Best Pick For...
- Min. credit levelExcellent
- Annual Fee$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
- Regular APR20.99% (Variable)
- Earn a one-time $500 cash bonus once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions
- Purchase above your credit limit with no hassle and no over-limit fees
- $0 annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
- Free employee cards, which also earn unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases
- $0 Fraud Liability if your card is lost or stolen
- Rewards won’t expire for the life of the account, and you can redeem your cash back for any amount
- No foreign transaction fees
Some people just want to earn cash back without bothering with bonus reward categories and complicated redemption options. If that sounds like you, you could do a lot worse than the Capital One Spark Cash for Business (Review).
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Unlike other cards, which reward you more for certain types of purchases, the Spark Cash offers a flat rate for everything you buy. This can be good for businesses that spend a lot on a variety of purchases, rather than particular spending categories. And there’s no limit to the cash back you can earn, unlike many other rewards cards.
This means that it’s a great option to pair with other rewards cards that do have bonus categories, like any of the others on our list.
You can use that other card for its bonus categories, earning cash back or points at a high rate. Then use the Spark Cash for every other expense, where you would typically only earn 1% back (or 1X point per dollar).
- Free employee cards
- Shopping protections: Purchase Security, Extended Warranty Protection, Price Protection
- Travel protections: Rental Insurance Coverage, Roadside Dispatch, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Travel Accident Insurance
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Capital One Spark Cash Select – $500 Cash Bonus
- 1.5% cash back for every purchase you make
- $500 cash bonus for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Purchase APR: 13.24% - 19.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer APR: 13.24% - 19.24% (Variable)
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
- 5X miles per dollar for:
- Hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar for all other purchases
- 50,000 bonus miles for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit: Once every four years
- Point transfer: To a variety of airline loyalty programs
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
- 5X miles per dollar for:
- Hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 1.5X miles per dollar for all other purchases
- 20,000 miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Point transfer: To a variety of airline loyalty programs
- Purchase APR: 0% intro on purchases for 9 months, then 14.49% - 22.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer APR: 14.49% - 22.49% Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
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- Perks: Amex Offers; Point transfer; Connect to QuickBooks
- Connect to QuickBooks: Enroll to automatically tag your card transactions with your QuickBooks categories.
- Shopping and travel protections: Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, Global Assist Hotline
- Purchase APR: 0% for 12 months from date of account opening, then 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
- Annual fee: No annual fee
Enrollment required for select benefits; terms and limitations apply.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees)
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
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- Perks: Amex Offers; Lowest Hotel Rates Guarantee; Connect to QuickBooks
- Shopping and travel protections: Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, Global Assist Hotline
- Annual fee: No annual fee
Enrollment required for select benefits; terms and limitations apply.
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (Rates & Fees)
The information related to Capital One Spark Cash for Business has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Review) is a premium travel rewards card, intended for small business owners who’ll travel and use the benefits enough to make it worth the annual fee.
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This card is a great way to earn Membership Rewards, and can provide a wealth of points through welcome bonuses.
You’ll have quite a few redemption options, including flights and gift cards. But the most rewarding method will be for point transfers, because you may find deals that provide 2 cents per point or more. That would give you a cash back equivalent of 10% when earning at the 5X rate, which isn’t bad at all.
These travel rewards are a bit limited compared to some other premium cards, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review). But if you can spend enough on eligible travel purchases and make good use of the benefits each year, you’ll probably get your money’s worth with this card.
