Best American Express Business Credit Cards of 2023

It’s important to identify your unique business needs when choosing the best American Express business card. Consider the following factors.

1. Your Preferred Rewards

The type of rewards you want to earn will determine which American Express credit card is right for you. American Express credit cards offer travel rewards, cash back, and points-based rewards.

Points-based rewards: American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card

You can use your points to pay for purchases made with American Express Travel, Amazon.com, Ticketmaster, Best Buy, and other retailers. You can also redeem points as gift cards from various merchants.

Travel rewards:

• American Express® Business Gold Card
• American Express Business Platinum Card®
• American Express Business Green Rewards Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express® Card

Cash back:

• American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
• The Plum Card® From American Express
• Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
• Amazon Business American Express Card
• Lowe’s Business Rewards Card from American Express

2. Annual Fees

American Express credit cards come with varied annual fees. Some offer low or no annual fees, whereas others charge high annual fees with no introductory zero annual fee period.

No-annual-fee American Express business credit cards:

• American Express Blue Business Cash Card
• American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card
• Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
• Amazon Business American Express Card
• Lowe’s Business Rewards Card from American Express

American Express business credit cards with low annual fees:

• American Express Business Green Rewards Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express® Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card

3. Balance Transfers

Most American Express business credit cards do not offer balance transfer services. If you prefer a card that allows you to transfer a balance from another, your options are American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card and American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card.

4. Cash Advance Services

Some American Express business credit cards do not allow cash advances. If you need to take out a cash advance from time to time, these are your options:

• Lowe’s Business Rewards Card from American Express
• Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express® Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
• Amazon Business American Express Card
• Amazon Business Prime American Express Card

5. Interest-Free Financing

Most American Express credit cards do not offer an introductory 0% annual percentage rate (APR). If you plan to finance a large purchase and take advantage of 0% interest for a certain period, you can choose between the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card. Both credit cards offer an introductory 0% APR for 12 months after opening an account.

6. Flexible Credit Limits

Some American Express credit cards have no preset spending limit or offer expanded buying power—this means your credit limit is flexible, or you are allowed to spend over your limit. The amount you can spend adjusts to your card usage, payment habits, credit history, and other factors. If you need flexible credit limits, consider the following cards:

• American Express® Business Gold Card
• American Express® Business Platinum Card®
• American Express Blue Business Cash Card
• American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card
• The Plum Card® From American Express
• American Express Business Green Rewards

If you have frequent travel expenses and prefer luxury travel perks, the American Express Business Platinum Card® is a suitable choice. It offers premium rewards points on travel and hotel bookings and travel perks like access to airport lounges worldwide, making it our leading business card with airport lounge access. It also offers airline fee credit on qualifying incidental purchases. While you’ll need to pay your balance in full each month, you can opt to use the Pay Over Time feature, which allows you to carry a balance with interest.

Rewards:

• 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com
• 1.5x points at United States construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers
• 1.5x points on single-transaction purchases of $5,000 or more on up to $2 million per calendar year
• 1x points on all other purchases and when the cap is met

• Welcome offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of opening an account.
• Free access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide: Enjoy complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide. These include The Centurion Network of Lounges and Studios, Airspace, Priority Pass Select, Escape Lounges-The Centurion® Studio Partner, Plaza Premium, Delta Sky Club when flying Delta, and select Lufthansa Lounges when flying with Lufthansa Group.
• $200 airline fee credit: Receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year as a refund for incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments.
• Up to 1 million points back per year: Receive 35% points back when you redeem rewards to book a first or business-class flight with American Express Travel, up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year.
• Over $1,000 in statement credits: Receive exclusive statement credits when you enroll your recurring expenses, including Dell, Indeed, and Adobe subscriptions.
• No preset spending limit: Enjoy a flexible spending limit that adjusts based on your spending habits, payment, and credit history.
• No foreign transaction fee: Pay no foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside of the country.
• Expense management: Manage your account and expenses using streamlined tools like access to mobile and online banking, Vendor Pay by BILL, QuickBooks® integration, and more

The American Express® Business Gold Card is best for business owners who have substantial expenses on various categories each month. It is one of our best business credit cards for consultants because of its rewards flexibility, generous sign-up bonus, and other travel perks.

