American Express Business Green Card Review 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews.

The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: American Express® Business Green Rewards Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Introduction to the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card

The American Express® Business Green Rewards Card is a straightforward travel rewards business card from Amex that earns valuable Membership Rewards points. However, it doesn’t offer the best value for its annual fee, especially with stronger competitors on the market. 

Here’s what you should know about this entry-level business card.

Amex Business Green Rewards Card Overview

The American Express® Business Green Rewards Card lacks many benefits associated with other Amex business cards. The card offers a modest welcome bonus but comes with underwhelming reward rates, with no bonus rates for business spending categories. It does offer some travel and consumer protections, which can provide value if used regularly.

Despite its flaws, the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card is still a viable option for small businesses that need purchase flexibility, since this card does not have a preset spending limit. Applicants can often earn a welcome bonus as well, which makes the card worth its keep for the first year. 

Amex Business Green Rewards Card Rewards

The American Express® Business Green Rewards Card really flops when it comes to point earning rates on business expenditures. But when it comes to redeemable rewards options, cardholders fare better since this card earns valuable Membership Rewards points. 

Welcome Bonus

The American Express® Business Green Rewards Card currently offers 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership. Based on our valuations, Membership Rewards are worth 1.8 cents per point on average making the welcome bonus worth approximately $1,260. 

Earning Rewards

Earning Membership Rewards points is straightforward with the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card. Cardholders earn: 

• 2 points per dollar on eligible purchases at amextravel.com
• 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases

That means you’ll only earn one point per dollar spent on business and everyday purchases, and a lower rate of rewards on travel than you could potentially earn on many other travel business credit cards.

The rewards structure of the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card falls far below what you can earn with other top business travel rewards credit cards. 

Redeeming Rewards

As mentioned, Membership Rewards are worth around 1.8 cents apiece. The Amex loyalty rewards program is among the most flexible available, offering numerous ways to redeem points earned with your American Express® Business Green Rewards Card:

• Travel: Cardholders can redeem points for flights, hotels and cruises through AmexTravel.com. 
• Transfer partners: One of the most valuable redemptions is to transfer your points to any of Amex’s 18 airline and three hotel transfer partners, which transfer at a 1:1 ratio in most instances. 
• Pay with points: You can also use points to pay for purchases when checking out at Amazon.com, Staples and other participating merchants. 
• Cover your charges: Points are redeemable for statement credits to cover eligible charges on your card. 
• Cash deposits: If you have an American Express Rewards Checking account or Business Checking account, you can redeem your points for cash via a check deposit to your checking account. 
• Shopping: Cardholders can use points to go shopping for merchandise on MembershipRewards.com. 
• Gift cards: If you like gift cards, you can redeem points for gift cards from popular retailers, restaurants and travel brands. 

Not all redemptions hold the same value. Generally, you can get the most value by transferring your points to airline partners for award flights. 

Amex Business Green Rewards Card Benefits and Features

Overall, the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card may not have enough benefits to justify its annual fee. That said, it does feature a handful of travel and business benefits cardholders may find valuable. 

No Preset Spending Limit

Your American Express® Business Green Rewards Card comes with a flexible spending limit, allowing you to extend beyond normal limits for purchases based on your payment and credit history. 

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

If you’re renting a car for business, you receive secondary auto rental coverage when you charge the entire rental cost to your card and decline the rental company’s option collision damage waiver. 

Baggage Insurance

Use your American Express® Business Green Rewards Card to pay for carrier vehicle ticket fares (plane, train, ship, or bus) and receive up to $1,250 in coverage for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage if it is lost, stolen or damaged. 

Global Assist Hotline

As a cardholder, you can call the Amex Global Assist Hotline for emergency travel needs and emergency legal and medical referrals. Keep in mind that you are responsible for any costs incurred for assistance services provided. 

Extended Warranty

Eligible purchases made with your American Express® Business Green Rewards Card with a qualifying manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less will receive up to one additional year of coverage. The benefit provides coverage up to $10,000 per eligible item and up to $50,000 per card account each calendar year.

