The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card: Should You Apply?

The new Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card is a good option for businesses with irregular cash flow or those that need a little bit of extra financing in the upcoming future. The card gives one of the longest 0% introductory periods we’ve seen on a business card – 12 months. While the rewards on the card aren’t as impressive as what we’ve seen from some its competitors, they are decent for companies spending less than $50,000 per year.

• Review
• Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card Benefits & Features
• How Does The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card Compare?
  • vs Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card
  • vs SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express

Review: Is The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card Good For Your Business?

The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card is a card intended for businesses with less than $1 million in annual revenue that also worry about cash flow. According to a statement from American Express "The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card is built for freelancers and small business owners in an early stage of growth." There are better business rewards credit cards out there, even ones with no annual fee. However, few of these other cards have the same purchase flexibility offered by the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card. First, users get 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months of card membership. This is among the longest we’ve come across, when examining offers from the major issuers.

Secondly, this card exhibits charge card features, in that it allows you to spend beyond your credit limit. The catch is that any purchases in excess of your credit limit will be due in full that same month. While this doesn’t mean the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card gives you an unlimited credit limit, it does, give you extra buying power.

Bottom Line: The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card is a good option for firms with irregular cash flow, that want a no-annual-fee business credit card. If you’re more concerned about cash back or rewards, we recommend looking at other options instead.

Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card Benefits & Features

The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card has two major benefits: earning Membership Rewards and extending your company's purchasing power. Every purchase you make on the card will earn you one point per dollar. You earn an additional point each year on the first $50,000 in purchases. We conservatively value each point at around $0.01, meaning your rewards rate will vary between 1% and 2%.

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Annual Fee	$0
Purchase APR	11.99% - 19.99% Variable
Card Details	Special Offer: Earn 20,000 Membership Rewards&reg points after you spend $3,000 in qualifying purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Get rewarded for business as usual. Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. 0.0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months, then a variable rate, currently 11.99%, 15.99% or 19.99% The variable APR rate is based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. No Annual Fee Terms Apply

Business owners will also get 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months when using their Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card. This is one of the longest 0% periods we’ve seen on business cards issued by major banks. Furthermore, cardholders also have the ability to charge purchases to their card in excess of their credit limit. However, any balance in excess of that limit is due in full each month. While this doesn’t mean you have an unlimited credit line, it does offer your company extra flexibility.

American Express OPEN Benefits

The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card is part of the OPEN family of cards, which means it has a suite of features designed for small business owners. These are among the best in the industry, and provide good support to those managing their business. For example, you will have the ability to appoint an account manager who can handle things like reviewing statements, making payments and disputing charges.

OPEN Savings® is one of the best benefits Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card members. Through this program, you can get additional discounts with certain vendors American Express has partnerships with. These discounts include 2 additional Membership rewards points or a 5% discount as statement credit at:

How Does The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card Compare To Other Business Credit Cards?

Every good business owner will know that to get the best deal one must shop around. That’s why in our reviews we always take the time to consider how each credit card compares to other available options. In this section we break down how the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card performs when matched up against its competitors.

Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card vs Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card

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The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card is one of the best small business credit cards for firms interested in earning rewards. If you’re operating a startup or are generally concerned about your company’s cash flow, the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card is probably not for you. Unlike the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card, this card doesn’t offer any 0% introductory APR and charges a $95 annual fee. If you have large travel, internet and cable or advertising purchases, this card will give you a lot of extra rewards points that can be used to book future travel.

The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card awards 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. These rewards points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to participating airline and hotel loyalty programs, like Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® and United MileagePlus®.

Highlights

Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card vs SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express

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The SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express is a unique no-annual fee business card that is good for businesses that want to earn cash back. This card has a shorter 0% APR period than the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card by 3 full months. Therefore, if this is something you’re really concerned about, the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card will be the better pick.

On the rewards side o things, the SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express has the potential to be more rewarding than the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card, provided you shop in one of its specialized categories. It gives 5% cash back at U.S. office supply stores and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers. It also gives 3% cash back on a category of your choosing. You can pick one of the following:

Note that the 5% and 3% apply to the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year. All other purchases earn just 1% back. If none of the above categories fit with how your firm spends, the 2% rewards rate on the first $50,000 spent each year on the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card will be the better bet.

Highlights

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