Amex Blue Business Cash Card benefits guide
Key takeaways
- The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers an attractive welcome bonus, cash back rate and introductory APR offer, as well as solid expense management tools and some basic travel benefits — all while charging no annual fee.
- The card’s Expanded Buying Power feature allows cardholders to spend beyond their credit limit when needed, which can be helpful when unexpected business expenses arise.
- Cardholders can maximize benefits by taking advantage of the reasonable spending requirement for the welcome bonus, utilizing the intro APR for large purchases, and making the most of the card’s travel benefits and expense management tools.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a solid cash back business credit card that offers some lucrative rewards earning rates, a $250 statement credit (earned after spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening) and no annual fee.
While the card doesn’t have as many perks as some luxury rewards cards, there are still some helpful benefits associated with the Amex Blue Business Cash — including the Expanded Buying Power feature, an intro APR on purchases, a few travel benefits and some solid expense management tools.
Amex Blue Business Cash Card top benefits
The Amex Blue Business Cash is a solid cash back card for small business owners who enjoy earning flat-rate rewards on purchases or are planning to make a large purchase in the near future. It is also a good card for business owners who may occasionally need to spend more than their credit limit allows. Here are the top Amex Blue Business Cash benefits to consider.
Cash back rewards
This flat-rate cash back card comes with an impressive 2 percent cash back rate for the first $50,000 spent per year on eligible purchases. After that, eligible purchases earn 1 percent back.
0% intro APR on purchases
The Amex Blue Business Cash Card features a 0 percent introductory APR on purchases for the first 12 months, followed by a variable APR between 17.74 percent to 25.74 percent. This gives business owners who need to make a significant purchase ample time to pay down their balance before they start incurring interest.
Expanding Buying Power
One unique perk of the Amex Blue Business Cash Card is the card’s Expanded Buying Power feature. This enables cardholders to spend beyond their credit limit when needed. While the amount you can exceed your credit limit is not unlimited, it still provides a nice safety net for unexpected expenses or big purchases.
$250 statement credit welcome bonus
While this card’s welcome bonus isn’t quite as generous as some other rewards cards, it’s still a nice perk that’s relatively easy for new cardholders to qualify for. To earn the $250 statement credit welcome bonus, cardholders must spend $3,000 in the first three months.
No annual fee
Unlike many other rewards credit cards, the Amex Blue Business Cash Card has no annual fee. This means that, no matter how much or little you spend on business expenses each year, this card is still an affordable option for your budget.
Amex Blue Business Cash Card business benefits
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card comes with several benefits that can help business owners run their businesses more efficiently. Consider these benefits when deciding whether this card is right for your business needs.
Extra employee cards
Account holders can add additional employee cards to the account for free, making it easier for multiple employees to continue earning rewards on all business expenses. You can also track employee spending and view summaries and reports.
Connect to QuickBooks
For businesses that use QuickBooks for accounting purposes, you can connect your Amex Blue Business Cash Card to QuickBooks in order to appropriately categorize transactions.
Pay vendors via Bill.com
Cardholders can use their Amex Blue Business Cash Card to pay bills with Vendor Pay by Bill.com. This can help businesses to manage cash flow and earn rewards while paying routine bills.
Year-end summary
The card comes with a handy year-end summary that lets cardholders view their spending patterns throughout the year. This can help cardholders to gain a more accurate understanding of their expenses so they can budget accordingly.
Account manager
This feature allows Blue Business Cash cardholders to designate an account manager who can manage the account on their behalf. This could be a trusted employee or business partner who can take care of any business needs inside the account.
Account alerts
Blue Business Cash cardholders can set up account alerts, helping them monitor their account while on the go. These alerts can notify cardholders of suspicious activity, help monitor employee cards and be used for bill payment reminders.
American Express app
The Blue Business Cash Card provides users with access to the American Express mobile app. This app makes it easy to keep tabs on your account, pay bills, check your balance and more.
Amex Blue Business Cash Card travel benefits
Although the Amex Blue Business Cash Card is not a travel card, per se, it does come with a few basic travel benefits.
Car rental loss and damage insurance
The Amex Blue Business Cash Card comes with car rental loss and damage insurance. As long as you use your card to rent the vehicle, this benefit allows you to waive the insurance offered by a rental car company when renting a car. The coverage is considered secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage.
Global Assist Hotline
If you come across any issues while traveling, such as a lost passport or illness, cardholders have access to the Amex Global Assist Hotline. This hotline can help you to get in touch with the appropriate services, such as legal or medical referrals. It can also help you with getting emergency cash wires, provide assistance for missing luggage issues and more. Keep in mind that cardmembers are responsible for any third-party charges they incur.
Other Amex Blue Business Cash Card benefits
In addition to the card’s most important benefits, the Amex Blue Business Cash Card also comes with several other benefits that may be valuable to cardmembers. These include benefits that help protect your purchases and safeguard you from fraud.
Extended warranty protection
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card offers extended warranty coverage, adding an extra year of warranty coverage on certain purchases. The original manufacturer’s warranty must be for five years or less, and coverage only extends to covered purchases in the United States (and its territories and possessions).
Purchase protection
This card also comes with American Express purchase protection. As long as you use your card to buy covered purchases, they can be protected from accidental damage or theft for up to 90 days from the purchase date. Purchases are protected for up to $1,000 per covered purchase, and the benefit is capped at $50,000 per calendar year.
Dispute resolution
If your card is used for a fraudulent transaction, Amex will help resolve the issue and make sure that your account is safe.
Maximizing the Amex Blue Business Cash Card
There are a few things new cardholders should do to maximize the benefits of this Amex business card. To start, cardholders should spend at least $3,000 in the first three months to qualify for the $250 statement credit welcome bonus. Since it earns 2 percent cash back on purchases (up to $50,000 per year, then 1 percent back), this card is also an ideal option for everyday purchases or expenses that might not neatly fit into other spending categories.
Cardholders can also take advantage of the intro APR offer on new purchases. If you have a large purchase in mind that will take time to pay down, this card is a good option since you’ll have 12 months to work toward paying off the balance (then a 17.74 percent to 25.74 percent variable ongoing APR applies).
While the Amex Blue Business Cash Card’s other benefits are fairly typical of mid-tier rewards credit cards, it’s still a good idea to review them carefully for future use. For example, if you’re renting a car on a business-related trip, you can take advantage of the car rental loss and damage insurance — and if you use QuickBooks for your accounting, you can utilize the card’s built-in integration.
The bottom line
The Amex Blue Business Cash Card comes with a variety of benefits, including an impressive cash back rate, a welcome bonus and a low introductory APR. Other important perks include the Expanded Buying Power feature and integrations with common business software.
For borrowers with annual expenses over $50,000, other American Express business credit cards with more lucrative rewards might be a better option. That said, it’s a good choice for small businesses looking for a simple, straightforward cash back credit card with no annual fee.
