Choose the Right American Express Business Credit Card to Maximize Your Rewards and Benefits

If you’re searching for a credit card that will offer big benefits for your business and your wallet, look no further than American Express business credit cards. Whether you’re looking to save money on your everyday purchases, earn airline miles or hotel points, or improve your travel experiences, Amex offers a card that will meet your needs.

Read on to learn about which American Express business credit cards are available, how these cards can help you, and which one is right for your business.

What American Express business credit cards offer

Business credit cards help businesses track expenses, control their cash flow, and earn valuable rewards. Though some business cards come with annual fees, the perks cardholders receive are generally worth more than the fees paid each year. This makes the decision to apply for and keep American Express business credit cards each year a no-brainer.

American Express business credit cards offer the ability to turn normal expenses into great rewards. Depending upon which card you choose, you’ll earn cash back, hotel points, airline miles, or Membership Rewards. Plus, you can enjoy great benefits such as free checked bags, hotel elite status, and airport lounge access. Do note that cash back is in the form of a statement credit and enrollment is required for select benefits.

Some of the most popular American Express credit cards for business include:

• Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card - this card comes with automatic Gold elite status and up to two free hotel nights each year.
• The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express - cardholders get access to over 1,400 airport lounges and 35% of points back for flight redemptions. Select benefits require activation or enrollment.
• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card - cardmembers get complimentary Gold status.
• Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card - this card comes with your first checked bag free and priority boarding.

Rewards available with Amex business credit cards

With American Express business credit cards, you can earn cash back, airline miles, Membership Rewards points, or hotel points. Cash back is in the form of a statement credit. To choose the best card for you, think about where what type of rewards are most valuable to your small business and where you spend the most money.

Here are a few of the best Amex credit cards that offer great rewards to help your business.

These credit cards for small business owners offer a wide array of benefits. The rewards you earn from them can be used to improve your business or thank employees for a job well done.

Which American Express business credit card is right for you?

There are several important things to consider when deciding which American Express business credit card is right for you. Are you okay with paying an annual fee? Do you want to earn airline miles, hotel points, cash back, or Membership Rewards? And what credit card benefits are most important to you?

Cash back credit cards

Cash back cards offer some of the most straightforward rewards out there. When you make eligible purchases with these credit cards, you'll receive a portion of your purchase back in cash as a statement credit.

For example, the Blue Business Cash Card has a $0 annual fee, and cardmembers earn 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that. Cash back is in the form of a statement credit.

Airline co-branded credit cards

Co-branded airline credit cards offer a lot of wonderful perks for frequent travelers. You can save money by checking bags for free, receive priority boarding even when you don't have status, and get discounts on in-flight purchases. If having elite status is important to you, some airline credit cards can help you achieve and maintain your loyalty levels.

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Credit Card is a good example. With this card, you earn 2X miles per $1 spent on eligible Delta and restaurant purchases, and on eligible U.S. shipping purchases and eligible U.S. advertising in select media up to $50,000 per category, per year. Plus, 1X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases. Cardholders also get a free checked bag and Zone 5 Priority Boarding. Checked bag fees on Delta are $35 each way per bag, so this credit card can quickly pay for itself with just a couple of flights. Just remember to put your SkyMiles number on each reservation to enjoy your benefits.

Hotel co-branded credit cards

American Express offers hotel credit cards from two of the most popular hotel brands, Marriott and Hilton. With these co-branded credit cards, you will automatically receive elite status and earn extra points toward future free nights.

The Hilton Honors Business Card earns 12X on eligible Hilton purchases. Cardholders also get complimentary Gold elite status. Based on your spending, you can be upgraded to Hilton Honors Diamond status. Enrollment required for select benefits.

Business owners will also benefit from the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card. With this card, you earn 6X points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels; 4X points at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, U.S. purchases on shipping, and wireless telephone services purchased from U.S. providers; and 2X points on all other eligible purchases. Cardholders also receive automatic Gold elite status and have the ability to earn two free nights each year worth up to 35,000 points each.

Cards that earn Membership Rewards

Membership Rewards points are very lucrative. You can use these points to book hotels or flights, pay for purchases, or transfer to airline and hotel partners, and more. Business owners who are looking for flexibility with their credit card rewards will appreciate this type of card.

The Business Gold Card is one great option. As a cardmember, you earn 4X Membership Rewards Points on purchases in the two eligible categories with the most spend each month from 6 eligible categories (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, after that 1X), 3X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked at amextravel.com, and 1 point per $1 spent on other eligible purchases.

Take advantage of Amex Offers

All of the American Express business credit cards come with Amex Offers, which provide additional ways to earn and save. These personalized offers must be manually activated and used before they expire. Each Amex card comes with its own unique offers, and they’re based on your profile, where you spend, and how much you spend.

Amex Offers may include extra points, fixed dollar statement credits, or a percentage back on your purchase. For example, the following offer gives 20% back on cell phone charges up to a maximum of $50. This is a quick way to make money on purchases you were already planning to make. Just remember to activate the offer before your purchase.

Bottom line

Business owners can use credit cards to improve their business and earn generous rewards. American Express offers several different credit cards, each with varying earning structures, benefits, and annual fees. So, which American Express business credit card is right for you?

The best way to choose is to decide what type of rewards and benefits you want to receive. Then compare those rewards and perks against any annual fee that may be charged. If the rewards you'll earn exceed the annual fee, the chances are you’ve found the best business credit card for you.

Premium Business Rewards

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

Apply Now

See rates and fees | Terms Apply

Current Offer

Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$695

Rewards Rate

5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on Amextravel.com; 1.5X points on eligible purchases at U.S. suppliers of construction materials and hardware, U.S. retailers of electronic goods, U.S. providers of shipping, software and cloud systems, and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million per year, then 1X), and 1X points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases (purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus)

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Option to pay a portion of eligible charges over time, rather than in full monthly
• Seamlessly connects to QuickBooks® for easy reporting
• Includes cell phone insurance up to $800 per claim for damage or theft¹ <p>Coverage for a Stolen or damaged Eligible Cellular Wireless Telephone is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limits of liability of this benefit. The maximum liability is $800, per claim, per Eligible Card Account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. Coverage is limited to two (2) claims per Eligible Card Account per 12 month period.</p><p></p><ul><li>Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. </li><li>Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. </li><li>Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.</li></ul><p></p>

Drawbacks

• High annual fee that isn’t worth it if you don’t travel frequently
• High spend requirement to earn the welcome bonus

Card Details

• 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.
• 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
• Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
• Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card®, here.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card.
• $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card®.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
• $695 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.