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American Express Blue Business Cash vs U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card 2024

investor.com

Written by investor.com

December 18, 2023

In head-to-head competition, which of these rewards credit cards wins out? Here’s what each has to offer and how they fare when put to the ultimate test — the cash back you’ll earn for using them.

American Express Blue Business Cash
Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Offers 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, with a variable APR after that. The welcome bonus terms vary. One current offer is a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in your first three months.

U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card
Earn 2% cash back in the top two categories where you spend the most each month automatically and 1% cash back per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. Earn $750 in rewards when you spend $7,500 in eligible purchases on the account owner’s card within the first 120 days of opening your account. No annual fee for the first year and $95 thereafter.

Credit Card Calculator
Monthly Spend
Spend Categories expand_more
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dining Dining
local_gas_station Gas
monetization_on Other
card_travel Travel
phone_iphone Cell Phones
print Office Supplies

American Express Blue Business Cash

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American Express Blue Business Cash Logo
Cashback Per Year
$...
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Bonus
$250
Apply Now


U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card

Read review
U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card Logo
Cashback Per Year
$...
Annual Fee
$95
Welcome Bonus
$750
Apply Now

Want to compare more cards? Use our full calculator.
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Which credit card earns more cashback overall?

Based on identical spending inputs, you’ll earn $510.84 cashback per year with American Express Blue Business Cash and $276.52 with U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card. For context, the average annual rewards payout from the business rewards credit cards in the investor.com database is $181.73.

The annual rewards payout assumes you charge $2,580 each month spread across the following spending categories: Cell Phones ($516), Dining ($516), Gas ($258), Office Supplies ($387), Travel ($387), and Other ($516). The dollar amounts for each category are based on average small-business spending data (how much business spend proportionally in each category) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources. We encourage you to use our business card rewards calculator to customize the amounts based on your business’s actual spending patterns.

To ensure the most accurate results possible, the rewards calculations for American Express Blue Business Cash and U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card incorporate bonus rewards rates, spending caps, default rewards rates and annual fees, where applicable.

Is the American Express Blue Business Cash good?

Amex is the classic car of business credit cards. This is a newer addition to the fleet, with a straightforward 2% cashback setup (with rewards automatically credited to the cardholder's statement), and a $0 annual fee. Other terms make it a reliable starter card for small business owners who need some cash flow flexibility.

thumb_up Likes

  • 2% cashback on eligible purchases (basically everything)
  • Rewards automatically applied as statement credit
  • Flexible spending limit
  • 0% APR on purchases for first 12 months
  • Plays nice with QuickBooks
  • $0 annual fee
  • Access to Amex travel perks/protections

thumb_down Dislikes

  • 2% cashback rate capped after $50,000 in spending each year
  • A lowly 1% base rewards rate applies after you hit the annual spending cap
  • Only one cashback redemption option (statement credit)
  • 2.7% foreign transaction fee


Category Default Rate Bonus Rate Bonus Spend Cap Bonus Spend Period (Months)
Cell Phone 1.00% 2.00% $50,000 12
Dining 1.00% 2.00% $50,000 12
Gas 1.00% 2.00% $50,000 12
Travel 1.00% 2.00% $50,000 12
Office Supplies 1.00% 2.00% $50,000 12
Other Purchases 1.00% 2.00% $50,000 12

Is the U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card good?

