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The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is one of the latest additions to the Amex business card lineup.
Repacing the popular Amex SimplyCash Plus, the Blue Business Cash is essentially the cashback twin of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, earning 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% (issued as a statement credit). The card charges no annual fee (Rates & Fees) and includes a generous Intro APR on purchases.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.49% - 26.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. APRs will not exceed 29.99%
- 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 us and other factors.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply
- Rates & Fees
- 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.
Earn 2% Cash Back on up to $50,000 per Year With No Annual Fee
The headline benefit of the Blue Business Cash is the ability to earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% (issued as a statement credit). The $50K spending cap is low by traditional business standards. But, considering the lack of an annual fee, an extra $1,000 cashback on expenses every year will be attractive to many small business owners.
For small companies that have diverse expenses, a great earning rate without having to worry about spending in the right category keeps things simple. Much like its Membership Rewards earning twin, the Blue Business Plus, you can move expenses to any card that beats the base 1% return after you reach the annual spending cap.
0% Intro APR on Purchases
The Blue Business Cash is a great low-cost method of financing major business purchases that are too large to pay down the full balance by the end of the month. New cardmembers get an intro APR of 0% on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable APR of 18.49% - 26.49% (Rates & Fees). You must pay off the entire balance before your promotional APR ends to avoid paying interest on purchases.
Spend Above Your Credit Limit
Unique to American Express business cards is the capacity to spend above your credit limit without paying over-limit fees, plus you still collect cashback on the full amount spent, even the portion spent over your credit limit. The degree to which you can exceed your credit limit is determined by multiple factors, including your purchase, payment, and credit history. The total amount spent above your credit limit is due in full each month as part of your minimum payment.
Additional Card Benefits
The Blue Business Cash doesn’t come with the long list of benefits offered by some of its premium stablemates, but you do receive some basic business perks, plus travel and purchase protections which include:
- Access to the Amex Offers program
- Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary)
- Extended warranty coverage
- Purchase protection (90 days)
Application Restrictions and Strategy
Like all American Express rewards cards, you are not eligible for the welcome offer if you currently hold this card, or you've held it in the past.
Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card. We may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.
You also need to be aware of other applicable rules for American Express cards:
- You can hold a maximum of five American Express credit cards (doesn’t include charge cards).
- You will be approved for a maximum of two Amex credit cards in 90 days.
On a positive note, as it's a business card, this card doesn’t increase your 5/24 count with Chase so you can add this card to your wallet without it affecting your ability to apply for Chase cards in the future.
Where do we see this card fitting into your rewards strategy? If you are a small business owner interested primarily in cashback rewards, this card will make a great addition to your wallet. However, if your non-bonus business spending is higher than $50,000 per year, you’ll likely get more value from the Capital One Spark Cash Plus. While the card charges an annual fee of $150, the 2% cashback earned on this card is uncapped. Plus, you receive a $1,200 welcome bonus on the card; once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months.
- 2% cash back on every purchase and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Final Thoughts
While it’s not the most lucrative of Amex's roster of business rewards cards, the Blue Business Cash can play a stellar supporting role as part of a wider rewards strategy, or make a great cashback card for businesses with less than $50,000 in chargeable expenses each year. You pay no annual fee (Rates & Fees), get 2% back on every purchase up to the $50K spending cap, and receive a top intro APR on purchases.
If you prefer earning travel rewards over cashback, we still see the Blue Business Plus as the card to beat in this space, providing the best return on non-bonus expenses and earning transferable Membership Rewards points. While cashback clearly has the edge in simplicity, savvy points collectors can easily get a value of two cents or more when transferring Membership Rewards to partner programs, so the Blue Business Plus will be a better value for those who use rewards primarily for travel.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.49% - 26.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
- You've got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power.
- *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.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (Rates & Fees), and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
2% citi card is better in my opinion, no questions asked
50K spend cap is not very much if you have a decent sized business. It’s nice to have together with other cards.
however, like other ppl stated, 2% citi cash back card is a good card too
2% is a decent return rate when you aren’t working on a signup bonus.
I prefer the blues business plus MR, so much more worth.
As of late July, gift card purchases are not receiving points when you pay for them with this card.
I love my Blue Business card. I still value MR points more than cash. One day I might feel different so it’s good to know about the cashback option.
2% is great, but the limit of 50K really limits the usefulness for business owners.
Thoughts on what makes this better than the Citi double cash that has no limit on 2% back……
Remember wen that Discover Card (was it 1/2%?) bonus was a great deal?. And, you might have got a T shirt for applying.
Outside of signup bonuses, cashback is king for me. Nice to see American Express jump on board the 2% cash back wagon.
I’m glad they have this! Cash back rewards for business purchases are always a plus!
The best card for everyday purchase!!
I really think the Blue Business Plus card is much more tempting than this card. 2X MR can be more valuable than 2% cash back, although I understand if people just want straight cash instead of fiddling with points.
That’s a high non-bonus cashback rate at 2%. Many cards above 1% have a temporary bonus rate. Add in zero annual fee and it seems a no brainer to get one. The 0% APR for a year is also like a free loan.
0% is indeed like a free loan, and perhaps there might be particular circumstances where that is beneficial, but if one is in this “game”, as a general rule, one should always be paying off one’s monthly credit card bills in full.
Here in Brazil AA is linked only with Santander right now. It would be great if we had American Express as well
For low end business cards, I agree the Blue Business Plus is indeed more lucrative over this cash back version. Not difficult to get more than two cents per MR point.
As the post says, I could see this working for business owners in conjunction with other cards, but unfortunately not for me since I already have the original version and am maxed out on Amex cards. I’ll consider it in the future if/when I launch a new venture.
Wow! Award Wallet….where hast thou been? I’ve just stumbled across you and you look perfect for tracking all my award points…so many have expired over the years. Awesome solution!
For those signing up only for the bonus, Amex has a one bounus per card per lifetime policy to keep in mind.
Thanks for the reminder of the one per lifetime policy, however unwelcome a reminder it is.
No reason not to take advantage now IF you have the means to. It’s not like offers will double in four years like stocks or something. But if you’re not in a position to do it, no harm in waiting since you can only get it once
cash back rewards are always a very welcome surprise to me.
how strict are the ‘business’ rules? Any tips for a newly in this area?
It’s hard to say, especially with a new product. But Amex is generally one of the better banks for approval odds.
That 2% back on every purchase up to the $50K spending cap will really add up.I like the APR on purchases and balance transfers.
2% is fairly tempting as an alternative to points!
I really hate that card limit amex has. Blue cash in college + two hiltons (primary hotel) +two delta (primary airline) and I’m out of the game.
If you’ve got 5 credit lines open with AmEx, presently, you’re doing better than a lot of folks; many are limited to 4. But yes, with a 5-card limit, you’ll need to close one, to open a new card.
Why two Hiltons? Or maybe rather which two Hiltons?
2% is pretty good however for only the first 50k kills it for most business owners
Why not have multiple cards though? Couldn’t this 2% essentially be your non-category baseline spend?