Rewards:

• 4x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from the top two spending categories in which your business spends the most each month. These categories include:
  • Flights
  • Advertising
  • Gas
  • Dining
  • Technology
  • Shipping
• 1x points per dollar on other eligible purchases

• Sign-up bonus: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.
• Pay Over Time feature: Carry a balance for eligible transactions and pay it over time with interest as long as it doesn’t exceed your Pay Over Time limit.
• Up to 250,000 points back per year: Redeem your rewards to book your flight with American Express Travel and get 25% of your points back, up to 250,000 points per calendar year.
• The Hotel Collection credit: Receive $100 experience credit when you book The Hotel Collection using your card, which you spend on qualifying dining, spa, and resort activities.
• No foreign transaction fee: Make purchases with your card outside of the U.S. and enjoy zero foreign transaction fees.
• Expense management tools: Take advantage of expense management tools, including access to mobile and online banking, a year-end summary of your expenses, Vendor Pay by BILL, and QuickBooks® integration.
• Travel perks: Take advantage of travel perks like baggage insurance and trip delay insurance. Also, book a flight using Pay with Points and get 25% points back.
• Flexible credit limits: Benefit from no preset spending limit, which means your credit limit adjusts based on your purchase, payment, and credit history.

The American Express Blue Business Cash^TM Card is a good fit if you prefer to earn cash back and enjoy a 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months. It offers fixed-rate rewards for all eligible purchases, regardless of categories, which is great if you don’t want to monitor spending categories. You can redeem your rewards as an automatic statement credit. It is one of our top-recommended 0% APR business credit cards because of its simple rewards program.

Rewards:

• 2% cash back on all eligible purchases of up to $50,000 per calendar year
• 1% cash back is earned when the cap is met

• Expanded Buying Power: Spend over your credit limit with its expanded buying power feature. Your credit limit adjusts with your card use, payment history, credit record, financial resources, and other factors.
• $0 annual fee: Reduce your credit cost by not having to pay annual fees.
• Expense management: Access all available expense management tools, including mobile and online banking, Vendor Pay by Bill.com, year-end expense summary, and QuickBooks® integration.

The American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card is best for business owners who prefer a points-based rewards credit card that offers interest-free financing. You can earn fixed-rate rewards on purchases, regardless of spending categories. You can use your points to pay for purchases made with American Express Travel, Amazon.com, Ticketmaster, Best Buy, and other retailers, or redeem them as gift cards from various merchants. Plus, it offers a 0% APR period on purchases. It is one of our top choices for the best small business credit cards and is our top business credit card for real estate agents because of its straightforward rewards structure with a flexible credit limit.

Rewards:

• 2x points on the first $50,000 in purchases each year
• 1x point on all purchases thereafter

• Expanded buying power: Spend over your credit limit based on your card usage, payment history, credit record, and other factors.
• $0 annual fee: Pay no annual fees while earning unlimited rewards.
• Welcome offer: Receive 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening an account.
• Expense management: Simplify your expense management by using tools like mobile and online banking, QuickBooks® integration, Vendor Pay by Bill.com, year-end expense summary, and account alerts.

Since the Plum Card® From American Express is a charge card, it does not come with an APR. It’s best for business owners who want a business card that doesn’t have a preset spending limit and offers payment flexibility. You can choose to either pay your balance in full or carry a balance for up to 60 days without interest. However, this 60-day interest-free option does not offer rewards.

Rewards:

• Unlimited 1.5% cash back (as an early pay discount) when you pay your balance within 10 days of your statement closing date.

