Business Green Rewards Card from American Express Review
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Narrow your search with CardMatch Advertiser Disclosure <h1>Business Green Rewards Card from American Express review Wide-scale purchasing power with a small-scale annual fee</h1> Written by Credit Card Reviews Writer Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, Aug. 30, 2022 Edited by Former Senior Director of Content Antonio Ruiz-Camacho is senior director of content for CreditCards.com and Bankrate Credit Cards. He has more than 20 years of international experience leading content teams, Aug. 30, 2022 <h3> Share</h3> Bankrate Logo <h2>Why you can trust Bankrate</h2> At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money. 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The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way. <h3> ON THIS PAGE</h3> PREV NEXT <h2>Snapshot</h2> 3.7 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bottom line American Express is one of the few issuers that still provides cards with a flexible spending limit, and the Business Green Rewards Card is the most accessible option in their portfolio. Its purchasing power is impressive, but barebones rewards and features make it a less attractive option for the annual fee it demands. . With this in mind, you'll probably experience greater value with another , even counting no-annual-fee options. But if your travel expenses are big enough to exceed typical credit limits, the Green Rewards might be a good call. Still, all-around better features could make ponying up for the next-level a better investment. <h2>What are the pros and cons </h2> <h3>Pros</h3> Unlike typical business cards’ preset spending limits, this card’s flexible spending limit gives businesses plenty of purchasing power while also providing the option to carry a balance with the Pay Over Time feature. You can rest a bit easier knowing your purchases and travel are secure with decent protection perks, including baggage insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty coverage and car rental insurance. This card waives the annual fee for your first 12 months. That way, the usual $95 fee won’t eat into your rewards while you decide if this card is the right fit for your business. <h3>Cons</h3> The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is a charge card and not a traditional credit card, so you’ll have to pay your balance in full each month. You’ll only earn “bonus rewards” on travel purchases made through AmexTravel.com, which may not benefit you if you don’t use this portal. You won’t qualify for many cardholder benefits since this charge card is fairly “bare bones.” The main benefits you will receive include free employee cards, a baggage insurance plan and car rental loss insurance. <h2>A deeper look at the current card offer</h2> <h3>Quick highlights</h3> Rewards rate: 2X points on American Express Travel purchases; 1X points on all other purchases Welcome offer: 15,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months Annual fee: $0 for the first year, then $95 Purchase intro APR: N/A Balance transfer intro APR: N/A Regular APR: 17.99 percent to 25.99 percent (variable Pay Over Time APR) <h3>Current welcome offer</h3> You can earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 within your first three months as a new cardholder. American Express' points range in value according to what you redeem for. Your intro offer's best value through Amex would be $150 toward airfare, but the point value dwindles for most other options. However, your may increase up to 2 cents if you transfer them to a travel partner's program. This route could double your welcome offer's value to $300, but that's still a bit underwhelming compared to offers other provide. This bonus is a decent offer for business travelers, but the spending requirement is a bit steep for the payout even compared to other Amex cards. For instance, the Business Gold card poses a 70,000-point welcome offer if you spend $10,000 on purchases within the first three months of Card Membership, and the no-annual-fee offers $250 cash back for the same spending requirement as the Business Green card. <h3>Rewards rate</h3> The American Express Business Green Card earns , which can be redeemed for a wide range of rewards including airfare bookings. for the life of your account, so there's no pressure if your business has reduced travel. <h4>Earning rewards</h4> The Business Green card earns 2x points on travel via the American Express Travel portal and 1X points on all other purchases. This is a pretty stripped-down rewards structure for a , especially since it only rewards travel booked through the . By comparison, other might provide better reward opportunities depending on your business' spending. <h4>Redeeming rewards</h4> American Express provides a wide range of redemption options, but only a select few provide a wise return on your rewards. Booking travel through Amex or transferring them to a travel partner are generally the favored redemption choices value-wise, but you have plenty of choices if the timing for air travel isn't right, including: Travel bookings and upgrades (including flights, hotels and vacations) "Pay with points" at select online retailer checkouts (including Amazon.com, PayPal and Staples) and on rental car bookings through Amex Travel Gift cards Merchandise purchases Charitable donations <h3>How much are the rewards worth </h3> Thanks to their variety of redemption options and the issuer's stellar transfer partners, are some of the most valuable on the market. Your points are worth the most by far when you shift them to American Express transfer partners. value the average Membership Rewards point at an estimated 2.1 cents per point with the right transfer partner, but the most value you can get through Amex's redemption portal is 1 cent per point toward airfare or a travel itinerary upgrade. Unfortunately, your mileage can drastically vary by redemption option, according to . Booking travel other than airfare - including hotel stays, vacations, cruises and rental cars - and paying with points through eligible online retailers waters down your points to 0.5 cents to 0.7 cents apiece. Your points are whittled down for cash back as well. You'll only receive 0.6 cents per point for statement credits, so redeeming for a gift card may be wiser based on the merchant since gift cards can retain a full 1 cent point value. <h3>Other