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American Express cards fall into several categories, each with benefits and potential drawbacks to consider. To pick an American Express business card, consider the amount of points or cashback earned per dollar spent, the annual fee and APR.
Small to midsize business owners who want to enjoy the ultimate luxury benefits while traveling could find The Business Platinum Card® from American Express to be a great choice. With a $595 annual fee (Terms apply, see rates & fees), this is one of the most expensive Amex business cards to own.
To justify the annual fee, this card offers generous rewards. For example, you get to earn a welcome offer worth up to $750 in redemption value, and you earn 5x membership points on flights and prepaid hotels through American Express Travel. For a single eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, you get 1.5 points per dollar spent. For all other purchases, you earn 1x membership points.
Other perks include access to more than 1,100 airport lounges across 120 countries; a $200 airline fee credit each year to use toward incidental airline fees and a 35% airline bonus when you pay for first or business class flights with membership rewards points; a Gold Status at Starwood and Hilton hotels and resorts without meeting any stay requirements, and so much more.
Accelerated points categories include purchases made at US gas stations, US restaurants, airfare purchased directly from airlines, US purchases in advertising media, purchases on US shipping and US computer hardware, software and cloud computing from select providers. This versatility combined with 4x points is rare within the business credit card industry.
But to enjoy the rewards and perks offered by this card, expect to pay a $295 annual fee.
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is made for those who travel on Delta Air Lines but don’t spend more than $25,000 a year. You still get to enjoy frequent flyer benefits, such as getting your first checked bag free, priority boarding and earning Delta miles, but it’ll cost you less to own the card.
The card’s welcome offer is generous too. Earn 40,000 bonus miles and a $50 statement credit once you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months your account is open. Also, your Delta purchases earn 2x miles, at restaurant and on advertising purchases for select US media and US shipping earn 2x miles, and 1x miles on all other purchases. Redeem miles for flights, seat upgrades, gift cards, shopping and more.
In addition to earning 3x miles on Delta purchases — which you can redeem for flights, seat upgrades, gift cards, shopping and more — you get a domestic, first class Delta Comfort+® or main cabin roundtrip companion certificate every year you renew your card. Taxes and fees of up to $75 aren’t covered by the certificate. All these perks should be more than enough to cover for the card’s $550 annual fee.
Business owners who frequently stay at Marriott Bonvoy properties would find this card to be of great value. The card’s welcome offer is easy to earn, plus you get to earn points you can redeem at participating hotels. The rewards structure changed in August 2018, when SPG®, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® merged into one loyalty program, which allows you to earn even more points for every purchase you make.
But Marriott Bonvoy hotel purchases aren’t the only category that’s highly rewarding. You also earn 4x points at US restaurants, US gas stations, on wireless telephone services from US providers and on US purchases for shipping, and you earn 2x points on all other purchases.
Other perks that make this card valuable include the option to transfer points to a frequent flyer program or book a flight using them; complimentary Silver Elite status; free night award every year on your card anniversary and more.
But the valuable features don’t stop there. You also get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, one weekend night in a standard room with double occupancy when you spend $15,000, you get 10 Priority Pass visits each year and more. All this is more than enough to justify the card’s $95 annual fee.
For small businesses that usually spend up to $50,000 a year, you’ll find this card’s flat cashback rate a great value for your business. In addition, you get a great introductory APR on purchases where you can make a large purchase for your business and pay it off without interest for a limited period. As a bonus, you don’t have to pay an annual fee to own this card.
Another feature that could help out with your business expenses is the ability to buy over your credit limit. However, the amount you can spend above your credit limit adjusts based on your card use, payment history and other factors determined by American Express.
This makes it similar to the American Express Blue Business Cashâ„¢ Card, except instead of cash back you earn reward points.
As for the welcome offer, it’s not as generous as some other cards’ offer, but it’s not bad either. All you have to do is spend $3,000 in your first 3 months when you open your account and you’ll earn an additional 15,000 bonus points.
Businesses who have an Amazon Prime membership and use Amazon Business, Amazon.com and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which includes cloud services, database storage and content delivery, should definitely consider the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card. On the aforementioned services, you earn 5% cash back on up to $120,000 annually, reverting to 1% back after. Or you can extend your payments with these services to up to 90 days without interest. You’ll also earn 2% back at US restaurants, US gas stations, and US wireless telephone services and 1% back on other purchases
As a welcome offer, you get a $125 Amazon gift card as soon as your credit card is approved.
The Lowe's Business Rewards Card from American Express can be a solid card for businesses that often shop at Lowe’s. Every time you use your card at the store, you get a 5% discount on eligible purchases. Lowe’s purchases also earn 2x points, while purchases at US restaurants and US office supply stores and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service providers earn 3x points.
Other perks include a $100 welcome offer when you’re approved for the card, a 0% intro APR period on purchases for 6 months (15.74% to 24.74% variable after that) and Lowe’s ProServices.
To help you choose the right Amex business card, you’ll want to ask yourself a few questions:
Some of these features aren’t available to all American Express business cardholders.
American Express OPEN was the name of Amex’s suite of financial products for small businesses. Although now rebranded as American Express Small Business, Amex still offers the same business-focused products and services as it did with OPEN. With the Amex business cards, you can get cashback rewards, payment flexibility with a grace period of up to 60 days, membership rewards and rewards from Amex travel partners.
American Express offers a variety of business cards to fulfill your needs. Among them, you’ll find a decent no-annual-fee cashback card, one with a 60-day grace period to help you pay your balance when cash flow is an issue, and a number of travel rewards cards.
Aside from the specific card perks, with every Amex small business card you get travel insurance, car rental insurance and baggage coverage. You also get expense and management tools to help you track your employee spending and set spending limits.
But if none of these cards seem like the right choice for your business, compare other credit card options until you find the one that suits your needs.
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