If you fail to pay within the due date, you’ll be charged a fee of either $39 or 1.5% of the past due amount, whichever is greater. If you do not pay for two consecutive billing periods, the fee is either $39 or 2.99% of the past due amount, whichever is greater.

• No preset spending limit: Take advantage of a flexible credit limit that adjusts with your card usage, payment history, credit, and other factors.
• No foreign transaction fee: No need to pay a foreign transaction fee if you use your card to make purchases outside the US.
• Expense management: Manage your expenses by using tools like QuickBooks integration, Vendor Pay by BILL, mobile and online banking, year-end expense summary, account alerts, and more.

The American Express Business Green Rewards Card is a charge card that’s best for business owners wanting to receive travel rewards and enjoy flexible spending limits. Your credit limit adjusts based on your purchase, payment, and credit history. You can take advantage of several travel perks and protections like baggage insurance and car rental loss and damage insurance. It also offers unlimited rewards, which you can redeem toward travel expenses.

Rewards:

• 2x points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotel expenses
• 1x points on all other purchases

• Welcome Offer: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points when you spend at least $3,000 within the first three months of card ownership.
• Pay Over Time feature: Carry a balance on eligible purchases with interest.
• Low annual fee: The annual fee is only $95, which is waived for the first year.
• Expense management: Enjoy access to QuickBooks®, Vendor Pay by BILL, year-end expense summary, mobile and online banking, and more.

The Amazon Business Prime American Express Card is designed for business owners who have an existing Amazon Prime membership. It offers 90-day free financing or 5% cash back on the first $120,000 in purchases at Amazon, Whole Foods Market, Amazon Business, and AWS, as well as exclusive perks. You will also earn ongoing rewards on other expenses. As one of our top sole proprietorship business cards, it is also a good option for sole proprietors.

Other Rewards:

• 2% cash back on dining, gas, and wireless phone services purchased directly from service providers
• 1% cash back on all other purchases and when the cap is met

• Welcome offer: Receive a $125 Amazon Gift Card upon approval without any spending requirements.
• $0 annual fee: Aside from your Prime membership fee, you won’t be charged an annual fee for the credit card.
• No foreign transaction fees: Make purchases outside of the US without having to worry about foreign transaction fees.
• Amazon Business enhanced data views: Enhanced data views list your purchases by item in an easily downloadable file from your online statement, allowing you to reconcile your expenses easily.
• Amazon shop with points: Use your rewards upon checkout on US Amazon and Amazon Business or apply them toward a purchase on your statement. Plus, rewards don’t expire.
• Expense management: Take advantage of expense management tools like online statements, Vendor Pay by BILL, QuickBooks integration, and year-end summary of expenses.

If you frequently shop at Amazon but don’t have an existing Prime membership, the Amazon Business American Express Card is a good option. You can benefit from either 60-day interest-free financing terms or 3% cash back on the first $120,000 in purchases at Amazon, Whole Foods Market, Amazon Business, and AWS. Plus, you’ll earn rewards for other expenses. It is also part of our list of the leading business credit cards with no annual fees.

Other Rewards:

• 2% cash back on dining, gas, and wireless phone services purchased directly from service providers
• 1% cash back on all other purchases and when the cap is met

• Welcome offer: Get a $100 Amazon Gift Card upon approval for the Amazon Business American Express Card without any spending requirements.
• $0 annual fee: Minimize your credit cost while earning rewards by not having to pay annual fees.
• No foreign transaction fees: Use your card to make purchases outside of the US without having to pay foreign transaction fees.
• Amazon Business enhanced data views: Reconcile your expenses easily with the enhanced data views that list your purchases item by item.
• Amazon shop with points: Use your rewards to pay for purchases from the US Amazon.com and Amazon Business or apply them toward a purchase on your statement.
• Expense management: Easily manage your expenses using tools such as QuickBooks integration, Vendor Pay by BILL, online statements, and year-end summary of expenses.
• No need to pay for Prime membership: Enjoy earning premium rewards on your Amazon purchases or take advantage of a zero-interest 60-day term, without having to pay for Prime membership.

