Compare the Features and Benefits of The Plum Card® and
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Plum Card® is quite possibly the most unique card in the lineup of American Express business credit cards. As a full “No Preset Spending Limit” card (these used to be called charge cards by American Express, but that term is no longer used), it is really a great choice for extremely high spenders.

1.5% is a solid cash back rate for a card with no preset spending limit, though if you have spend that falls into the right bonus categories, you might want to first take a look at the American Express® Business Gold Card which is also a No Preset Spending Limit card (No Preset Spending Limit means your spending limit is flexible. Unlike a traditional card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.).

The American Express® Business Gold Card earns 4X Membership Rewards points on up to $150,000 in total spend per calendar year, in the two qualifying categories where your business spends the most money every month out of 6 select business categories.

(Note that the Plum Card earns cash back, not rewards points).

Now if your business is often a bit behind with cash flow (perhaps all of your client payments come more than 30 days after you need to make your own payments, then the 60 day payment period offer on this card (instead of the early pay discount – i.e. the cash back) could really be a massive benefit. So while it’s a niche card product, it can knock the ball out of the park for certain business owners.

Rates and Fees for The Plum Card®

With over 3,800 branches, Bank of America is a retail banking giant. It offers its Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card to customers who are looking to earn strong rates of cash back on all purchases, but don’t want to pay an annual fee.

Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases

This card offers 1.5% cash back per dollar spent on all purchases, with no limits. This is very competitive for a card with no annual fee. This high rate of return comes at the expense of bonus categories, as this card doesn’t have any, like other cards do for things like travel and dining purchases.

Cash back rewards can be deposited into a Bank of America savings account, redeemed as a statement credit, or applied to an eligible Merrill account.

And unlike a Bank of America Travel Rewards card, you don’t get any statement credits towards baggage fees, or the purchase of vacation packages, just cash rewards.

However, Bank of America Preferred Rewards members can earn a 25%, 50% or 75% bonus on their rewards, depending on which tier they are in. And these are simple cash rewards, so you don’t have to redeem points to be rewarded.

Many cardholders will find this simple formula better than earning bonuses on some purchases, but a mere 1% on other purchases.

And your cash back rewards never expire so long as your account remains open and in good standing.

But what makes this card exceptional is the ability for Bank of America Preferred Rewards customers to earn as much as 2.625% cash back. That’s what you’ll get if you’re in one of the higher tiers of their program and earn a 75% bonus on your rewards earned. Others will earn a 25% or 50% bonus, which is still enough to take this card from competitive to remarkable.

Otherwise, this simple card is also one that’s light on benefits. There’s very little to no travel insurance or purchase protection policies, but you do get a free credit score, which most cards offer these days. One notable benefit is Bank of America’s Museums on Us program, which offers free access to hundreds of museums on the first full weekend of the month. This unique benefit can offer significant value to families, parents and other museum lovers.

There’s no annual fee for this card, but there is a 3% foreign transaction fee imposed on purchases processed outside of the United States. That leaves this card as a solid choice for those looking for a competitive, but basic cash back card rather than a travel rewards credit card.

However, if you also happen to be a Bank of America Premier Rewards member, then using this could be the most rewarding card that you could ever use.