Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card: 2X points

How do you earn points with the Blue Business Plus Card?

The card pays Membership Rewards points at two rates, and which rate applies depends on how much has already been spent on eligible purchases during the calendar year. [1]

American Express describes the 2X rate as applying with no category restrictions and with no annual fee. [1]

Under the Membership Rewards programme terms, a Card Member earns one point for every dollar of spend on an eligible purchase, and any additional points depend on the individual product. [4]

Eligible purchases exclude cash advances and cash equivalents including gift cards, person-to-person transactions, balance transfers, traveller's cheques, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, fees and interest charges, foreign exchange and account service fees, and purchases covered by points; American Express sets this list, can change it, and may remove points it decides were earned on ineligible purchases. [4]

Points are earned only when the minimum amount due is paid by the payment due date on the statement; if a payment is late, the points accrued in that billing period are not earned, but they can be recovered after the amounts due are paid by requesting them and paying a fee for each billing period and each Card Account, within 12 months of that billing period. [4]

What is the $50,000 calendar-year cap?

The 2X rate applies to the first $50,000 of eligible purchases in each calendar year, and eligible purchases above that amount earn 1X until a new calendar year begins. [1]

Eligible purchases made on AmexTravel.com also earn 2X and do not count toward the first $50,000, so travel booked there sits outside the cap. [1]

Spending above the credit limit is possible through Expanded Buying Power, but the amount available is flexible and adapts to use of the card, payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express and other factors, and it is not unlimited. [1]

How do employee cards work?

There is no annual fee for additional Employee Blue Business Plus credit cards. [1]

When an additional Employee Card is added to the account, the account earns Membership Rewards points on the employee's eligible purchases in addition to the points earned on the primary card. [1]

Additional Card Members on business accounts do not have their own Rewards Accounts; the Rewards Account belongs to the Basic Card Member. [4]

Points can be transferred only to a partner loyalty account held in the Basic Card Member's name or in the name of an Additional Card Member on the account, and that Additional Card must have been issued at least 90 days before the accounts are linked. [4] [5]

How can you use the Membership Rewards points you earn?

Points earned on the card can be used for eligible travel through Pay with Points, redeemed for a statement credit, redeemed for gift cards, or used with participating brands at checkout through Pay with Points. [1]

They can also be transferred to participating airline and hotel loyalty programmes, and American Express says Membership Rewards offers transfers to 19 rewards programme partners. [1]

Pay with Points at checkout is available with participating brands including Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and Grubhub. [1]

A transfer requires linking the Rewards Account to the partner account first; in most cases the minimum is 1,000 points in multiples of 1,000, a transfer typically takes 48 hours to process, and transferred points cannot be reversed or converted back into Membership Rewards points. [4] Points transferred to a U.S. airline frequent flyer programme carry an excise tax offset fee per point, subject to a cap. [4]

A statement credit redemption must be worth at least $1. [4]

Exceptions and limits

• Points are lost if the last product linked to the Rewards Account is cancelled or unenrolled, and where American Express cancels an account because of inactivity the Card Member has 90 days to use the points. [4]
• New York Card Members — those with a New York billing address on a linked Card Account — can continue to use points for 90 days in those situations by calling the number on the back of their card. [4]
• Points do not belong to the Card Member, cannot be transferred to someone else's Rewards Account or sold, and cannot be passed on through a divorce, inheritance or bankruptcy. [4]
• American Express may suspend the ability to earn or use points, remove points or cancel products if it decides a Card Member engaged in fraud, abuse, misuse or gaming, including manufacturing spend. [4]
• Purchase Protection covers a Covered Purchase for up to 90 days, up to $1,000 per Covered Purchase and $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year, with exclusions and restrictions. [1]
• Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance is secondary coverage, is unavailable for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy and New Zealand, and does not include liability coverage. [1]
• Extended Warranty extends warranties of five years or less by up to one additional year on Covered Purchases in the United States or its territories or possessions. [1]
• Any welcome offer presented with an application carries its own offer terms and conditions, separate from the ongoing earning rules described here. [1]

Frequently asked questions

Does the Blue Business Plus Credit Card charge an annual fee?

No. American Express describes the card as having no annual fee, and additional Employee Blue Business Plus cards also carry no annual fee. [1]

What happens after $50,000 of spending in a calendar year?

Eligible purchases above the first $50,000 in a calendar year earn 1X points instead of 2X. [1]

Do AmexTravel.com purchases use up the $50,000 cap?

No. Eligible purchases on AmexTravel.com earn 2X points and do not count toward the first $50,000. [1]

Can points earned by employees be transferred to an airline programme?

Transfers can go to a partner account in the name of the Basic Card Member or an Additional Card Member, provided that Additional Card was issued at least 90 days before the accounts are linked. [4] [5]

Do transferred points ever come back to Membership Rewards?

No. A transfer is final, and points moved to a partner loyalty programme cannot be converted back into Membership Rewards points. [4]

Related pages

Terms used here, such as transfers between card points and airline or hotel currencies, are explained in the frequent flyer glossary. For the wider picture of how points become award seats, start with the same glossary of points and miles terms.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other American Express business cards shown alongside this one — including the Business Platinum Card, Business Gold Card, Blue Business Cash Card, Delta SkyMiles business cards, Marriott Bonvoy Business Card and Hilton Honors Business Card — are not covered here, and this profile covers the U.S. card and U.S. Membership Rewards terms only. [2]

1. Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express — card page, checked 18 October 2026
2. American Express business credit cards — card list, checked 18 October 2026
3. Membership Rewards Program Terms and Conditions (U.S.), last updated October 2026, checked 18 October 2026
4. How do I transfer Membership Rewards points? — American Express customer service FAQ, checked 18 October 2026