Is the Amex Blue Business Plus worth getting?

MoneyRoom Card Score

9.3/ 10

Usable value10.0

Effort10.0

Earning7.5

It's the highest score we publish, and the reasons are pleasantly boring: 2× points on every purchase, points worth more than cash, no fee and no upkeep. The only fine print is a spending cap.

How the 0–10 Card Score works

Data: MoneyRoom card catalog (details pending verification are flagged) · scores update daily · catalog data as of 2026-09-30 (source: www.americanexpress.com) · How we verify

Sometimes all three parts of the score agree. No fee and no credits give perfect value and effort scores, and its earning score is 7.5: 2× on everything, in Amex points we count as worth 1.125¢ each, works out to about 2.3% back — more than the same rate paid in cash, because the points are worth more than a cent each.

That mix — one simple rate, paid in points you can move to airlines and hotels — is what the overall score of 9.3 measures, with no annual fee. Two caveats: the double rate only applies up to a yearly spending cap, then drops to the base rate (our figure already includes the cap for typical spending), and points you don't move to an airline or hotel are worth less than the value we use.

Credits vs. fee

No annual fee to cover.

Typical value applies our published discounts for what makes credits easy to miss: deadlines, limits on where you can use them, enrollment (switching a credit on once), and waiting to be paid back.

This card has no recurring statement credits. There's nothing to enroll in, track, or lose — the list is empty by design.

The fine print that matters

Why is typical value less than face value?

Two things to remember. The cap: the 2× rate applies up to a yearly spending limit, then the base rate. It never matters for typical spending, but it decides things for a business that puts six figures a year on the card, which should look at the break-even math on our page about flat-rate cards with annual fees instead. The points: they're only worth 1.125¢ each when you use them well — mostly by moving them to airlines and hotels — and a business that will only ever take statement credits should mentally lower this page's earning figure toward cash value.

Earning

What does everyday spending actually earn?

Rewards come as Amex Membership Rewards points, which we value at 1.125¢ per point (a middle-of-the-range value). On our published mix of everyday spending, that works out to 2.3% back.

Category	Rate	After spending caps	Note
Dining	2×	2.00×	Base rate
Groceries	2×	2.00×	Base rate
Gas	2×	2.00×	Base rate
Flights booked direct	2×	2.00×	Base rate
Hotels booked direct	2×	2.00×	Base rate
Everything else	2×	2.00×

Not in the score

What does the score leave out?

Extra value from moving points. 1.125¢ per point is a middle value, not the most you can get. People who book flights with points can do better, and that extra is yours.
Expanded buying power. Being able to spend above your limit is useful for running a business, but it has no rewards value we can price.
The welcome bonus. One-time points; our year-two rule doesn't bend for any card, however strong.

Listed on the card, never priced:

Expanded Buying Power
Membership Rewards transfer partners

Your own numbers

See if it pays for itself for you.

The score assumes a typical cardholder. The free Annual Fee Calculator loads this card's real credits and fee and lets you enter what you'd actually use — no account needed.

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Keep comparing

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Questions

Common questions before you apply.

Why is this the highest score we publish?
9.3 out of 10 because nothing pulls it down: no fee (value 10.0), no upkeep (effort 10.0), and about 2.3% back from 2× in points we count as worth more than a cent each.
What's the spending cap and does it matter?
The double rate applies up to a yearly limit, then the base rate. Typical spending never reaches it — our figure already accounts for it — but a business that spends a lot will hit it and should plan a second card for the rest.
Is it worth it if I'll never move points to airlines?
Still good, just less special: without transfers, the points are worth closer to plain cash, and the card becomes much like a cash-back card with the same flat rate. Its top score depends on using the points well.