Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
December 3, 2024: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a good choice for small business owners looking for a simple card that earns cash back with no annual fee. (See Rates and Fees)
Our quick take on the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Cards and Points Rating:
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers a compelling option for small business owners who want maximum cash back rewards on a modest amount of spending each year with no annual fee. (See Rates and Fees)
We like that the card offers easy-to-redeem cash back rewards. We will forgive the rewards cap—you only earn 2% cash back rewards on your first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year—since there aren’t really any competing small business credit cards that offer uncapped 2% cash back rewards.
The card’s extended warranty and purchase protection benefits are a nice bonus—and more generous than you’ll typically find on a no annual fee Amex card. We particularly like Amex extended warranty and purchase protection because, in our experience Amex typically offers less hassle when submitting claims than other card issuers.
For a small business owner who spends a small amount and wants a card with good benefits and rewards with no annual fee, the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is pretty ideal.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Extended warranty
- Purchase protection
- Easy-to-redeem cash back rewards
Cons
- Annual cap on 2% cash back earnings
- Limited travel protections
Welcome offer: A cash back statement credit
Annual fee: annual_fees
(See Rates and Fees)
Best welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
This bonus is earned as a statement credit.
Rewards: Cash back
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers simple cash back rewards. You’ll get 2% cash back on your first $50,000 of eligible purchases each calendar year. After that, you’ll earn 1% cash back through the end of the year.
Benefits: Essential consumer protections
In addition to 2% rewards on up to $50,000 of purchases each year, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers a handful of benefits that are useful to small business owners.
Consumer insurance benefits
Many cards offer consumer insurance benefits that can protect the things you buy. Here are the consumer insurance benefits offered by The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card. Terms and restrictions apply to all benefits.
Purchase protection
Purchase protection protects the things you buy with your card from damage or theft for a certain amount of time after you buy them.
- Provides coverage for 90 days from the date of purchase.
- Covers only damage or theft.
- Limit of $1,000 per covered purchase and $50,000 per eligible card, per calendar year.
Extended warranty
Extended warranty coverage provides additional warranty coverage on items you purchase with your card or your card’s rewards.
- Doubles U.S. manufacturer’s warranty, up to an additional year.
- Applies to original manufacturer’s warranties of five years or less.
- Limit of $10,000 per covered purchase and $50,000 per eligible card, per calendar year.
Travel insurance benefits
Cards targeted toward travelers often offer travel insurance benefits that can protect you when you are traveling away from home. Terms and restrictions apply to all benefits.
Car rental loss and damage insurance
Amex car rental insurance protects you against damage to or theft of your rental vehicle.
- Secondary coverage.
- Covers certain additional charges beyond damage like loss of use and appraisal fees.
- Coverage not available in Australia, Italy, or New Zealand.
- Limit of $50,000 per rental agreement.
Statement credits and partner offers
Targeted merchant-specific offers that frequently offer additional cash back or statement credits.
- Enrollment in each offer required.
- Offers are account-specific.
Who is American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card best for?
Small business owners who want simple cash back rewards and who do not spend much will benefit most from the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card. Here’s who should strongly consider this card:
- Small business owners who spend less than $50k/year. After you spend $50k in a calendar year, the Blue Business Cash earns only 1% rewards. That’s fine if you don’t spend much for your small business, but this dramatically reduces the card’s value for high-spending small business owners.
- Business owners who want Amex purchase protection and extended warranty. Amex has a reputation for providing much better service when you need to make a claim on its consumer and travel insurance benefits than what you’ll get with other cards. Putting your purchases of durable goods on your Blue Business Cash card may pay off if you ever need to make an extended warranty claim.
Our experiences: How we use the card
Our guides to cards are thoroughly researched using primary sources, but members of our team often have these cards as well. Here’s how we use our cards.
I had the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card card a few years ago, but ultimately decided to cancel it because Amex only allows five credit cards per person and I personally could get more value with Amex’s other cards. Plus, my business spending matched more closely with the Chase Ink credit cards’ bonus categories and I like earning transferable points.
Over the years, I have submitted a few Amex extended warranty claims and can vouch to the ease of Amex’s process—all of my claims resulted in either a reimbursement to repair or replace my item.
Other cards to consider
You’re likely looking at The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card because you want a flat rate of rewards and value cash back. Here are a few other cards to consider as a small business owner.
- The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card has a $195 annual fee, but offers a flat 2% rate of cash back on most purchases, plus 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more. It’s a good choice if you spend a lot more than $50k/year for your business, and a stellar option if you frequently make payments of more than $5,000 using a credit card.
- The The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a decent alternative card that will earn 2x Membership Rewards® on the first $50k you spend, with no annual fee.
- The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is another card offering 2% cash back rewards. The card has an annual fee of $150 and is best suited for small business owners who spend a lot on their cards. You’ll get that card’s annual fee refunded each year when you spend at least $150,000 on the card.
American Express Disclosures
- For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
- For rates and fees of the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
Amex Extended Warranty benefit disclosure: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Amex Basic Purchase Protection benefit disclosure: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited to up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Amex Basic Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance disclosure: Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
