Simple cash back for busy business owners

While airline miles and hotel points are smart for travelers, many business owners prefer cash-back rewards for their flexibility. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers 2% cash back on the first $50,000 you spend each year, then 1% on all other eligible purchases after that.

This straightforward rewards program allows business owners to focus on growing their business instead of tracking bonus categories. Learn more about the Amex Blue Business Cash Card, including how to earn and redeem rewards and which benefits it provides.

This card includes several additional benefits that provide extra value for business owners. Here are a few you should know about.

Add up to 99 employee cards to your account for no extra charge. You can set individual spending limits and alerts to track employee spending. Employee purchases can also earn cash-back rewards.

Rental cars receive protection against theft or damage when you use the Blue Business Cash Card to pay for the entire bill. This protection is secondary, which means that it supplements the coverage provided by your personal auto insurance.

Eligible purchases receive up to one additional year of coverage on top of the manufacturer’s warranty. This benefit applies to eligible purchases in the U.S. on products that have warranties of five years or less.

Your purchases are covered against theft or accidental loss for the first 90 days after you buy them. Each covered purchase can file a claim for up to $1,000, with an annual maximum of $50,000.

• 2% cash back on the first $50,000 spent annually on eligible purchases

• 1% cash back on all eligible purchases after spending $50,000 per calendar year

The Blue Business Cash Card offers numerous ways to earn cash-back rewards on your business expenses, including earning the welcome bonus and using your card to make business purchases.

You can also earn rewards through employee cards. Business owners can add employee cards to their accounts at no extra charge. Adding cards provides an opportunity to earn cash-back rewards on employee purchases, which count toward the $50,000 annual spending cap for the 2% cash back. When your business’ total spending reaches the cap, all other eligible purchases earn 1% cash back.

American Express also provides special offers for cardholders to save money (typically through receiving a statement credit) on certain purchases. The offers are typically personalized based on your card type, spending patterns, and customer profile. In order to use them, you must manually activate them online or through the Amex mobile app, then make an eligible purchase at a participating retailer.

Unlike many other rewards programs, you don’t need to do anything to redeem your cash-back rewards with the Blue Business Cash. The rewards you earn are automatically applied as a statement credit to your account. With this automatic redemption, your rewards will never expire and there is no minimum redemption amount.

The American Express Blue Business Cash Card is best for business owners who want to earn straightforward cash back on everyday purchases. This card is ideal for people who don’t want to track bonus categories. Instead, this card allows you to put your rewards on autopilot.

With an annual spending cap of $50,000 for the 2% cash back, this card is a good choice for businesses that average less than $4,000 monthly on credit cards. If you exceed the annual spending cap, the 1% cash-back rate is less than what some other cards may offer.

• Flat rate of 2% cash back (up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%)

• No annual fee for business owner or employee cards

• Intro APR offer on purchases

• Complimentary purchase protections

• No bonus categories on common business expenses

• Does not offer transfer partners

• Foreign transaction fee of 2.7%

The Blue Business Cash Card can be used everywhere that accepts American Express. Amex cards are accepted at 99% of U.S. businesses that accept credit cards. However, acceptance varies widely in foreign countries.

This card charges a foreign transaction fee of 2.7% on all purchases outside the U.S. To avoid these hidden charges, you should bring a different business credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees when traveling abroad.

• Make payments online or through the Amex mobile app

• Call (800) 472-9297 to make a payment by phone

• Mail payment to:
  American Express
  P.O. Box 96001
  Los Angeles, CA, 90096–8000

The Amex Blue Business Cash Card offers many appealing benefits and a simplified cash-back rewards program. However, its benefits are limited and bonus cash back is capped annually (2% on the first $50,000, then 1%). Business owners who prefer flexible rewards, uncapped rewards, or bonus categories to maximize spending should consider other business credit cards.

Why we like it: The Amex Blue Business Plus offers earning power similar to the Blue Business Cash, but it earns points rather than cash back. This gives you more flexible redemption options, including using your rewards for travel.

Read our full Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card review

Why we like it: The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is an excellent choice for business owners with high spending needs. It has a $150 annual fee, but its rewards rate has no limits or category restrictions, giving you plenty of opportunity to earn loads of cash back.

Read our full Capital One Spark Cash Plus review

Why we like it: Business owners looking for a rewards card with no annual fee should consider the Ink Business Unlimited. This card earns flexible points that can be redeemed for cash back, travel, gift cards, and more. You can also combine your points with other eligible Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points.

Read our full Chase Ink Business Unlimited review

This article was edited by Ben Walker (CEPF, CFEI®).

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