- Intro Offer
-
$250 Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
- Annual fee
- No annual fee
- APR
- 17.99% – 25.99% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 2% 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. ; 1% cash back on all eligible purchases after spending $50,000 per calendar year.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a set-it-and-forget-it business credit card. Cardholders earn rewards which American Express automatically applies to your credit card statement -- giving you the opportunity to earn and redeem rewards without having to think about bonus categories, shopping portals or redemption values. The Blue Business Cash may suit you if you’re a freelancer, sole proprietor or small-business owner who is looking for a competitive but low maintenance card.
Rewards
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card earns 2% cash back on up to $50,000 in eligible purchases per calendar year. If you spend more than $50,000 in a calendar year, you’ll receive 1% cash back on all eligible purchases -- and when the next calendar year begins, the rewards cycle starts over. Your cash back will automatically be applied to your statement credits each billing cycle.
Eligible purchases include goods and services, but won’t include purchases of cash equivalents, such as gift cards or money orders.
The rewards rates are pretty competitive if your business spends less than $50,000 a year, though some business cards offer higher flagship rates on specific purchase categories. But for a small business with diverse spending needs, the Blue Business Cash is a good choice.
Welcome offer
New cardholders can earn a $250 statement credit after making $3,000 in purchases on their Amex Blue Business Cash Card in the first three months. This isn’t one of the best welcome bonuses in the industry -- but it isn’t the worst, either.
What really matters is whether you’ll be able to spend the money required to earn the bonus. If you already spend around $1,000 every month on business purchases, then it could be easy to earn the welcome offer -- but if you spend less than $1,000 every month, you might find yourself in a situation where you have to decide between forgoing the bonus or making purchases your business can’t afford.
Introductory APR
If you’re thinking about using your business credit card to fund a large purchase, like a new laptop or a professional website design, the Amex Blue Business Cash Card could be a good choice. The card offers 12 months from account opening of 0% intro APR on purchases (17.99% to 25.99% variable APR thereafter), giving small-business owners the opportunity to cover a few essential business expenses without racking up interest charges.
After the introductory APR offer ends, any outstanding balance on your American Express Blue Business Cash Card will begin accruing interest at the card’s standard APR -- so make sure you have a plan to pay off as much of your balance as possible before your introductory APR offer expires. Even if you can’t pay off your purchases in full, paying off a portion of your balance in advance can help you save money on interest.
No annual fee
The Amex Blue Business Cash Card does not charge an annual fee, making it an excellent choice for small-business owners who want to save money on credit card fees and put every extra dollar towards building their business.
As your business grows, you may want to consider upgrading your business credit card to an annual fee card, because business credit cards that charge annual fees may offer better rewards -- and once you decide that an annual fee credit card is worth the cost, you could gain access to travel perks and other business-friendly benefits. Small-business owners can also benefit at tax time, since business credit card annual fees are tax deductible.
Alternative cards
Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers 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. Cardholders also earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Plus, the Ink Business Cash card offers a top-notch welcome bonus -- $750 bonus cash back if you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months. While the $6,000 spending requirement is a little higher than the $3,000 requirement for the Amex Blue Business Cash Card, you’ll get a lot more bonus for your buck.
Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card* gives you 3% cash back in the category of your choice and 2% cash back on dining, for the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases per calendar year (then 1%) until the next year, of course! All other purchases earn 1% cash back.
You can also earn a $300 statement credit online bonus if you make $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days, which is a slightly better welcome bonus offer than you’d get with the Amex Blue Business Cash Card. If you can’t decide between the two, ask yourself whether you want to do the work of maximizing a bonus category cash back card -- or whether you’d prefer the ease that comes with a flat-rate cash back card.
How American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card compares to other cards
- Intro Offer
-
$250 Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
- Annual fee
- No annual fee
- APR
- 17.99% – 25.99% Variable
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 2% 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. ; 1% cash back on all eligible purchases after spending $50,000 per calendar year.
- Intro Offer
-
$750 Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 17.74% – 23.74% Variable
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 5% Earn 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; Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; Earn 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn
- Intro Offer
-
$300 Get a $300 online statement credit after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 16.74% – 26.74% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 9 billing cycles for purchases
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 3% 3% cash back in the category of your choice (on the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year, then 1% thereafter).; 2% cash back on dining (on the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter).; Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
FAQs
If you are a freelancer, sole proprietor or small-business owner, you should consider applying for a business credit card. Not only do business credit cards offer you the purchasing power you need to build your business and earn rewards, but a good business credit card can also help you track your business expenses, budget for the next year and prepare for tax season.
There are many ways to use a business credit card to grow your business. Building your business credit will help you qualify for more financing options in the future. Some small-business owners use their business credit card to earn rewards on everyday business purchases. Others use their card’s 0% introductory APR period to finance a large purchase and pay it off in installments. You can also use your business credit card’s welcome bonus to save money on business expenses or fund an upcoming business trip.
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card is a good option for small-business owners who want a no-annual-fee credit card with flat-rate cash-back rewards. In fact, CNET considers the Amex Blue Business Cash Card one of today’s top business credit cards, thanks to its well-rounded spread of benefits and easy reward redemption.
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash Card, click here.
*All information about the Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
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