The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express vs. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

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Two of the best no-annual-fee business credit cards are the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. Business owners searching for a great card with excellent rewards and no annual fee will want to apply for one–or both–of these cards.

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

Both of these cards made our list of the best business credit cards. Here are the details of each card:

Welcome Offer Winner: Ink Business Unlimited

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 Unlimited® Credit Card offers this: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 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 redeem the points for travel.

The Chase offer seems very straightforward, but if you read the fine print, what you get is points, which can be redeemed for cash. Still, it is a lot more money, so Chase wins this round.

Rewards Winner: It’s a tie

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express earns 2x 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. Terms and limitations apply.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers cardholders unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase. You do earn 5% cash back on Lyft rides as well through March 2025, but for most people, the 1.5% cash back on every purchase is the selling point. No categories, no caps.

As far as which card is the better deal, it depends on how much you spend. If you spend less than $50,000, the American Express card is the better deal. If you spend more than that, the Chase card earns more cash back. Of course, you could just get both cards, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

Here are the details for each card.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Rewards

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Rewards

Interest Rates Winner: It’s a tie

Both cards offer similar interest rates, although American Express has a slightly higher ceiling on the APR. Both cards charge foreign transaction fees, with the American Express card charging a teeny tiny bit less. This is a toss-up.

Fee Winner: It’s a tie

These cards are remarkably similar. Neither has an annual fee, and both have a 0% introductory APR offer on purchases for the first 12 months from date of account opening. We’re going to call this one a tie as well.

Features and Benefits: Ink Business Unlimited

These are very similar cards, benefits-wise. The only thing that the Ink Business Unlimited offers that the AmEx Business Plus doesn’t is roadside dispatch. It’s not a free benefit: any services are billed to your card.

One significant difference is that the insurance on the auto collision damage waiver on the Chase card is primary insurance, and on the American Express card, it’s secondary. Secondary insurance means the credit card will only pay for whatever your personal auto insurance doesn’t cover. You will have to file a claim with your personal insurance, fill out forms, and possibly risk your rates going up.

With Primary insurance, you can skip all of that. Your credit card will pay the claim first, without you having to file to see what your personal insurance covers. Keep in mind you must pay for the rental car with your credit card, and no credit card covers liability insurance. But this is a great benefit, especially for a card with no annual fee.

AmEx Business Plus

Ink Business Unlimited

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

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is an excellent card for business owners who don’t anticipate spending over $50,000 on their credit card in any given year. Many small businesses fall under this threshold, and this card should suit you well. You can take advantage of the 0% intro APR for 12 months from date of account opening on purchases (then 17.99% - 25.99% variable APR) to set up an office or invest in some upgrades.

Who the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is Best For

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a great no-annual fee card for business owners who don’t want to worry about reward categories or caps. You get 1.5% cash back on every purchase. Simple, and one less thing for a harried, over-booked business owner to worry about. There is the 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months (then 18.49% - 24.49% variable APR) on this card as well.

Does it Make Sense to Get Both Cards?

Yes. Neither card has an annual fee, so you could easily justify both cards. You can put all your business purchases on the American Express card until you reach the $50,000 mark, then switch to the Chase card to earn 1.5%. To get both welcome offers, you’ll need to spend $9,000 in three months, but many businesses can do that.

Approval Odds

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Both cards require good-to-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 Plus and the Ink Business Unlimited offer excellent value for business owners. You can choose the one that fits your spending best, or you can apply for both. Either way, both are excellent business credit cards.