American Express Business Green Rewards Card Review
This article is part of a larger series on Best Small Business Credit Cards.
The American Express Business Green Rewards Card is designed for business owners who travel frequently and can pay their balance in full every month. Unlike typical credit cards, this small business credit card has no preset spending limits and allows you to use the Pay Over Time option on eligible purchases.
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
BEST FOR:
Employee expense management solutions
- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases with the Business Green Rewards Card within the first three months of Card Membership.
- Earn one Membership Rewards® point for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases
- Choose rewards from over 500 leading brands in travel, gift cards, merchandise or entertainment
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
- Terms & limitations apply
Pros
- Flexible spending limit
- Option to pay over time
- Bonus rewards
Cons
- No cash advances or balance transfers
- No zero foreign transaction fee
- No introductory 0% APR offer
- Purchase protection: Covers purchases that were either stolen or damaged within 120 days from the purchase date. Coverage is limited to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per year.
- Extended warranty protection: Provides extended warranties on purchases with original manufacturer’s warranties of up to five years. The issuer offers up to two years of additional coverage.
- Travel accident insurance: You’ll have coverage of up to $100,000 for losses that happen within 100 days after the date of the accident which caused the injury.
- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases with the Business Green Rewards Card within the first three months of Card Membership.
- Earn one Membership Rewards® point for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases
- Choose rewards from over 500 leading brands in travel, gift cards, merchandise or entertainment
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
- Terms & limitations apply
Pros
- Flexible spending limit
- Option to pay over time
- Bonus rewards
Cons
- No cash advances or balance transfers
- No zero foreign transaction fee
- No introductory 0% APR offer
- Purchase protection: Covers purchases that were either stolen or damaged within 120 days from the purchase date. Coverage is limited to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per year.
- Extended warranty protection: Provides extended warranties on purchases with original manufacturer’s warranties of up to five years. The issuer offers up to two years of additional coverage.
- Travel accident insurance: You’ll have coverage of up to $100,000 for losses that happen within 100 days after the date of the accident which caused the injury.
If you wish to compare one card over another, choose a maximum of three cards on this page and click Add to compare to view the details in a side-by-side comparison.
When grading travel rewards business credit cards like the American Express Business Green Rewards Card, we first consider the ongoing rewards, introductory rewards, and additional features. We also consider the card’s annual fee, introductory 0% annual percentage rate (APR) period, and ongoing APRs.
Grading Criteria | ||
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Ongoing Rewards | ||
Introductory Rewards | ||
Additional Features | ||
Annual Fee | ||
Introductory APR | ||
Ongoing APR | ||
Total Score |
Also, if you prefer another credit card from American Express, check out our review of the best American Express credit cards. You may also want to take a look at our list of the top small business credit cards to find other options.
Who the American Express Business Green Rewards Card Is Best For
- Business owners who travel frequently: The American Express Business Green Rewards Card is best for business owners who travel often and want to earn rewards that they can redeem for travel expenses. It also offers several travel perks and protections.
- Business owners who need flexible credit limits: This card has no preset spending limit—the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.
American Express Business Green Rewards Card Fees
- Introductory APR: None
- Ongoing APR: If invited to use the Pay Over Time feature, APR ranges from 19.24% (prime rate + 10.99%) to 27.24% (prime rate + 18.99%) variable
- Penalty APR: 29.99% (prime rate + 25.99%)
- Paying interest: At least 25 days after the close of each billing period
- Annual fee: $95—waived for the first year
- Balance transfer fee: Transfers not allowed
- Foreign transaction fee: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to United States dollars
- Cash advance fee: Cash advances not allowed
- Late payment fee: $39 or 2.99% of any past due Pay In Full amount, whichever is greater
- Returned payment fee: $39
The American Express Business Green Rewards Card offers an invitation-only Pay Over Time feature that can help ease the monthly repayment requirement. The Pay Over Time feature allows cardholders to pay charges over time with an interest that ranges from 17.99% to 25.99%. If you’re enrolled, eligible charges will be shown automatically in your Pay Over Time balance on your credit card statement.
As for the Penalty APR, this will be applied if you meet at least one condition:
- Made two or more late payments within the 12-month period
- Didn’t pay the Minimum Payment by the closing date of the billing period and you still don’t pay it by the Closing Date of the next billing period
- Made a returned payment
American Express Business Green Rewards Card Rewards
- 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months of opening an account
- 2x points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases at amextravel.com
- 1x points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases
You can redeem a minimum of 5,000 points to book travel on American Express Travel. You can also transfer points to another frequent flyer program for an additional cost of .25 of a cent per point, with a maximum fee of $99.
