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American Express

Card issuer compared here for its Blue Business cards: revolving business credit with no annual fee, earning either cash back or Membership Rewards points.

Best for

Owners, including sole proprietors, who want a no-annual-fee card and accept personal liability for the balance.

American Express business credit cards

All prices in USDSourced from provider's published pricing

Every American Express card we compare, side by side. Approval and your rate are decided by the issuer.

Fees only, at 5 cardholders and no foreign spend: the annual fee spread monthly, plus any software charged per cardholder. Excludes interest.

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Strengths and trade-offs

Pros

  • No annual fee on either Blue Business card
  • An introductory rate on purchases from account opening
  • Sole proprietors are named as an accepted business structure
  • Expanded Buying Power lets you spend above the credit limit, with that amount due in full

Cons

  • The owner is jointly and severally liable with the company for all charges
  • A foreign transaction fee applies on both cards
  • The higher rewards rate stops at an annual spending cap
  • The employee card fee and personal credit reporting are not published on the pages read

About American Express

American Express issues a wide range of small-business cards. We compare the Blue Business Cash Card and the Blue Business Plus Credit Card, both issued by American Express National Bank. Both are revolving credit cards with no annual fee and an introductory rate on purchases, after which a variable rate set on your creditworthiness applies.

The applicant signs as an individual and as the Authorizing Officer of the company, and agrees to be jointly and severally liable with the company for all charges, so the owner is personally liable for the debt. Applying authorizes American Express to obtain reports from consumer and commercial reporting agencies. Sole proprietors can apply: the application lists them as a business structure and does not ask them for a federal tax ID.

Both cards charge a foreign transaction fee. Rewards are paid at a higher rate on eligible purchases up to an annual cap and at a lower rate after it. The pages read do not name the card network, the employee card fee or whether account activity is reported to the owner's personal credit file.

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