How I’m Redeeming 50k Points From the Amex Blue Business Plus Card Welcome Offer

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express is fantastic for small business owners who want to avoid hefty annual fees on their credit cards. That’s because the card offers a generous 2x points on eligible purchases, up to $50,000 per year, with a $0 annual fee (rates & fees).

I had been eyeing this card for a while, so once I stumbled across an elevated 50,000-point welcome offer, I jumped at it. This welcome bonus offer is targeted, so I knew this was a rare opportunity to earn a huge haul of points. Here are ways I plan on using the 50,000 points when it’s time to cash them in.

Targeted offers are discussed in the article below. Please note that these offers are not available to all applicants. Any information related to targeted offers has been independently collected and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Amex Blue Business Plus Card Welcome Bonus Offer

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.

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The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.

Welcome 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.

15,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$330

Annual Fee

No annual fee

APR

17.99% - 25.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-840)

Why We Like This Card

As a business owner, getting a credit card that maximizes each dollar you spend does not have to be complicated or expensive. Especially when you opt for The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

With the Amex Blue Business Plus card, you’ll earn 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases throughout the year (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter) and receive purchase protections and no-additional-charge employee cards all for no annual fee (see rates and fees).

The simple and straightforward earning structure makes it a great fit for those looking to earn flexible rewards, without having to fixate on which purchases earn the most points.

Let’s take look at all that the Amex Blue Business Plus card has to offer.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 2x Membership Rewards points per $1 on everyday business purchases (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter)
• Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
• No annual fee and employee cards at no additional cost

Cons

• No unique bonus categories and 2x earnings are capped at $50,000 in annual spend
• No elite travel benefits like lounge access or elite status

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Card Highlights

• 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.
• 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 17.99% - 25.99%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
• Earn 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.
• You’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
• No Annual Fee
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 17.99% - 25.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

This is the publicly available welcome bonus offer on the Amex Blue Business Plus card right now:

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.

However, there’s an even better targeted offer of 50,000 bonus points. That said, this targeted welcome bonus comes with a higher minimum spending requirement of $5,000 to $8,000, which is worth considering before you submit your application.

1. Transfer Points to Virgin Atlantic to London

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is an Amex transfer partner, providing attractive award rates for flights from the U.S. to London. If you want to take the whole family on a trip across the pond without spending a fortune, you can often find economy tickets for as little as 10,000 Flying Club points during off-peak travel periods.

My family consists of 2 adults and 3 children, so the 50,000 American Express Membership Rewards points I would receive after meeting the spending requirements for the welcome offer would be enough to fly all of us to London this fall. Although Virgin Atlantic often adds high taxes and fees to tickets, it’s incredible that I can use the 50,000-point bonus offer from the Amex Blue Business Plus card to fly 5 loved ones to Europe.

2. Fly Emirates New Business Class to Bogota

When Emirates announced that it would be introducing its newest lie-flat business class seats from its refurbished Boeing 777-300s on 6 routes in the U.S., I knew I wanted to experience it.

Fortunately, I wouldn’t need to travel far, as the Dubai-based carrier offers a fifth-freedom route from my home airport of Miami International Airport (MIA) to Bogotá (BOG), which includes the new business class seats. Even better, I have family in Bogota and always cherish the opportunity to visit a place that is so meaningful to me.

There are so many ways to redeem Amex points. Upon meeting the minimum spending requirements of this welcome bonus, I will have enough points that I can transfer 1:1 to Emirates and cover the 52,500 Emirates Skywards miles award cost for a flight in Emirates’ new business class.

3. Book AA Flights to the Caribbean With British Airways Avios

British Airways is another transfer partner of American Express at a 1:1 ratio, and the London-based carrier happens to use a distance-based reward chart, which means that shorter flights require fewer miles than longer ones. This is where the British Airways Executive Club program excels.

Because I reside in South Florida and am close to the Caribbean, I have the option of redeeming Avios at a bargain rate for short-haul award tickets with American Airlines and other Oneworld alliance to fly to the Caribbean with points and miles.

One-way, direct flights from Miami to the beautiful island of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos are routinely expensive year-round.

Instead of paying high cash prices for the 1-hour AA flight from my home to the luxurious island, I can redeem 12,000 British Airways Avios (and pay slightly more than $15 in taxes and fees) per person to fly economy class on American Airlines.

Even better, the 50,000-point welcome bonus offer I receive from my Amex Blue Business Plus card can cover my wife’s and my business class seats to Turks and Caicos, making our journey even more comfortable.

Final Thoughts

I’m still deciding whether to book a family trip to Europe, enjoy a luxurious business class lie-flat seat, or escape to a dreamy island paradise, all thanks to the impressive targeted welcome offer of 50,000 points I got with my Amex Blue Business Plus card. No matter which trip I take, I’m confident I’ll have awesome travel redemptions lined up when it’s time to transfer points and book those flights.