How To Make Payments on the American Express Business Green Rewards Card
- Online: You can make a payment through your American Express online account anytime. Simply choose your payment account and select your bank account and payment date. Note that credit cards and debit cards cannot be accepted as a form of payment.
- Via Amex mobile app: Download the Amex Mobile App and enjoy the convenience of paying your bills on the go, anytime.
- Via direct bank payment: Direct debits let you pay bills automatically, so you don’t have to worry about missing due dates. Ensure to provide your bank account details to American Express and let them know of the amount you’d like to pay every month.
- Via autopay: You can enroll in autopay through your American Express online account. Note that your first autopay payment may not be applied to your current billing cycle and would need to make your usual payments until your autopay begins.
- Via Mail: You can choose to mail your payment either by check or money order made payable to American Express. Finally, ensure to include your account number at the front of your payment.
First Class Mail
American Express
P.O. Box 650448
Dallas, TX 75265-0448
Express Mail
American Express
Attn: Express Mail Remittance Processing
20500 Belshaw Ave.
Carson, CA 90746
American Express Business Green Rewards Card Features
The American Express Business Green Rewards Card offers varying features that let you maximize your travel, making it best suited for those who frequently travel that may need a flexible credit limit. These features are then divided into the following: cash flow flexibility, expense management, travel, and insurance protection.
Cash Flow Flexibility
- Pay Over Time option: The Pay Over Time option lets you carry a balance with interest on eligible purchases. These purchases can be paid over time, up to the amount of your account’s Pay Over Time limit. You have the option to pay for these purchases over time with interest, or you can pay your full balance each month. All charges not included in a Pay Over Time balance must be paid in full.
- No preset spending limit: This type of spending limit lets you adapt the amount you can spend based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.
Expense Management
- Employee cards: There’s a $0 annual fee for every Employee Business Green Rewards Card. In addition, each card can get Membership Rewards® points on purchases your employees make.
- Using QuickBooks: QuickBooks can help you save time as it has an auto-expense categorization system. Once enrolled, your American Express Business Green Rewards Card transactions are tagged automatically with your QuickBooks categories.
- Year-end summary: At the end of each year, cardholders can see a complete summary of their spending, which is categorized by month and purchase type. This will help you track your business expenses down to the last detail.
Travel
- Car rental loss and damage insurance: The American Express Business Green Rewards Card provides car rental loss and damage insurance up to $50,000 per car rental agreement. It covers rental cars for the first 30 consecutive days of a rental agreement. Some incidents aren’t covered, such as intentional damage, manufacturing defects, theft of or damage to tires, damage to any other vehicle, and damage to any property other than the rental vehicle.
- Baggage insurance plan: The American Express Business Green Rewards Card offers a baggage insurance plan for any bags lost in direct transit. It provides coverage up to $1,250 for carry-on bags and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. For New York State residents, there’s a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons for every Covered Trip.
- Global Assist® hotline: Cardholders can access a global assistance hotline when traveling farther than 100 miles from home. This hotline provides access to medical, legal, financial, or other emergency services, and is available 24 hours a day. This hotline only connects you to third-party providers but doesn’t pay for their services—the cardholder will be responsible for any fees charged by third-party providers.
Insurance Protection
- Roadside assistance: The American Express Business Green Rewards Card offers a 24-hour dispatch hotline that can help you contact roadside service providers in case of an emergency. The roadside assistance hotline is free. However, you’ll be responsible for the costs of any goods or services provided. You can request services like towing, winching, jump-starts, flat tire change, gas delivery, and lockout services.
- Purchase protection: The American Express Business Green Rewards Card covers purchased items that were either stolen or damaged within 120 days from the purchase date, 90 days for New York residents. The coverage is limited to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per year. Items that aren’t covered by the protection include tickets, gift cards, preowned goods, motorized vehicles, cash or its equivalent, rented items, permanent fixtures, and items for resale.
- Extended warranty protection: Extended warranties are offered on purchases with original manufacturer’s warranties of five years or less. American Express will offer two additional years of warranty if the original warranty is anywhere from two to five years and will match the original warranty if it’s less than two years. Some items aren’t covered, including motorized devices, fixtures, real estate, consumable items, animals, and living plants.
- Travel accident insurance: Travel accident insurance of up to $100,000 is available to cover losses within 100 days of the date of the accident. This insurance covers losses like death or loss of limbs, sight, or hearing. The entire trip fare should have been charged to your American Express credit card to be eligible for this coverage.
