I had my eyes on the American Express Blue Business Plus for a long time. I take a conservative approach when signing up for credit cards so there’s often time between sign-up bonuses where I’m looking for the best card to earn points on non-bonused spending. By non-bonused, I mean spending money on something that isn’t travel, dining, gas stations, health clubs, cell phone bills, cable bills, supermarkets, office supply stores, or online purchases. Think of those other expenses like insurance premiums, car repairs, and home improvement stores, which can add up to a pretty penny.
Previously I’d put those purchases on our Arrival+ card since it earns 2% back, which I can use to pay for travel expenses. I was happy with this until I realized that even if I earned 1 transferrable point per dollar with AMEX, Chase or Citi cards, I could save more than 2% if I used those points for redemptions with their travel partners.
So when a card came around that earns 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar for every purchase, which is worth 3% back or more, I really wanted the card.
We’ve had the card for a few years and have used it to build up a healthy balance of Membership Rewards. Here’s a quick breakdown of the benefits.
American Express Blue Business® Plus
Annual Fee
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card has no annual fee, which is incredible for a card that earns transferrable Membership Rewards points.
Sign Up Benefits
This card currently has a sign-up bonus of 15,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $3,000 in purchases for the first three months if you use our referral link. Plus, you’ll get a 0.0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from the account opening date.
We do get a referral bonus of Membership Rewards points if you sign up using our link.
Spending Bonus Categories
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card earns two Membership Rewards points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent on the card each year. After that, you’ll receive one point per dollar spent on the card.
Foreign Transaction Fees – The Blue Business Plus charges 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars for foreign purchases. Leave this card at home when going outside the US and use a card with no foreign transaction fees instead.
Membership Rewards – With the American Express Blue Business Plus card, you’ll earn points in AMEX’s transferrable points program, Membership Rewards.
While there are many uses for Membership Rewards, the best one is transferring points to one of AMEX’s travel partners.
- Are Lingus Aerclub
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France / KLM Flying Blue
- ANA Mileage Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Delta SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest Miles
- Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
- Iberia Plus Miles
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Singapore KrisFlyer Miles
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Hotel Programs
- Choice Privileges Rewards
- Hilton Honors
- Marriott Bonvoy
I used Membership Rewards to help us book our $25,000 trip to Australia and Japan and the best award trip I ever booked (for someone else). I also used them, along with points from two other programs, to pay for our business-class flight to Germany on Singapore Airlines.
Final Thoughts
Since this is a business card, you need to have a business to get one. Fortunately, AMEX tends to be one of the easier banks to get approved for a business card, even if you are the only employee and have limited business income. I found getting a card from Chase to be more difficult as they wanted proof that my business existed by supplying tax forms and utility bills.
If you have a business, this card is an excellent addition to your wallet, whether it’s your first business card or you have a drawer full of plastic.
I kicked myself for not getting this card sooner. I’d even recommended getting the card to three friends who asked for advice about points-earning cards before I signed up for it myself. Talk about not taking your own advice.
You won’t see a big sign-up bonus for the Blue Business card. With no annual fee and 2X Membership Rewards, they don’t have to offer one. Occasionally, there’s a 50K or higher offer, but those have come with spending requirements of $10,000 or more.
Get in on the bonus if you can, but even if there’s not a bonus, it still might be a card you want to add to your collection.
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