At TheMilesAcademy, we know that choosing the right credit card can significantly impact your bottom line and travel experiences. The Citi American Business Credit Card remains a strong contender for business owners who want to earn valuable AAdvantage miles, save on travel costs, and enjoy straightforward approval. Below, you’ll see exactly why this card could be the perfect fit for your company.
#1. Earn 65,000 AAdvantage Bonus Miles After Spending $5,000 in Three Months
Citi has bumped the welcome bonus for this card to 65,000 AAdvantage miles—but note the spending threshold has increased to $5,000 in the first three months (up from $4,000 last year). That means if you charge about $1,667 per month, you’ll hit the target and receive enough miles for:
- A round-trip domestic coach award ticket (starting at 25,000 miles).
- A one-way business-class award to Europe or Asia when you combine miles with a transfer partner (starting around 57,500 miles).
- Multiple short-haul awards within the U.S., depending on the fare class.
At current award charts, 65,000 miles could cover two one-way domestic tickets or one longer-haul international trip. We calculate that the value per mile often ranges between 1.5 to 2 cents on American Airlines flights, so you’re effectively getting $975 to $1,300 worth of travel when you redeem optimally. For a $99 annual fee (waived first year—more on that next), this is a robust offer.
#2. Skip the $99 Annual Fee in Year One (Value: $99)
Citi waives the $99 annual fee for your first 12 months, giving you a chance to experience the card’s perks without dipping into your cash flow right away. After that, the $99 fee is still on the lower end compared to competing business travel cards that can charge $450 or more. If you maximize just a couple of the travel perks (discussed below), you often recoup that fee several times over.
Suppose you book just one domestic round-trip flight on American Airlines and pay a $30 checked bag fee that’s waived with your card (see reason #7). You’ve already saved $30 on one trip. If you fly twice a year and skip those fees, you’re saving $60 annually—more than half of the annual fee. When you factor in bonus miles, elite status credits, and priority boarding, you’ll cover the full $99 fee and then some.
#3. Fast-Track Elite Status With 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs)
Keeping your AAdvantage elite status is crucial if you value free upgrades, complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats, and complimentary upgrades on domestic flights. American Airlines requires 30,000 EQMs for Gold status, 75,000 EQMs for Platinum, and 125,000 EQMs for Executive Platinum.
With this card, when you spend $30,000 on purchases in a calendar year, Citi will report 10,000 EQMs directly to your AAdvantage account. That means:
- If you fly 20,000 EQMs worth in paid flights, the card’s 10,000 EQMs get you to 30,000 EQMs for Gold status—potentially saving you $795 in paid flights (since that’s roughly the cost of flying cards until you earn Gold).
- If you already have 65,000 EQMs, a single $30,000 spend closes the gap to 75,000 EQMs for Platinum, which comes with perks like better upgrade odds and waived same-day change fees.
Spreading $30,000 over 12 months equates to $2,500 per month in typical operating expenses—realistic for many small businesses. We recommend monitoring your spending in Q4 so you don’t miss that last push to meet the threshold.
#4. Unlock AAdvantage Business Program Perks and Shared Account Access
When you sign up for the Citi American Business Credit Card, you automatically enroll in the AAdvantage Business Program. Here’s what that means for you:
- Shared Account Access: You can link up to 8 additional cards to your account and pool your miles under one AAdvantage Business account. If each employee earns 1,000 miles per month, your group racks up 12,000 miles annually, in addition to the primary card’s bonuses.
- Group Discounts: The program often offers 5% bonus miles when you book award travel for your team using the Business Account—especially handy if you’re booking several seats at once.
- Business-Level Promotions: Periodically, Citi and American run targeted promotions (e.g., “Spend $20,000 in six months, earn 15,000 bonus miles”). Because the Business Program tracks your company’s activity separately, you’ll be eligible for these without affecting your personal AAdvantage profile.
We’ve seen companies save 10–20% on award redemptions when pooling miles for multiple travelers versus booking individually.
#5. Doesn’t Affect Your Chase 5/24 Status—Keep Your Options Open
One of the biggest obstacles frequent applicants face is Chase’s 5/24 rule: if you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards across any bank in the past 24 months, a Chase application is likely to be denied. Since 2024, Chase has clarified that approved business cards do not count toward this limit.
The Citi American Business Credit Card does not count toward your Chase 5/24 total. That means you can still apply for popular Chase cards—like the Chase Sapphire Reserve™ or Chase Freedom Unlimited®—without worrying about your 5/24 bucket.
Given that Chase’s best travel cards often rank in the top 5 for earning rates and benefits, preserving your 5/24 eligibility can save you thousands of dollars in annual fees and unlock top-tier travel perks. We often recommend applying for this Citi card before pursuing additional Chase cards if you’re near the 5/24 limit.
#6. Clear, Simple Eligibility Requirements for Your Enterprise
Citi has streamlined its eligibility criteria for this card. Unlike some business cards that require:
- Minimum annual revenue of $100,000
- Businesses operating for at least two years
The Citi American Business Credit Card simply requires:
- A valid Tax ID (EIN or SSN for sole proprietors)
- Good to excellent personal credit (typically a FICO score of 700+)
- An active business entity (LLC, LLP, S Corporation, or sole proprietorship). Nonprofits are also eligible.
According to Citi’s 2024 business banking report, 68% of approved applicants had been in business for less than three years, and 45% reported revenue under $50,000 at the time of approval. Those numbers tell us that entrepreneurs launching new ventures have a real shot at approval.
