Card Features:  

The Plum Card, like most American Express credit cards issued to those with excellent credit, does not have a spending limit. This is largely the case because cardholders are encouraged and, in some cases, expected to pay the balance in full each month. With the Plum Card, however, businesses are even rewarded a 1.5% reward for paying the balance in full early. This discount is then applied as a credit to the next statement's balance. Though the Plum Card still demands the same billing statement solvency as other American Express cards, it does offer some leeway for larger purchases. In fact, cardholders have the option of deferring full balance payment for up to 2 billing periods with a payment of 10% of the balance, giving them the breathing room to cover other expenses.

Business Features:  

For its business features, the Plum Card is right on the money. Offering its OPEN Savings program, which saves members expenses on affiliate airfare lines, hotel chains and package carriers like JetBlue, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and FedEx, within a one-stop business travel center designed to streamline the hasty booking and reservation process and mitigate broker's and other fees, the Plum Card makes itself truly invaluable for a businesses on the go. The OPEN Savings program also offers upwards of 25% on certain business expenses for Plum Card members.

The Plum Card saves more than money on business expenses--it also saves time. With its customizable Expense Management Reports tools and QuickBooks integration, the Plum statements can be quickly uploaded into a QuickBooks file and spending reports can be categorized and organized for improved budgeting and bookkeeping, two practices essential to the short and long-term success of a business.

Membership Features:  

American Express has long held a reputation for its abundant membership benefits and protections. These have long included travel accident insurance, baggage insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, roadside assistance, extended warranty, purchase protection and others. Nothing has changed with the Plum Card, which offers all these insurances and protections along with other emergency benefits like 24-hour card replacement and emergency check cashing. Despite not being as prevalent as Visa among merchants, American Express seeks to aid its cardholders whenever and wherever they may be.

Security Features:  

Like all business credit cards, chargebacks cannot be made on the Plum Card. Despite this, American Express does offer an Online Fraud Protection Guarantee, covering cardholders against any and all unauthorized or fraudulent charges made online.

Account Access/Customer Service:  

Going beyond online account management to include PDA devices and mobile phones, American Express and Plum Card members account access from virtually anywhere, with access to cash and account information available additionally through over 500,000 ATMS worldwide. Recent activity notifications can even be received at regular intervals using email, mobile phones and PDAs, which gives cardholders a great degree of oversight of their account, and any balance it holds, whether they are at the office or on the other side of the world.

Though the American Express Business Platinum Card is still thought of as the business credit card of choice, the American Express Plum Card has more than its fair share of advantages over its sibling. Its early pay discounts and payment deferral options lend small businesses a flexibility that few business credit card issuers offer, yet, this flexibility never comes at the cost of membership and business benefits. Plum Card members can still expect most of the benefits offered to Platinum Card members, despite having a substantially smaller annual fees for both primary and employee accounts. Couple this with American Express' OPEN Savings program and its high water-mark setting account accessibility and customer service and it is easy to understand its appeal.