- Global Lounge Collection: Complimentary access to Priority Pass, Centurion, American Express International, Delta Sky Club, Escape, Airspace, Lufthansa, and Plaza Premium Lounges
- Up to $200 in airline fee statement credits annually: Good for incidental costs like checked bags and inflight food, not tickets, at your selected airline
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit: A statement credit for the application fee of either Global Entry ($100 once every four years) or TSA PreCheck ($85 once every four-and-a-half years)
- Complimentary elite hotel statuses: Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- $200 Dell statement credit: Enroll to get an annual $200 statement credit for U.S. purchases with Dell: $100 from January through June, and $100 from July through December
- The Hotel Collection: A $100 hotel credit and room upgrades when available for every eligible two-night stay
- Fine Hotels & Resorts Program: Daily breakfast for two, room upgrades when available, amenities valued at $100, and more at eligible properties
- Point transfer: To a selection of airline and hotel partners
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $595
Enrollment required for select benefits; terms and limitations apply.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on Lyft rides
- 3X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent per year (then 1X) on:
- Travel
- Shipping
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
- 1X Ultimate Rewards point per dollar on all other purchases
- 100,000 bonus points for spending $15,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- 25% point bonus: When redeeming for travel expenses through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Point transfer: At a 1:1 rate to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs, including British Airways, United, Marriott, and Hyatt
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $95
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
- 5X miles per dollar for:
- Hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar for all other purchases
- 50,000 bonus miles for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit: Once every four years
- Point transfer: To a variety of airline loyalty programs
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
- 5X miles per dollar for:
- Hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 1.5X miles per dollar for all other purchases
- 20,000 miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Point transfer: To a variety of airline loyalty programs
- Purchase APR: 0% intro on purchases for 9 months, then 14.49% - 22.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer APR: 14.49% - 22.49% Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
The information related to The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
Sometimes you may not know what your business expenses will be from month to month. If that’s your situation, you may like a card with many different bonus categories, or categories that are flexible in some way.
The American Express® Business Gold Card (Review) is a rewarding card with bonus categories that will match the two types of spending your business has the most of each month.
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This flexibility is a handy feature because you don’t have to bother changing the categories manually each month, like with some cards, and you don’t need to try to predict your upcoming business spending. You’ll just automatically get 4X points in the two categories you spent the most in, without any extra effort on your part.
But of course, the bonus categories should fit your business spending. So if this card doesn’t work for you, check out the runners up and their different categories.
- 25% airline bonus: Get 25% of your points back when booking eligible airfare through American Express Travel using Membership Rewards Pay with Points.
- The Hotel Collection: A $100 hotel credit and room upgrades when available for every eligible two-night stay
- Point transfer: To a selection of airline and hotel partners
- Amex Offers: Access to extra point offers at a wide variety of merchants
- Shopping and travel protections: Baggage Insurance Plan, Trip Delay Insurance, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, Global Assist Hotline, Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $295
Enrollment required for select benefits; terms and limitations apply.
American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on Lyft rides
- 3X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent per year (then 1X) on:
- Travel
- Shipping
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
- 1X Ultimate Rewards point per dollar on all other purchases
- 100,000 bonus points for spending $15,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- 25% point bonus: When redeeming for travel expenses through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Point transfer: At a 1:1 rate to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs, including British Airways, United, Marriott, and Hyatt
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $95
Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
- 3% cash back in your choice of one category each month:
- Gas
- Travel
- Office supply stores
- TV/telecom & wireless services
- Computer services
- Business consulting services
- 2% cash back on Dining
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Spending limit: 3% and 2% categories are limited to the first $50,000 in combined spending per calendar year (then 1% thereafter).
- $300 statement credit when you make at least $3,000 in net purchases within 90 days of your account opening
- Purchase APR: 0% for 9 billing cycles, then 12.24% - 22.24% Variable APR
- Annual fee: $0.00
The information related to American Express® Business Gold Card has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- With Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.
- With Zero Liability you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more – your points don’t expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- $95 Annual Fee
Want to earn a lot of points fast? Signup bonuses are a great way to get there.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Review) has an excellent offer, which could be enough for quite a few flights or hotel stays.
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If you’re worried about not hitting the signup bonus threshold, check out some creative ways to meet minimum spend requirements.
The other Chase Ink Business cards have very good offers as well (they’re runners up below), but those offers get even better if you can move the points you earn to a different Chase card that allows point transfers. If you got a bonus of 50,000 UR points with one of those other Ink cards, it would normally only be worth $500 at most — 1 cent per point. But if you move those points to another Chase card that allows point transfers, you could then transfer the points to a partner program to get a better value — at 2 cents per point, that same bonus would be worth $1,000.
