The American Express Blue Business Plus… almost perfect.
If someone were to tell you that there’s a travel card that gives you 2x points on every dollar, you might think of the Venture or Venture X cards issued by Capital One, with $95 and $395 annual fees respectively. But what if I told you that they were referring to a card with a $0 annual fee? We are talking about the American Express Blue Business Plus card.
Some Clarity
This is a business card, but you don’t necessarily need to have a profitable or even legally established business. As long as you have a business name with the intent to use it for business purposes, you can sign up for the card. For the most part, the approval process is pretty easy.
Sign-up Bonus
At the time of writing this post, the sign-up bonus you’ll receive is 15,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 within 3 months. This is not a big bonus, but if you’re getting this card, your primary goal is probably not the bonus…
The Multiplier
Here’s where the card shines: 2x points per dollar on everything (up to $50,000), and then 1x point per dollar on everything thereafter. Most people are not going to spend $50,000 per year on their credit card, making it a perfectly viable option as a 2x catch-all card. This is the only multiplier on the card, but again, this card carries NO annual fee! And personally, I appreciate straightforward rewards.
Why It’s Not Perfect…
All of this sounds too good to be true, yeah? Well, it kind of is. See, the card unfortunately carries foreign transaction fees, meaning it’s not a good card to take abroad unless you like paying more money for no reason. Even without the foreign transaction fees, American Express can be a hit or miss abroad, further cementing the fact that this would not operate as a successful catch-all card internationally. For this, the Venture card lineup by Capital One would be better options, as those are either MasterCard or Visa.
Should You Get It?
Sure. Not only does it not count towards your personal credit report, the 2x multiplier is nice, especially if you are already part of the American Express ecosystem. Just save it for your domestic purchases whenever you can.
TLDR
Annual Fee: $0
Sign-up Bonus: 15,000 points after spending $3,000 within 3 months.
Multipliers:
2x on EVERYTHING (up to $50,000 per year)
Pros:
No annual fees.
An amazing catch-all multiplier.
As a business card, it doesn’t affect your personal credit report as long as you pay on time.
Cons:
Foreign transaction fees.
American Express is a hit or miss abroad, affecting its reliability abroad.
Get if you…
…are already part of the American Express ecosystem.
…if you want to segregate your small business expenses from your personal expenses.
Don’t get if you…
…are established within another ecosystem for your rewards points.
…are looking for a card to take abroad.
