Our Verdict
From a rewards standpoint, the Amazon Business American Express Card* is unremarkable. However, for businesses that need extra time to pay their bills, the option to get an extra 60 days interest-free on Amazon purchases might make this card worth a second look.
For more information about the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card*, see our review.
Pros
- No foreign transaction fee
- Free employee cards include purchase controls
- On each eligible purchase, choose 3% back or 60-day terms at Amazon & Whole Foods
Cons
- High penalty APR
- No intro APR offer
- Standard APR can be high, depending on your credit
Highlights
- Earn a $100 Amazon.com gift card upon approval for the card
- No annual fee
- Earn 3% back or 60 day terms on U.S. purchases at Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market
- Earn 3% back on the first $120,000 spent in purchases each calendar year, 1% back thereafter
- Earn 2% back at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers
- Earn 1% back on other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
Introduction
For a no annual fee card, the Amazon Business American Express Card* is run-of-the-mill. The card’s rewards are similar to other business credit cards: Earn 3% back in rewards or 60 day terms on U.S. purchases at Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market. The 3% rate applies to the first $120,000 in purchases each calendar year. Earn 2% back at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and 1% on other eligible purchases.
Ironically, companies that spend a lot with Amazon will still do better with a different card. The Amazon Business Prime American Express Card* (compared below) increases rewards to 5% back in rewards or 90 day terms on eligible U.S. purchases at Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com and Whole Foods on the first $120,000 spent in a calendar year with an eligible Prime membership, 1% thereafter. Earn 2% at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and 1% on other purchases as long as you hold a Business Prime account, available for free for one user with an eligible consumer Prime membership (which starts at $139 per year).
The lowest cost option for a standalone Business Prime plan is the Essentials plan, which costs $179 per year and allows up to three users.
Where the card stands out is the ability to forfeit the 3% rewards category in lieu of 60-day payment terms on Amazon purchases. For businesses with lagging cash flow, the ability to take an extra billing cycle to pay interest-free could be a blessing—assuming, of course, that you can buy what you need through Amazon.
The card does offer other benefits, including an Amazon.com gift card upon approval with no spending requirement. There’s no foreign transaction fee on international purchases. Cards also include employee purchase controls so you can stop purchases at a specific limit. This American Express card also includes secondary car rental insurance, baggage insurance, extended warranty and return protection.
Featured Partner Offers
Quick Facts
- Welcome bonus: $100 Amazon.com gift card upon approval for the card
- Ability to choose between 3% cash back rewards or 60-day financing
- No foreign transaction fee
- $0 annual fee
Amazon Business American Express Rewards
Earning Rewards
For purchases at Amazon.com, Amazon Business, AWS or Whole Foods, cardholders have the option to decide between earning 3% cash back up to the first $120,000 spent per calendar year or 60-day financing with 0% interest.
Cardholders will also earn 2% cash back at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations and on wireless telephone services from U.S. providers and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Plus there’s a welcome bonus of an Amazon gift card, which is automatically deposited into your account upon approval for the card.
Redeeming Rewards
Rewards can be redeemed toward Amazon purchases or applied as a statement credit. If you prefer to redeem your rewards toward Amazon purchases and don’t have enough available, you’ll have the option to pay the remainder with your card.
It’s worth noting that you can’t actually cash out your rewards for a check. Regardless, there’s enough flexibility that most businesses won’t find this an issue. You should also be aware that redeeming Amazon rewards toward more Amazon purchases won’t earn additional rewards, so redeeming for a statement credit can be a more lucrative option.
Rewards Potential
As always, the potential rewards on this card depends heavily on your annual business spending. Cardholders will earn $10 in rewards for each $1,000 spent on non-bonus purchases. That amount doubles to $20 per $1,000 on 2% cash back categories and triples to $30 on Amazon purchases (up to the first $120,000 per calendar year).
To determine the rewards potential of the card, we calculated what a sole proprietor or small business might spend in the bonus categories. Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine both annual expenses and spending averages across various categories. Based on the data, we calculated the following rewards potential for a sample small business.
Amazon Business American Express Card* Rewards Potential
| Category | Earning Rate | Estimated Annual Spend | Estimated Annual Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amazon and Whole Foods
|
3%
|
$15,291
|
$458.7
|
|
U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. wireless phone service
|
2%
|
$7,344
|
$146.88
|
|
All other purchases
|
1%
|
$13,542
|
$135.42
|
|
Total: $741.03
|
0% Introductory Rates
This card doesn’t offer a traditional 0% introductory APR, but you have the option of choosing 60-day 0% APR on Amazon purchases instead of earning cash rewards. After the interest-free period, interest accrues at the regular APR: 19.49% - 27.49% variable.
Other Amazon Business American Express Card Benefits
- No foreign transaction fees. There’s no surcharge on purchases made outside of the U.S.