The Chase cards that allow point transfers are:
- 25% point bonus: When redeeming for travel expenses through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Point transfer: At a 1:1 rate to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs, including British Airways, United, Marriott, and Hyatt
- Shop through Chase/Chase Offers: Earn more points by shopping at participating retailers with the Shop through Chase and Chase Offers marketplaces.
- Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection: Daily breakfast for two, free WiFi, room upgrades, early check-in, late checkout, and more at eligible hotels
- Visa Signature Business benefits: Purchase Protection, Cell Phone Protection, Primary Auto Rental Coverage, Roadside Dispatch, and more
- Employee cards: Get up to 70 employee cards, all for free.
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 15.99%-20.99% Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $95
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- 5% cash back on Lyft rides
- 1.5% cash back for all other purchases
- $750 cash bonus for spending $7,500 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 12 months, then 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
- Annual fee: $0
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- 5% cash back on Lyft rides
- 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent each year (then 1%) for:
- Office supply stores
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent each year (then 1%) at:
- Gas stations
- Restaurants
- 1% cash back for all other purchases
- $750 cash bonus for spending $7,500 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 12 months, then 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
- Annual fee: $0
Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
- 3% cash back in your choice of one category each month:
- Gas
- Travel
- Office supply stores
- TV/telecom & wireless services
- Computer services
- Business consulting services
- 2% cash back on Dining
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Spending limit: 3% and 2% categories are limited to the first $50,000 in combined spending per calendar year (then 1% thereafter).
- $300 statement credit when you make at least $3,000 in net purchases within 90 days of your account opening
- Purchase APR: 0% for 9 billing cycles, then 12.24% - 22.24% Variable APR
- Annual fee: $0.00
Capital One Spark Cash for Business
- 2% cash back for all purchases
- $500 cash bonus for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
- 5X miles per dollar for:
- Hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar for all other purchases
- 50,000 bonus miles for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit: Once every four years
- Point transfer: To a variety of airline loyalty programs
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
- Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- With Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.
- With Zero Liability you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
There are several business cards without annual fees, but the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Review) is likely to be the most rewarding for the most small businesses.
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If your company spends a lot on office supplies and the other services listed, you’ll have few other options if you want to earn 5% cash back on them. That’s a pretty good deal but it’s limited to the first $25,000 you spend, and so is the 2% rate. So if you’ll spend much more than that every year you may want to consider getting multiple versions of this card, or adding in other cards to the mix.
Combining the Ink Business Cash with other cards wouldn’t be an overly-expensive strategy because it has no annual fee, so any rewards you earn are all profit as long as you don’t incur interest or fees. And you can avoid interest on purchases by simply paying your statement balance in full each month.
- Shop through Chase/Chase Offers: Earn more cash back by shopping at participating retailers with the Shop through Chase and Chase Offers marketplaces.
- Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection: Daily breakfast for two, free WiFi, room upgrades, early check-in, late checkout, and more at eligible hotels
- Visa Signature Business benefits: Purchase Protection, Cell Phone Protection, Primary Auto Rental Coverage, Roadside Dispatch, and more
- Purchase APR: 0% for 12 months, then 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer APR: 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
- Annual fee: $0
Capital One Spark Cash Select – $500 Cash Bonus
- 1.5% cash back for every purchase you make
- $500 cash bonus for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Purchase APR: 13.24% - 19.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer APR: 13.24% - 19.24% (Variable)
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
- 5X miles per dollar for:
- Hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 1.5X miles per dollar for all other purchases
- 20,000 miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Point transfer: To a variety of airline loyalty programs, including Cathay Pacific, Etihad Guest, and Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Purchase APR: 0% for 9 months, then 14.49% - 22.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer APR: 14.49% - 22.49% Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
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- Perks: Amex Offers; Point transfer; Connect to QuickBooks
- Connect to QuickBooks: Enroll to automatically tag your card transactions with your QuickBooks categories.
