Amex Business Green Card Review: Limited Perks and Earnings in Exchange for a Modest Annual Fee Amex Business Green Card Review: Limited Perks and Earnings in Exchange for a Modest Annual Fee

Amex Business Green Card Review: Limited Perks and Earnings in Exchange for a Modest Annual Fee

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If you own a small business, holding the right credit card for day-to-day expenses can make a big impact on the bottom line. A business credit card that rewards transferable points for travel can allow a traveling businessperson to save on a big expense, or earn plenty for personal travel when there's an opportunity.

The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express offers business owners the opportunity to earn Membership Rewards points, but is it the best card for your business? Let's dig into the details to find out.

Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
Apply Now
Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Offer Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Green Rewards Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership
The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is tailored for businesses with frequent travel expenses, offering 2X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked via AmexTravel.com, and 1X points on other eligible purchases.
  • Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Green Rewards Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership
  • Earn one Membership Rewards® point for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases
  • PAY OVER TIME OPTION: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month-or pay over time with interest, up to the Pay Over Time Limit on your account
  • From travel to top brands, and everything in between - use Membership Rewards® points on the reward that means the most to you
  • $95 Annual Fee
  • Terms & Limitations Apply
  • Rates & Fees
  • Earn One Membership Rewards® point for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases

Amex Business Green Card Pros

  • Earns Membership Rewards points
  • Modest annual fee of $95 (Rates & Fees)
  • No preset spending limit

Amex Business Green Card Cons

  • Limited earning potential
  • Few benefits beyond earning points
  • Uninspiring welcome offer compared to other business cards
an unseen person holds a credit card while typing on a laptop
Credit: AdobeStock

Amex Business Green Card Welcome Offer

If approved, eligible new applicants for the Amex Business Green Card can Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Green Rewards Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.

What's this bonus worth? Consider that, on average, AwardWallet users redeem Membership Rewards points at 1.97¢ each, this bonus is worth close to $300 when redeemed for travel. But to unlock value like this, you'll have to make strategic use of Amex's transfer partners.

That said, while a sign-up bonus is better than no sign-up bonus, the Amex Business Green Card‘s pales in comparison to some of the best business credit card sign-up offers currently available.

Amex Business Green Card Benefits

While many business cards offer a long list of extended benefits, there aren't many benefits associated with the Amex Business Green Card. But there are still a few you can take advantage of.

Cash flow flexibility

Cash flow is an important aspect of running a business, and the Amex Business Green Card offers flexibility in that department. For one, there's Amex's “Pay Over Time” feature, which is similar to other Buy Now, Pay Later options. For a set fee each month, business owners can pay off larger purchases with no interest. Plus, there's no penalty for paying off purchases early.

Note: Eligible charges can be included in a Pay Over Time balance, up to the Pay Over Time Limit. All charges not added to a Pay Over Time balance or monthly payment plan or Cash Advance balance must be paid in full each month by the payment due date. Pay Over Time only applies to eligible charges meeting minimum transaction amounts for certain cards.

In addition, the card offers no Preset Spending Limit. No Preset Spending Limit means the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history. This is helpful for businesses that need large lines of credit for purchasing, but can pay off the balance each month.

No annual fee for additional employee business expense cards

The Amex Business Green Card offers employee cards with no additional membership fee (Rates & Fees), which earn Membership Rewards points to the primary Card Member's account. These employee cards offer the ability to apply spending limits for extra protection.

Businesswoman working on a laptop.
Credit: Clique Images/Unsplash

Business tools

The Amex Business Green Card offers business tools to keep a small business operating smoothly. Expenses on the card can easily connect to QuickBooks, a popular accounting software, with automated tagging of expense categories.

In addition, the card offers Vendor Pay by Bill.com with no monthly fee. Second users are free for the first six months, then a $15 per month fee applies.

