Business Green Rewards Card From American Express Review: Is It Worth Getting?
Business Green Rewards Card From American Express Review: Is It Worth Getting?
While the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is an OK business travel rewards card, there are far better options when it comes to choosing a credit card for your business.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Citi is an advertising partner.
Quick facts
More details
Rates & fees
- 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.
- Earning rate: 2X points for each $1 you spend on eligible purchases at amextravel.com and 1 point for each $1 you spend on other purchases.
- Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
- Foreign transaction fee: 3%
- Terms apply
Quick facts
- 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.
- Earning rate: 2X points for each $1 you spend on eligible purchases at amextravel.com and 1 point for each $1 you spend on other purchases.
- Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
- Foreign transaction fee: 3%
- Terms apply
More details
- Purchase protection for accidental damage or theft up to 90 days post purchase
- Car rental insurance
- Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on and $500 for a checked bag
- 24/7 Global Assist Hotline
- Roadside Assistance
- Travel Accident Insurance provides up to $100,000 in coverage
Rates & fees
- Intro Purchase APR: N/A
- Regular Purchase APR: 16.49% to 24.49% -Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for Pay Over Time Feature
- Intro BT APR: N/A
- Regular BT APR: N/A
- Annual Fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3%
- Balance Transfer Fee: N/A
- See rates and fees
Pros
Cons
Quick facts
- 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.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
- Earn 2X points for each $1 you spend on eligible purchases at amextravel.com and 1 point for each $1 you spend on other purchases.
- No preset spending limit
- Business Green Rewards Card from American Express employee cards
- Terms apply
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express full review
With lackluster benefits all the way around, the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express leaves us with an overall average taste in our mouth. The card features a modest 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. We've seen better when it comes to welcome offers.
The card allows you to Earn 2X points for each $1 you spend on eligible purchases at amextravel.com and 1 point for each $1 you spend on other purchases. This earning rate could be lucrative if your business makes frequent travel purchases, but we feel that other business cards simply have more to offer.
For example, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers businesses 3X points on all travel purchases (for the first $150,000 of combined spending in select categories). That's a stronger rewards rate with more flexible earning options, as you're not limited to travel purchases made solely on amextravel.com.
If your credit score is high enough to be approved for this card, chances are you'll be eligible for other business cards that offer greater returns.
Who is the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express best for?
The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is best for business owners looking for a straightforward business card who don't want to concern themselves with too many bells and whistles. For those looking for a card with some basic business perks like employee cards, no preset spending limit and average rewards rates, this card will be just fine. If you have a higher budget for expenses, you'll likely want a card that earns more rewards and comes with a few more perks.
Welcome offer
The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express allows new cardholders to 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.
Unfortunately, this welcome offer is relatively low compared with other welcome offers for business cards. Accepting a welcome offer this low seems like a bit of a waste for prospective business cardholders because businesses that are newly taking out a credit card are likely to have a significant amount of startup costs, meaning they'll be doing some serious spending in the first few months of card membership. Stronger welcome offers from other cards incentivize business owners to put those startup costs on their new credit card.
What’s it worth?: Around $150 in travel through AmexTravel.com or around $300 when transferred to an Amex travel partner.
Who is eligible for this offer?: This welcome offer is not available to applicants who have or have had this card. Amex may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.
Earning rate
Businesses with the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express will earn 2X points for each $1 you spend on eligible purchases at amextravel.com and 1 point for each $1 you spend on other purchases.
Cardholders are not limited in the amount of rewards they can earn. We estimate the value of each Membership Rewards point to be anywhere from 0.5 cents to 2 cents each, depending on how you redeem them.
This earning rate is decent compared with what other business cards are offering. Though you'll only get 2X points per dollar on purchases made on amextravel.com, American Express Membership Rewards Points are extremely valuable when transferred to Amex partners.
Other business cards, like the American Express® Business Gold Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, offer broader earning categories which give cardholders more flexible options to choose from. This makes the cards more rewarding overall.
Average rewards earned per $1 spent
What are Business Green Rewards Card from American Express points worth?
Membership Rewards is one of the most valuable rewards currencies available. We found they range between 0.5 cent to 2.2 cents.