Pros & Cons of the American Express Business Green Rewards Card
PROS | CONS |
---|---|
Flexible spending limit:This business credit card has no preset spending limit and your credit limit will adjust based on your purchase, payment, and credit history. | No introductory 0% APR: The American Express Business Green Rewards Card doesn’t offer an introductory APR. Your full balance is due every month unless you’re offered the Pay Over Time option. The Pay Over Time balance will be charged an APR ranging from 14.24% to 22.24%. |
Option to pay over time: While this card typically requires that you pay your balance in full each month, it offers a Pay Over Time feature which allows you to carry a balance on eligible purchases and pay over time with interest. | No cash advances and balance : If you need to take out a cash advance or transfer a balance from an existing credit card, this card might not be right for you because it doesn’t offer these services. |
Bonus rewards: You can earn 15,000 membership points when you spend at least $3,000 within the first three months of opening an account. | No zero foreign transaction fee: The American Express Business Green Rewards Card charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee for purchases made outside of the US—this may be a disadvantage if you travel often and make purchases outside of the country. |
American Express Business Green Rewards Card Alternatives
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
The Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business is ideal for those looking for an ideal travel card as it offers 2x miles on every single business purchase. On top of this, if you use this card to book hotels and rental cars with Capital One Travel, you can earn 5x miles per $1 without blackout dates or seat restrictions. Finally, it offers an introductory bonus of 50,000 miles―equivalent to $500 in travel―after spending $4,500 on purchases within the first three months of card ownership. This makes it our top pick for both best business credit cards for travel and best business credit cards for miles.
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
BEST FOR:
Unlimited 2x miles with every swipe
- Introductory reward worth $500 in travel after you spend $4,500 within the first three months
- 2x miles per $1 spent
- $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓
- Issue employee cards for free
Pros
- No foreign transaction fees
- TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry application fee credit
Cons
- You’ll pay an annual fee after the first year
- Doesn’t offer interest-free financing
- Airport security screening reimbursement: Either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or an $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck® once every four years.
- Purchase assurance: Most purchases made entirely with your card are covered if damaged or stolen within 90 days from the date of purchase. Coverage is limited to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder account per 12-month period.
- Extended warranty coverage: Doubles the original warranty time period and duplicates the coverage of the original manufacturer’s warranty up to a maximum of 12 months on most items you purchase.
- Travel medical emergency assistance: Provide referrals to medical services if you have a medical emergency while traveling. You’re covered if you’re 100 or more miles away from home and from the day you leave until midnight of the 60th day of your trip, or the day you return to your city of residence, whichever is sooner.
- Introductory reward worth $500 in travel after you spend $4,500 within the first three months
- 2x miles per $1 spent
- $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓
- Issue employee cards for free
Pros
- No foreign transaction fees
- TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry application fee credit
Cons
- You’ll pay an annual fee after the first year
- Doesn’t offer interest-free financing
- Airport security screening reimbursement: Either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or an $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck® once every four years.
- Purchase assurance: Most purchases made entirely with your card are covered if damaged or stolen within 90 days from the date of purchase. Coverage is limited to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder account per 12-month period.
- Extended warranty coverage: Doubles the original warranty time period and duplicates the coverage of the original manufacturer’s warranty up to a maximum of 12 months on most items you purchase.
- Travel medical emergency assistance: Provide referrals to medical services if you have a medical emergency while traveling. You’re covered if you’re 100 or more miles away from home and from the day you leave until midnight of the 60th day of your trip, or the day you return to your city of residence, whichever is sooner.
American Express Business Platinum Card®
The American Express Business Platinum Card® is best suited for traveling business owners who prefer to travel overseas luxury with non-stop travel perks. Cardholders are eligible for car rental upgrades, gold status at Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Hotels & Resorts, complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge, and many others. While this card has a steep annual fee of $695, there’s an introductory APR of 0% within the first 12 months of account opening and rewards of 120,000 points after spending $15,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. It’s no surprise that this is our top-recommended business credit card with lounge access and one of our top choices for the leading small business credit cards and best business credit cards for travel.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
BEST FOR:
Gaining access to unrivaled travel rewards and luxury travel perks like airport lounge access
- Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® Plus membership. CLEAR® lanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Pros
- Premium travel rewards
- Free access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance is due in full monthly
- High annual fee
- American Express lounges: Free access to American Express’ network of Centurion lounges located in slightly less than a dozen United States airports.
- Other airport lounges: Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you free access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide for you and two guests.
- Airport screening: Either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry every four years or an $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck® once every 4 1/2 years.
- Travel credit: Up to $200 annual statement credit toward air travel expenses like baggage fees and inflight food and drink.
- Rental status: Elite status at a number of car rental agencies.
- Free Wi-Fi: 10 annual free Gogo inflight Wi-Fi passes.
- Rebate for redeemed points: 35% points rebate if you book a business or first-class flight, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year.
