The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card vs. The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express [2024]

The The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express share a ton of similarities, which ultimately means that the better option depends on what form of rewards you prefer.

The Amex Blue Business Cash is great for earning cash back in the form of statement credit, while the Amex Blue Business Plus is better for earning travel rewards in the form of Membership Rewards. Personally, I chose the Amex Blue Business Plus for my business expenses since I prefer the broader redemption flexibility of Amex Membership Rewards points.

Key takeaways

• The Amex Blue Business Cash has an annual fee of $0 (terms apply). The Amex Blue Business Plus has an annual fee of $0 (terms apply).
• The Amex Blue Business Cash is more suitable for someone who wants a straightforward earning rate on business expenses that translate directly into cash rewards. The only redemption option available on this card is receiving statement credits.
• The Amex Blue Business Plus also offers a simple earning rate. But it earns Membership Rewards points, which you can redeem in multiple ways, including booking travel, transferring to travel partners, statement credits, and more.

Compare Amex Blue Business Cash vs. Amex Blue Business Plus

	The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card 5.0 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 Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express 4.9 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.
Card type	Business/Cash back	Business/Travel
Annual fee	$0 (terms apply)	$0 (terms apply)
Welcome offer	Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months	Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership
Earning rate	2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that	2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that
Redemption methods	Statement credit	Travel Transfer partners Statement credit Cover card charges Gift cards Pay With Points
Intro APR	0% intro APR for 12 months from date of account opening on purchases (then 17.74% - 25.74% Variable)	0% intro APR for 12 months from date of account opening on purchases (then 17.74% - 25.74% Variable)
Other benefits	Car rental loss and damage insurance1 Global Assist hotline2 Extended warranty3 Purchase protection4	Car rental loss and damage insurance1 Global Assist hotline2 Extended warranty3 Purchase protection4
Foreign transaction fee	2.70%	2.70%
Credit needed	Excellent, Good	Excellent, Good
	Read full review	Read full review

My verdict

The choice between the Amex Blue Business Cash and the Amex Blue Business Plus boils down to whether you prefer cashback rewards in the form of statement credits or travel rewards in the form of Amex Membership Rewards. Personally, I prefer the latter to help offset the cost of my travels, that’s why I applied for the Amex Blue Business Plus. But I did that knowing that I could redeem my Membership Rewards for statement credits but at a reduced value of 0.6 cents per point compared to the typical 1-cent value or higher I get with travel redemptions.

Amex Blue Business Cash benefits and drawbacks

The Amex Blue Business Cash offers 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that. You can also earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

What makes this card stand out against the Amex Blue Business Plus is that the rewards you earn from its cashback rate translate dollar-to-dollar to statement credits when you redeem them. The Amex Blue Business Plus, on the other hand, gets a lower value of 0.6 cents per point when you redeem your rewards for statement credits.

That’s why I recommend this card for someone who mainly wants to earn cashback rewards as statement credits.

The Amex Blue Business Cash doesn’t make sense for travel purchases abroad because it has a 2.70% foreign transaction fee.

Read our full Amex Blue Business Cash Card review.

Amex Blue Business Plus benefits and drawbacks

The Amex Blue Business Plus offers 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that. You can also earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.

You’ll likely get the best value for your Membership Rewards points when you redeem them for travel. I typically use my points through the Amex Travel portal, or I move them to one of Amex’s transfer partners, to potentially get higher value per point. Redeeming these points for statement credit only offers 0.6 cents per point, so it takes 1,000 points to receive a $6 statement credit, so I typically avoid this option.

While the Amex Blue Business Plus is a travel card, it’s not the best option for international travel. It charges a 2.70% foreign transaction fee on purchases made abroad or from foreign merchants.

Read our full Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card review.