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card is best for business owners who fly with Delta Airlines frequently and want to access the Delta Sky Club® at a discounted rate. You and up to two traveling companions can enjoy an exclusive Delta Sky Club® per-visit rate of $50 per person when traveling Delta. Plus, you can earn lucrative rewards that can be redeemed by booking travel with Delta and Delta Connection carrier-operated flights and flights booked through the Delta rewards portal. It is one of our top-recommended business credit cards for miles because of its generous rewards program.

Rewards:

• 3x miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and hotels
• 1.5x miles on large purchases of $5,000 or more per transaction, up to 50,000 additional miles per year
• 1x miles on all other purchases

• Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership.
• No foreign transaction fees: Use your card to make purchases outside of the US without having to worry about foreign transaction fees.
• In-flight savings: Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on all eligible in-flight purchases, including food, beverages, and audio headsets, when you use your card to pay for these purchases.
• Travel perks: Take advantage of other perks when you travel with Delta, like priority boarding, free checked-in baggage, and fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.
• Save 15% on award travel: Redeem your miles for Delta flights and enjoy a 15% miles discount automatically.
• Business management tools: Use the expense management tools such as QuickBooks integration, American Express® Business App, and Vendor Pay by BILL.

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is a great option if you want a Delta frequent-flyer credit card with a low annual fee. Unlike the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Business Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card that charge annual fees of $250 and $550, respectively, this card’s annual fee is only $99—and it’s waived for the first year. It is also recommended for business owners who frequently spend on advertising, shipping, and dining.

Rewards:

• 2x miles on purchases made directly with Delta and on the expense categories mentioned earlier
• 1x miles on all other purchases

• Welcome Offer: Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership.
• No foreign transaction fees: Use your card to make purchases outside of the US without having to pay foreign transaction fees.
• Earn a $100 Delta flight credit: Spend a total of $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year to earn a $100 Delta flight credit for use toward future travel.
• In-flight savings: Enjoy a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on all eligible in-flight purchases, including food, beverages, and audio headsets, when you use your card to pay for these purchases.
• Travel perks: Take advantage of other travel perks, including 15% off when booking travels using miles, Main Cabin 1 priority boarding, and baggage insurance plan.
• Expense management: Use tools like Connect to QuickBooks®, online statements, Vendor Pay by BILL, and mobile banking to manage your expenses efficiently.

If you primarily fly with Delta Airlines and want to enjoy premium travel perks, like free check-in baggage and complimentary access to airport lounges, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is your best bet. You can also enjoy complimentary access to Delta Sky Club and a reduced rate of $50 per person for up to two guests. It is one of our top choices for the best credit cards with airport lounge access and leading business credit cards for earning miles.

Rewards:

• 3x miles on Delta purchases
• 1.5x miles per dollar on eligible purchases for the rest of the year after you spend $150,000.
• 1x miles on all other purchases

• Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after spending $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Premium travel perks: Take advantage of premium travel perks, such as Delta Sky Club access, Delta Sky Club one-time guest passes, access to The Centurion® Lounge and Escape Lounge, complimentary upgrades, priority boarding, free checked bag, 15% off on award travel, fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, and more.
• No foreign transaction fees: Use your card to make purchases outside the US without having to pay foreign transaction fees.
• Expense management: Take advantage of tools like access to online statements, Vendor Pay by BILL, QuickBooks® integration, and mobile banking to manage your expenses.

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is best for business owners who primarily stay at Hilton hotels and resorts as it offers premium rewards on these expense categories. You can use your Hilton Honors Bonus Points to pay for hotel stays, unique travel experiences, Amazon shopping, or purchases from airline partners. Plus, you can benefit from the card’s premium perks, like 10 complimentary visits to over 1,200 Priority Pass airport lounges and no foreign transaction fees, making it an ideal option if you travel frequently. It is one of our recommendations for the top credit cards with no foreign transaction fees and best business credit cards for travel.

