Chase Business Cards vs. Amex Business Cards: Which Way to Go?

To properly compare credit cards, it’s always a good idea to look through what both Chase and American Express have to offer. For small business owners, Chase credit cards and American Express credit cards are among the best business credit cards in the world, providing a wide range of benefits and ways to earn rewards back from your business expenses.

But this inevitably leads a business owner to ask themselves which is better — should you go with Chase vs. Amex for small business spending?

In this guide, we’ll discuss different Chase and Amex business credit cards and how they can bring you the most value. This will help you decide which cards may be a better fit for you and your business.

Why small business credit cards can be lucrative

Small business credit cards provide business owners with an opportunity to earn lucrative rewards on their everyday business expenses. Many business credit cards offer bonus earning rates on common business costs, such as purchases at office supply stores, phone and internet bills, or business travel expenses like airfare and rental cars.

Because these are expenses you’re already paying to keep your business running, it only makes sense to earn rewards on them at the same time. You can then use your rewards on many different redemption options, such as booking award travel, receiving cash back, or funding shopping trips.

In addition, the best credit cards can also provide valuable benefits to cardmembers. Depending on the card, you may receive complimentary travel insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, cell phone protection, and much more.

Apart from the rewards and perks, business credit cards also make it easy to keep track of your purchases. It’s essential to make sure your business expenses are kept separate from your personal expenses so it’s easier for you to handle the tax process when the time comes.

Understanding the Chase business cards

Chase business credit cards consist of multiple Chase Ink business cards and a few co-branded business cards. The Chase Ink business cards are solely designed and issued by Chase, whereas the co-branded cards are issued by Chase in partnership with another company.

Here are all the available Chase business cards:

With Chase business cards, you can earn cash back, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, or other rewards from another loyalty program. For instance, the Chase Southwest business cards earn Rapid Rewards points, and the United Business Card earns MileagePlus miles.

Cash back is great, but Chase Ultimate Rewards points are easily one of the most lucrative rewards currencies available. They can be redeemed for valuable travel options through the Chase travel portal or for cash back, gift cards, and shopping trips. You can also transfer them to any Chase transfer partner like JetBlue Airways, IHG Rewards Club, or World of Hyatt.

To give you more of an idea of the power of the Chase business cards, here are four of our favorite credit card offers:

Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card: Best for large business purchases

The Chase Ink Business Premier credit card is a new addition to the Chase business card lineup. It comes with a $195 annual fee and a generous $1,000 welcome bonus that requires spending $10,000 in the first 3 months.

The Chase Ink Business Premier enables you to earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards; unlimited 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more; unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases.

However, the downside of this card is that you cannot transfer the Ultimate Rewards points you earn to other Chase cards or to travel partners. This limits your redemption options.

Read our Chase Ink Business Premier review.

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card: Best for travel rewards and benefits

The Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card is an essential part of the Chase business card lineup. It has a $95 annual fee and a generous 100,000 points sign-up bonus after spending $8,000 in the first 3 months.

You can take advantage of its useful bonus categories when it comes to your business expenses by earning 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.

Every point you earn on the Chase Ink Business Preferred card is worth 25% more in travel redemptions through the Chase travel portal. You also receive other travel perks like trip cancellation and interruption insurance, roadside dispatch services, and auto rental insurance. Other coverages include cell phone protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty protection.

Read our Chase Ink Business Preferred review.

Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card: Best for low-stress spending

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited is an ideal business card for business owners who don’t want to stress about how they earn rewards on purchases. The Ink Business Unlimited has a $0 annual fee and a straightforward earning rate of Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase. This makes it easy to earn rewards on any business spending, no matter which category it falls under. You can also earn $900 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months.

The Ink Business Unlimited offers multiple benefits to cardholders, including a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months after account opening (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable). You also get purchase protection, extended warranty protection, an auto rental collision damage waiver, and roadside dispatch services.

If you want to redeem your cash back for travel, it could make a lot of sense to pair this card with the Chase Ink Business Preferred. You can combine points between Chase Ink business cards, which means your cash back on the Chase Ink Business Unlimited could be worth 25% more toward travel just by moving it to the Chase Ink Business Preferred. This is a free and easy way to immediately get more value out of your rewards.

Read our Chase Ink Business Unlimited review.

