Comparing Amex Business Credit Cards: Find the Best Card for Your Company 2024

Explore the benefits of AmEx business credit cards and find the perfect match for your company. Discover generous rewards, premium perks, and valuable protections tailored to your business needs.

American Express offers several business credit cards designed for companies of different sizes and needs. Choosing the right Amex business card for your company can provide valuable rewards, benefits, and protections. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare the Amex Business Gold Card, Business Platinum Card, and Blue Business Plus Credit Card to help you determine which is the best fit.

Amex Business Gold Card

The American Express Business Gold Card is a great option for small businesses looking to earn generous rewards on common business expenses. Here are some of the key benefits and features:

• Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.
• Earning Rates:
  • 4x points at two categories you spend the most each month (options include airfare, advertising, gas stations, restaurants, shipping)
  • 4x points on digital advertising purchases made with select social media sites and search engines
  • 1x points on other purchases
• Annual Fee: $295
• Credits & Perks:
  • Up to $150 in annual airline fee credits for incidentals
  • Access to Amex Offers for statement credits at select merchants
  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status
  • Premium roadside assistance for up to 4 incidents per year

The Amex Business Gold Card is a solid pick for businesses that want to maximize rewards in categories like travel, advertising, gas, shipping, and more. The 4x bonus categories allow you to tailor earning to your top business expenses. With a reasonable $295 annual fee, the statement credits and complimentary hotel status provide even more value.

Amex Business Platinum Card

For larger businesses with significant expenses, the Amex Business Platinum Card provides premium benefits and rewards. Key features include:

• Welcome Bonus: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 in first 3 months
• Earning Rates:
  • 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel
  • 1.5x points on purchases of $5,000+ (up to 1 million more points per year)
  • 1x points on other purchases
• Annual Fee: $695
• Credits & Perks:
  • Up to $200 in annual airline fee credits
  • Up to $200 in annual Dell credits
  • Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
  • Access to more than 1,200 airport lounges through the Global Lounge Collection
  • Premium roadside assistance for up to 4 incidents
  • Amex Business Centurion concierge service

With a hefty $695 annual fee, the Business Platinum Card is designed for substantial business spenders who can take advantage of credits, lounge access, and premium perks. If your business frequently books flights and hotels through Amex Travel, the 5x earning rate will rack up points quickly.

Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card

For a no-annual-fee card, the Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card provides solid rewards and benefits:

• Welcome Offer: None currently
• Earning Rates:
  • 2x points on all purchases up to $50,000 per year (1x point after that)
• Annual Fee: $0
• Credits & Perks
  • Expanded buying power with the ability to spend beyond your credit limit
  • BlueCash Reward Dollars to apply toward eligible purchases
  • Car rental loss and damage insurance
  • Purchase protection against theft or damage

While it lacks some of the premium perks of pricier Amex cards, the Blue Business Plus Credit Card offers an unmatched 2% flat rate on all purchases up to $50,000 per year. It's a excellent no-fee option for businesses looking for simplicity without paying an annual fee.

Amex Business Blue Card

In addition to the cards already discussed, American Express offers the Business Blue Card aimed at startups and smaller companies. Here are the key details:

• Welcome Offer: None

• Earning Rates: 2x points at US restaurants, US gas stations, US wireless providers, and US shipping purchases (1x on everything else)

• Annual Fee: $0

• Key Perks :
  • Car rental loss/damage insurance
  • Purchase protection
  • Extended warranty
  • No preset spending limit

With no annual fee and a solid 2x earning rate on some key business purchases, the Amex Business Blue Card provides a simple but decent cash back option for smaller companies.

Comparing Key Features of Amex Business Credit Cards

Choosing the Best Amex Card for Your Business

With Amex's top business cards compared, how do you decide which is right for your company? Here are some key questions to consider:

• What is your typical monthly/annual business spending? Review the annual fees and determine if you can generate enough in rewards and perks to offset the fee.
• What business expenses do you frequently incur? Pick a card that specifically rewards your top spending categories like travel, shipping, advertising, or dining.
• Do you frequently book travel for work? If you regularly book flights and hotels, cards like the Business Platinum that offer 5x points on airfare and prepaid hotels can provide huge value.
• Do lounge access or premium benefits appeal to your needs? For prime lounge access while traveling and concierge service, the Business Platinum card is ideal.
• Do you want a simple, no-fee cash back card? The Blue Business Plus Credit Card offers a straightforward 2% back across all purchases.
• Does your business fluctuate seasonally? Consider your highest spending periods and target cards that align with your largest expenses during peak seasons.
• Do you want to earn transferable rewards points? Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to airline and hotel partners, allowing you to maximize rewards.