- Dell statement credit: Up to $400 in statement credits annually for Dell purchases.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® Plus membership. CLEAR® lanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Pros
- Premium travel rewards
- Free access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance is due in full monthly
- High annual fee
- American Express lounges: Free access to American Express’ network of Centurion lounges located in slightly less than a dozen United States airports.
- Other airport lounges: Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you free access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide for you and two guests.
- Airport screening: Either a $100 statement credit for Global Entry every four years or an $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck® once every 4 1/2 years.
- Travel credit: Up to $200 annual statement credit toward air travel expenses like baggage fees and inflight food and drink.
- Rental status: Elite status at a number of car rental agencies.
- Free Wi-Fi: 10 annual free Gogo inflight Wi-Fi passes.
- Rebate for redeemed points: 35% points rebate if you book a business or first-class flight, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year.
- Dell statement credit: Up to $400 in statement credits annually for Dell purchases.
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard®
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® offers usual rewards for both business travelers and business owners wanting zero transaction fees when they purchase products overseas. Cardholders can get 1.5x points for every dollar spent on any business purchase and can also earn 4x points for every dollar spent if you book through the Bank of America® Travel Center. This card also offers a welcome offer of 30,000 points after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. These reasons make it our top-ranking business credit card with no foreign transaction fees.
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
BEST FOR:
Earning top rewards on travel purchases booked through Bank of America Travel Center
9 billing cycles
- Earn 30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening which can be redeemed for a $300 statement credit towards travel or dining purchases.
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all purchases everywhere, every time - no matter how much you spend.
- No limit to the amount of points you can earn and points don't expire.
- You can earn up to 75% more points on every purchase, if you have a business checking account with Bank of America and qualify for our highest Preferred Rewards for Business tier. That means you could earn up to an unlimited 2.62 points per $1 spent on all purchases.
- No annual fee and no international transaction fees.
- Choose how to redeem points - for a statement credit to offset travel and dining purchases, travel with no blackout dates at the Bank of America® Travel Center, for cash back or gift cards.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This offer may not be available if you leave this page or visit our website. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Pros
- No annual fee: By not having to pay an annual fee, you can reduce your overall credit card cost while earning unlimited rewards on your expenses.
- No blackout dates on travel: You can redeem your points for travel or travel credits through the Bank of America® Travel Center anytime, with no blackout dates.
- 3x points on travel: You can earn 3x points for every dollar spent when you book your travel (car, hotel, or airline) through the Bank of America® Travel Center.
- Welcome bonus points: If you can spend $3,000 in net purchases within 90 days of opening an account, you will earn 30,000 bonus points.
Cons
- Low ongoing rewards on nontravel: While you can earn high rewards points on travel, you can only earn 1.5x points on all other purchases.
- Short 0% APR introductory period: This is a disadvantage if you need a longer 0% APR period.
- No 0% APR on balance transfers: The introductory APR only applies to purchases
- Bank of America doesn’t disclose details of its additional card features. To find out more about these additional features, review your guide to benefits when you receive your card in the mail.
9 billing cycles
- Earn 30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening which can be redeemed for a $300 statement credit towards travel or dining purchases.
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all purchases everywhere, every time - no matter how much you spend.
- No limit to the amount of points you can earn and points don't expire.
- You can earn up to 75% more points on every purchase, if you have a business checking account with Bank of America and qualify for our highest Preferred Rewards for Business tier. That means you could earn up to an unlimited 2.62 points per $1 spent on all purchases.
- No annual fee and no international transaction fees.
- Choose how to redeem points - for a statement credit to offset travel and dining purchases, travel with no blackout dates at the Bank of America® Travel Center, for cash back or gift cards.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This offer may not be available if you leave this page or visit our website. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Pros
- No annual fee: By not having to pay an annual fee, you can reduce your overall credit card cost while earning unlimited rewards on your expenses.
- No blackout dates on travel: You can redeem your points for travel or travel credits through the Bank of America® Travel Center anytime, with no blackout dates.
- 3x points on travel: You can earn 3x points for every dollar spent when you book your travel (car, hotel, or airline) through the Bank of America® Travel Center.
- Welcome bonus points: If you can spend $3,000 in net purchases within 90 days of opening an account, you will earn 30,000 bonus points.
Cons
- Low ongoing rewards on nontravel: While you can earn high rewards points on travel, you can only earn 1.5x points on all other purchases.
- Short 0% APR introductory period: This is a disadvantage if you need a longer 0% APR period.
- No 0% APR on balance transfers: The introductory APR only applies to purchases
- Bank of America doesn’t disclose details of its additional card features. To find out more about these additional features, review your guide to benefits when you receive your card in the mail.
Bottom Line
The American Express Business Green Rewards Card is best for business owners who travel frequently, need a flexible spending limit, and can pay their balance in full every month.