Amex Blue Business Plus vs Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards: Which Is Better?
A flat 2% points card open to anyone with good credit versus a travel card that only gets good once you bank with Bank of America. Six rounds. Real numbers. One honest scorecard.
The verdict
Amex Blue Business Plus takes it, 4–2 on rounds.
There's no universal winner — Blue Business Plus rewards points hobbyists and flat-rate spenders, Business Advantage Travel Rewards rewards existing Bank of America relationships, so match the card to your actual bank.
Choose Amex Blue Business Plus if…
- • You want a flat 2x points rate with real transfer-partner upside
- • You don't already bank with Bank of America
Choose BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards if…
- • You're an existing Bank of America client who can hit the $20K+ Preferred Rewards for Business tier
- • You travel internationally often and want zero foreign transaction fees
Round by round
- Round 1Welcome BonusBofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards winsAmex Blue Business Plus5/10
15,000 pts
Public offer after $3,000/3mo; up to 50,000 targeted
- Lower spend bar — just $3,000 vs BofA's $5,000
- Best offer (50K) is targeted, not guaranteed
Source: Amex Blue Business Plus dossier
BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards8/1050,000 pts
Guaranteed offer after $5,000 spend in 90 days
- Same guaranteed offer for every applicant
- Worth just $500 — modest versus other no-fee travel cards' bonuses
Source: BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards dossier
So this round goes to BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards.
- Round 2Everyday Rewards RateAmex Blue Business Plus winsAmex Blue Business Plus8/10
2x flat
Up to $50,000/yr combined, then 1x — no categories to track
- Same rate for every cardholder, no relationship needed
- Drops to 1x after $50,000/yr in combined spend
Source: Amex Blue Business Plus dossier
BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards5/101.5x flat (3x via BofA Travel)
- 3x on car, hotel, and airline bookings via BofA Travel Center
- Below-average base rate without the relationship boost
This round goes to Amex Blue Business Plus.
- Round 3Points Value & RedemptionAmex Blue Business Plus winsAmex Blue Business Plus9/10
1.5-2+¢/pt
20+ airline/hotel partners, mostly 1:1; premium-cabin redemptions higher
- Can still cash out at ~1¢/point for statement credits without transferring
- Requires transfer-partner research to reach the higher end of value
Source: Amex Blue Business Plus dossier
BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards4/10Fixed 1¢/pt
No transfer partners at all — value can never exceed face value
- Flexible — redeems against any travel or dining charge, not fixed categories
- No premium-redemption upside exists
Source: BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards dossier
This round goes to Amex Blue Business Plus.
- Round 4Perks & ProtectionsAmex Blue Business Plus winsAmex Blue Business Plus7/10
4+ everyday-purchase perks
Broad everyday-purchase coverage plus Amex Offers
- No enrollment required beyond having the card
- No travel-specific protections like trip delay or lost-luggage coverage
Source: Amex Blue Business Plus dossier
BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards6/104 travel protections
Strong travel protections; no purchase protection or extended warranty
- Points never expire while the account is open
- No purchase protection or extended warranty on everyday buys
Source: BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards dossier
So this round goes to Amex Blue Business Plus — for most owners, everyday coverage wins.
- Round 5Foreign Transaction FeesBofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards winsAmex Blue Business Plus3/10
2.7% FTF
Applies to every foreign-currency transaction
- Points still earn at the normal 2x rate despite the fee
- Real cost on any international spend
Source: Amex Blue Business Plus dossier
BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards10/100% FTF
No foreign transaction fee at all
- No foreign transaction fee
- Applies to every cardholder, no banking relationship required
Source: BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards dossier
This round goes to BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards.
- Round 6Credit Needed & Who It FitsAmex Blue Business Plus winsAmex Blue Business Plus8/10
Good to excellent
Full value available to any qualifying business
- Full value available to any qualifying business, no relationship needed
- Flat 2x is lower than top category rates from dedicated cash-back cards
Source: Amex Blue Business Plus dossier
BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards5/10Good to excellent
Best rate gated behind Preferred Rewards for Business enrollment
- Uncapped rewards rate — no annual spend ceiling like Plus's $50K cap
- Best-suited only to existing BofA relationship customers
Source: BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards dossier
This round goes to Amex Blue Business Plus, for being open to anyone.
Which one is for you?
Business that wants transferable points and premium-cabin upside
→ Amex Blue Business Plus · 20+ transfer partners, no fixed value ceiling
New or small business without an existing bank relationship
→ Amex Blue Business Plus · Full 2x value available to any qualifying applicant
Existing Bank of America client with $20K+ in linked balances
→ BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards · Preferred Rewards for Business boosts the rate up to 2.62x
Business that spends internationally often
→ BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards · Zero foreign transaction fee versus Amex's 2.7%
Side by side
- Higher headline earn rate than Chase for a $0 fee
- Much lower spend requirement ($3,000 vs $8,000)
- Out-earns Chase's flat rate below the $50K cap
- No bonus-category bookkeeping required
- No foreign transaction fee
- Redeemable for cash, gift cards, or Travel Center bookings
- 3x lane Cash Rewards lacks entirely
- Extra 3x lane benefits mid-tier members too
- 2x rate caps at $50,000/year
- Smaller guaranteed bonus value than Chase's $1,000 cash
- Drops to 1x above $50,000/year in combined spend
- High-volume spenders lose ground to Chase past $50K/year
- Base 1.5x rate unremarkable without Preferred Rewards boost
- Modest vs competing no-fee travel cards' bonuses
- 3x only applies through the BofA Travel Center
- Max multiplier needs $20,000+ balance held 3+ months