Finding the right business card can save you lot of money in the long run.
American Express offers one of the largest varieties of business credit cards and charge cards in the industry. With so many options, you can find one that meets your specific business needs, whether that’s a 0% intro APR or strong rewards.
Compare American Express business credit cards
Updated June 20th, 2019
What do you want to know?
Overview of American Express business credit cards
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.
Quick look at Amex business cards
- The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
- Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
- SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express
- The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express
- The Plum Card® from American Express
- Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
- Get this card if: You want travel rewards.
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 (see Rates & Fees), this is one of the most expensive Amex business cards to own, but if you’re a frequent traveler, it’ll be worth it.You’ll get benefits at hotels and resorts from Starwood, Hilton and Fine Hotels and complimentary access to The American Express Global Lounge CollectionSM. Not to mention, you’ll earn the highest number of membership points offered by a small business Amex card when booking airfare and prepaid hotels through American Express Travel.
Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
- Get this card if: You’re looking for airline rewards.
The Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express is an Amex small business credit card 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.
Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card
- Get this card if: You frequently fly with Delta.
For the business owner who spends more than $30,000 a year on air travel, the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card could be the right choice. You get a decent welcome offer, free access to Delta Sky Clubs and can earn Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) faster, which you can use toward earning a Medallion Status for comfort and luxury benefits when flying Delta.
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
- Get this card if: You want hotel rewards.
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.
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.
SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express
- Get this card if: You’re interested in cashback rewards.
For small businesses that usually spend up to 50,000 a year on office supplies and wireless telephone services from US providers, you’ll find this card’s accelerated cash back categories a great value for your business.In addition, you get a great introductory APR on purchases, which is helpful if you need to make a large purchase for your business and don’t want to pay interest for a limited period. As a bonus, you don’t have to pay an annual fee to own this card.
The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express
- Get this card if: You plan on making a balance transfer.
The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express has a strong intro APR periods on purchases and balance transfers — 0% for the first 12 months after opening your account (see Rates & Fees). The rate reverts to a variable APR of 15.49% to 21.49% after that.
If you get a low credit line, don’t worry — the card allows you to make purchases above your credit limit. Plus, for every purchase you make up to 50,000 per year, you earn 2x membership rewards points. Once you reach the cap, you earn 1x membership rewards points.
If you get a low credit line, don’t worry — the card allows you to make purchases above your credit limit. Plus, for every purchase you make up to 50,000 per year, you earn 2x membership rewards points. Once you reach the cap, you earn 1x membership rewards points.
The Plum Card® from American Express
- Get this card if: You want flexible payment options.
For businesses looking for payment flexibility with a 60-day grace period (see Rates & Fees) for purchases instead of the usual 25 days, The Plum Card® from American Express may be the best choice. In addition to the extra interest-free time, you get a 1.5% discount if you pay within 10 days of the closing date. This comes out to $3,600 per year in cash back if your monthly expenses are $20,000.
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
- Get this card if: You’re looking for a corporate card.
Businesses with more than 50 employees or with an annual revenue of more than $20 million could find the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express to be an excellent business companion. Depending on your annual income and company needs, you can get a tailored corporate program designed with the help and expertise of an American Express representative.
The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is good for employees who occasionally travel and have everyday business expenses. Once you enroll in the membership rewards program, your company will earn membership points, which you can redeem for travel, shopping and more.
The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is good for employees who occasionally travel and have everyday business expenses. Once you enroll in the membership rewards program, your company will earn membership points, which you can redeem for travel, shopping and more.
How to compare American Express business credit cards
Each Amex card is tailored for a specific business — if you fall into one of the categories, you’ll get to reap the benefits.
Here are some things to consider when deciding on the right card for your business:
- What do you spend most money on? For businesses that require frequent and large purchases of office supplies, the SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express, which comes with a strong cashback rate on office supplies and another business category of your choosing, could be a great choice.
- Does your company need to make a balance transfer? If you want to transfer your balance from another non-American Express account, The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express comes with an introductory APR on purchases and balances transfers.
- How often do you travel? The Business Platinum® Card from American Express is the ultimate travel rewards card, but if you don’t travel as much, then you won’t get to use any of its perks and you’ll pay the annual fee of $595 for nothing.
- How often do you fly? Suppose you fly occasionally with Delta Air Lines but you don’t visit Delta Sky Clubs® every time you travel. In that case, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express will be worth more to you than the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card. On the other hand, if you travel every month and want to enjoy luxury and comfort, the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card may be the superior choice.
- Do you often stay at Starwood and Marriott hotels? If that’s the case, the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card would help you earn free nights and complimentary benefits every time you visit one of their 1,500 locations worldwide. Plus, you can use Starpoints to pay for flights.
- Does your company have more than 50 employees? American Express offers tailored credit card programs for large businesses to help you make the most of your card. One of the best Amex business cards that can help you manage your expenses is the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express.
Why choose an American Express business credit card?
- No preset spending limits. Amex small business charge cards have no preset spending limits. This gives you increased spending power, which adjusts based on your payment history, credit report and other factors determined by American Express.
- Expense and management tools. Small business cards from American Express OPEN® come with a set of tools that help you track and manage your expenses. Also, you can send transactions directly to your QuickBooks account.
- Payment flexibility. Get deferred no-interest payment of up to 60 days when you pay at least 10% of your balance — ideal for companies that have cashflow issues.
- Employee cards. Earn more rewards and cash back with additional employee cards — depending on the card you choose, you can get additional cards for free. Set up spending limits for your employees and track their spending.
- Travel protection. Get travel insurance in case of accidental death and dismemberment, car rental insurance against damage or theft and baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage.
- Roadside and global assistance. Every time you need assistance on the road, whether it’s for a tire change or towing, call the roadside assistance hotline and they’ll send help. When traveling more than 100 miles from home, you get 24/7 access to medical, legal and other emergency services you may need.
- Amex® app. Download the Amex app and manage your American Express business account online.
Some of these features aren’t available to all American Express business cardholders.
Does American Express report business card activities to credit bureaus?
American Express doesn’t report your business card’s activity to any credit bureaus. However, if you haven’t paid your balance in six months, American Express will notify the credit bureaus.
Compare business credit cards
Updated June 20th, 2019
Bottom line
American Express offers a variety of business cards to fulfill your needs. Among them, you’ll find a decent no-annual-fee cashback card and one with a 60-day grace period to help you pay your balance when cash flow is an issue.
For frequent travelers, you can choose between general travel rewards cards, where you get to earn points that are redeemable for several types of rewards, or you can get a specific frequent flyer card for Delta Air Lines. For businesses loyal to a certain brand of hotels, you’ll find Starwood and Hilton cards that offer free nights and complimentary benefits.
Aside from the specific card perks, with every Amex small business card you get travel insurance, car rental insurance and baggage coverage. And expense and management tools can help you track your employee spending and set spending limits.
As always, compare your credit card options to choose the one that suits your business’s needs.