AwardWallet may receive compensation from advertising partners when you visit our site, click on a link, when you are approved for a credit card, or when an account is opened. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here’s our complete list of Advertisers.
Offers for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
For business owners looking to maximize cashback earnings and minimize fees, it's hard to beat the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card. This card earns 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% (issued as a statement credit) while charging no annual fee (Rates & Fees). Plus, the card includes a generous introductory APR offer on purchases.
That simplicity makes the Blue Business Cash card an excellent tool for cash-focused business owners. For those looking to maximize rewards from purchases in specific spending categories and redeem rewards for travel, however, this card may not be the right choice.
Let's take a closer look at what this card offers and what alternatives might be better for your situation.
(Terms apply)
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 16.74% - 26.74%, 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 the first $50,000 of purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter. 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.
- The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
- No Annual Fee
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on the first $50,000 of purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
Page Contents
- Amex Blue Business Cash Pros
- Amex Blue Business Cash Cons
- Amex Blue Business Cash Card Welcome Offer
- Amex Blue Business Cash Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Rewards With the Amex Blue Business Cash
- Amex Blue Business Cash Card Benefits
- Application Restrictions and Strategy
- Cards That Compete With the Amex Blue Business Cash
- Bottom Line
Amex Blue Business Cash Pros
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% (issued as a statement credit).
- No annual fee.
- Expanded buying power.
Amex Blue Business Cash Cons
- Only earns 1% cash back after $50,000 in spending each year.
- Limited travel and purchase benefits.
- Does not offer travel transfer partners; rewards are limited to cashback redemptions.
- Not valuable for international travel, with a foreign transaction fee of 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars. (Rates & Fees)
Amex Blue Business Cash Card Welcome Offer
The Blue Business Cash currently has a solid welcome bonus for new applicants, offering $250 after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
Additionally, new cardmembers receive an introductory APR of 0% on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a Variable APR of 16.74% - 26.74% (Rates & Fees). You must pay off the entire balance transfer fee before your promotional APR ends to avoid paying interest on purchases.
This makes the Blue Business Cash a great low-cost method of financing major business purchases that are too large to pay for within a month.
Related: Best $0 Annual Fee Credit Cards with 0% Intro APR
Amex Blue Business Cash Card Earning Rates
The headline benefit of the Amex 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 $50,000 spending cap on 2% earnings can be limiting. If your company has a wide range of expenses, this card allows you to earn some easy cash back without worrying about spending in specific categories.
Like with its Membership Rewards-earning twin — the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express — we recommend charging expenses to other cards after you reach the annual spending cap.
Redeeming Rewards With the Amex Blue Business Cash
The Amex Blue Business Cash makes redeeming rewards very simple. All rewards are automatically credited to your account as a statement credit. The statement credit will automatically appear on your second billing statement after the billing statement with the eligible purchases.
Earning cash back as a statement credit means you don't have to understand travel transfer partners or worry about getting reduced reward value from gift card or merchandise redemption options.
While that simple formula might be helpful for busy business owners who may not remember to redeem rewards regularly, it also means redemption options are very limited.
Amex Blue Business Cash Card Benefits
While this is not a premium card, the Blue Business Cash still offers useful business-focused benefits, including employee cards, purchase protection, and expense management tools. Cardmembers can leverage the following:
Spend above your credit limit
The expanded buying power benefit on the Blue Business Cash allows you to spend above your credit limit without paying over-the-limit fees. You still collect cash back on the full amount spent — even the portion spent over your credit limit.
Multiple factors, including your purchase, payment, and credit history, determine the degree to which you can exceed your credit limit. The total amount spent above your credit limit is due in full each month as part of your minimum payment.
Travel and purchase protections
The Blue Business Cash doesn’t include the long list of benefits offered on some of the more premium Amex cards, but you do receive the following travel and purchase protections:
- Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary)
- Extended warranty coverage (applies to warranties of 5 years or less on covered purchases in the United States or its territories/possessions)
- Purchase protection (up to 90 days from the covered purchase date)
- Access to the Global Assist Hotline (provides 24-hour emergency assistance whenever you travel more than 100 miles away from home)
Free employee cards
Business owners can also add employee cards for no additional fees. Adding additional employee cards is a way to earn rewards on eligible purchases in addition to the points you earn on your own card.
Application Restrictions and Strategy
You should be aware of the application rules and restrictions for American Express cards before you apply for any Amex card:
- You can hold a maximum of five traditional American Express credit cards and up to 10 cards with no preset spending limit.
- You can be approved for a maximum of two Amex credit cards in 90 days.
- Amex has a “once per lifetime” rule, meaning you may not be eligible for the welcome offer on this card if you've had it in the past.
On a positive note, as it's a business card, your Chase 5/24 count will not be increased. So you can add this card to your wallet without affecting your ability to apply for Chase cards in the future.
Cards That Compete With the Amex Blue Business Cash
Not sure if the Blue Business Cash is right for you, or just want to make a more informed decision? Here are three other cards worth comparing with:
$150
- 2% Cash Back on every purchase. 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel.
No annual feeRates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
- 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.
$95
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
- If your non-bonus spending is more than $50,000 per year, you'll likely get more value from the Spark Cash Plus. While the card has an $150 annual fee, the 2% cash back you'll earn is uncapped. Plus, you receive a bonus of $2,000 cash back on the card once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. Earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year.
- If you prefer earning travel rewards over cash back, the Amex Blue Business Plus is hard to beat, providing the best return on non-bonus expenses and earning transferable Membership Rewards points. While cash back clearly has the edge in simplicity, savvy points collectors can easily get a value of two cents when transferring Membership Rewards to partner programs, meaning this card can provide better value for those who use rewards primarily for travel.
- If you're under 5/24 and want to earn points for travel, consider the Ink Preferred. It has a $95 annual fee and earns 3x on travel purchases, shipping, internet, cable and phone services, and advertising with social media sites and search engines (on the first $150,000 total spent each year, then 1x). Check out our roundup of the best Chase business credit cards for all the details.
Bottom Line
While it’s not the most lucrative option on Amex's roster of business rewards cards, the Blue Business Cash can play a stellar supporting role as part of a wider rewards strategy. This cashback card is a solid option for everyday business spending, with 2% back on every purchase (up to the $50,000 cap), no annual fee, and a great introductory APR offer on purchases. For small business owners who prioritize straightforward cash-back rewards, this card can be a smart and practical addition to their wallet.
(Terms apply)
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 16.74% - 26.74%, 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 the first $50,000 of purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter. 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.
- The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
- No Annual Fee
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on the first $50,000 of purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
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)
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?