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card: Best for frequent Southwest travelers

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card is a Chase-issued card in partnership with Southwest Airlines. This means you’ll earn rewards in the form of Rapid Rewards points, which can be redeemed for Southwest award flights and are not subject to blackout dates.

There is a $199 annual fee, but new cardholders can earn 80,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. You can also earn 4X points on Southwest purchases; 3X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners; 2X on rideshare, social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services; and 1X points on all other purchases.

The best benefits to this card are the 9,000 additional points you receive each account anniversary year, the four complimentary seat upgrades you get each year, and the up to 365 free Wi-Fi credits you can enjoy per year. You also get a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee reimbursement, as well as lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, extended warranty protection, and purchase protection.

Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card review.

Understanding the American Express business cards

American Express business credit cards consist of Amex cards and Amex cards that are co-branded with other companies. All the cards are issued by Amex, but the rewards and perks vary depending on whether they’re co-branded.

Here are all the available American Express business cards:

Within the Amex business card program, you can earn cash back, Amex Membership Rewards points, or rewards with another loyalty program. Examples of other rewards you can earn include Delta SkyMiles, Hilton Honors points, and Marriott Bonvoy points.

Amex Membership Rewards points offer loads of value because of their redemption options. Because you can redeem points for cash back, travel, gift cards, and more, business cards that earn Membership Rewards points are more flexible than cards that earn only cash back. You can also transfer your Membership Rewards points to Amex transfer partners like Radisson Rewards, Emirates, and Singapore Airlines.

Here are three of our top picks when it comes to the business credit card offers from American Express:

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express: Best for travel rewards and luxury benefits

The Business Platinum Card from American Express is an excellent choice for businesspeople who want luxury travel perks. There’s a $695 annual fee (terms apply), but you get a welcome bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 in the first 3 months.

You can also earn 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. If you use the Pay with Points option to pay for all or part of an eligible flight, you get 35% of your points back.

Each year, the Amex Business Platinum provides up to $400 Dell Technologies credit and up to $200 airline fee credit. You can also receive up to $360 in annual Indeed credit, up to $150 in annual Adobe credit, and up to $120 in annual wireless telephone services credit. Other benefits include complimentary Priority Pass and Amex Centurion Lounge access, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, Hilton Honors Gold status, and extra benefits with the Fine Hotels & Resorts program. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

In addition, card membership also gets you trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, baggage insurance, extended warranty protection, and purchase protection.^{3 4 1 7 5 6}

There are even more Amex Business Platinum benefits, but that’s a big taste of what you can expect from this high-end business travel card.

Read our Business Platinum Card from American Express review.

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card: Best for low-stress cash back

The Blue Business Cash Card from American Express is a top choice if you want simple cash back on your business purchases.

With the Amex Blue Business Cash, you can earn 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that. Cash back arrives in the form of a statement credit. The Blue Business Cash has a $0 annual fee (terms apply). You can also earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

For benefits, the Blue Business Cash has car rental loss and damage insurance,² as well as an Expanded Buying Power benefit. With Expanded Buying Power, you’re able to make business purchases above your credit limit without a penalty. You’ll also still earn cash back on any eligible purchase that exceeds your credit limit. This unique perk can help if you need more buying power to get essential items or supplies to keep your business running and growing.

Read our Blue Business Cash Card from American Express review.

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Best for Hilton business travelers

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card provides loads of value for Hilton business travelers. It has a $95 annual fee (terms apply), yet offers new cardmembers a valuable welcome bonus: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. 

You can also earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on direct purchases with Hilton; 6X at U.S. gas stations, cell phone services from U.S. providers, U.S. shipping purchases, U.S. restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, and select car rentals; and 3X on all other eligible purchases.

The earning potential and welcome offer should easily offset the $95 annual cost, but you also get extra benefits that bring you even more value, including automatic Hilton Honors Gold status. Each year you’ll also receive 10 complimentary Priority Pass visits and the opportunity to earn multiple free weekend award nights. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

After you spend $15,000 in a calendar year, you’ll earn one Free Night Reward. After spending $60,000 in a calendar year, you’ll get another. And if you meet the spending requirement of $40,000 in a calendar year, you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status until the end of the following calendar year.

Read out Hilton Honors American Express Business Card review.

