Blue Business Plus vs. Ink Business Preferred

Blue Business® Plus Credit Card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Business owners need a credit card specifically for their business. It’s helpful come tax time and to keep personal and business expenses separate. But which card is right for you? Here are two excellent contenders for your next business credit card.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Side-By-Side Comparison

The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
Chase Ink Business Preferred

Our Rating

4.5
★★★★
4.7
★★★★

Welcome Offer

Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points (Terms Apply)

Earn 120,000 bonus points

Rewards

1x - 2x

1-3x points

Annual Fee

No annual fee

$95

Regular APR

18.49% - 26.49%

21.24%-26.24%

0% APR on Purchases

12 months from date of account opening

N/A

0% APR on Balance Transfers

N/A

N/A

AmEx Business Plus

Ink Preferred card

Welcome Offer Winner: Ink Preferred card

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has this offer for new cardholders: 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. (Terms Apply.)

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers this: Earn 120,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

American Express membership points are worth between 0.6 cents and a penny each, depending on how you redeem them. That makes this offer worth about $150 if you use it for travel or up to $300 if you transfer points to a travel partner. Every little bit helps, and the spending to earn the bonus is easily achievable for most business owners.

The offer from Chase is worth much more especially when you redeem the points for travel through Chase Travel(SM). We give the nod to the Ink Preferred.

Rewards Winner: Ink Preferred card

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express offers cardholders 2x Membership Rewards® points on everyday eligible business purchases, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and 1x points on purchases after you pass that threshold. Plus you earn an additional point for each dollar you spend on eligible travel purchases at Amextravel.com. *Terms Apply

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers cardholders 3x points per $1 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year including:

  • Shipping purchases
  • Advertising purchases made with social media and search engines
  • Internet, cable, and phone services

Plus you get 5x points on Lyft rides through March 2025 and 1x points on all other purchases. Your points are also worth 25% more with this card when you use them to book travel through Chase Travel(SM). We give Chase the nod for this category.

Here are the details for each card.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Rewards

1x points
On all other eligible purchases
1x points on other purchases.
2x points
All eligible purchases
Earn 2x Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners up to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1x points.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Rewards

1x points
On all other eligible purchases
Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
3x points
All eligible purchases
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year.

Interest Rates Winner: AmEx Business Plus

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express offers slightly lower interest rates than the Chase card, plus there’s no annual fee. However, it does charge foreign transaction fees. If you’re traveling internationally, take the Chase card. If you’re staying home, the American Express card is a slightly better deal.

AmEx Business Plus

Ink Preferred card

Annual Fee

No annual fee

$95

Foreign Transaction Fee

2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

$0

Regular APR

18.49% – 26.49%

21.24%-26.24%

Fee Winner: AmEx Business Plus

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has no annual fee and offers 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card card has an annual fee, and there is currently no 0% intro APR offer, so we give American Express the win here.

Features and Benefits: Ink Preferred card

For features and benefits, Ink Preferred card wins. You get more travel benefits, plus 5x on Lyft rides. It’s not a big difference, but it might tip the balance towards the Chase card if you’re on the fence.

AmEx Business Plus

SecurityEMV Chip Enabled, Fraud Monitoring, Zero Liability, Alerts
Contactless PaymentsTap to Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
BenefitsExtended Warranty Coverage, Purchase Protection, 24/7 customer service
Travel PerksAuto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Ink Preferred card

SecurityEMV Chip Enabled, Fraud Monitoring, Zero Liability
Contactless PaymentsTap to Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
BenefitsCell Phone Protection, Extended Warranty Coverage, Purchase Protection, 24/7 customer service
Travel PerksAuto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Roadside Assistance, Trip Cancellation Insurance

Who the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is Best For

Newer business owners and small business owners who don’t want to keep track of categories will appreciate the straightforward earning structure of the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. You won’t have to pay an annual fee (which always seems to come around at the worst possible time), and you’ll have a whole year of interest-free payments on purchases. That can help get a new business off the ground, or make some improvements to take an established business to the next level.

Who the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is Best For

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers good rewards on typical business expenses. The welcome offer is generous, especially for a card with only a $95 annual fee. Your points are worth 25% more when you use them to book travel through Chase Travel(SM). Or, you can transfer your points to Chase’s travel partners, which could potentially boost their value. And you get elevated rewards on common business purchases, plus no foriegn transaction fees. It’s a good choice for many small businesses.

Does it Make Sense to Get Both Cards?

Maybe. The Chase card has a better bonus and better rewards in specific business categories. You could put purchases in those categories on the Chase card and then take advantage of the 0% intro APR on the American Express card for every other purchase. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express doesn’t have an annual fee, so it’s not that big a deal to get both cards, but keep in mind that you will have to spend $11,000 to earn both bonuses.

Approval Odds

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

App StatusDateCredit ScoreBureauCredit Limit
Approved04/06/2024
821
Equifax
$12,800
Approved04/06/2024
830
TransUnion
$12,800
Approved04/06/2024
841
Experian
$12,800
Denied12/11/2023
753
Not Provided
---

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

App StatusDateCredit ScoreBureauCredit Limit
Approved09/04/2023
760
Not Provided
---
Approved09/26/2023
746
Experian
$5,500
Approved09/26/2023
764
TransUnion
$5,500
Approved09/26/2023
798
Equifax
$5,500
Approved12/27/2023
710
Not Provided
$14,500
Approved07/03/2023
755
Experian
$14,500
Approved09/21/2023
816
Not Provided
---
Approved01/06/2024
825
Experian
$10,000
Approved01/06/2024
845
Equifax
$10,000
Approved01/06/2024
845
TransUnion
$10,000
Approved10/31/2023
788
Experian
$63,000
Approved10/31/2023
804
TransUnion
$63,000

Both cards require excellent credit. Technically, business cards don’t count towards Chase’s 5/24 rule, but you must be below 5/24 to get approved for a Chase business card. American Express doesn’t have this rule, so if you are going to apply for both cards, apply for the Chase one first.

Bottom Line

Both the Amex Business Platinum and the Ink Preferred card offer excellent value for business owners. One will probably suit your spending style more than the other, but if you really can’t decide, you could get both.