Think “rotating rewards card without the need to strategize your spending.” And also “minus a decent rewards rate,” come to think of it.

thumb_up Likes

  • Automatic 2% cashback on two top spending categories
  • $750 intro bonus when you spend $7,500 within the first 120 days
  • 5% cashback on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through U.S. Bank
  • Offers real-time rewards redemptions
  • No cashback limit
  • No foreign transaction fees

thumb_down Dislikes

  • $95 annual fee kicks in after 12 months
  • Narrow rewards spending categories = smaller earning potential
  • Just 1% cashback base rate
  • Rewards expire after 5 years
  • No 0% intro APR on purchases or balance transfers


Category Default Rate Bonus Rate Bonus Spend Cap Bonus Spend Period (Months)
Cell Phone 2.00% - - -
Dining 1.00% - - -
Gas 1.00% - - -
Travel 1.00% - - -
Office Supplies 1.00% - - -
Other Purchases 1.00% - - -

More Comparisons

American Express Blue Business Cash vs American Express Plum Card American Express Blue Business Cash vs Capital on Tap Business Credit Card American Express Blue Business Cash vs Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards American Express Blue Business Cash vs Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card American Express Blue Business Cash vs U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa Business Card American Express Blue Business Cash vs U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card vs Capital One Spark 1.5% Cash Select for Good Credit U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card vs Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card vs Capital One Spark 1.5% Cash Select U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card vs Capital One Spark 1% Classic for Business U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card vs Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards U.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card vs American Express Blue Business Cash

Show all

compare_arrows Compare cash back credit cards

Select and compare two credit cards head to head to see which offers the most bang for your buck.


Select Credit Cards

↓×
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAmazon Business American Express Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAmazon Business Prime American Express Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAmerican Express Blue Business Cash
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAmerican Express Plum Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxBank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital on Tap Business Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital One Spark 1.5% Cash Select
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital One Spark 1.5% Cash Select for Good Credit
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital One Spark 1% Classic for Business
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCapital One Spark 2% Cash Plus
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxChase Ink Business Cash Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxChase Ink Business Unlimited Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCostco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTD Business Solutions Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTruist Business Cash Rewards Credit Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxU.S. Bank Business Leverage Visa Signature Card
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxU.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa Business Card

Compare

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Methodology

The results of the investor.com Credit Card Business Rewards Calculator are based on the monthly spending amounts you enter and the annual dollar value of the rewards each credit card program pays per $1 spent. Credit card companies often express this payout amount as a percentage (e.g., 1.5% of every dollar spent) or on a points basis (e.g. ,1.5 points for every dollar spent). We converted all of them to a dollar amount (“Cash Back Per Year”) to make comparing offers easier.

To calculate the amount of cash back you could earn per year, we factored in:

  • Tiered rewards rates: Some business cards pay a flat cashback rate on all purchases. Others pay higher cashback rates on purchases that fall under specific spending categories. The investor.com algorithm incorporates each issuer’s unique reward’s program to determine the “Cash Back Per Year” tally.
  • Spend category inputs: Based on the rewards cards in our database, cell phones, dining, gas, office supplies, travel and "other" are the categories most often used by business credit cards that feature tiered rewards programs. We encourage you to customize the monthly spend inputs for the most accurate results.
  • Monthly spend: The default dollar amounts for each spend category in the Business Credit Card Calculator are based on average small-business spending data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources. Click the arrow on the “Spend Categories” to customize the monthly spend inputs and find the business card with the highest payout rate for your small-business spending.
  • Rewards spending caps: Some cards impose category- or time-based limits (monthly, quarterly, annually) that affect the amount of rewards you can earn. For example, a card may pay 3% cash back on office supplies on up to $1,000 of spending each quarter, then revert to the base/default rewards rate until the following quarter. We accounted for bonus spending caps and timeframe in the calculations.
  • Default rewards rates: Purchases that exceed a spending cap are usually subject to a lower default rewards rate (e.g., 1% or 1.5%). We mathed that out too.
  • Annual fees: If a rewards card charges an annual fee, we deducted that amount from the “Cash Back Per Year” total to provide a true accounting of a card’s annual rewards payout.

What’s not included in the “Cash Back Per Year” total is the cash value of any sign-up/introductory bonus. We highlight any Welcome Bonus separately. While sign-up bonuses can be the most lucrative part of getting a new cashback rewards credit card, not everyone will want or be able to do what it takes to earn the extra cash. (It usually requires spending a certain amount in a specified time period after the card is activated.)



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