How to apply for an Amex business card

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If you aren't sure how to apply for a small-business credit card, you're leaving points on the table. To get a business card, you don't have to own a brick and mortar business. If you have a profitable side hustle, you could be eligible.

There is a large portfolio of business cards offered by American Express. We will explain the American Express business card requirements in this guide.

Amex business card overview

You can only get a welcome offer for a specific Amex business card once per lifetime, so it's important to know that before we start. The same restriction is applied to Amex consumer cards. There are a lot of Amex business cards to choose from.

If you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of your American Express Business Platinum Card, you'll get a welcome offer of 120k points. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a great option if you are looking for a card with no annual fee.

There is a guide to American Express Membership rewards.

There is a range of co branded small business credit cards from Amex. You can get 10 Priority Pass airport lounge visits per year with the American Express Business Card and get 130,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on the card. Delta SkyMiles can be earned with one of the business Delta credit cards that offer perks such as priority boarding and a free checked bag for you and up to eight companions.

The process of applying for an Amex small-business card is similar to applying for a personal Amex credit card. If you are applying for the first time, there are a few differences that can be hard to understand.

You can shorten the application process if you have an Amex credit card. The first page of your business card application will look like this if you are new to Amex.

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Amex business card requirements

The basic information, like your email address, is easy to understand.

• Legal business name: As a rule of thumb, you should use your name as the business name for a sole proprietor. My wife is a freelance artist and uses her name as her legal business name on card applications. However, if you have set up a legal structure for your business (LLC, etc.) or registered a name for your business (aka a fictitious name or DBA — doing business as), then you’ll put the name you registered here.
• Business name on card: This is the business name that will appear on your credit card just below the cardholder’s name (you or the authorized user). You can just put your legal business name here, although sometimes it won’t fit.
• Business address: This can be the same as your home address if you do business from home or have a separate business address.
• Company structure: In most cases, your company structure will be “sole proprietorship.” You’re most likely a sole proprietor if you’re running a business by yourself. This includes most freelancers, Uber drivers, eBay resellers, etc. But, if you’ve got a partner, select “partnership.” If you have set up a legal business structure (LLC, S corporation, etc.), choose “corporation.”
• Number of employees: You count as an employee, so you’ll always select at least one.
• Annual business revenue: This is all the money your business earns in a year before taxes or any other expenses. If you’re starting in business, it’s OK to put zero.
• Estimated monthly spend: The amount of monthly expenses you anticipate putting on the card.
• Federal tax ID: If you’re a sole proprietor and haven’t registered for a federal tax ID, you can use your Social Security number here.
• Company role: You are probably the owner, but if you’re not, select whichever best fits your job title.

You will scroll down to fill out your personal information after you have filled out your business information.

In the "total annual income" box, be sure to include all of your eligible income. Any income you can expect to make to pay your bills is included. My income and my wife's income can be included in this section. Any profits you took from your business will be included in your total annual income.

The non-taxable annual income box can be left blank. You can enter any income that is exempt from federal income tax.

Selecting the address where you want American Express to send your bill is the final step. You can either save the application or apply later. Sometimes your application can go into pending status if Amex needs more information from you.

If your card application is rejected or put into the pending category, you can call the Amex reconsideration line. It is possible to get an application approved if you answer a few simple questions. You may be able to close an existing account to get your new application approved or shift credit from an existing account to the new card. If you talk to an agent on the phone, you can get a better idea of why your application was turned down.

I learned a lot from my rejected credit card applications.

Bottom line

If you only have a part-time job, you may be able to get a business card. The advantage to applying for an Amex business card is that it won't appear on your personal credit report, which means it doesn't add to your Chase count. Amex limits you to earning a welcome offer for a specific card once per lifetime, so applying for a business card will allow you to earn more bonuses. There are three Amex Delta business cards in addition to the available consumer cards and each card is considered a different product, so you can open the personal version of that card later on.

If you are a business owner, we recommend applying for an American Express business card to get even more rewards.

Credit card application restrictions are related.

The additional reporting was done by Emily Thompson and others.

Click here to find the Blue Business Plus' rates and fees.