Amex Blue Business Cash Review: A Basic, No Annual Fee Business Card

If you're a business owner with low-to-moderate spending who is looking for a starter business card, the Blue Business Cash™ Card from American Express could be a good choice. It has a competitive cash back program, but there are some popular perks that it lacks. Explore all its pros and cons in this Blue Business Cash™ Card from American Express review.

This credit card is a good fit for: Business owners who want a great cash back rate on purchases and spend up to $50,000 per year.

Top perks

This American Express card has a few valuable features for business owners.

$250 statement credit welcome offer

New cardholders of the Blue Business Cash™ Card from American Express can earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Terms apply.

2% cash back

The Blue Business Cash™ Card from American Express earns 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. For a no annual fee card, 2% is an excellent cash back rate. (See rates and fees.) Unfortunately, the $50,000 yearly limit could be a problem if your business spends more than $4,000 to $5,000 per month. Terms apply.

MORE OPTIONS: Best Cash Back Business Credit Cards

No annual fee

If you're trying to keep business expenses down, you probably don't want to pay any unnecessary fees. This is a no annual fee card, so there's no cost to carry it.

Employee cards

Employee cards are free of charge. A useful and under-appreciated perk of American Express cards is that you can set spending limits for authorized users. This includes employee cards, and you can also get spending alerts and summary reports. Terms apply.

0% intro APR for 12 months

The Blue Business Cash™ Card from American Express offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months on new purchases. Once that intro period ends, the go-to variable APR applies going forward. If you have any major business expenses, such as opening a new location, you could use your card to finance the costs interest free for a year.

RELATED: Best 0% APR Credit Cards

Expanded buying power

American Express lets you exceed your credit limit to make purchases without paying an over-the-limit fee. The amount you can spend beyond your credit limit depends on a variety of factors, including your use of the card and payment history. Some credit cards either don't let you exceed your credit limit or charge you an extra fee if you do. Terms apply.

If you do go over your limit, you'll have to pay that extra money back in full along with your minimum payment at the end of your billing cycle. Otherwise, the penalty APR will apply to your entire balance. While expanded buying power can be helpful, you should be cautious about how you use it to avoid costly interest charges.

LEARN MORE: How Does Credit Card Interest Work?

Automatic redemptions

You don't have to spend any time redeeming your cash back as it will be automatically applied as a statement credit each month. Terms apply.

What could be improved

There are a couple of notable flaws with this business credit card.

Foreign transaction fee

This card charges a foreign transaction fee of 2.7% of the transaction amount in U.S. dollars. If you or your employees will be traveling and need to make purchases abroad, you're better off checking out credit card reviews and picking a card without this type of fee. (See rates and fees.)

Cash back spending cap

Since this card earns 2% on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year and 1% on spending past that, it's only suitable for businesses that spend up to that amount. If your business expenses are greater than that, then you should compare credit cards with higher spending caps. Terms apply.

You should have a good credit score or better, which means a FICO® Score of at least 670, to apply for the Blue Business Cash™ Card from American Express.

Since this is a business credit card, it's intended for business owners. Card issuers are normally flexible about who's eligible, though. You can get approved for a business credit card as a freelancer, with a small side gig, or with a new business that isn't making money yet.

You want a simple, no-fuss business credit card and your business spends $50,000 or less per year. This card's 2% cash back rate on up to that amount is excellent. The 0%, 12 months intro APR on purchases is another useful perk if you need to finance big expenses. Terms apply (see rates and fees.)

If your business spends more than $5,000 per month, the Blue Business Cash™ Card from American Express likely isn't a match. With that type of spending, you could earn more from business credit cards with bonus categories or unlimited flat-rate cash back.

SEE TOP PICKS: Best Business Credit Cards

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.