The Plum Card® from American Express review
Anyone who owns a small business knows that managing cash flow and constant unpredictability can be challenging, but this card allows business owners to better handle their finances with benefits like flexible payment options.
card_name
- Rewards
- points_per_dollar
- Welcome Bonus
- bonus_miles bonus_miles_disclaimer
- Annual Fee
- annual_fees
Key Features
descriptionEditor Analysis:
- You have up to 60 days interest-free to pay off your balance once you've paid your minimum amount due.
- Get rewarded for paying your bill early. Even if you only pay the minimum due, paying within 10 days of the statement closing date earns you a 1.5% discount on the portion of your bill that you pay early.
- You can choose whether to receive your bill at the beginning, middle or end of the month.
- You'll have to pay off your balance in full when you get each statement unless you exercise the "Extra Days to Pay" option, in which case you'll have until the following statement due date to pay off your balance. See Rates and Fees
The Plum Card(R) from American Express benefits
Created with business owners in mind, The Plum Card® from American Express is a straightforward, meat-and-potatoes kind of card that brings something to the table not normally associated with the American Express family of cards – flexibility. For those who like to pay their bills quickly, there is a 1.5% Early Pay discount on eligible charges when you make your payment within 10 days of receiving your statement. This discount will appear as a credit on the next monthly statement. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.
On the back end, if you pay the minimum payment by the due date, you have a full 60 days to pay the balance before being hit with interest charges. Bear in mind, The Plum Card® from American Express is still a charge card and you are expected to pay your balance in full. This payment flexibility amounts to a payment grace period. See Rates and Fees
Additional flexibility comes with no preset spending limit. This opens the door to bigger purchases, something especially attractive to business owners. The Plum Card® from American Express also has no foreign transaction fees and does not charge for additional cards. See Rates and Fees
Along with this card comes a membership in American Express Business, which carries benefits of its own. You will have access to ReceiptMatch with Quickbooks, which can help you stay on top of your business expenses. You will also have access to a members-only online mall, where you can get a 5% discount or bonus Membership Rewards points when you buy from vendors such as Hertz, FedEx, Hyatt, and Hewlett-Packard, among others. You also get access to an online forum for small business owners, sharing ideas and best practices.
The Plum Card(R) from American Express requirements
To qualify for The Plum Card® from American Express, you’ll need good to excellent credit (generally considered 800 or higher).
As a charge card, you are expected to pay the balance on each statement. If you do not pay the balance within the payment period (and grace period), you could encounter a late fee. If this occurs two months in a row, the fee may increase. See Rates and Fees
For this reason, your business should have a strong, steady cash flow, allowing you to pay your balance consistently and avoid these fees.
The Plum Card(R) from American Express annual fee
If you are searching for a card with low up-front costs, you’ll want to look elsewhere. The Plum Card® from American Express comes with a AnnualFees annual fee. This means you’ll want to be sure you’ll be making full use of this card before applying and adding it to your wallet. See Rates and Fees
The way to cover the cost of the annual fee is by taking advantage of the early payment discount. What does that look like? Crunching the numbers, if you make an average of $1,400 in qualifying purchases each month ($16,800 over the course of a year) and pay your balance within 10 days of your statement to take advantage of the 1.5% discount, you will earn enough ($252) to cover your annual fee.
Aside from the early payment discount, The Plum Card® from American Express does not offer a rewards program. There is no welcome bonus and no opportunity to earn cash back or build points toward travel or other business-related expenses.
Aside from basic features, the card is lacking in perks.
How does The Plum Card(R) from American Express compare to other cards?
The Plum Card® from American Express vs. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
discontinued
If you’re looking for a business card that offers more in the way of rewards, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a worthy option. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers a valuable sign-up bonus of signup_reward when you spend signup_bonus_spend_amount on purchases in the first signup_bonus_timeframe after account opening. Couple that with a AnnualFees annual fee and you’re ahead of the game out of the blocks.
The rewards program offered is also worth noting. You earn a hefty 5% back on the first $25,000 spent annually in combined purchases at office supply stores (including computer, hardware, and software purchases), as well as on cellular, landline, internet and cable television services; 2% back on the first $25,000 spent at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and unlimited 1% back on all other purchases. This card also offers 0% introductory APR on new purchases for the first intro_apr_duration. After that, the regular rate is RegAPR.
The Plum Card® from American Express vs. Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit
discontinued
Much like The Plum Card® from American Express, the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit is a basic card with easy-to-understand features. As the name implies, the card requires excellent credit (usually considered 800 or above) for approval.
Unlike The Plum Card® from American Express, Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit has a AnnualFees annual fee and a rewards program that can earn several hundred dollars in the first year. As a welcome bonus, you can earn $750 when you spend just $6,000 in the first three months after opening an account. From there, you can earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no limits on the amount you can earn.
Who is a good fit for The Plum Card(R) from American Express?
The Plum Card® from American Express is a good choice for a small to medium-sized business that values budget flexibility. The chance to earn a 1.5% discount is nice but the ability to have 60 days to pay your balance without a penalty can be even more valuable. Still, you will want to have a steady income stream to be able to keep up with your payments, as carrying over a balance is not an option with a charge card.
The Plum Card® from American Express is well suited for businesses that don’t require much traveling. While it has no foreign transaction fees, it also lacks the type of rewards program that can benefit business travelers.
Frequently asked questions
Does card_name have a credit limit?
How do you qualify for card_name?
Does The Plum Card® affect my business or personal credit score?
Disclaimer:The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.
See Rates and Fees for The Plum Card® from American Express; See Rates and Fees for The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