- Shopping and travel protections: Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, Global Assist Hotline
- Purchase APR: 0% for 12 months from date of account opening, then 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
- Annual fee: No annual fee
Enrollment required for select benefits; terms and limitations apply.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees)
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- 5% cash back on Lyft rides
- 1.5% cash back for every other purchase
- $750 cash bonus for spending $7,500 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Purchase APR: 0% for 12 months, then 13.24% - 19.24% Variable
- Annual fee: $0
Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
- 3% cash back in your choice of one category each month:
- Gas
- Travel
- Office supply stores
- TV/telecom & wireless services
- Computer services
- Business consulting services
- 2% cash back on Dining
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Spending limit: 3% and 2% categories are limited to the first $50,000 in combined spending per calendar year (then 1% thereafter).
- $300 statement credit when you make at least $3,000 in net purchases within 90 days of your account opening
- Purchase APR: 0% for 9 billing cycles, then 12.24% - 22.24% Variable APR
- Annual fee: $0.00
If your credit is in the fair or average range, which is a FICO score of about 580–669, you may have a hard time being approved for the more rewarding business cards out there. But your credit isn’t bad enough to warrant a secured business card either, so you need a middle option.
The Capital One Spark Classic for Business (Review) fills that gap, one of the few unsecured business cards designed for average credit.
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It’s not a very strong rewards program, but this is the trade-off for not having credit in the “good” range. You can actually get a slightly better cash back rate than that on some secured cards. But you won’t need to pay a security deposit to fund the credit limit of the Spark Classic, and you’ll need to do that with secured cards.
Although you could get a better rate by going for a secured card you wouldn’t earn much more than 1% cash back, and you may need to pay an annual fee, so it might not be worth it.
- Shopping and travel protections: Purchase Security, Extended Warranty, Travel and Emergency Assistance Services, and more
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
The information related to Capital One Spark Classic for Business has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
- Up to 10 cards for you & employees
- Your choice of a cash back rewards program or a point rewards program
- More Bonus Points: When you shop online or in person at the Earn More Mall.
- Card Design Studio: Design your own card.
- No annual fee
Secured cards are designed for people with poor credit (a FICO score below 579) or no credit, providing a way to build a positive credit history. They require a refundable security deposit when you’re approved, which will be used to fund the credit limit.
There are only a few secured business credit cards, and the Wells Fargo® Business Secured Credit Card is probably the most useful.
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It’s not very rewarding, but this is typical for secured cards. Many don’t offer any rewards at all, so this is actually pretty good considering the competition, and the ability to choose the program that’s best for you is an interesting feature.
Use your expected business spending to figure out how much reward value you’d earn with each program, using a value of 1 cent per point. The answer will depend on how much you’ll spend, and your ability to redeem online (which should be easy to do).
Take note that this rewards program is the current offer from Wells Fargo, and it’s subject to change.
If approved for this card, you’ll need to deposit $500 to $25,000 to fund the credit line. Your credit limit will be equal to the amount you deposit.
After spending some time improving your credit, you’ll able to qualify for cards with better terms and rewards programs. Wells Fargo will periodically review your card account and your recent credit history, and, if you’ve been improving, you may be offered an upgrade to an unsecured card.
- Earn More Mall: Earn extra points and find discounts at select merchants (point rewards only)
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
- Min. credit levelEligibility determined by business financials
- Annual Fee$0
- Regular APRNot Applicable - Paid in Full Daily
- Choose either Tech Rewards, Life Science Rewards, or Remote Workforce Rewards
- $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credit over a year
- $150 in Google Ads credit
- 5% rebate on Microsoft ad products
- 40% off your first 12 months of QuickBooks
- 25% off an annual Monday.com subscription
- No foreign transaction fee
- No annual fee
- Not available to consumers, sole proprietors, unregistered businesses, and other non-individual liability companies
Unlike most business cards, the Brex Daily Card (Review) doesn’t require a personal guarantee, and you won’t need an SSN to apply. You can apply using only your business EIN, and there’s no hard inquiry on your personal credit.
