At the moment, we’re seeing increased welcome offers on two of Amex’s most lucrative business cards. Ordinarily these cards have really unremarkable welcome offers, but at the moment the offers have been improved very nicely — we’re talking doubled on one card, and more than tripled on the other card. If you don’t yet have either card, this is absolutely the time to apply.
I’ll cover the welcome offer on The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, which I’d argue is one of Amex’s most lucrative and most approachable business cards, especially for those looking to accrue points. I’ll also talk about The American Express Blue Business Cash® Card, which is essentially the cash back version of the card.
Link: Learn more about The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express and The American Express Blue Business Cash® Card
What is the current Amex Blue Business Plus welcome offer?
The Amex Blue Business Plus Card currently has a welcome offer as high as 50,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership. Apply and find out your welcome offer. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Based on my latest miles & points valuations, Amex Membership Rewards points are worth 1.7 cents each, making this offer worth $850. As a point of comparison, previously the publicly available welcome offer was just 15,000 points, so this new offer is potentially worth more than three times as much. For a no annual fee card (Rates & Fees), this is pretty incredible.
However, as I’ll explain below, the reason you get the card isn’t just because of the welcome offer, but also because of the long term value that it offers. There are lots of great uses of Amex Membership Rewards points, as they can be transferred to all kinds of useful airline and hotel partners.
Who is eligible for the Amex Business Plus welcome offer?
In line with Amex’s “once in a lifetime” rule, the welcome offer on the Amex Blue Business Plus Card isn’t available to those who currently have the card, or those who have had the card (or previous versions of the card) in the past. On top of that, Amex’s general card restrictions apply.
There are a few additional things to note:
- You are eligible for the welcome offer on this card if you’ve had any other Amex card, so you can apply for this card even if you have another Amex business card
- Amex typically has a limit of letting someone have at most five Amex credit cards (including personal and business cards), and this card does count toward that limit, unlike some other Amex business cards
- If you’re worried about the Chase 5/24 limit, getting approved for the Amex Blue Business Plus shouldn’t count as a further card toward that limit
- Amex does sometimes have application pop-ups indicating that you may not be eligible for a welcome offer even though you meet the published requirements otherwise, and in those cases there’s not much you can do
Anecdotally, I find Amex business cards to generally be among the easiest to get approved for. I also want to emphasize that Amex business cards not counting toward the 5/24 limit really makes the opportunity cost of picking up this card pretty low, for those of us into maximizing our rewards.
Why the Amex Business Plus Card is a no-brainer
The first thing to love about the Amex Blue Business Plus Card is that it has no annual fee (Rates & Fees)… you can’t beat that!
But really what makes this card unrivaled within the Amex ecosystem is its return on spending, up to a certain limit. Specifically, the Amex Blue Business Plus offers 2x Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 spent every calendar year, and then 1x points. It’s that straightforward. So $50,000 in spending per year would earn you 100,000 Membership Rewards points.
This is the only no annual fee credit card on the market that earns 2x transferable points that can be moved to the full list of airline and hotel partners at the “premium” ratio. There’s literally not another card like that.
Speaking of the ability to move points to partners, I think that gets at the other thing that’s awesome about the Amex Blue Business Plus Card — in the event that you want to close other Amex cards (with annual fees) that accrue Membership Rewards points, this is a great card to have, so that you can maintain your points balance, given the ability to pool points.
So I view this as a very low risk card to apply for, especially with it not counting toward Chase’s 5/24 limit. The only reason I wouldn’t get this card is if I’m otherwise at the Amex five credit card limit.
Read a full review of the Amex Blue Business Plus Card here.
The Amex Blue Business Cash is the cash back equivalent
In the Blue Business portfolio, the Amex Blue Business Plus Card is the standout card for me. However, I should also mention the Amex Blue Business Cash Card, which is essentially the cash back equivalent:
- The card has a welcome offer as high as a $500 statement credit after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership; apply and find out your welcome offer, as welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer
- This card is considered independently from the Blue Business Plus in terms of eligibility and earning the welcome offer
- The card offers 2% cash back on the first $50,000 spent every calendar year, and then 1% cash back after that
- The card also has no annual fee (Rates & Fees), so there’s limited downside to holding onto it
Personally, I get more excited by the Amex Blue Business Plus Card than the Amex Blue Business Cash Card, simply because I value Amex points at well over one cent each. That’s why I’d rather earn 2x points rather than 2% cash back. Admittedly, not everyone will feel the same, especially those who don’t actually want to put the effort into maximizing points.
The offer on this card is also greatly improved, though, as it was previously for a $250 statement credit. So this is twice as good.
Read a full review of the Amex Blue Business Cash Card here.
Amex Blue Business Card welcome offer FAQs
Bottom line
The Amex Blue Business Plus Card is a product that often flies under the radar. Ordinarily the card doesn’t have a very exciting welcome offer, but at the moment, we’re seeing a much better opportunity than usual. The card has a welcome offer as high as 50,000 bonus Membership Rewards points. Getting a no annual fee card that earns 2x transferable points (on the first $50,000 spent annually, then 1x points) that can be moved directly to airline and hotel partners at the most favorable ratio is something you won’t find on any other card. That’s why this card is in my wallet, and the welcome offer is just the icing on the cake.
Meanwhile if you’re looking for the cash back equivalent, it’s at least worth mentioning the Amex Blue Business Cash Card, which has a welcome offer as high as $500 cash back as a statement credit. That no annual fee card earns 2% cash back (on the first $50,000 spent annually, then 1% cash back), also with no annual fee.
These are both really lucrative cards that can be worth holding onto in the long run, so if you’re eligible, I’d absolutely recommend applying.
Anyone else love the Amex Blue Business Plus Card, and think it’s an underrated option in the Amex portfolio?
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The American Express Blue Business Cash® Card (Rates & Fees).
Does being an AU on the BBP count as having previously held the card? Or since I never received a signup bonus for it, am I in the clear?
@ Mark P -- If you were just an authorized user, you're in the clear, and are eligible. :-)
Great, thanks!
Ben, maybe I missed it, but is the lifetime rule blanket-applied across your account, or would applying with a different EIN make you eligible?
The reason I ask is I already have the card, from when it was a 20k sub way back when, but would like to pick it up again for a different business I have. Fairly certain I can have more than one, but wonder if the new EIN would allow another bonus?
@ GuruJanitor -- Unfortunately "once in a lifetime" is based on the person rather than the EIN, even for business cards. Sorry!
SUB, sure. But, for a small annual fee, the Venture Business is uncapped 2X.
Two very different cards. And we all know the venture x cards are going to be nerfed (more).
Just to be clear, I said Venture Business and not Venture X Business. The Amex BBP and Venture Business are apples to apples.