What both business cards excel at

• Annual fee: The Amex Blue Business Cash has a $0 annual fee and the Amex Blue Business Plus also has a $0 annual fee.
• Welcome offers: You can earn a generous welcome offer with either card. When I qualified for the Amex Blue Business Plus, I was able to quickly meet the welcome offer requirements since they were simple enough.
• Earning rates: Both cards have simple rewards rates without additional spending categories to worry about. The elevated base earning rate on business spending up to $50,000 a year is better than the base 1% or 1x point or mile per dollar you get on many other cards, so I found it easy to choose my Amex Blue Business Plus for random business expenses.
• Intro APR offers: Both cards come with intro APR offers on purchases. I took advantage of this benefit on the Amex Blue Business Plus to fund some large business purchases that came my way soon after opening the card.
• Purchase protection: Both cards provide extended warranty coverage and purchase protection, which can help you protect various qualified items you buy for your business.
• Travel benefits: You can access a Global Assist hotline and car rental loss and damage insurance with either card.

2 important differences between Amex Blue Business Cash vs. Amex Blue Business Plus

1. Rewards

The Amex Blue Business Cash provides 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that.

The Amex Blue Business Plus provides 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that.

There’s no overall better option here because it depends on whether you want to earn cash back or travel rewards.

Winner: It’s a tie because it depends on your preference for earning cash or travel rewards.

2. Redemption options

The only redemption option for the Amex Blue Business Cash is automatically receiving cash back as a statement credit.

With the Amex Blue Business Plus, you can choose from the following redemptions:

• Travel
• Transfer partners
• Statement credit
• Cover card charges
• Gift cards
• Pay With Points

I personally prefer the higher redemption flexibility of the Amex Blue Business Plus, but its downside is the low value of 0.6 cents per point that it offers on statement credit redemptions.

Winner: Amex Blue Business Plus because it offers more redemption options.

Which business credit card should you choose?

When you should choose Amex Blue Business Cash

• You want a simple card for earning cash back (in the form of a statement credit)
• You already have a relationship with American Express
• You don’t plan to use this card in other countries
• You don’t plan to spend more than $50,000 per year on this card

When you should choose Amex Blue Business Plus

• You want a simple card for earning travel rewards
• You already have a relationship with American Express
• You don’t plan to use this card in other countries
• You don’t plan to spend more than $50,000 per year on this card
• You want multiple redemption options, including booking travel and transferring points to travel partners

What factors to consider before choosing

When determining how to choose an Amex business credit card, consider these factors:

• Type of rewards: In general, rewards cards are divided into cash back cards and travel cards. The main difference between these cards is that you’ll earn cash back, points, or miles, depending on the card. American Express business cards offer a good mix of both cash back and travel cards.
• Annual fee: Cards with annual fees tend to have better benefits, but you have to determine whether those benefits are worth the annual cost. In many cases, cards with no annual fees can still provide plenty of value with their rewards and benefits.
• Redemption options: Cash back cards tend to have cashback-related redemptions, while travel cards have travel-related redemptions. In some cases, certain travel cards have both cashback- and travel-related redemptions.
• Perks and benefits: The best benefits for you depend on your preferences. Many cards provide benefits like extended warranty coverage or purchase protection. But if you want travel insurance benefits or airport lounge access, you would need to consider travel cards.
• Personal or business: It makes sense to use a business card for business expenses because it helps you separate them from your personal expenses. However, you can use personal cards for any type of expense, so it’s worth it to compare credit cards and see if any consumer cards could also make sense for you.

If you’re looking to combine cashback rewards with excellent benefits for your business, check out our list of the best cash back business credit cards.

FAQ

Amex Blue Business Cash vs. Amex Blue Business Plus: bottom line

The Amex Blue Business Cash is the better option for earning cash back in the form of statement credits, while the Amex Blue Business Plus makes more sense for earning travel rewards. I like both cards for making it easy to avoid paying annual fees, but I prefer the Amex Blue Business Plus since I prefer travel redemptions. However, I can see the appeal of earning actual cash back.

If these cards don’t seem like the right fit for you, check out our list of the best business credit cards for our top recommendations.

Up to 5% Cash Back

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

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.

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

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Current Offer

Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Solid rewards on office supply, telecom spending, gas, and dining
• Generous welcome offer
• Intro APR on purchases
• $0 annual fee
• Valuable purchase and travel protections

Drawbacks

• Bonus rewards capped after $25,000 annual spend in each category
• No bonus rewards for travel or advertising purchases
• Foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Card Details

• Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
• Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
• Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
• With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• No Annual Fee
• Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
• 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
• Member FDIC