Insurance protections

When you hold the Amex Business Green Card, you have the following insurance protections:

  • Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: Coverage for theft or damage to a rental vehicle when you pay with your Eligible Card and decline the rental company’s CDW on eligible rentals.
  • Baggage Insurance Plan: Coverage for lost, damaged, or stolen baggage when you purchase the entire fare on an Eligible Card. Up to $1,250 for carry-on and $500 for checked bags, after any coverage by the Common Carrier. NY residents are subject to a max of $10,000 max per trip.
  • Global Assist® Hotline: 24/7 help when traveling more than 100 miles from home, including medical and legal referrals, cash wires, and lost luggage assistance. Card Members are responsible for third-party costs.
  • Extended Warranty: Extends a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty of 5 years or less by up to 1 additional year on covered purchases.
  • Purchase Protection: Protects covered purchases against theft or accidental damage for up to 90 days. Coverage up to $1,000 per purchase, $50,000 per account per calendar year.

Amex Business Green Card Earning Rates

The Amex Business Green Card offers a simple earning structure. You'll Membership Rewards points as follows:

  • 2X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
  • 1x Membership Rewards points on all other eligible purchases

Redeeming Rewards with the Amex Business Green Card

Arguably, the strongest benefit of the Amex Business Green Rewards Card is access to Membership Rewards points transfer partners. With 20 different transfer partners across airlines and hotels, you'll want to make sure that you're maximizing your redemptions.

Some of our favorites include long-haul flights in Qatar Qsuites using Avios, Spontaneous Escapes using Singapore KrisFlyer miles, and the occasional stellar cheap business class award with Virgin Atlantic.

Amex also allows Membership Rewards points to be redeemed for travel through AmexTravel.com, which can present interesting opportunities for redemptions when flight or hotel prices are low. Plus, the bank offers opportunities to redeem for statement credits, gift cards, Amazon, and through select online retailers, though those are typically poor redemption choices because you'll get a cent for your points or less.

Application Restrictions

On the application page, Amex spells out who's eligible for a welcome bonus for the Amex Business Green Card:

You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or previous versions of this Card. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application.

Typically, Amex also restricts the number of credit cards a single user may have, across personal and business cards. Since this card has no preset spending limit, you may not be approved if you have many similar business cards already open with Amex.

But most importantly, you need to own or run a business in order to apply, since this is a business card after all. However, lots of things qualify for the sake of running a business for card applications.

Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions

Alternatives to the Amex Business Green Card

Not sure if the Amex Business Green Card is right for your business? Here are some alternatives to consider instead:

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Welcome Offer: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
Annual FeeNo annual feeRates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
Credit ScoreGood, Excellent
  • Earn 2X 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. Terms and limitations apply.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Welcome Offer Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Annual Fee$695Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
Credit ScoreExcellent, Good
  • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
  • Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
  • Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
  • Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
  • Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
  • 1.5X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
Welcome Bonus Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening and with more than $2,500 in annual value, there's no competition.
Annual Fee$795Rates & Fees
Credit ScoreExcellent, Good
  • 8X points on all Chase Travel℠ purchases
  • 5X total points on eligible Lyft rides through 9/30/2027
  • 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
  • 3x points on advertising purchases made with social media platforms and search engines
  • 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

Related: The Best Small-Business Credit Card Offers for This Month

Bottom Line

Unfortunately, with so many options available to small business owners, it's difficult to recommend the Amex Business Green Card. With a small sign-up bonus, limited earning potential, and minimal benefits for holding the card, it makes more sense to apply for other options, even through American Express. Still, with a modest annual fee and a flexible credit limit, there is some utility for this card for business owners.

Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
Apply Now
Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Offer Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Green Rewards Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership
The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is tailored for businesses with frequent travel expenses, offering 2X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked via AmexTravel.com, and 1X points on other eligible purchases.
  • Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Green Rewards Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership
  • Earn one Membership Rewards® point for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases
  • PAY OVER TIME OPTION: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month-or pay over time with interest, up to the Pay Over Time Limit on your account
  • From travel to top brands, and everything in between - use Membership Rewards® points on the reward that means the most to you
  • $95 Annual Fee
  • Terms & Limitations Apply
  • Rates & Fees
  • Earn One Membership Rewards® point for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Business Green Rewards Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)

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