The Brex Daily card must be paired with a Brex Cash money management account. Each day, your card balance will be paid in full from the funds in your Brex Cash account.
Brex charge cards are designed for companies big and small, especially tech-forward corporations and other non-personal liability companies. They’re not available to sole proprietors.
You can choose a reward program that best fits your business:
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- Perks: Thousands of dollars in statement credits, plus discounts and more, for services like Amazon Web Services, WeWork, Google Ads, SendGrid, and Twilio (explained here)
- Expense management and receipt reconciliation tools
- Point transfer: At a 1:1 rate to select airline loyalty programs
- Employee card fee: First 4 for free; $5 per month after that
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
- Not available to sole proprietors, unregistered businesses, and other non-individual liability companies
Brex 30 Card
- Choose Tech Rewards, Life Science Rewards, or Remote Workforce Rewards
- Perks: Thousands of dollars in credits and discounts, like $5,000 in AWS credits, $150 in Google Ads credits, 50% discount on Dropbox plans, and a 20% Zoom subscription discount
- Point transfer: At a 1:1 rate to select airline loyalty programs
- Expense management and receipt reconciliation tools
- Annual fee: $0
- Not available to sole proprietors, unregistered businesses, and other non-individual liability companies
- $50,000 minimum bank account balance required for venture-backed companies; $100,000 otherwise
Stripe Corporate Card
- 2% cash back in your top two spending categories per month, from several options
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Perks: $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credits, three months of Basic Shopify for free, $436 in Zendesk credits per month for the first year, and more
- Annual fee: $0
- Min. credit levelEligibility determined by business financials
- Annual Fee$0
- Regular APRNot Applicable - Paid in Full Monthly
- Choose either Tech Rewards, Life Science Rewards, or Remote Workforce Rewards
- $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credit over a year
- $150 in Google Ads credit
- 5% rebate on Microsoft ad products
- 50% discount on all Dropbox Standard, Business, and Advanced plans
- 20% discount on annual Zoom subscription
- No foreign transaction fee
- No annual fee
- Minimum of $50,000 required in bank account for venture-backed companies; $100,000 otherwise
- Not available to consumers, sole proprietors, unregistered businesses, and other non-individual liability companies
Available to venture-backed companies (not sole proprietors) with at least $50,000 in the bank, the Brex 30 Card (Review) is designed for big spenders. If you’re not venture-backed, the requirement is $100,000.
But the perks are pretty big, too. You’ll get to choose one of three valuable rewards programs, and there’s a giant list of credits and discounts to take advantage of. They include $5,000 in AWS credits, 40% off your first year of QuickBooks, a 5% rebate on Microsoft ad purchases, 25% off eligible Slack plans, and many more.
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This is a charge card, meaning you must pay the full statement balance by the due date.
- Perks: Thousands of dollars in statement credits, plus discounts and more, for services like Amazon Web Services, WeWork, Google Ads, SendGrid, and Twilio (explained here)
- Point transfer: At a 1:1 rate to select airline loyalty programs
- Expense management and receipt reconciliation tools
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
- Employee card fee: First 4 for free; $5 per month after that
- Not available to sole proprietors, unregistered businesses, and other non-individual liability companies
- $50,000 minimum bank account balance required for venture-backed companies; $100,000 otherwise
How Can You Get a Business Credit Card?
You can apply for most business credit cards just like you’d apply for a personal credit card. This is because business credit cards usually rely on your personal credit, rather than your business credit; so there usually isn’t much difference in the application.
You’ll need “a business” of some kind, but you may find that it’s easier to meet that standard than you thought. You may qualify if you’ve ever engaged in anything like having a business — that includes being a freelancer or sole proprietor, or selling knickknacks at a local craft fair. Selling your old stuff on Craigslist might even be enough.
A few business cards, however, are designed for large corporations with large revenue streams. If that’s what you need, take a look at the Brex cards and the American Express Corporate cards.
Learn more about applying for business credit cards here, including how they can affect your personal credit.
What’s the Best Business Credit Card?
