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American Express offers a suite of business credit cards with different features. But they all share one thing: To qualify, you typically need good personal credit (a FICO score of at least 690). That means no AmEx business card is necessarily easier to get than another.
It won’t take long to find out if you can get a card or not. AmEx says it can make application decisions in under a minute. If you want to help ensure an easy approval, the best path is to understand what American Express is looking for — and general business credit card requirements — before you apply.
Is it hard to get an American Express business card?
American Express business cards aren’t harder to get than other options. If you have good credit, you can get approved for most business credit cards. That includes premium cards like The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
Entrepreneurs may even find getting an AmEx business card easier than obtaining select cards from other issuers.
For instance, most Bank of America business cards require excellent credit — a FICO score of at least 720. Capital One has similar criteria for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus, Capital One Venture X Business and Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit.
However, unlike AmEx, those banks have products for other credit tiers as well. The Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business is one of the few business cards for entrepreneurs with fair credit (a FICO score from 630 to 689). And the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card is potentially available to those with FICO scores below 630.
» MORE: Best business credit cards for bad credit
American Express business card requirements
You typically need a personal FICO score of 690 or higher to qualify for an AmEx business card. Beyond that, AmEx also considers factors like your business credit score and annual business revenue. But even new businesses with no established revenue or business credit history can be approved for an AmEx business card provided they have some level of personal income or assets.
American Express business credit card applications ask for basic business and personal information:
Business details
Business name and DBA name (if applicable).
Business address and phone number.
Industry type.
Company structure: corporation, partnership or sole proprietor.
Years in business.
Number of employees.
Annual business revenue and estimated monthly spend.
Employer identification number (EIN). Sole proprietors can use their Social Security number if they don’t have an EIN.
Personal details
Name, home address and phone number (home and cell phone).
Social Security number.
Date of birth.
Total annual income, including any investments.
Non-taxable income, such as Social Security or disability, if applicable.
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Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | Capital One Spark Cash Plus | The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express |
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NerdWallet rating 5.0/5 | NerdWallet rating 5.0/5 | NerdWallet rating 4.6/5 |
Annual fee $0 | Annual fee $150 | Annual fee $0 |
Regular APR 18.49%-24.49% Variable APR | Regular APR N/A | Regular APR 18.49%-26.49% Variable APR |
Intro APR 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months | Intro APR N/A | Intro APR 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening |
Recommended credit score 690850good - excellent | Recommended credit score 720850excellent | Recommended credit score 690850good - excellent |
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Top AmEx business credit cards
No one AmEx business card is easier or harder to get than another. So instead of approval odds, choosing an AmEx business card for your company should come down to three things:
Where your business spends the most (flights, hotels, advertising, restaurants, shipping, office supplies, etc.).
What type of rewards you want — cash back or AmEx Membership Rewards points.
How much of an annual fee you can stomach. Annual fees for AmEx business cards range from $0 to $695.
🤓Nerdy Tip
The annual fee on your business credit card is tax deductible if you use the card solely for business expenses.
These are the top-rated American Express business cards across popular categories: cash back, travel rewards, hotel and airline cards. But AmEx has many other excellent cards to choose from. See our full list of best American Express business cards.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Best AmEx business cash-back card
American Express
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Rates and FeesNerdWallet Rating
4.9
Annual Fee
$0
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card boasts one of the better introductory APR offers among business credit cards. Beyond that, you earn a solid cash-back rate (at least for a while — the rate drops after you hit a spending threshold). There's also a $0 annual fee. Terms apply. Learn more and apply.
» MORE: Best cash-back business credit cards
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Best AmEx business travel card
American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Rates and FeesNerdWallet Rating
5.0
Annual Fee
$695
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a big annual fee. But business travelers who prefer to go in style will find plenty that appeals to them: high rewards on certain travel purchases, bonus rewards on larger nontravel purchases, a superb newcomer welcome offer, extensive airport lounge access, elite hotel status, hundreds of dollars a year in available credits and a list of perks as long as your arm. It's not cheap, but luxury never is. Terms apply. Learn more and apply.
» MORE: Best business travel cards
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Best AmEx airline business card
American Express
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Rates and FeesNerdWallet Rating
5.0
Annual Fee
$150
There are splashier Delta AmEx cards, with annual fees to match. But the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card delivers a welcome balance of perks vs. fees. You’ll earn bonus points on shipping, advertising and restaurants, as well as Delta flights. There’s also a $200 annual Delta flight credit when you spend at least $10,000 in a calendar year. And the $150 annual fee is waived for the first year. Terms apply. Learn more and apply.
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Best AmEx hotel business card
American Express
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Rates and FeesNerdWallet Rating
5.0
Annual Fee
$125
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card can pay for itself just with the automatic Free Night Award every year. Add in the included elite status, generous rewards, a dandy welcome offer and more, and it's hard to go wrong. Terms apply. Learn more and apply.
» MORE: Best hotel business cards
To view rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, see this page.
The information related to the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business credit card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
