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Business Green Rewards Card from American Express Review [2024]: Get Rewarded for Business Travel

Small business owners looking for a startup card or one that doesn’t require managing spending categories will enjoy the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express®.

Updated Oct. 8, 2024
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Business Green Rewards Card from American Express

Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
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OUR VIEW

Small business owners can benefit from credit cards to expand their capital, while earning rewards. While most have hefty annual fees or require excellent credit, the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has a low annual fee, and requires good-to-excellent credit.

I’d suggest it for new business owners trying to build credit who don’t want to mess with specific spending categories, but who travel often. It’s a travel rewards credit card with somewhat limited benefits, but a much lower annual fee than most cards.

All information about Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by FinanceBuzz.

Pros

Low annual fee
No preset spending limit
Bonus rewards for travel booked through AmexTravel.com

Cons

Everyday rewards are somewhat low
How we evaluate products

Card basics

Card type Business
Star rating
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FinanceBuzz value calculation1 Year one earnings: $308

Year two earnings: $158

Annual fee $95
Intro bonus Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 within your first 3 months
Reward rate 2X points on eligible purchases at AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for all other eligible purchases
Recommended credit score Good
Foreign transaction fee 2.7%

The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express® is not a traditional credit card. This means you must pay your balances in full, unless some or all of your balance qualifies for the Pay Over Time feature, which charges an APR of 18.99% to 27.99% (variable), depending on your eligibility.

This basic business credit card offers membership points you can use for rewards, including:

  • Travel on AmexTravel.com or with a travel partner
  • Statement credits
  • Deposits into an American Express® business account
  • Pay with points at checkout at many major retailers

Who should get the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express?

The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express® is best for small business owners looking for a startup business credit card.

You’ll typically need good credit to qualify, and if approved, pay a $95 annual fee, which is much lower than most of the best small business credit cards. I like the low annual fee, and the lack of categories you have to manage. You can earn 2X points on eligible purchases at AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for all other eligible purchases.

If you do travel, the card includes several travel benefits to make your travel even safer and more rewarding, all for a low annual fee.

Top features

  • Generous welcome offer: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 within your first 3 months of account opening.
  • Valuable rewards: Earn points at a rate of 2X points on eligible purchases at AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for all other eligible purchases.
  • Travel protection: Receive complimentary rental car insurance, baggage insurance, and access to the Global Assist Hotline for referrals to medical and legal help while traveling.
  • Other protection: Receive extended warranty coverage and purchase protection for up to 90 days on purchases made with your American Express® card.
  • Business tools: Receive complimentary business tools, like free employee cards, the American Express App, account alerts, online statements, and Vendor Pay by Bill.com. Enrollment required for select benefits.
  • Amex Offers: Enroll your card in periodic offers for discounts on shopping, dining, traveling, and entertainment purchases. Enrollment required.

Earning and redeeming Membership Rewards points

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your earnings can add up with the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express. To calculate these values, we used estimated spending by businesses in a variety of categories.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $308

Year two earnings: $158

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee.

Best ways to earn

Categories Rewards rate
Eligible purchases at AmexTravel.com 2X
All other eligible purchases 1X

The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is easy to use for earning because it has simple bonus categories. You can earn 2X points on eligible purchases at AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for all other eligible purchases.

I suggest using AmexTravel for as much of your travel needs as possible to maximize your rewards, while also using the card for everyday business expenses to increase your earnings. While the card has no preset spending limit, make sure you only purchase what you can afford to repay in full, unless you qualify for Pay Over Time.

Maximizing your redemptions

It’s always a good idea to get the most out of your Membership Reward points. While the value varies depending on the reward, travel through AmexTravel.com and gift cards are usually the most valuable. I suggest keeping your redemption value as close to $0.01 per point as much as possible.

You can also transfer your points to one of the many travel partners, and potentially get even more value from your points. Popular transfer partners include Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and Delta SkyMiles.

Other options include redeeming points for gift cards, pay at checkout, and to cover previously made purchases on your American Express® card.

Business Green Rewards Card from American Express transfer partners

American Express partners with other companies, including airlines and hotel brands, to offer Amex cardholders more redemption options for their Membership Rewards points. Once you connect the applicable partner loyalty program to your Membership Rewards account, you can transfer your points. Before doing so, I suggest determining the value you’d get from the points to ensure you get at least $0.01 per point.

Amex transfer partners include these airlines:

  • Air Canada
  • Air France KLM
  • British Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Delta Air Lines
  • Etihad Airways

These hotels are also Amex transfer partners:

  • Hilton
  • Marriott

FAQ

Is the Amex Business Green Rewards Card worth it?

The Amex Business Green Rewards Card is worth it if you want a beginner travel card to use on business expenses. The low $95 annual fee isn’t too steep of a cost to earn lucrative Amex Membership Rewards points. You’ll also get great benefits like car rental insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty coverage.

What credit score do you need for the Amex Business Green Rewards Card?

You likely need a good-to-excellent credit score to qualify for the Amex Business Green Rewards Card. This typically means credit scores starting at 670, but sometimes even higher.

What is the credit limit for the Amex Business Green Rewards Card?

The Amex Business Green Rewards Card has no preset spending limit. This doesn’t mean you have unlimited purchasing power, but it does mean your spending limit will adjust with the use of your card, your credit history, and other factors.

How much are 25,000 Amex Membership Rewards worth?

The value of your Amex Membership Rewards points depends on how you redeem them. Typically one of the best redemption rates for your Amex points is getting 1 cent per point, which is what redemptions for flights through Amex Travel are worth. So with 25,000 points, you’d have $250 (25,000 x 0.01 = 250) worth of flights through Amex Travel.

However, if you used your points to shop on Amazon, they’d only be worth 0.7 cents per point. So 25,000 points would be worth $140 (25,000 x 0.007 = 140) for shopping on Amazon.

Other cards to consider

The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is a good option if you’re new to business travel cards and need something low-cost and easy. For other options, consider The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express offers 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that. And there’s a $0 annual fee. The downside is that there aren’t any bonuses for travel purchases, so this card only makes sense if you’re a business owner who doesn’t travel often, otherwise the Business Green Rewards Card makes more sense.

Learn more in our Blue Business Plus review.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

With the Chase Ink Business Preferred, you can earn 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases. This card has plenty of ways to earn points and also comes with an excellent bonus offer of 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.

Its annual fee is equal to the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express® at $95 and you earn even more rewards on certain business purchases and travel. This Chase card requires good-to-excellent credit, so if you qualify, it can be a better option with greater rewards.

Learn more in our Ink Business Preferred review.

Simple Rewards for Small Businesses

Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
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Business Green Rewards Card from American Express

Current Offer

Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 within your first 3 months

Annual Fee

$95

Rewards Rate

2X points on eligible purchases at AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for all other eligible purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

Author Details

Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®

Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®, is credit cards specialist. For over a decade, he's leveraged credit card points and miles to travel the world. His expertise extends to other areas of personal finance — including loans, insurance, investing, and real estate — and you can find his insights on The Washington Post, Debt.com, Yahoo! Finance, and Fox Business.

Author Details

Samantha Hawrylack

Samantha Hawrylack is a writer with more than five years of experience. Her work has been published in Newsweek, MarketWatch, USA Today, Rocket Mortgage, BiggerPockets, Crediful, and many more. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Master of Business Administration from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and she was previously a brokerage investment professional with Series 7 and 63 licenses at Vanguard.