less-common activities like balance transfers, late payments, and returned payments. If you avoid those types of transactions and always pay off your card in full, you won’t pay any interest or fees.

Featured credit cards from our partners

Featured Reward

100,000 points

Credit Needed

Good to Excellent

Featured Reward

3 Free Nights (valued up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10x total points per $1 spent on up to $2,500 in combined purchases in select categories within your first 6 months

Credit Needed

Good to Excellent

Featured Reward

$200 after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Credit Needed

Good to Excellent

Eric Rosenberg

Freelance Writer

Eric Rosenberg is a finance, travel, and technology writer in Ventura, California. He is a former bank manager and corporate finance and accounting professional who left his day job in 2016 to take his online side hustle full-time. He has in-depth experience…

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. What you decide to do with your money is up to you. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.

For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, please click here.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they’re subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

**Enrollment required.

For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, please click here.

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