HomeCredit CardsAmexThe Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Review (2024) -...

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Review (2024) – A “must have” card


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There aren’t many credit cards that I consider to be “must-have” cards for any serious miles and points fan, but card_name is definitely one of them. This card comes with no annual fee and is one of the more rewarding cards you’ll find for spending in non-bonused categories.

card_name

a blue credit card with a picture of a man

In brief

Points-earning credit cards don’t come much more basic than this, but this is still a card that can really enhance a credit card portfolio – it comes with annual_fees (rates & fees) and it offers a better return on spending in a wide range of categories than most other points/cash back cards.

In detail

Here’s what you need to know about card_name:

Annual fee:

annual_fees – (rates & fees)

Cost of employee cards:

$0 – (rates & fees)

Current welcome bonus (terms apply):

bonus_miles_full

Earnings:

2 Membership Rewards Points/dollar on all eligible spending up to a limit of $50,000/year and 1 point/dollar thereafter (terms apply).

Other key benefits (terms apply)

  • Transfer points to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs (more details here)
  • Set spending limits on employee cards
  • Access to Amex Offers

Why this is a great card

You may be looking at the information above and wondering why I’m such a big fan of this card, but the answer to that is simple – it offers a better than average rate of return in numerous spending categories where most other points-earning cards offer a poor rate of return. This is one of the very best credit cards you can have for everyday spending.

To show you what I mean I’m going to use my own valuations of Amex Membership Rewards Points, Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, and Citi ThankYou Points. These are all based on the value I know I can get out of each of them without much effort at all:

  • Amex Membership Rewards Points = 1.5 cents/point
  • Chase Ultimate Rewards Points = 1.5 cents/point
  • Citi ThankYou Points = 1.5 cents/point

Note: Those values are probably at the lower end of a lot of people’s valuations, but I prefer to be prudent rather than overly optimistic.

With an earning rate of 2 points/dollar on all eligible spending up to $50,000 (1 point/dollar thereafter) and at a valuation of 1.5 cents/point, card_name offers an effective rebate of 3 cents/dollar or 3%.

If a person is spending on airfare, on general travel, on dining, or at grocery stores, there are better cards than card_name that they can use for spending in those categories (although most of these “better” cards also charge an annual fee), but those aren’t the only categories that people spend in.

When it comes to spending at…

  • Drugstores
  • Department stores
  • Clothes stores
  • Hardware stores
  • Electrical supply stores
  • Home improvement stores
  • Car valeting centers
  • Wine merchants
  • Movie theatres
  • Sports events
  • Music events

… and a whole host of other places, most Amex/Chase/Citi points-earning credit cards will only offer 1 point/dollar or a 1.5% effective rebate. card_name offers double that.

On top of this, it’s important to remember that the Membership Rewards Points that the card_name earns can be transferred over (in a 1:1 ratio) to a variety of loyalty programs including the following:

  • Aeroplan
  • Flying Blue
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Delta SkyMiles
  • Singapore KrisFlyer
  • Hilton Honors
  • Marriott Bonvoy

By transferring points to these programs, it’s likely that with a little bit of effort, the overall effective return from card_name will be greater than 3% – That’s pretty amazing for a card that doesn’t charge an annual fee (rates & fees).

Bottom line

The cards that usually get the most publicity are the ones that offer great returns on spending in high-profile categories like travel and dining but, in the real world, most people do a lot of their spending in categories where the majority of cards don’t offer a bonus. That’s where this super-simple, no annual fee card comes into play.

The key to a solid miles and points strategy is to have all your bases covered so that you’re never in a position where you’re forced to use a card that only earns you 1 point/dollar (or an effective rebate of no more than 1.5%). To help achieve that aim, card_name is an invaluable tool that you should almost certainly have in your wallet.

I hold this card and I love it because every time I use it, I know that without it, I would probably be leaving points on the table.

Click for more details and to find out how to apply

For rates and fees of card_name, please visit rates & fees

One Of The Best Amex Cards Around

a close-up of a credit cardThe card_name offers the best earnings rates for spending at US supermarkets and on dining out of any American Express Membership Rewards card, and it offers cardholders the opportunity to earn a variety of statement credits which can help offset the annual_fees annual fee (rates & fees).

Currently, if you successfully apply for the card_name, you can bonus_miles_full

The Great Benefits (terms apply & enrollment may be required)

  • Earn 4 points/dollar on up to $25,000 of eligible spending at U.S supermarkets per year (1 point/dollar thereafter)
  • Earn 4 points/dollar on dining, takeout (including Uber Eats) and delivery in the U.S.
  • Earn 3 points/dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel
  • Get up to $10/month in dining credits (at select eateries)
  • Get $10/month in Uber Cash credits/Uber Eats credits in the U.S. (up to $120/year)*
  • Get a $100/year Hotel Collection credit (2 night stay required)

*The Gold card must be added to the Uber app to receive this benefit

Click for more details on the card_name

Regarding Comments

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser or any other advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility or any other advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

2 COMMENTS

  1. My wife and I each got targeted offers of 75,000 with $15K spending in 12 months. Total of 210,000 points which you would value at $3150. Not bad for $0 in fees. So if you already have Amex business cards I’d wait to see if you get the targeted offer.

  2. Just fyi – I have Amex business plus credit card. Shows multiple options to transfer points delta, BA, Hilton etc…just tried to transfer 120,000 to delta and have been told it’s no longer an option. The only use is to spend the points on the amex portal!!

    Any one else run into this issue ? Any work around ?

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