Choosing the right business credit card requires understanding your annual expenses, travel frequency, and desired perks. With multiple options for earning rates and benefits, Amex business cards can provide significant value for companies spending anywhere from a few thousand to over a million dollars per year. Analyze your business needs and expenses to determine if an Amex Business Gold, Platinum, or Blue Business Plus Credit Card aligns best.

The Pros of Amex Business Credit Cards

Now that we’ve compared the top Amex business card offerings, let’s discuss why American Express business credit cards are worth considering for your company:

Flexible rewards – Amex offers highly versatile Membership Rewards points that can be redeemed for statement credits, merchandise, gift cards, travel, or transferred to airline/hotel partners. This allows you to use points towards your most valuable redemptions.

Valuable travel protections – Business credit cards from American Express provide useful insurances for car rentals, luggage loss/damage, and travel delays/interruptions when trips are purchased with the card.

Business-oriented perks – From lounge access to hotel elite status to Dell credits, Amex business cards are packed with perks relevant for work travel and expenses.

Account management tools – American Express offers useful tools for tracking employee spending and simplifying expense reports. Businesses can streamline accounting with consolidated monthly statements.

Premium services – With cards like the Business Platinum, you’ll have access to concierge services for help booking travel or restaurants as well as other business assistance.

Strong rewards on common purchases – No matter your type of business, Amex cards allow you to earn bonus points on categories like shipping, advertising, gas, airfare, dining, and more.

For traveling employees, business owners, and companies with significant expenses, American Express provides a robust suite of cards packed with valuable benefits.

Potential Drawbacks to Consider

While Amex business credit cards have many advantages, there are a few potential downsides to consider as well:

High annual fees – Cards like the Business Platinum carry hefty $695 annual fees, so be sure your spending and perks offset the cost.

Acceptance limitations – American Express is not accepted universally, with some small businesses only take Visa and MasterCard. But Amex is widely accepted at most major retailers.

Difficult to qualify for – Due to higher requirements for credit, income, and annual expenses, Amex business cards can be harder to qualify for, especially as a newer business.

Better cards for non-bonus spend – For non-bonus category purchases under $5,000, you may earn more with a 2% cash back card rather than 1x Membership Rewards point.

Lack of intro 0% APR – Unlike some other business cards, Amex does not offer an intro 0% APR period for purchases.

For some businesses, the annual fee, acceptance limitations, and qualifying requirements of Amex cards may outweigh the perks and rewards potential. Be sure to consider your expenses and needs.

Also suggested reading:

• Hilton Honors Amex Card Guide 2023: Honors, Surpass & Aspire Benefits Compared
• Delta SkyMiles Amex Cards 2023: Compare the Blue, Gold, Platinum & Reserve
• Amex vs Chase Credit Cards in 2023: In-Depth Comparison of Perks, Rewards, Fees & More
• The Complete Amex Gold Card Guide 2023: Benefits, Rewards and Is It Worth The Fee?
• Maximize the Amex Travel Portal: The Complete 2023 Guide to Booking Flights, Hotels, Cars & Cruises

Best Uses for Amex Business Credit Cards

While Amex business cards may not be ideal for every company, they can provide tremendous value in these common scenarios:

• Frequent work-related travel spending on flights, hotels, rental cars, and dining
• Regular purchases in bonus categories like shipping, advertising, gas, or office supplies
• Large annual business expenditures over $250,000+ where benefits offset fees
• Businesses desiring premium travel perks like lounge access, hotel elite status, and airline fee credits
• Companies with mostly variable expenses rather than fixed costs
• Employers wanting to track employee spending and streamline expense reporting
• Startups willing to pay annual fees in exchange for business-oriented rewards

Businesses spending tens of thousands annually on airfare, hotels, dining, supplies, advertising, and more can generally maximize the value of Amex business credit cards and their perks.

The Bottom Line

With flexible rewards points, useful benefits, and bonus category spending, American Express business credit cards provide a compelling option depending on your expenses and travel frequency. To summarize:

• The Amex Business Gold Card is ideal for maximizing rewards on your top business spending categories with 4x points in your choice of categories.
• The premium Amex Business Platinum Card offers high-value perks, 5x points on flights, and concierge service for heavy travelers and big spenders.
• The no annual fee Blue Business Plus Credit Card provides a solid 2% cash back on all purchases up to $50,000 annually.

Take the time to analyze your expected yearly expenses and consider where you can earn the most points with Amex business cards. Choosing the right option for your spending habits and travel needs can provide outstanding long-term value.

Amex Business Credit Cards FAQs