American BLS review
Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
American BLS is a short, fully online CPR certificate course that suits nurses, childcare staff, and personal trainers who need a quick renewal on a budget. The exam fee comes with it, tutor support answers questions, and a 30 days money back window covers a bad first purchase.
Key facts
- Best for
- A fast online CPR renewal for a nurse, childcare worker or trainer who wants the exam fee inside the entry price.
- Certification type
- Cpr (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price from
- $14.95 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Course hours
- 3 hours (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Teaching practicum
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Exam fee included
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Tutor support
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Recertification period
- 2 years (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 30 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- American BLS Services Corp. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Phone, Email, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Delivery
- Online
- Official website
- americanbls.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- The BLS certification course starts at $14.95, and the exam fee is part of that price rather than a charge added at the end.
- Tutor support is included, which matters in a course of 3 hours because there is little room to get stuck on a protocol detail.
- Support runs on phone, email and help centre, so a stuck learner has several routes to a person.
- A money back window of 30 days covers a buyer who finds the course is not for them, and renewal comes round every 2 years.
Cons
- There is no practicum, so anyone who needs supervised compressions or a witnessed skills check should look at a provider that includes one.
- 3 hours is shorter than the 4 hours at ACLS Now and the 4 hours at American CPR Care Association, so there is less course length to show an employer.
- Entry sits above National CPR Foundation, which lists $12.95 against the $14.95 asked for the BLS certification course here.
- Renewal comes due every 2 years, so the BLS certification course price of $14.95 has to be budgeted again each cycle.
Who it suits
- Nurses, childcare workers and personal trainers who need a CPR card current and can study on their own schedule.
- Learners who are comfortable with online study and no supervised practice session.
- Budget buyers who would rather have the exam fee inside the entry price than pay for it later.
Who should look elsewhere
- ACLS Now, when the extra course length of 4 hours matters more than the entry price.
- National CPR Foundation, when the lower $12.95 is the deciding number.
- American CPR Care Association, when 4 hours of course length fits an employer requirement better.
What it does well
American BLS keeps the course deliberately short. The BLS certification course runs 3 hours from start to finish, and the exam fee is included rather than billed on top of it. Tutor support is available, which matters in a course that brief because there is little room to get stuck on a protocol detail. The certificate lasts 2 years before it needs replacing, and the money back window runs 30 days. The trade-off sits on the practical side: there is no practicum, so the assessment covers what a learner knows on a screen and the physical skills work falls to the buyer or the employer.
Where it sits among rivals
The rankings settle the comparison. On course length, American BLS sits at 51 of 53 brands measured, which places the course at the short end of the CPR shelf. On entry price, the position is 4 of 87, so the fee is competitive without setting the lowest mark in the category. Read together, the numbers say a similar thing from both directions: this is a short course at a mid-range price, and the case rests on finishing quickly rather than on paying the very least. A reader weighing only one of the two axes gets a different impression from someone who weighs both.
Who runs it
The provider is American BLS Services Corp., registered in the US. Support runs on phone, email and help centre, so a question about a module can go to a person, an inbox, or the help centre without a booking step. For a buyer the practical points are that a single named company sits behind the certificate and that help is reachable on several channels. Anyone signing up can hold the provider to those stated channels when a module needs explaining.
How American BLS compares
9.4 vs 9.0
9.4 vs 8.8
9.4 vs 8.6
9.4 vs 9.1
9.4 vs 8.7
Frequently asked questions
How much does the American BLS certification course cost?+
The BLS certification course is listed at $14.95. The exam fee is included in that figure, so there is no separate assessment charge to budget for later. Entry is the only figure to plan for, and the 30 days money back window means a buyer who changes their mind has a deadline to use it.
How long does the course take to complete?+
The course runs 3 hours of study. That is a short commitment, and it suits a learner who already works through adult CPR protocol and mainly needs the certificate and its exam. Someone who needs the material explained from the start has a thin schedule to work with.
How often does the certificate need renewing?+
The certificate is renewed every 2 years, so the course cost comes round on a fixed cycle rather than being a one-off. A buyer running a small team should treat 2 years as the planning interval, and keep the 30 days money back window in mind if a course is bought close to that date.
Does the course include a supervised practice session?+
No. There is no practicum in this course, which means the assessment is knowledge based and the physical practice of compressions and rescue breaths is not checked by the provider. Learners whose role requires a witnessed skills check should confirm what their own employer or a training body expects before signing up.
Is tutor support included with the course?+
Tutor support is included with the BLS certification course, so questions on a module can go to a person. Support overall runs on phone, email and help centre, covering phone, email and a help centre. In a course of 3 hours, having someone to ask is the difference between finishing and stalling on a protocol detail.
Who runs American BLS and where are they based?+
The provider is American BLS Services Corp., based in the US. Pricing and support both come from that single company, and support runs on phone, email and help centre. For a buyer outside the US, the BLS certification course price of $14.95 leaves any currency difference with them.
What kind of certificate is it?+
It is a cpr certificate course, delivered online. The BLS certification course is aimed at the CPR credential rather than a wider first aid qualification, and the exam fee is part of the entry price of $14.95. That makes it a targeted credential for a role that names CPR specifically.
How does it compare with cheaper CPR providers?+
National CPR Foundation lists $12.95 against the $14.95 for the BLS certification course here, so this is not the cheapest option. The comparison then turns on length and extras: ACLS Now runs 4 hours and American CPR Care Association runs 4 hours, against 3 hours here, with tutor support and the exam fee inside the price.
Is the course online or in person?+
Delivery is online, which means the course is studied remotely with no classroom session on the schedule. That suits anyone working shifts or spread across sites, and it is part of why the course fits inside 3 hours. It also means nothing is assessed in person.
Sources
- americanbls.com/contact-information checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity
“100% Based in the USA”
- americanbls.com/courses/bls-certification-online checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Certification type, Course hours, Delivery, Exam fee included, Money-back period, Teaching practicum, Price from, Recertification period, Support channels, Tutor support
“Free BLS/CPR Course and BLS Certification Online”
Compiled from 2 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Related by the facts
American BLS
A fast online CPR renewal for a nurse, childcare worker or trainer who wants the exam fee inside the entry price.