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The $500 signup bonus on the SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express has returned. Here’s more about the minimum spend requirement and the card’s bonus categories.
The Deal
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $5,000 in qualifying purchases on your Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn an additional $250 statement credit after you spend an additional $10,000 or more in qualifying purchases on your Card within the first year of Card Membership.
- Link to increased signup
Key Details
- Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.
- Annual Fee: $0. And no annual fee for each additional SimplyCash® Plus Employee Card.
- Earn 5% at U.S. office supply stores and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers.
- Earn 3% on the category of your choice from this list of eight:
- Airfare purchased directly from airlines
- Hotel rooms purchased directly from hotels
- Car rentals purchased from select car rental companies
- U.S. gas stations
- U.S. restaurants
- U.S. purchases for advertising on select media
- U.S. purchases for shipping
- U.S. computer hardware, software, and cloud computing purchases made directly from select providers
- Earn 1% on other purchases.
- 5% and 3% apply to the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1% applies thereafter. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
Quick Thoughts
This increased signup bonus has a steep $15,000 spend requirement in order to earn the $500 cashback. The bonus therefore represents a 3.33% return in addition to the standard cashback you’d earn while spending the $15,000.
Despite having a high minimum spend, a $500 cash bonus is very unusual on a credit card with no annual fee. As a business card, it won’t be included as part of your 5/24 count with Chase. Add the 5% at office supply stores and access to Amex Offers and this card can prove to be an attractive option if you can fulfill that minimum spend requirement.
Don’t forget though that American Express is paying a lot more attention to how customers are meeting their minimum spends.
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It might be a good choice for paying estimated taxes. You spend 1.87% offset by the 3.3% return.
What is the current thinking on how bothered AMEX would be with major Office Supply Store spending, particularly on gift cards? I remember some folks got in trouble buying gift cards with the “Old AMEX Blue” card that gave 5% at grocery stores. And AMEX seems even more “bothered” these days. Given that you’ve got to put $15K in spend on this card for the bonus, it seems like it might be a recipe for trouble to me.
I’d definitely be wary of buying any gift cards at office supply stores in order to meet the $15k minimum spend. After the minimum spend’s been met then it shouldn’t be much of an issue, but I personally wouldn’t buy any during the first few months.
That would seem like a prudent approach, but then the card doesn’t make much sense to get. Unless you buy a ton of actual office supplies from office supply stores, it’s basically a 1% card with the ability to designate one category for 3% (like hotels). I have the no fee AMEX Business Plus card that gives me 2% on everything. I also have a grandfathered 5% “office supply” Chase Ink card. There’s really no way for me to make this card “work” if I’m afraid to buy gift cards with it.
You should be fine buying gift cards with it after the minimum spend’s been met – it’s only during that initial period where I’d avoid buying them.