Purchase Protection

Eligible new purchases made with your American Express® Business Green Rewards Card are covered for up to 90 days for accidental damage and theft. The benefit provides coverage up to $1,000 per item and $50,000 per account each calendar year.

Business Benefits

The American Express® Business Green Rewards Card offers a handful of features and tools to help you run your business, including: 

• Up to 99 free employee cards, allowing you to earn rewards on employee purchases
• Compatibility with Quickbooks for simple, automatic expense tracking for card purchases
• The ability to designate an account manager to manage your card account and set spending limits on employee cards
• A comprehensive year-end summary so you can review your card spending for the year

Amex Business Green Rewards Card Annual Fee and Other Costs

The American Express® Business Green Rewards Card carries a $95 annual fee.

The card works like a charge card, which means you cannot carry a balance, and it must be paid in full each month. If you qualify for the card’s Pay Over Time feature, you can finance eligible purchases at a variable rate based on your creditworthiness and other factors.

Although it’s touted as a travel rewards card, American Express® Business Green Rewards Card is not an ideal card to use for international purchases, thanks to a foreign transaction fee of 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to U.S. dollars. The card also charges fees for late and returned payments. 

From a strict cost analysis standpoint, this card doesn’t offer a value proposition worth its annual fee after the first year, assuming you’re able to earn a welcome bonus up front. 

Amex Business Green Rewards Card Comparison

There are several travel-focused business credit cards that perform better than the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card. Here are a few we recommend. 

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express vs. American Express® Business Green Rewards Card

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a no-fee business credit card from American Express that offers significantly more value for infinitely less financial investment.

This card offers most of the same business features and tools found with the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card, as well as similar travel benefits like car rental loss, damage insurance, and access to the Global Assist Hotline. However, this card doesn’t offer baggage insurance. 

Similar to the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express features a modest welcome bonus offer. It also earns Membership Rewards points, but at better rates.

With this card, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent in purchases each year, then 1 point per dollar on purchases after that. If you were able to reach that $50,000 mark on spending in a calendar year, that’s an extra 100,000 Membership Rewards points you’d earn from using the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express over the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express also has no annual fee, making it a great option for business owners who want to earn rewards without paying a yearly fee (and significantly more valuable than the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card).

The business card also comes with an introductory 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months from account opening (After that, 18.49% – 26.49% Variable APR applies, based on your creditworthiness).

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card vs. American Express® Business Green Rewards Card

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a travel rewards business card from Chase, and our top choice for our best small business cards list as well as best business credit cards for travel.

Instead of earning Membership Rewards, this card earns rewards from rival Chase Ultimate Rewards, another versatile rewards program that’s a big Amex competitor.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card comes with a massive welcome bonus offer of 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Unlike the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card, this card earns bonus rates in business-related categories: 

• 3x points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year:
• Shipping purchases
• Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
• Internet, cable, and phone services
• Travel
• Unlimited 1x points on all other purchases 
• 5x points on Lyft rides through March 2025

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program offers great redemption options through 11 airline and 3 hotel transfer partners. You can also redeem points for 25% more value when used to book travel through the Chase Travel portal. 

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card charges the same $95 annual fee as the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card but has no foreign transaction fees.

The card comes with several travel and consumer protections that are extremely worthwhile, such as complimentary cellphone insurance. 

How We Reviewed the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card

The credit card experts at Business Insider evaluated the American Express® Business Green Rewards Card against other American Express business cards and other top business credit cards.

We focused on the following criteria:

• Ease of use — Does the card offer a straightforward rewards program that is easy to navigate? Is the card’s rewards program easy to navigate?
• Earning potential — How does the card’s welcome bonus compare to similar business cards? Does the card earn rewards in bonus categories beneficial for small business owners? Are there any limits placed on rewards earning? 
• Benefits — Does the card carry benefits that provide value for small business owners? Do the benefits included with the card offset the card’s annual fee? 
• Annual fee — Does the card have an annual fee, and if so, do its rewards and perks justify it? 

Read about how we rate credit cards for a closer look at our methodology.

FAQs