Value: Above average
Ease of redeeming: Above average
Redeeming rewards
Membership Rewards points can be used for travel purchases through American Express Travel. They can also be redeemed as gift cards and shopping as well as transferred to a number of airline and hotel frequent travel partners, including Delta, British Airways and Hilton. You'll get the most bang for your buck by transferring your Membership Rewards points to any of the Amex airline and hotel transfer partners, which boosts the estimated value of each point to about 2.2 cents.
Amex points value
Redemption option | Estimated value (in cents) |
|---|---|
| Transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs | Depends on program (around 2.2 cents on average) |
| Book flights through the Amex Travel portal | 1.0 |
| Book hotels through the Amex Travel portal | 0.7 |
| Redeem for gift cards | 0.5-1.10 |
| Shop with points | 0.5 |
| Pay with your points at checkout | 0.7-1.0 |
| Cover your card charges and receive a statement credit | 0.6 |
Other benefits
The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express does come with a few notable benefits.
As a card member, you can be covered for damage to or theft of a rental vehicle in a covered territory when you use your Business Green Rewards Card from American Express to reserve and pay for the entire rental and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental company counter. Be sure to read through the exclusions and restrictions to understand this benefit fully before making your purchase.
When you make an eligible purchase with the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express, Amex may extend the original manufacturer’s warranty. (See the card’s guide to benefits for more details.)
The Purchase protection feature can bring you peace of mind when you shop using your Business Green Rewards Card from American Express. Use your card for covered purchases, and your membership can help protect those purchases against theft or damage. Don't forget to read the important exclusions and restrictions before making your purchases.
For frequent international travelers, not having to worry about foreign transaction fees can be a major benefit. If your business has a lot of international expenses, this card can end up saving you hundreds (or even thousands, depending on how much you spend on the card) of dollars in foreign transaction fees.
One of the major benefits is that business owners can take out separate American Express business employee cards that will also earn rewards on the account. This feature can help you keep track of employee spending and offers an easy method for controlling your business expenses.
One of the most unique features of the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express is that there is no preset spending limit on your card — the limit adapts and expands based on your purchase, payment and credit history. You can also use the Check Spending Power tool in your online account or mobile app to check if a large purchase will be approved.
This card offers a convenient baggage insurance plan, which allows cardholders to be covered for lost, damaged or stolen baggage. This is a nice little perk that can give travelers some peace of mind.
The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express gives cardmembers access to the Global Assist Hotline, which can help you prepare for your trip before you go and provide emergency assistance during your trip.
Drawbacks
For all the benefits that come with the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express, there are also some significant drawbacks to consider:
- Few luxury travel benefits – For a business card whose benefits are largely travel-focused, there are surprisingly few luxury travel benefits included with this card. Other cards in this category typically include things like a free checked bag on specific airlines, airport lounge access, priority boarding and more.
- Limited bonus categories – Compared with other available business cards, the card’s bonus earnings are considerably limited. Though earning 2X Membership Rewards points on travel can quickly add up, you're restricted when it comes to what counts as "travel," as you'll only earn those points when you book through amextravel.com.
- No intro APR – No intro APR is offered with the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express. Intro APRs are particularly useful for business cards, as businesses just starting out often have large startup expenses that could benefit from a bit of cushion when it comes to interest rates.
- Relatively low welcome offer – The welcome offer is a bit low when compared with what other business cards are offering. A high welcome offer is helpful for offsetting a card's annual fee and allowing business owners to earn rewards on their often hefty startup costs.
- Terms apply.
How does the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express compare to other cards?
Here’s how the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express compares to some of our favorite business cards available.
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Business Green Rewards Card from American Express vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Better rewards and a larger welcome offer
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is one of our favorite credit cards for business owners, and it is superior to the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express in almost every way. It features a fantastic 3X points for travel, advertising, internet and phone services, and shipping for the first $150,000 in combined purchases. For travel purchases, this means you will be earning almost 50% more points than you would with the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card also features the following sign-up bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. We estimate this to be worth more than the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express's welcome offer. Because of the increased rewards earning potential, we recommend the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card over the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express.
