One of the most important decisions you’ll make in your small business card journey is cash back or points and miles? A new GraphiteTM Business Cash Unlimited Card is also in the running to get a place in your business’s wallet if you’re Team Cash Back.

Nevertheless, even though the card is clearly earning money, competitors are not as good at better value for less money.

A very high annual fee relative to its value proposition and a steep spending requirement for its welcome offer are one of the most common Amex Graphite card, which is not worth it with weak benefits (unless you’re fully committed to American Express).

Card rating\ *: ⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Amex Graphite card: The basics

Given a $295 annual fee (see rates and fees), it’s fair to assume that the Amex Graphite card has compiled dozens of benefits. After all, that annual fee is coming up with premium-card territory.

The Graphite card presents a fairly simple list of perks:

This is the limit on how much you can spend based on factors like your purchase, payment and credit history. * No preset spending limit unlike a standard card with imposed limits (i.e.

• Pay Over Time

The pay over time limit (variable APR 17) is a balance with interest on eligible charges, which must be maintained by ** Carry ‘interested’ balance. 74% 28 per cent. 49 per cent; see**.

rates and fees

)

• Access to One AP Invoice Management: Enrollment required for buyers and suppliers
• One AP statement credit Assumptions are $2,400 in annual statement credits to use in the following calendar year on Amex One a monthly fees after spending $250,000 eligible for purchases in statewide (subject to auto-renewal) purchase.
• American Express Business BlueprintTM A cash-flow management system that gives you more information about your Amex and associated, eligible external accounts.
• **Various

travel

and

purchase protections**

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As far as earning rates go, the Graphite card has one bonus category 5% cash back on flights and pre-book hotels booked through American Express Travel® Online. Other than that you’ll get 2% cash back on all eligible purchases. Both categories have no spending cap for either category, so it matches this card’s goal to target high-spending businesses.

A cash back is paid in the form of Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed as a statement credit and at amazon. com checkout, where s are asked to pay for.

Amex Graphite card pros and cons

| Pros | Cons |
| — | — |
| * No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees ) * Solid variety of travel and purchase protections * No preset spending limit* | * High annual fee * Limited benefits to offset the annual fee * Limited earning rates * Cash back can only be redeemed in two ways * High spending requirement to receive statement credit |

The amount you can spend depends on factors like your purchase, payment and credit history – unlike a standard card with imposed limit.

Amex Graphite card benefits

The Amex Graphite card is more expensive than I expected to be for a card with ‘$295 annual fee’. Its up to $2,400 in statement credits are the only tangible means of reducing its annual fee (other than making enough cash back) that cardmembers can receive for Amex One AP monthly fees.

The problem with this is that you’ll have to spend a whopping $250,000 in the previous calendar year to get into this perk. But for anyone with a side hustle that’s all out of reach, that’s the kind thing most small businesses ask about .

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Other than that, you will pay no foreign transaction charges and be able to use Pay Over Time (on eligible purchases; subject to the Pay over Time limit; variable APR 17). 74% 28 per cent – . A 49 per cent, Amex’s business management tools and a number of protections are included in its 49 per percent.

And you’ll also have no limit on how much money you can spend a preset. While a standard card with imposed limit is the amount you can spend changes according to your purchase, payment and credit history.

Despite these advantages being good, they’re standard in many Amex cards (especially those with significantly higher benefits than the Graphite card) and are generally common.

If it followed Amex’s Membership Rewards business cards and offered multiple statement credits, the Graphite card would be much better for cardmembers to pay their annual fee.

How to earn and use your rewards

Cash-back route Many people prefer the cash-down approach instead of points and miles, because they value simplicity with their rewards. Here is the Graphite card The following earns, with the rates of .

• 5% cash back on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel Online
• 2% cash back on all other eligible purchases

Reward Dollars are cash back in the form of redeemed credit (a statement credit) and at Amazon checkout.

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For example, if you want outsize value from this card’s $295 annual fee, you have to spend about $6,000 on Amex Travel purchases or $14,750 everyday buys. If your business spends a lot of time on travel and you’re willing to book through if you have travelled via e-commerce portal, it shouldn’t be hard to pay enough to get back the annual fee for the Graphite card.

