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Editor’s Note: This post has been updated with new information.
If you’re hesitant to apply for a small business credit card because you don’t know how to apply, you’re leaving points on the table. You don’t have to own a traditional brick and mortar store to get business cards. Freelancers, Uber and Lyft drivers, and those with a profitable side business are eligible.
American Express offers a wide portfolio of business cards, so you’re sure to find one that fits your business needs. This guide analyzes the American Express business card requirements and helps answer some of the confusing questions about the application.
Amex business card overview
Before you begin, it’s important to know that you can only earn a particular Amex Business Card welcome offer once in your lifetime. This same restriction applies to his Amex consumer card. But with some great Amex business cards to choose from, you have plenty of options.
Earn flexible Amex Membership Rewards points. American Express Business Platinum Card®, We are currently offering a welcome offer of 150,000 points after spending $15,000 on qualifying purchases in the first 3 months of your cardmembership. If you’re looking for a no annual fee card (see Fees & Fees), American Express Blue Business® Plus credit card, This means that if you spend your first $50,000 on qualifying purchases in each calendar year, you will earn 2 Membership Rewards points for every $1 spent, and 1 point for every $1 spent thereafter.
Related: The Complete Guide for American Express Membership Rewards Partners
Amex also issues a variety of co-branded small business credit cards. If you would like to stay for free, Hilton Honors American Express business card Gold Hilton status, 10 annual Priority Pass airport lounge access (registration required for some benefits), and 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points when you spend $5,000 on your card during the first three months of card membership Comes with a hefty offer of. Plus, earn a free night award when you spend $10,000 in the first 6 months of your cardmembership. Alternatively, you can earn Delta SkyMiles with any Business Delta credit card. This card offers benefits such as priority boarding and complimentary checked baggage for you and up to 8 companions.
How to apply for amex business card
Applying for the Amex Small Business Card is almost the same process as applying for a personal Amex credit card. However, there are some differences that can be difficult to navigate if you are applying for a business card for the first time.
If you already have an Amex credit card, you can sign in to your account to speed up the application process. However, if you’re new to Amex, the first page of the business card application looks like this:
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amex business card requirements
Basic information like email addresses are easy to understand, so let’s take a look at the awkward boxes.
- Official trade name: As a rule of thumb, you should use your name as the sole proprietor’s business name. My wife is a freelance artist and uses her name as the legal business name on the card application. However, if you have set up a legal structure for your business (e.g. LLC) or have registered a name for your business (fictitious name or DBA – doing business), enter your registered name here To do.
- Card company name: This is the company name that appears just below the name of the cardholder (you or an authorized user) on the credit card. You can enter your legal company name here, but it may not work.
- Work address: If you run your business from home or have another business address, this can be the same as your home address.
- Company structure: In most cases, the company structure will be a “sole proprietor”. If you run your own business, you are most likely a sole proprietorship. This includes most freelancers, Uber drivers, eBay resellers, etc. However, if you have a partner, select “Partnership”. If you are setting up a legal business structure (LLC, S Corporation, etc.), select ‘Corporation’.
- Number of workers: You count as an employee, so always select at least one.
- Annual business income: This is all the money your business makes in a year before you pay taxes and other expenses. If you’re starting a business, you can put a zero.
- Estimated cost per month: The amount of monthly expenses you expect to put on the card.
- Federal Tax ID: If you are a sole proprietor and have not registered for federal tax ID, you can use your social security number here.
- Company role: You are probably the owner, but if not, choose the one that best fits your job title.
After entering your business information, scroll down to enter your personal information.
Most of the questions here are easy, but make sure the “Annual Gross Income” box includes all of your eligible income. This includes any income that can reasonably be expected to be used to pay bills. In my case, my wife’s income and mine can be included in this section. Your “gross annual income” also includes the profits you make from your business.
The “Tax Exempt Annual Income” box is optional and can be left blank. However, if you receive income that is exempt from federal income tax (such as Social Security, child support, or disability benefits), you can enter your annual total.
The final step is to choose your billing address (home or business) from American Express and review the terms and conditions. At this point, you can save your application to apply later or submit it for review. In most cases, you will receive an immediate response, but your application may be put on hold if Amex needs more information.
If your card application is declined or falls into the pending category, one option is to call Amex’s review line (1-877-567-1083 for new accounts). In some cases, your application may be approved after answering a few simple questions and reviewing details. You may also be able to transfer credit from your existing account to a new card or close your existing account to get approval for a new application. Every situation is different, but speaking with an agent on the phone is an opportunity to humanize your application. At least you will know why your application was rejected.
RELATED: 6 lessons learned from declined credit card applications
Conclusion
Even if you only have a part-time side hustle, you can still meet the American Express business card requirements. One of the benefits of applying for an Amex business card is that it won’t show up on your personal credit report. That is, it will not be added to the Chase 5/24 count. Also, Amex only allows you to earn a welcome offer for a particular card once in a lifetime, so claiming a business card opens up more options for you to earn new bonuses. For example, in addition to the available consumer cards, there are three Amex Delta business cards, and each card is considered a different product, so if you open a Delta business card, you are restricted from opening a personal version of that card later. It will never be done.
If you are a business owner of any kind, you can follow the steps above to apply for American Express business cards and get even more rewards.
RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Credit Card Application Limits
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson and Stella Xiong.
For Blue Business Plus pricing and charges, please click here.
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