Most no-annual-fee credit cards are forgettable. The Blue Business Plus from American Express is the exception, and a recent review from One Mile at a Time makes the case that it's one of the easiest card decisions for anyone with business spending. There's no annual fee, yet it earns 2x Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 of eligible purchases each calendar year — 1x after that.

The maths is what makes it interesting. At a typical valuation of around 1.7 cents per Membership Rewards point, that 2x rate works out to roughly a 3.4% return on everyday spending, with nothing subtracted for an annual fee. Max out the bonus category and you're sitting on 100,000 points a year — points that can move to around 20 airline and hotel partners including Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Club, Delta SkyMiles and Singapore KrisFlyer. The reviewer has used the card to fund Emirates A380 first class and Virgin Atlantic Upper Class redemptions, the kind of seats that cost several thousand dollars in cash.

The welcome offer won't tempt anyone on its own: 15,000 points after $3,000 of spend in the first three months, worth around $255. Elevated targeted offers (sometimes as high as 75,000 points) do pop up in Amex accounts, but they're not reliable. The real reason to get this card is long-term value, not the sign-up bonus.

There's a second, underrated role for the card: it acts as a free anchor for your points balance. Amex points live with the account that earned them, and closing your last full Membership Rewards card means forfeiting everything you've accumulated. Because most no-fee Amex cards only earn the limited cash-back-style points, keeping the Blue Business Plus open means you can cancel premium cards and their fees later without losing your stash. That flexibility alone justifies the wallet space.

Beyond the earn rate, the card packs in a few extras: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months (then a variable 16.74%–28.49%), no charge for up to 99 employee cards, purchase protection, extended warranty, car rental coverage, and access to Amex Offers, which the reviewer says saves him hundreds of dollars a year on hotels, airlines and retailers.

Two caveats matter for travellers. First, there's a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, so this is a card for spending at home, not abroad. Second, approval rules apply: max two Amex cards in 90 days, roughly five Amex credit cards at a time, and welcome offers are typically once per lifetime per card. On the plus side, business card applications don't count toward Chase's 5/24 rule, and approvals are reportedly quick for applicants with good credit.

If you run a business, have any qualifying business spending, or simply want a no-cost insurance policy for a points balance you've built elsewhere, this card earns its spot. Just treat it as a domestic spending workhorse and use a no-foreign-fee card when you travel.

Review via One Mile at a Time