There are quite a few excellent business credit cards. The right one for you will depend on your needs:
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Review): For travelers who want luxury perks and an extensive reward program
- Capital One Spark Cash for Business (Review): If you want simple flat-rate cash back
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Review): For high cash back rates on typical business expenses
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Review): For points on travel and other expenses, and a big introductory bonus
- Brex Daily Card (Review): Excellent rewards and perks; you can apply with a business EIN and no personal guarantee
Best Picks for Airline Travel
There are many good airline business credit cards which are co-branded with specific airlines. They’re meant to be used mostly with that one brand, where they offer perks and their best rates for earning award miles.
The best airline card or cards for you will depend on the airlines you like. If you love flying with Delta, take a look at its co-branded cards; but if you hate that airline, you should rightly avoid its credit cards.
Many of the major airlines have co-branded cards, giving you opportunities to earn a whole lot of airline miles. Usually they only have one business card offer each, but in some cases there are more. If you don’t like the business card options, there may be a consumer airline credit card that’s more appealing.
Here are our top picks for airline business cards.
| Airline | Our Best Pick |
|---|---|
| Alaska Airlines | Alaska Airlines Visa® Business credit card |
| American Airlines | AAdvantage® Aviator™ Business Mastercard® |
| Delta | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (Review) |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Hawaiian Airlines® Business Mastercard® |
| JetBlue | JetBlue Business Mastercard® |
| Southwest Airlines | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (Review) |
| United | United℠ Business Card (Review) |
Best Picks for Hotel Stays
Just like when it comes to airline cards, the best hotel business card for you will depend on where you like to stay. Most of the major hotel brands offer co-branded cards, and they’re often very rewarding.
You’ll typically get some complimentary services and benefits at the participating hotel and resort locations, like free night stays. And you’ll often get some kind of Elite membership status, which usually provides extra perks and even more points on top of what you earn from the card.
There aren’t many hotel business cards, unfortunately. If the hotel brand you like doesn’t offer a business card, check to see if there’s a consumer hotel credit card that would work for you. You’ll get the same types of rewards and perks, but without the business features.
Here are our picks for the best hotel business cards.
| Hotel Brand | Our Best Pick |
|---|---|
| Hilton | The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Review) |
| Marriott | Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card (Review) |
What’s the Difference Between Business and Personal Cards?
There are a few important differences between business and personal cards. Before getting a business card, educate yourself on what to expect.
- The applicant will usually be held completely liable for the account. Business credit cards usually require a personal guarantee (PG), which will hold the applicant personally responsible to repay the debt incurred with the card.
- Business credit cards, as long as they are paid on time, are not usually reported on personal credit reports. But if your account goes into negative status or default, it may show up as a surprise blemish on your credit reports (and some card issuers report all business card activity on personal credit reports).
- Business credit cards are not covered by the protections of the CARD Act of 2009, which limits retroactive rate increases and fees, and requires a 21-day grace period before payments are due on cards that have grace periods. However, some card issuers will still include these features on business cards — check the card terms to find out.
If I Apply Using My EIN, Does the Card Issuer Check My Personal Credit Reports?
The short answer is yes, the credit inquiry will almost always look at against your personal credit (unless you’re applying for a corporate card, like from Brex or Amex).
You’ll have some choices about the information you submit when applying for a business card. You may need to enter both your Employer Identification Number (EIN) and your Social Security number. And in some cases you may be able to submit your EIN instead of your SSN.
However, you should usually expect a credit inquiry to show up on your personal credit reports, because your EIN is connected to your SSN. Since you typically need to sign on as the personal guarantor of the account, the card issuer will check your personal credit reports. The issuer can do this with just your EIN, although if that’s all you input they may ask you to submit your SSN afterward.
Depending on the issuer, regular account activity may be reported on your credit reports alongside personal credit card accounts, affecting your personal revolving utilization. Other issuers only report negative items, like late payments, to personal credit bureaus. Learn more about how different issuers report in our guide to building business credit.
