Compare the Features and Benefits of British Airways Visa Signature Card and
Graphite™ Business Cash Unlimited Card

On top of a generous sign up bonus, the British Airways credit card by Chase earns 3x Avios on British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Aer Lingus and 2x Avios on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. Avios can be shared between any Avios program, which also includes Qatar Airways (home of the QSuite) and you can redeem British Airways Avios for award tickets on oneworld airlines like American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and more.

Award tickets on short-haul American Airlines are actually a major sweet spot of the British Airways Avios program with flights like New York to Miami in coach going for just 9,000 Avios and $5,60 in tax.

More importantly, you’ll receive 10% off all British Airways flights that originate in the United States. (Must book through a special website provided with your new card.)

And then, after your first year, you can earn a Travel Together Ticket (a.k.a. Companion Ticket), good for bringing a companion for just the taxes and fees when you redeem a reward flight for yourself, when you spend $30,000 in a calendar year. Don’t have a companion to bring? You can use it for half off the points of an Avios award flight instead.

Finally, you’ll also receive up to a $600 statement credit on bookings for Reward Flights as described above in Unique Card benefits.

If you fly British Airways frequently, this airline credit card is truly compelling.

Keep in mind, from a pure points earning perspective, that the Chase Sapphire Reserve also earns 4X Chase Ultimate Rewards points in airfare booked directly with an airline (and 8X if booked at Chase Travel℠) which can even be transferred to Avios if needed – as well as a range of other travel partners, like World of Hyatt which offers excellent and outsized value.

So if you are getting the card for the points alone, you may want to rethink it. If you are getting it for the benefits, your head is in the right place.

Keep in mind that British Airways Avios expire after 36 months of inactivity, though that won’t be a problem if you are spending on this credit card!

If you don’t primarily fly BA, you might want to look at other airline credit cards or bank cards with transferable points.

Note: Per Chase’s 5/24 Rule, you will only be approved for a Chase card like the British Airways Visa card if you have applied for fewer than 5 personal credit cards within the last 24 months from any issuer. (Business cards do not count against the total, except for Capital One Spark Cash Select and Spark Miles plus Discover, but are subject to the policy).

It’s easy to look at this card and wonder how it differs from the American Express Blue Business Cash™ card, with no annual fee, and wonder why you’d pay a $295 annual fee on this card.

The primary two reasons are:

1) This card is a No Preset Spending Limit card. If you put heavy spend on a business card, you would max out the credit limit on the Blue Business Cash™ very quickly.

2) Importantly, that card only earns 2% on the first $50,000 spent annually on eligible purchases and just 1% thereafter. Terms apply.

This card will earn you the full 2% on unlimited spend. You’ll earn back the $295 annual fee (in Rewards Dollars) after the first $14,750 in eligible spend. If you are spending $500,000 on the card annually, that is a rounding error on the way to 2% cash back on everything else.

Previously, you had few options for such high spend, with the Business Platinum Card® as the obvious choice.

However, the Business Platinum  earns just 1% in Membership Rewards points on all spend outside select categories. Specifically, it earns 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar on up to $2 million in eligible purchases in the U.S., per calendar year, in the following select business categories combined:

• Electronic goods retailers
• Software & cloud system providers
• Construction materials and hardware supplies.
• Shipping providers.
• Purchases of $5,000 or more

The Business Platinum card also earns 5X per dollar on airfare and prepaid hotel purchases with American Express Travel. Terms apply.

So the cash back from an unlimited 2% on this Graphite Business Cash Unlimited may be far more worthwhile to you, especially if you don’t play the “points game.”

And don’t forget you’ll also get an unlimited 5% Cash Back on American Express Travel® on flights and prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Travel®. That can really add up for business travel collectively booked on the Amex Travel platform.

Card Members can get metal Employee Graphite™ Business Cash Unlimited Cards for $95 per year for the first 5 Cards, and $95 for each thereafter, with the ability to earn Reward Dollars on purchases and receive alerts to help Card Members know who’s spending and where.

This card competes squarely against the Capital One Spark Cash Plus and the Venture X Business which earns 2X Capital One Miles.

Rates & Fees for the Graphite™ Business Cash Unlimited Card

Rates and Fees for the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Rates and fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express