Highlights:
- 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. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases—with no limit to the amount you can earn.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $95 annual fee
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card full review
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express vs. Capital One Spark Cash for Business
A straightforward cashback card with solid rewards
The Capital One Spark Cash for Business offers a solid rewards rate — 2% Cash Back for your business on every purchase, everywhere. The biggest difference between the two cards is that the Capital One Spark Cash for Business gives businesses cashback rewards on any purchase.
By contrast, the Membership Rewards points that the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express earns are worth far less when redeemed for cash back than when transferred or redeemed for travel through American Express Travel. Businesses that don't want to have to work to figure out the best redemption options should go with the Capital One Spark Cash for Business.
Highlights:
- 2% Cash Back for your business on every purchase, everywhere
- Earn a one-time $500 cash bonus once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee of $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express vs. American Express® Business Gold Card
Fantastic rewards that offset a high annual fee
The American Express® Business Gold Card offers some of our favorite rewards for a business card. Users receive excellent rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month*.
These points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from the two categories each calendar year. We estimate that the average cardholder can earn around $0.038 in rewards for each dollar spend with the card (or a rewards rate of 3.8%). That's a highly competitive rewards rate, easily besting the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express's rate of 2.2%.
The categories where you're eligible to earn up to 4 points include:
- Airfare purchased directly from airlines
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants
- U.S. purchases for shipping
- Terms apply
The card also comes equipped with some business friendly features, including year-end summaries and the ability to add employee cards with a no annual fee option.
Highlights:
- $295 annual fee
- Add employee cards to your account
- American Express® Business Gold Card full review
- Terms apply
Bottom line: If you're looking for the best overall card for your business, The American Express® Business Gold Card will be your best option.
Is the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express worth it?
In our opinion, there are better business cards out there than the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express. Though this card is the most affordable of the Amex travel cards and comes with decent benefits and valuable rewards for the fee, there are so many more valuable cards available for travel — including the The Platinum Card® from American Express, the American Express® Gold Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Therefore, it doesn't make a lot of sense to choose this card over the alternatives.
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express FAQs
Is it worth having an Business Green Rewards Card from American Express?
No, for the reasons outlined above, we do not think it's worth having an Business Green Rewards Card from American Express. If you're looking for a top-notch business card that will offer you a multitude of exceptional benefits, consider the American Express® Business Gold Card instead.
Which American Express Business Card is best?
We think that the American Express® Business Gold Card is best. It offers a high rewards rate, has no foreign transaction fees and includes plenty of valuable business perks.
Is The Business Platinum Card® from American Express worth it?
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is worth it if you're interested in luxury travel benefits. However, the card comes with a hefty annual fee that may not be worth it for travelers on a budget. Read our The Platinum Card® from American Express review for more details.
What is the easiest American Express Business Card to get?
The easiest American Express Business Card to get depends on what constitutes "easy." Amex business cards generally require 660 - 850 credit, so if you don't have that, any of the cards will be challenging to get. When deciding what Amex business card to get, you should focus more on which card will be the most beneficial for you rather than which will be the easiest to get since the requirements for Amex business cards tend to be similar.
What are the benefits of a business card?
Business cards often come with a variety of benefits that are useful to business owners and allow cardholders to earn rewards on their expenses. They allow businesses a bit of financial flexibility and sometimes include an intro APR to help shoulder some of the startup costs. Some typical business credit card perks include things like employee cards, no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, travel benefits and more.
The information related to Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Business Green Rewards Card from American Express , American Express® Business Gold Card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has been independently collected by ValuePenguin and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply to American Express credit card offers. See americanexpress.com for more information.
The Capital One Spark Cash for Business card may no longer be available.
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How We Calculate Rewards: ValuePenguin calculates the value of rewards by estimating the dollar value of any points, miles or bonuses earned using the card less any associated annual fees. These estimates here are ValuePenguin's alone, not those of the card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer.
Example of how we calculate the rewards rates: When redeemed for travel through Ultimate Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred points are worth $0.0125 each. The card awards 2 points on travel and dining and 1 point on everything else. Therefore, we say the card has a 2.5% rewards rate on dining and travel (2 x $0.0125) and a 1.25% rewards rate on everything else (1 x $0.0125).