Chase vs. Amex for small business owners

Where Chase wins

The Chase vs. Amex for small businesses competition is very evenly matched, but Chase comes out on top in multiple categories:

• Travel portal: Although American Express Travel provides a good opportunity to redeem Membership Rewards points for flights, it’s not as well-rounded as the Chase travel portal. Chase partners with Expedia to provide a seamless award booking experience with your Ultimate Rewards points. Use them on flights, hotels, cruises, car rentals, experiences, and more with the same points redemption rate of at least 1 cent per point. You can use Membership Rewards points on most of these options as well, but only flights offer the best redemption rate.
• Card acceptance: Chase credit cards use the Visa and Mastercard payments networks to process their transactions. These are the two most widely accepted credit card payment methods in the world, which makes it easy to use Chase cards anywhere credit cards are accepted. American Express uses its own payments network to process transactions on its cards. The American Express network is widely accepted throughout the U.S., but it doesn’t have the same international acceptance rate as Visa or Mastercard.
• Combining points: Chase Ink business cards are often used together because you can combine your Chase rewards onto one card and get more value from them. Keep in mind that the Chase Ink Business Premier is an exception and doesn't enable you to transfer points to other Chase cards. However, this strategy works with other Chase cards, including the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited^®, Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, or Chase Sapphire Reserve^®. And, you can combine Chase points with a spouse or partner who has these cards as well. Cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards points will pool their points together for one cardholder, but you can’t combine points between spouses or partners.

If you often travel for business, Chase provides winning benefits with its business cards. The Chase travel portal is easier and more rewarding to use than Amex Travel. Also, you have more opportunities to combine points together between different Chase accounts. And if you travel abroad, it’s always a good idea to have a Visa or Mastercard with you so you know you’ll have a working credit card.

Where Amex wins

Chase isn’t the best when it comes to everything — Amex also has categories in which it’s the clear winner:

• Premium benefits: American Express and Chase fight it out for the best premium benefits on their cards, but Amex eventually takes the lead. Take the Amex Business Platinum, for example. You get a whole slew of benefits that none of the Chase business cards can quite match. Free annual travel and business credits, airport lounge access, elite status with two major hotel chains, and so on. Select benefits require enrollment.
• Card selection: American Express simply has more business credit card options than Chase. With more options, it’s easy to find a card that suits your spending habits and the way you run your business. There are plenty of gaps between the Chase business card products. You get only slight variations between Amex business cards, but that might be exactly what you need. With Chase, you don’t get the luxury of lots of choices.
• Transfer bonuses: Both Chase and American Express have arrangements with major airline and hotel partners. You can transfer your points to the loyalty programs of these partners and then use them for flights or hotel stays. The Chase and Amex transfer programs are very similar, except Amex often has transfer bonus promotions with some of its partners. This means you’d receive a certain bonus percentage of rewards when you transfer your points to specific partners during the promotional period. Overall, this gives you a lot more bang for your buck when transferring Membership Rewards points. Chase has also offered transfer bonuses, but they’re not as frequent as Amex transfer bonuses.

If you want more business card options to help run your business, American Express is the clear winner compared with Chase. With Amex, you’ll also get a lot more premium benefits on certain Amex business cards, as well as a higher frequency of transfer bonuses. For business travelers who like to get more for their points and travel in style, Amex provides ideal opportunities to do so.

FAQs

Bottom line

So which business cards should you choose, Chase or Amex? Overall, it’s a tough question, one that doesn’t have a clearly defined answer. For small business owners, the answer comes down to what exactly you’re looking for in credit cards.

Do you want premium travel benefits? Are you looking for an intuitive and easy-to-use travel portal? Do you want a no-stress cashback card for your business expenses?

As you answer these questions, you can go through this guide to see which business card(s) most align with your financial needs. In short, both Chase and Amex offer excellent rewards programs and some of the best business credit cards available. Chase business cards are more widely accepted around the world, but that doesn’t matter if you don’t travel abroad. In that case, you might opt for an Amex business card with better travel benefits.

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The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

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The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Learn How to Apply

See rates and fees | Terms Apply

Current Offer

Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
• Earn 2% points at eligible purchases on up to $50,000 spent each year, after that 1%
• No annual fee. Terms apply,

Drawbacks

• Annual spending cap on bonus cash back

Card Details

• Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
• 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that
• Intro purchase 0% APR offer: 0% for 12 months then 18.49% to 26.49% (variable)
• Terms apply

Author Details

Ben Walker, CEPF Ben Walker, CEPF, is a Senior Credit Cards Writer at FinanceBuzz. 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.

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