Amex Blue Business Plus Review 2026

The Amex Blue Business Plus carries a variable APR range of 16.74%-26.74%, determined by your creditworthiness at the time of application. New cardholders receive a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, which is competitive with other no-fee business cards like the Amex Blue Business Cash and the Ink Business Unlimited.

There are no origination fees, no annual fee, and no prepayment penalties. The card does charge a 2.7% foreign transaction fee on every purchase made outside the United States. Late payment fees apply per Amex's standard cardholder agreement.

The Expanded Buying Power feature lets you spend beyond your stated credit limit with prior Amex authorization, but the overage amount must be paid in full on your next billing statement. If you miss the minimum payment on that cycle, Amex charges interest and a penalty rate on the full balance.

For context, the median APR of 21.74% on a carried $50,000 balance would cost approximately $10,870 in annual interest after the intro period ends. If you plan to carry a balance beyond 12 months, this card is not a low-cost borrowing tool.

American Express generally requires a minimum credit score of 700 (good to excellent) for Blue Business Plus approval, though Amex does not publicly state a hard floor. There is no minimum time-in-business requirement, making this card accessible to brand-new LLCs and sole proprietorships.

There is no stated minimum revenue requirement. Amex will pull your personal credit report and evaluate your business financials during underwriting. The card is available in all 50 U.S. states. You can apply as a sole proprietor using your Social Security number if you do not have an EIN.

Amex's 'one bonus per card' lifetime rule (known as the pop-up restriction) may prevent approval for the welcome bonus if you have previously held this card. Some applicants have reported targeted offers without lifetime language, but those are not available to everyone.

The application is fully online at americanexpress.com and takes about 10 minutes. You will need your legal business name, business type (sole proprietorship, LLC, etc.), estimated annual revenue, your Social Security number or EIN, and personal income.

We found that Amex typically returns an instant decision for applicants with strong credit profiles. If your application requires additional review, expect a decision within 7-10 business days. Once approved, your card arrives by mail within 7-10 business days, though Amex does provide a virtual card number immediately through the Amex app so you can start making purchases right away.

The welcome offer is 15,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months. That is a relatively low bar to clear and translates to roughly $150-$300 in value depending on how you redeem. Some applicants receive targeted offers of up to 50,000 or even 75,000 points with higher spending requirements.

The fee structure on the Blue Business Plus is one of the cleanest we have reviewed for a business credit card.

- Annual fee: $0
- Employee cards: $0 (no limit on number of cards)
- Foreign transaction fee: 2.7% per transaction
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Returned payment fee: Up to $40
- Origination/setup fees: None
- Balance transfer fee: N/A (no balance transfer offer)

The true first-year cost is effectively $0 if you pay your balance in full each month during the 0% intro APR period. The true renewal cost is also $0 since there is no annual fee. The only ongoing cost for domestic-only spenders is the interest on any carried balance after the 12-month intro period expires.

American Express carries a Trustpilot score of 1.3 out of 5 from over 5,000 reviews. That score covers the entire Amex brand, not just the Blue Business Plus, and it is heavily skewed by complaints about premium cards and international operations. The BBB gives American Express an A+ rating despite 5,089 logged complaints, with 107 unresolved.

In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that American Express agreed to pay a $108.7 million civil penalty to resolve allegations of deceptive marketing practices related to its credit card and wire transfer products. This included entering false Employer Identification Numbers into the credit card accounts of an affiliate bank.

We could not find CFPB complaint data specific to the Blue Business Plus card alone. The complaints we reviewed across BBB and Reddit for Amex broadly related to sudden credit limit reductions, disputes over welcome bonus eligibility, and difficulty reaching human support for complex issues. For a no-annual-fee card with relatively simple terms, the Blue Business Plus generates fewer complaints than Amex's premium products.

If you spend more than $50,000 per year: The Capital One Spark Cash Plus ($150/year) earns unlimited 2% cash back with no spending cap, which makes more sense for businesses with higher volumes.

If you want higher category bonuses and travel perks: The Chase Ink Business Preferred ($95/year) earns 3X points on travel, shipping, internet, and phone purchases up to $150,000 per year and includes trip cancellation insurance and no foreign transaction fee.

If you want cash back instead of points: The Amex Blue Business Cash ($0/year) is nearly identical to the Blue Business Plus but pays a flat 2% cash back instead of Membership Rewards points. The cash back is automatically credited as a statement credit each month, so there is no redemption strategy required.

If you travel internationally: Skip this card entirely. The 2.7% foreign transaction fee wipes out the value of your 2X rewards on any overseas purchase. The Chase Ink Business Preferred or Capital One Spark Miles both charge $0 in foreign transaction fees.