Rewards:

• 12x points per dollar for purchases made directly with Hilton hotels and resorts
• 6x points per dollar on US wireless telephone services, shipping, travel purchases (including flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel and car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies), and dining at US restaurants
• 3x points per dollar on all other eligible purchases

• Welcome offer: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.
• Free weekend night reward: Get a free weekend night stay when you spend $15,000 in one year, and a second weekend night reward after you spend $60,000 in one year.
• Low annual fee: Pay a low annual fee of $95, which is lower than most business credit cards.
• Upgrade to Diamond Status: Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases and get upgraded to Hilton Honors Diamond status.
• Expense management: Use a variety of expense management tools such as Connect to QuickBooks, access to a mobile app, Vendor Pay by Bill.com, and more.

If you primarily stay at Marriott hotels and want to earn Marriott Bonvoy rewards, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express® Card. You can earn generous travel rewards that can be redeemed for free hotel stays, flights, car rentals, and hotel and air packages. Because of its lucrative rewards and perks, it is one of our top-recommended business credit cards for travel and the best business credit cards with no foreign transaction fees.

Rewards:

• 6x points at participating hotels under the Marriott Bonvoy® program
• 4x points on dining, gas, shipping, and wireless phone services purchased directly from service providers
• 2x points on all other purchases

• Welcome Offer: Earn three Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points for each bonus Free Night Award, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• 7% Marriott Bonvoy® Room Rate Discount: Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at Marriott Bonvoy program participating hotels.
• More than 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels: Redeem your rewards for free hotel stays at more than 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status: Receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, which offers priority late checkout when available and 25% bonus points on stays.
• No foreign transaction fees: Pay no foreign transaction fees on the purchases you make outside of the US.
• Premium Internet access: Receive premium Internet access while staying at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
• Expense management: Expense management tools are available, including QuickBooks integration, year-end account summary, online statements, access to a mobile app, and Vendor Pay by Bill.com.

The Lowe’s Business Rewards Card from American Express is best suited for business owners who shop frequently at Lowe’s, as well as real estate investors, contractors, and fix-and-flippers. It offers in-store discounts, and you can earn reward points on eligible purchases. Because of this, it is a practical option for those who shop for home improvement products frequently.

Rewards:

• 5% discount on eligible Lowe’s purchases
• 5% cash back on purchases at Lowe’s for the first six months after card ownership, then 2% cash back after
• 2% cash back on dining, office supplies, and wireless telephone services
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

• Welcome offer: Get $100 back upon approval, which is earned automatically as a statement credit.
• Access to Lowe’s ProServices: Access various benefits with Lowe’s ProServices, including discounted delivery, bulk rate pricing, and the business replenishment program.
• $0 annual fee: Reduce credit costs by paying no annual fees while taking advantage of all of the benefits that come with owning a Lowe’s Business Rewards Card.
• Expense management: Manage your expenses efficiently with a variety of expense management tools, including QuickBooks integration, online and mobile banking, Vendor Pay by Bill.com, account alerts, and more.

As long as you meet the requirements, it’s easy to get approved for an American Express business credit card. You need to have a good to excellent personal credit score to qualify for American Express credit cards. Based on American Express’s website, the online application process only takes a few minutes, and you can get a decision in a few seconds.

You can process your application online or by phone by calling 1-877-673-6758. You will need to provide the following information:

• Business’s legal name, address, phone number, and email address
• Federal tax identification number (TIN), or Social Security number
• Type of industry your business is engaged in
• Company structure
• Number of years your company has been in business
• Number of employees
• Annual business revenue
• The name you would like to appear on the card

American Express business credit cards provide several benefits that may be valuable to your business. You can earn rewards on your everyday purchases and take advantage of expense management tools. Furthermore, you can benefit from other perks, which vary depending on the type of American Express business credit card you choose.