You can’t redeem much more than cash-back cards from other issuers, but your redemption options are very limited. The majority of cardmembers will likely want to redeem their Reward Dollars for a statement credit, but it would be nicer when you can deposit Revers Dollar in an Amex business checking account.

Where the Amex Graphite card falls short

A business option is almost certainly better for your business if you aren’t really committed to cash back and American Express. It’s not easy to get value for this card, which costs $295 a year.

To get access to the card’s single statement credit, you have to hit an extremely high spending requirement just to use it and its other benefits are standard across many other cards.

Amex Graphite card vs. Amex Business Gold

For high-spending businesses, the closest comparison to Amex Graphite card is the slightly more expensive American Express® Business Gold Card as far as cards are concerned with their costs. Assuming $375 a.c. (see rates and fees), the Amex Business Gold is better at offering substantial potential value to cardmembers.

ILONA TITOVA/GETTY IMAGES

For purchases at U.S, you’ll get up to $240 per calendar year for everything you buy from . A , S. FedEx, Grubhub and office supply stores as well as strong business-oriented earning categories. The Amex Business Gold also earns membership rewards points (which are transferable from one of the highest redemption value to 20 airline and hotel partners).

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

I think it’s a no-brainer to go with the Amex Business Gold in most cases, even between these two cards. What are the more valuable rewards you’ll receive, and it’s much easier to get outsized value for your annual salary?

Related: American Express Business Gold review

Is the Amex Graphite card worth it?

I think that the Graphite card is worth it only if you’re really committed to making cash back with American Express. If your business isn’t under that category, I would suggest one of Amex’s other business cards instead. Graphite card year after year, especially for those who work side hustles or run a very small business, is it too hard to get meaningful value out of the cards.

When to apply for the Amex Graphite card

A new cardmembers can earn $1,500 cash back in the form of Reward Dollars if you’ve decided to give the Graphite card a chance after spending $50,000 on purchases over their first six months with cards. The Reward Dollars can also be redeemed as an account credit, and at Amazon checkout are eligible for redemption.

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It’s the only offer we have ever received since this is a brand new card, so it’s just the one we can see as if I was on that same card. You should know that the spending requirement is very high for a small-business card; you’ll have to spend more than $8,000 per month to get it. Big ask For a $1,500 return for that phraser.

And I wouldn’t wait to apply for this card, that said . There’s no assurance that this card will be welcomed, but issuers usually offer high welcome bonuses to celebrate the launch of new cards.

Remember that Amex only allows cardmembers to earn one bonus per card in a lifetime.

Other cards to consider if you don’t want the Amex Graphite card

Amex Business Gold is a great alternative to the AmEx Graphite, but I’ve already said that here are three more options amex business gold?

• If you want more earning categories: The

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Cash back In a variety of genres, makes money for $95 annual fee ($0 introductory annual rate for the first year); see below.

rates and fees

Paraphrast. The cash back is given in the form of Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon checkout. Watch us for more to learn about .

full review of the Blue Cash Preferred

.

• If you want a simple no-annual-fee business card: The

American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

has no annual fee (see

rates and fees

) and gets flat 2% cash back on the first $50,000 you spend on purchases each calendar year (1% back) In contrast to Graphite card, cash back earned is automatically converted into a statement credit. Check out our review of s to learn more.

full review of the Amex Blue Business Cash

.

• If you want to earn Membership Rewards points for no annual fee:

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

has no annual fee (see

rates and fees

), who makes 2 points per dollar on up to $50,000 in spending each calendar year (then 1 point per dollars spent) and. These points can be transferred to any of Amex’s 20 travel partners. For more information, see our videos for s.

full review of the Amex Blue Business Plus

.

For additional options, take a look at our picks for the best business cards and best cash-back cards.

Bottom line

The Graphite card leaves much to be desired, however, with the left of this card being . It should provide a more comprehensive set of bonus categories and easy-to-earn statement credits for $295 annual fee.

But unless you’re all-in on making cash back with Amex and your business spends a lot every month, the best bet is to see one of AmEx’s many other business cards. They are the majority of them with a much better value proposition.

Apply here: Graphite Business Cash Unlimited Card

For rates and fees of the Amex Graphite card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Cash Preferred, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Cash, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus, please click here.

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