The Best American Express Business Credit Cards

American Express is best known for their charge cards. These are cards with no hard credit limit that have to be paid off in total every month. But they don’t represent the full extent of Amex’s product line.

Like its competitors Visa and Mastercard, Amex offers credit cards, on which you can carry a balance from month to month if you so choose (note, you shouldn’t if you can help it). Compared to charge cards, credit cards tend to have lower annual fees and less aggressive rewards programs, although this isn’t always the case. And one particularly nice perk offered to Amex business credit cardholders is the OPEN Savings program.

But which American Express business credit cards are the best? Read on.

American Express Blue Business Plus

If you’re overwhelmed by myriad rewards options provided by business credit cards and your business expenses aren’t concentrated in any one area, you may want to try Amex’s Blue Business Plus card. With 2 pts. back on all purchases up to $50,000 and no annual fee, it’s one of the better cash back business cards on the market.

Blue Business Plus At A Glance:

• Annual fee: $0
• Welcome offer: None
• Introductory rate: 0% APR for the first 15 months
• Rewards:
  • 2 points per $1 spent on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year)
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all purchases after $50,000

The American Express Blue Business Plus is a great first business credit card as it offers both a simplified reward system and no annual fee. In fact, it’s the perfect credit card for businesses that don’t plan to make many charges. (There’s no signup bonus encouraging you to spend a ton of money in the first few months.)

Most cash back credit cards offer a roughly 1.5 pt. return per dollar. Blue Business Plus instead frontloads your rate, giving you a 2 pt. return on your $50,000 worth of purchases per year. This comes at the expense of a subpar 1 pt. rate after you hit that limit. If you anticipate putting more than $50K per year on your business card, you may want to consider a different card (or an additional card).

American Express Blue Business Plus reward points can be redeemed for travel, shopping, or statement credit. For more information on this card, check out our Blue Business Plus Review.

Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card

Moving into cards that cater to more specific business behavior, we have the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express. It provides a very generous reward system for travelers who frequently stay at Starwood or other Marriott brand hotels.

Starwood Preferred Guest At A Glance:

• Annual fee: $95 ($0 the first year)
• Welcome offer: 
  • $200 statement credit (if you spend at least $1,000 in the first 3 months of opening your account)
  • $100 statement credit (if you use your card at a participating SPG or Mariott hotel in the first 6 months of opening your account)
• Introductory rate: None
• Rewards:
  • 2 points per $1 spent at eligible SPG and Mariott hotels
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

With a reasonable annual fee and a generous signup bonus, the Starwood Preferred card offers a lot of benefits to cardholders who travel. It’s not quite as flexible as the cards we’ve looked at so far, but if you use it strategically, it can rack up tons of points with no limit. Starpoints can be redeemed at participating hotels and resorts and on flights with participating airlines through the SPG Airline Transfer Program.

Additional perks that come with the card include:

• Credit toward SPG Elite status (5 nights and 2 stays annually)
• Unlimited Boingo wi-fi on up to four devices
• Complimentary premium Internet service at participating SPG hotels
• Access to the Sheraton Club Lounge
• Free nights at participating SPG hotels with no blackout dates
• No foreign transaction fees

If these perks complement your traveling habits, this card is a great choice. Otherwise, its specificity, annual fee, slightly higher rates, and lack of introductory APR may not make it as appetizing.

American Express Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card

Airline travel-based rewards are some of the most popular types of credit card rewards programs. American Express partners with Delta for their credit card rewards programs, offering three flavors of the card (Gold, Platinum, and Reserve).

Platinum Delta SkyMiles At A Glance:

• Annual fee: $195
• Welcome offer: 35,000 miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification miles if you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months of opening your account, and $100 statement credit if you make a Delta purchase in the first 3 months
• Introductory rate: None
• Rewards:
  • 2 points per $1 spent on Delta purchases
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Amex’s Platinum Delta card offers a huge signup bonus to businesses that spend $3,000 within the first three months, and an additional $100 in statement credit if you make a purchase directly with Delta.

Additional perks of this card include:

• Priority boarding
• First checked bag is free
• No foreign transaction fees
• 20% statement credit on qualifying in-flight purchases
• Baggage insurance
• 1 Companion Airfare certificate each year, rewarded upon card renewal

For the heavy traveler, I believe the Platinum Delta card offers the most value, though prospective cardholders who want to save a little money on their annual fee may want to consider the Gold version. The Reserve version’s premium fee will probably only be justifiable for elite first-class travelers.

Final Thoughts

While they may not be quite as well-known as the iconic Green, Gold, and Platinum charge cards, Amex’s credit cards offer their own suite of appealing rewards programs to customers who want the option of carrying a balance.

Didn’t find what you were looking for here? Check out our comparison guides to business credit cards, charge cards, and personal cards that are good for business expenses.