Compare the Features and Benefits of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express and
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

With the Blue Business Plus, small businesses can maximize their everyday business purchases, whether it’s shopping for office supplies to paying for client dinners to restocking inventory. There’s no annual fee and a nice welcome bonus to boot.

You can earn valuable Membership Rewards points at a terrific rewards rate: 2x bonus points per dollar spent on all eligible purchases, up to the first $50,000 spent per year; 1X thereafter. This makes the Blue Business Plus a great fit for businesses who don’t want to keep up with confusing bonus categories and spend less than this $50,000 limit every year. Above all, American Express Membership Rewards points are acclaimed for flexibility, as you can redeem them for travel, gift cards, charges on your statement credits, and more.

While you’ll be assigned a credit limit upon account opening, you’ll have access to Amex’s unique expanded buying power tool. This gives you the flexibility to pay for expenses potentially above your credit limit, which is important for business owners who likely have thousands of dollars of expenses every year. You’ll also get access to a 0% introductory APR rate on purchases in the first 12 months of account opening.

There are also important business expense management tools that can help you keep track of your business’s annual revenue and expenditures. With complimentary access to QuickBooks and Vendor Pay by Bill.com, the Amex Blue Business Plus is a fantastic starter card whether you own a new business or have a side hustle.

Rates and Fees for the the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card

The Southwest Premier credit card is Southwest’s mid-tier personal card. It balances offering some perks while still charging less than a $100 annual fee.

Cardholders will be reimbursed for up to two EarlyBird Check-In purchases each year, get 25% back on inflight purchases on Southwest Airlines, plus get 6,000 bonus points each card anniversary.

The Southwest Premier Card offers some of the broadest spending bonus categories of any card with an annual fee under $100. Cardholders will earn 3x points on Southwest purchases and 2x points on Southwest Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners; local transit, commuting, rideshare; internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services.

Points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Plus, primary cardholders earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Preferred Status for every $10,000 spent on the card each year.

The Southwest Premier Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, unlike the Southwest Plus Card. Add in the higher earning rate on Southwest purchases, higher anniversary bonus, and ability to earn Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Preferred Status, and the Premier Card easily justifies its $30 higher annual fee.

Lastly, this card is great for getting a good piece of the way to a Southwest Companion Pass with the bonus offer, since the signup bonus points count. Read our guide on earning a Southwest Companion Pass for up to two years via new account bonuses.