- Employee purchase controls. Set spending limits and category alerts for employee charges.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance. Receive secondary coverage for damage or theft of a rental vehicle on up to $50,000 per rental agreement.
- Baggage insurance. Coverage for up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage per person and up to $500 for checked baggage in the event of baggage damage or loss while in transit.
- Return protection. Return items up to 90 days from purchase, even if a retailer doesn’t allow it directly, up to $300 per item and $1,000 per calendar year.
- Purchase protection. Eligible items are protected for up to 90 days against accidents or theft, up to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per account per calendar year.
- Extended warranty. Get an extra year of coverage on warranties of five years or less for U.S. purchases.
Fine Print
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: 19.49% - 27.49% variable
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: N/A
- Foreign purchase transaction fee: None
How the Amazon Business American Express Card Stacks Up
Amazon Business American Express Card* vs. Amazon Business Prime American Express Card*
If you have an eligible Amazon Prime consumer membership or subscribe to a Business Prime plan, you can qualify for a better version of Amazon’s business credit card, offering your choice of 5% cash back of the first $120,000 spent per calendar year (then 1%) for Amazon-related charges or 90-day payment terms instead of 60. If Amazon purchases make up a large portion of your business expenses, there’s a good chance you’re already a Prime member who receives free delivery in two days or less and progressive discounts on the products you buy most.
The downside to the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card* is that it requires you to hold an eligible Prime membership. A consumer Amazon Prime plan starts at $139 a year. The lowest-cost standalone tier of Business Prime, the Essentials package, costs $179 per year. There’s a Duo level of Business Prime, available for free, but that’s offered only as an add-on for those who already have a consumer Prime membership.
If you’re paying $179 for the Essentials level of Business Prime, you’d break even on your membership fee after spending $3,600 on purchases eligible earning 5% back.
Other than higher rewards (or 90-day terms) on Amazon purchases and a slightly better welcome offer, the cards offer identical benefits. In this case, it comes down to how much you spend at Amazon.com, Amazon Business, Amazon Web Services and Whole Foods. If you spend a lot, it’s worth the upgrade.
Amazon Business American Express Card* vs. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
If you’re not maximizing your Amazon benefits, the no annual fee Ink Business Cash® Credit Card could be a better bet for your small business. It offers 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year and 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
That extra cash back on up to $25,000 of combined spending on internet, cable, phone services and purchases at office supply stores can add up quickly.
Even if the quintuple point categories hold limited value to you, the Ink Business Cash is still likely a more rewarding card. Points are worth 1 cent each, but can also be used for gift cards or travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. If you have a personal Chase Sapphire account or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can combine points to help maximize your earning potential.
Although the Ink Business Cash doesn’t offer an option for 60-day terms, it does include a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months, then a standard APR of 18.49% - 24.49% variable applies for purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies. That’s a strong offer because it’s not limited to Amazon, though unlike the Amazon Business card, there are no ongoing offers after the first year.
Amazon Business American Express Card* vs. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Another no-annual-fee card with even simpler rewards is The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Terms apply. See rates & fees). This card offers a straight 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners up to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar on all other purchases, regardless of category.
Cardholders who don’t spend a lot with Amazon will likely earn more rewards this way. However, this reward rate is only good for the first $50,000 in annual expenses: thereafter, it drops to 1 point per dollar. Membership Rewards® are redeemable as statement credit, for gift cards or can be transferred to partner airline programs (where you’ll likely get the best value).
The Blue Business Plus comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate of 18.49% - 26.49% applies. That’s broader and more flexible within the first year than the Amazon Business card—but after the promotional period, the Amazon card may have an edge thanks to its ongoing financing option on Amazon purchases.
Is the Amazon Business American Express Card for You?
Overall, the Amazon Business American Express Card* doesn’t stand out from the crowd, offering a measly welcome bonus and ho-hum rewards.
The primary advantage to this card is its option to pay for Amazon purchases over 60 days without accruing interest and a $0 annual fee. Even then, consider whether it’s the best option. If you don’t expect an ongoing need for extra time to pay off your purchases, an introductory 0% APR business card can give you 12 months or more instead of just two to pay your bill—and include purchases outside of Amazon.
If, indeed, you need extra time to make payments on a rolling basis, you still might prefer the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card*. As a nearly identical card, but with 90 days instead of 60 to pay off charges, it might be worth the Prime membership fee.
Find the Best Business Credit Cards of 2024
Methodology
Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:
- Annual fees
- Welcome bonus offers
- Ongoing earning rates
- Value of individual points of miles
- Included travel or merchant credits
- Additional cardholder benefits
Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.
Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards
To view rates and fees for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express please visit this page.
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: Amazon Business American Express Card, Amazon Business Prime American Express Card. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
