Compare the Features and Benefits of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and
Graphite™ Business Cash Unlimited Card

The American Express Blue Business Cash business credit card is a great card for those who are both not interested in points (prefer cash back) and do not want to keep track of bonus categories.

With a simple 2% cash back on all eligible purchases until you reach $50,000 in spend in a calendar year, it’s a perfectly suitable cash back card for those that spend under $50,000 in a calendar year for their business. Though the rate will drop to 1% on eligible purchases after you spend $50,000 in a calendar year, there is no limit to the amount of cash back that you can earn.

If you prefer American Express Membership Rewards points instead of cash, there is a nearly identical version of this credit card, called the American Express Blue Business Plus™ Card, which earns Membership Rewards points instead of cash at the same rate.

Keep in mind that this no-annual fee card does charge a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, so please make sure you have a separate credit card with no foreign transaction fees for your trips abroad.

If you spend more than $50,000 a year, however, and want straight cash back and expanded buying power, you should consider these two alternative business credit cards:

• The Chase Ink Business Premier, which is a charge card with no preset limit and earns 2% cash back on everything and even earns 2.5% cash back on purchases over $5,000.
• The Capital One Spark Cash Plus, which is a charge card with no preset limit that earns 2% on all purchases.

If you would like to have separate Blue Business Cash cards for your employees, you can do so with no fee.

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

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