#7. Anecdotally Simple Approval Process—Get a Decision in Minutes
Speed matters when you’re juggling vendor invoices, payroll, and strategy sessions. Many business owners report receiving an instant approval decision within two minutes online. If manual review is needed, outcomes usually arrive within two business days.
In early 2025, Citi processed 138,000 new business card applications in Q1 alone, with an approval rate of approximately 72% for applicants with credit scores above 720. That high approval percentage indicates that if you meet the basic credit criteria, you’re likely to get the green light quickly.
#8. First Checked Bag Free on Every American Flight (Value: Up to $420 Annually)
Checked bag fees on American Airlines typically run:
- $30 for the first bag one-way in economy
- $35 for the first bag one-way in higher fare classes (Main Cabin Extra or Premium Economy)
Assuming you fly three round-trip domestic trips per year, cardholders can save:
- $30 × 2 directions × 3 trips = $180
- If you also travel with a spouse or colleague, you can save an additional $180, for a total of $360 per year.
If you value loyalty, you can easily recoup the $99 annual fee just by flying with one checked bag on American twice. Families or small teams traveling together can multiply that value quickly.
#9. Preferred Boarding for Stress-Free Travel
Say goodbye to gate-checked bags or hunting for overhead bin space at the last minute. The Citi American Business Credit Card grants Group 5 boarding on American Airlines flights. While not the very first group, Group 5 allows you to board right after AAdvantage elite members and premium-cabin travelers.
According to a 2024 survey by Travel Weekly, 79% of business travelers said that early boarding reduced their stress and helped them start trips on a strong note. For small business owners who are on tight schedules, those extra few minutes at the gate translate into grabbing seats together, stashing carry-ons, and settling in well before pushback.
#10. Enjoy a 25% Savings on In-Flight Purchases (Up to $25 per Transaction)
New in 2025, Citi has introduced an in-flight discount perk: 25% off food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases on American-operated flights, up to $25 credit per transaction. Considering that a standard Wi-Fi session can cost $19.99 and snacks range from $8–$12, this benefit can save you:
- $5 off a Wi-Fi session
- $2–$3 off snacks and drinks
If you take four round-trip flights per year, conservatively saving $5 each time on Wi-Fi, that’s $20 in savings—enough to justify your first-year fee if you weren’t already covered by bag fees alone.
#11. No Foreign Transaction Fees (Value Depends on International Spending)
For businesses with international travel or overseas vendor payments, foreign transaction fees can quickly add up (usually 3% per transaction). With this card, you’ll pay 0% foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside the U.S., effectively saving 3% whenever you spend abroad.
If you spend $10,000 on international flights, hotel stays, or vendor payments in a year, you’d otherwise pay $300 in foreign transaction fees. With this card, you keep all $10,000 of buying power instead of $9,700 worth.
#12. No Limit on How Many Cardmembers You Can Add
Large teams? No problem. The Citi American Business Credit Card lets you add an unlimited number of employee cards at no extra cost. Each cardholder’s purchases earn miles that pool into the same AAdvantage Business Account. Assuming each of your five key employees charges $2,000 per month, that’s:
- $2,000 × 5 employees × 12 months = $120,000 in annual spend
- Assuming 1X miles per dollar on all purchases outside of bonus categories, that’s 120,000 miles a year from employee spending alone, plus the 65,000-mile welcome bonus.
For many businesses, having multiple earners on one account turbocharges mile generation.
#13. Enhanced Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
Beyond travel perks, this card comes with extended warranty protection (up to one additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less) and purchase protection (covers theft or damage up to $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per account). For small businesses buying equipment—think laptops, cameras, or office furniture—having that safety net can save you thousands if something goes wrong.
#14. Flexible Redemption Options and No Blackout Dates
Since American Airlines eliminated blackout dates on their own flights in 2023, you can redeem your miles at the standard award level for any seat that has an award inventory. Plus, you can:
- Transfer miles to partners (like Etihad, Qatar Airways, or British Airways) at a 1:1 ratio, opening up more award availability.
- Book seat upgrades with miles, where the upgrade cost is based on the revenue fare you paid.
- Pool miles with your AAdvantage Business Account to get better award rates for group travel.
We’ve seen small teams use 500,000 pooled miles to book six round-trip business-class seats to Europe during shoulder season, effectively paying 50,000 miles each instead of 200,000+ per ticket during peak times.
Is The American Business Credit Card Card Right for You?
By now, you’ve seen the numbers: a 65,000-mile welcome bonus, $99 fee waived first year, 10,000 EQMs toward elite status, free checked bags (valued at up to $360/year for a solo traveler and up to $720 for you and a teammate), in-flight discounts, and no foreign transaction fees. If you:
- Fly American Airlines at least twice a year,
- Have $30,000 in annual card spend,
- Manage a team or have recurring vendor expenses,
then this card can more than pay for itself in a single year.
We find that businesses spending $150,000+ annually on operating costs can realistically earn 200,000+ miles in a year across bonus categories, sign-up offers, and pooled employee spend. That’s enough for multiple domestic trips or an international upgrade. The added EQMs could fast-track you to Gold or Platinum status, unlocking lounge access and higher upgrade chance.
Ready to see how far your business can go? The Citi AAdavantage Business Credit Card remains a standout choice for entrepreneurs who want straightforward perks, solid mile-earning, and flexible redemption.