cardholder perks</h3> For a $95 annual fee (waived the first year), the Business Green card doesn't carry much in the way of premium benefits, although the features provided are helpful. In fact, it offers mostly the same benefits as American Express' no-annual-fee business cards - except for its additional baggage insurance perk. <h4>Travel and purchase protections</h4> Most of these benefits are standard American Express card shopping protections and , but they might be able to save your business money if you're dealing with troublesome merchants and travel hiccups. : Each eligible instance is covered up to $1,000 (up to $50,000 per year total) if you need to be reimbursed or your purchased item needs repairs or a replacement. : Qualifying items you purchased with your card get an extra year of coverage if it already had a warranty of five years or less (up to $10,000 per eligible item, $50,000 per card). : You'll get secondary insurance in the event your rental vehicle is damaged or stolen in eligible locations by paying with your card and declining the rental agency protection. : When you put the fare for a "common carrier vehicle" (plane, bus, train, etc.) ticket on your card, your baggage is covered up to $1,250 for carry-on luggage and up to $500 for checked luggage. Be sure you're aware of the exclusions and restrictions ahead of time. <h4>Pay Over Time</h4> American Express shifted away from traditional charge cards by adding the popular to its cards without preset spending limits, extending more payback options to cardholders that would normally have to pay in full each month. Although business cards don't have , Pay Over Time will allow you to add eligible purchases to a separate balance that you can revolve with interest. By toggling the Pay Over Time settings to "on" or "off" in your account (your account initially has Pay Over Time set to "on"), all purchases will either go to your Pay Over Time balance or will need to be paid in full by the end of the month. Pay Over Time is especially helpful for business owners that might need a little breathing room to settle sudden expenses. However, keep in mind that there is a preset limit to the balance you can Pay Over Time. Any charge that exceeds your Pay Over Time balance limit will need to be paid in full by the end of the month. <h4>Amex Offers</h4> is available on every American Express card, but it can be especially helpful for expanding the Business Green card's reward opportunities. This special deal program offers limited-time promotions that you can activate in order to earn bonus Membership Rewards points or cash back on participating retailer purchases. Amex Offers aren't cash cows, but these extra helpings can add up if you maximize the reward limits. <h2>Rates and fees</h2> The Amex Business Green Rewards card usually has a $95 annual fee, but it's currently waived for your first year. This kind of offer is increasingly rare, and it gives you plenty of time to decide whether you need to in case you aren't making the most of your card for the price tag. Your balance usually must be paid off every month, so there isn't a traditional interest rate to worry about. However, you'll be charged a 17.99 percent to 25.99 percent variable APR if you use the Pay Over Time feature to carry a balance. Be careful not to miss a payment on your normal balance that must be paid in full, though, or you'll face a late payment fee of $39 or 2.99 percent of that balance (whichever is greater). It's also worth noting that although the Business Green card is a travel rewards card, there is oddly a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee. <h2>How the American Express Business Green Card compares to other business cards</h2> The Amex Business Green Rewards card's straightforward structure is a bit lean considering the equivalent (or better) benefits and rewards the issuer's carry. Depending on how your business expenses and annual fee budget lean, these other credit cards might be worthwhile alternatives to the Business Green card: <h2>Business Green Rewards Card from American Express</h2> star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bankrate Score Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. Annual fee Intro offer Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases with the Business Green Rewards Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Rewards rate 2X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com Earn one Membership Rewards point for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product. <h2>American Express® Business Gold Card</h2> on American Express's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* Rewards rate Get 4X Membership Rewards points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases. ** Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.* Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product. <h2>The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express</h2> on American Express's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Rewards rate Earn 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product. <h3>Business Green Rewards Card from vs. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express</h3> Rather than restricting your boosted rewards rate to travel, also provides 2X points, but on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year, then 1X points), for no annual fee. In fact, this broader rewards scope may be more lucrative if you don't plan to spend well beyond this annual limit or utilize Amex's travel transfer partners. However, this is a traditional credit card with a defined credit limit. But on the bright side, you can request expanded buying power to cover any big expenses around the corner. The Business Green card still has an edge over this feature, though, since the issuer still has to approve each request and your extra wiggle room isn't unlimited. How much your credit line can be temporarily increased depends on your credit record with Amex - based on factors like payment history, typical credit utilization, etc. - and you'll have to fully pay off those over-limit purchases as part of your minimum payment that month. If you don't mind considering cash back over travel cards, the is a true and one of the few business cards outside Amex with a flexible spending limit. It rakes in unlimited 2 percent cash back on all purchases and surpasses Amex's travel portal rewards rate with 5 percent cash back on hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel. However, its $150 annual fee is a little higher and you can't carry a balance like the Business Green may allow. <h3>Business Green Rewards Card from American Express vs. American Express® Business Gold Card</h3> If the Blue Business Plus card's capped rewards and credit line hobble your rewards spending, paying up for the American Express Business Gold card's heftier $295 annual fee could be worth the upgraded rewards and purchasing power. The largely lie in its stronger rewards rates since it strangely doesn't carry any other perks like annual credits to help justify the higher annual fee. However, its 4X points on two of six select business expense categories (up to $150,000 in combined purchases, then 1X points) can be much more lucrative than the Business Green card's rates, especially since the Busines Gold's potential categories include airfare, U.S. restaurants and more. What's more, the Business Gold card also boosts your rewards' value by 25 percent if you use your points to pay for your flight. Despite a much higher annual fee, it's not much harder to offset the annual fee with the Business Gold card's rewards. It would take spending at least $396 each month on American Express Travel purchases with the Business Green to offset its $95 annual fee after the first year. However, putting your points toward Amex airfare means you'll only need to spend around $100 more each month - at least $492 in your 4X-point categories - with the Business Gold to recoup its annual fee. That means businesses with smaller overhead costs that lean toward travel may find the Business Green more cost-effective. However, many businesses will have a much easier time earning rewards with everyday expense-oriented categories, so the for the majority of businesses. <h3>Best cards to pair with the American Express Business Green Card</h3> Splurging for an additional, pricey American Express card would likely defeat the Business Green card's cost-effectiveness, so we recommend pairing it with one of the traditional Amex business credit cards. With another $95 or no-annual-fee card, you can shore up the Business Green card's scope of bonus categories. However, the Business Green's low rewards rate makes it difficult to find a card that complements it without stepping on its toes or making it obsolete. The aforementioned Blue Business Plus card's 2X points on all purchases can cover anything outside your Business Green travel category - even your business' bills. The Business Green can then cover your travel purchases, making it easier to stay below the Business Plus card's $50,000 annual spending cap (beyond which you'll only earn 1X points). But if you're serious enough about your rewards strategy to craft a card combination with the Business Green, it may be worthwhile to consider upgrading to a higher-tier Amex card first. <h2>Bankrate s Take Is the American Express Business Green Card worth it </h2> Ultimately, the American Express Business Green Rewards Card is a bit pricey for the meager rewards and benefits you'll scrape in compared to other cards' that charge a $95 annual fee. In fact, other premium American Express cards easily outclass it if you're willing to fork over the steeper annual fee. However, if you're set on American Express and your small business relies on frequent travel and buying power, then the Business Green card is a fine choice. But ultimately, other Amex cards and business cards in its class can be much more rewarding for the price tag. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company. All information about the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer. <h2 data-table-of-contents-category="faqs"> Frequently Asked Questions </h2> <h3> What credit score is needed for the Business Green Rewards Card </h3> You’ll have the best approval odds if you apply for the Business Green Rewards card with good to excellent credit (a FICO score of 670 or higher, or a VantageScore of 661 or higher). <h3> Can you carry a balance with the Business Green Rewards Card </h3> Thanks to its Pay Over Time feature, you can carry a balance with the Business Green Rewards card. You can log into your account or call the customer service phone number on the back of your card to switch Pay Over Time on and off. Once this option is turned off, the Business Green card operates like a charge card again and you’ll be required to pay off your balance in full at the end of each month. <h3> What is the American Express Business Green card s credit limit </h3> Unlike a traditional credit card, the Business Green card doesn’t have a preset credit limit. This flexible spending limit means that you can cover your high-expense business needs without worrying about going over a credit limit. <br> <br> However, any Pay Over Time balance that you accrue does have a credit limit that the issuer can increase or decrease. <h3> Can you upgrade from the Business Green card to the Amex Business Gold or Business Platinum card </h3> If you’ve decided that the Business Green card is no longer the best fit for your business needs, you can certainly in the same family — including the Business Gold or . All you need to do is call the customer service phone number on the back of your card and request to upgrade. <br> <br> In fact, it’s a smart move to upgrade your existing business card instead of applying to a new Amex card in the same rewards family and canceling your current card since you won’t . <h3> ON THIS PAGE</h3> Written by Garrett Yarbrough Credit Card Reviews Writer Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, credit monitoring and identity theft analysis on NextAdvisor.com, he joined the CreditCards.com and Bankrate.com teams as a staff writer to develop product reviews and comprehensive credit card guides focused on cash back, credit scores and card offers. Edited by Former Senior Director of Content <h2> Advertiser Disclosure</h2> Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. The offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Bankrate.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and the likelihood of applicants' credit approval also impact how and where products appear on this site. Bankrate.com does not include the entire universe of available financial or credit offers.<br>Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. * See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. 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