Looking for the Easiest American Express Business Card to Get? You Have 2 Outstanding Picks

Just knowing that you need a business credit card as an entrepreneur is a huge financial step. Why? Building business credit is essential to laying a strong financial foundation for your company, and a business card will help you do just that. Looking for the easiest American Express business card to get is also a good move, as the card issuer offers excellent choices for small business owners.

You’ll be happy to discover that there’s no such thing as a subpar Amex business card. And if you’re worried about qualifying, we believe there are two cards tied for the easiest American Express business card to get. Both of these options get you access to Amex’s strong rewards offerings. Each also comes with the kind of competitive perks that give any top card a run for their money.

We’ll run through the finer details of the cards that are considered the easiest American Express business card to get, and what kind of profile you should have in order to qualify. We’ll also explore alternatives in case you don’t think either of these options are a match.

Let’s find the best business card for you!

The first of the cards you’re looking for is the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express Small Business. This card offers business owners entry-level access to Amex Small Business, which includes savings, discounts, rewards, and assistance for small business owners.

One benefit of business cards over small business loans is that card issuers don’t take your time in business into account during the underwriting process. That alone is one of the reasons that business credit cards are such essential financing tools for startups and newer businesses, which don’t have the financial history small business lenders need to assess risk.

Card issuers do care about your personal credit score, though. Your history with debt—which is what your personal credit score reflects—gives the card issuer a good sense as to whether you, as the business owner, will be responsible with your business’s finances, too. We usually recommend business owners with 660+ credit scores consider the Amex Business Green card.

For rewards, Amex Business Green offers:

• 2x Membership Rewards Points per $1 spent on the American Express Travel website
• 1x Membership Rewards Points per $1 spent on everything else

That’s big if you spend on travel—and since there’s a high spending limit, you can really rack up points. You can redeem these points on more travel, gift cards, and to pay at certain online retailers.

Plus, as long as we’re talking points, you can earn the welcome bonus of 15,000 Membership Rewards® points if you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months of card membership.

Note that this card is fee-free for the first year, and $95 a year after.

The second of the two cards that are usually the easiest American Express business cards to get is The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express Small Business. The card comes with the flexibility to pay eligible purchases over time and it gives you access to Amex’s Small Business business network.

Much like the other cards in Amex’s network, we recommend you apply for the Business Gold Card with a minimum credit score of 660+. Your credit score is the biggest factor in qualifying.

Here’s a look at the Amex Business Gold’s Card points-earning structure:

• 4x Membership Rewards Points per $1 spent on qualifying purchases in the two categories of six that you spend the most on in a month, for up to $150,000 in purchases annually

The Business Gold Card card has a slightly different rewards allocation than the Business Green, but one that can make all the difference for your rewards potential if you pick your card strategically.

Let’s also talk welcome bonus, which is different than the Business Green, too. For a limited time, you can earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months.

Finally, fee: A solid $295, which can be pricey for many small business owners, but there won’t be any foreign transaction fees.

If these both win the day for being among the easiest American Express business cards to get, and your credit is within range to qualify, which should you choose? The choice comes down to how you’d like your business to be rewarded.

As you can see, the biggest difference between these two cards, is the way in which your business will earn its rewards.

Choose the Amex Business Green if:

• You want access to the Amex Small Business network for the lowest fee. As the entry-level Amex card, you’ll be able to get the perks for the cheapest price.

Choose the Amex Business Gold Card if:

• You want to earn more points. Not only is there a larger welcome bonus, but the fact you can earn 4x points on multiple categories, top-spend categories means this card will work harder for you if you’re a big spender and will utilize those points.

When you apply for a business card, card issuers will do what’s called a “hard pull” on your credit report. These credit inquiries sometimes cause a temporary dent in your credit score, causing it to dip slightly. (The alternative is a “soft pull,” which doesn’t show up on your report or move your score.)

With every business card application comes a credit inquiry—and as those pile up, they start driving down your number. With multiple simultaneous inquiries, you can drop your score pretty substantially.

To protect yourself, you’ll want to find out your credit score before applying to business credit cards. Only apply to cards you’re in range for so you’re not experiencing unnecessary credit inquiries and applying for cards over and over again. (Although your credit doesn’t go down any further if you’re denied a card, you want to be savvy about going for a high-probability card from the get-go.)^[1]

As another excellent pick from Amex, the American Express Blue Business Cash is built around (probably unsurprisingly) cash rewards. As a cash back business credit card, this card offers 2% back on all eligible purchases on the first $50,000 each calendar year, then 1% back on all purchases after.

There’s a lot of potential to earn big with the Blue Business Cash. It all comes down to personal preference. Instead of earning Membership Rewards Points to redeem, you’ll get cash back in the form of statement credits.

Another big difference, and one that might tip the balance for you, is that the Blue Business Cash offers a 12-month 0% introductory APR period. Just remember that after your 12 interest-free months are up, a variable APR sets in based on both your creditworthiness and the market Prime Rate.

And the last bit of good news? This card is a zero-annual-fee card.

Your personal credit is also one of the biggest factors for approval for the Blue Business Cash. We also recommend a minimum of a 660+ credit score to apply for this card.

At around a 580+ recommended score, the minimum credit score required to qualify for the Capital One Spark Classic for Business allows entrepreneurs with average credit an excellent tool for business spending and credit building. Compared to the two easiest American Express business cards to qualify for, you have 60 points of additional wiggle room in your credit score. That’s a lot.

In fact, Spark Classic for Business has the lowest personal credit threshold to qualify for a business credit card. So, you can use this card to build your credit score, which will get you into a better position for an American Express card down the line.

Like the Blue Business Cash, the Spark Classic is a cash back business credit card. You’ll be able to get a flat 1% cash back on all of your purchases, with no cap. Plus, also like the Blue Business Cash, this card has no annual fee.

We said it before, but we’ll say it again: Whether you pick Option 1 or Option 2 of the easiest American Express business card to get, you can’t make a bad decision. With excellent rewards potential, no first-year annual fees, and access to Amex’s Small Business network, both cards are winners.

And even if you can’t yet qualify for these Amex cards, you might still have the chance to qualify for the Capital One Spark Classic—the only unsecured business card for fair credit on the market—and still earn cash back.

If you’re using any of these cards to build credit, just make certain that you’re paying your bills in full and on time. That’s the surest way to get that score up, and help you secure better credit products over time.

Note: All information about the Amex Business Green Card has been collected independently by Fundera. Fundera does not receive a commission for this product.