In some cases, if you have a large, established business with a good credit history of its own, you may be able to apply for a business card without a personal guarantee. You may need to negotiate this with the card issuer. If you want to apply for a business card using only an EIN and without a personal guarantee, we recommend contacting the card issuer to ask about it.
A Positive Impact on Businesses
A report from the American Bankers Association clearly showed the overall economic advantage of the increased use of credit cards by small businesses.
From 2003 to 2008, it was estimated that the expansion of credit card lending to small businesses added $142 billion to the U.S. economy, and led to the creation of 1.6 million jobs.
On the individual scale, small business credit card use is connected to higher returns when it comes to growth in revenue and employment.
Some other interesting takeaways from the report:
- An increase of $1,000 in credit card spending was associated with an increase of $5,500 in business revenue.
- Small businesses with business cards had, on average, more assets, loans, revenue, and employees.
- Every increase of 1% in business card use was associated with approximately 17,000 new small business jobs.
- 80% of small firms using business cards paid off their balance in full each month (you should be like them!)
Types of Business Cards
Just like with personal cards, there are different types of cards available for businesses. The main types are revolving (commonly called “credit cards”), charge, and secured.
Revolving Business Cards
When you think of the typical credit card, you’re probably thinking of a revolving card. Revolving credit cards are issued with a credit limit based on your credit history and scores along with your current finances, and you can spend up to that limit.
If you carry (or revolve) a balance from month to month, you’ll be required to pay a minimum amount at the end of each billing period. If you decide not to pay the full balance owed, the remainder will accrue interest, which is set by your interest rate (usually a variable APR).
Unless absolutely necessary, we always recommend that you pay off your balance in full to avoid being charged interest on purchases.
Business Charge Cards
Charge cards are very similar to revolving credit cards, but they do not allow you to revolve a balance from month to month. Instead, you’re required to pay off the balance in full each month.
There are many benefits to this approach, because, while late fees may still apply for paying late, you’ll be saving money by not accruing interest each month. You don’t get the advantage of being able to pay for purchases over many months, but charge cards usually come with many of the same features as credit cards, like cash back for purchases along with shopping and traveling benefits.
In a sense, charge cards are like credit cards with a bit of built-in financial responsibility.
Read more: Charge Cards vs. Credit Cards
Secured Business Credit Cards
Though not an immediate go-to option, secured business cards are available for business owners with below-average or bad credit.
You simply need to put down a refundable security deposit to fund the credit limit. Over time, with responsible use, you can build up your credit and upgrade to an unsecured credit card.
Read more: Secured Business Credit Cards
Building Business Credit
Business credit is a different type of credit than personal credit, and needs to be built up in different (but similar) ways. You have business credit scores very much like personal credit scores, but there are different requirements to meet and some different credit reporting agencies to deal with.
The Definitive Guide to Building Business Credit
Starting a business can be complicated and expensive, and keeping business credit separated from personal credit may seem like a challenge.
What you’ll learn here:
- A step-by-step process to building business credit
- The agencies involved in reporting business credit
- How business credit is calculated
- How business credit differs from personal credit
- More tips and advice about business credit
Read more: The Definitive Guide to Building Business Credit
Getting a Business Credit Card Without a Personal Guarantee
In some cases it can be possible to successfully apply for a business credit card without needing to sign a personal guarantee of liability for the card. But you’ll usually need to be a corporation with an established line of credit.
What you’ll learn here:
- How personal guarantees will usually hold you liable for your business card usage, even if the card is associated with a business
- The two things you’ll need to do if you want to get a business credit card without signing a personal guarantee
- How consumer protections differ between personal and business cards
Read more: Getting a Business Credit Card Without a Personal Guarantee
Ready to explore more cards? Check out our picks for the Best Credit Cards in a variety of categories.
Expert Q&A
Q1) Are there any differences in the application process between personal and business credit cards?
Answer by: Rama Malladi, Associate Professor of Finance, California State University, Dominguez Hills, CA
Credit cards fall into three major groups:
- Personal cards for individuals
- Small-business cards
- Corporate cards for large businesses (typically more than $4 million in annual revenue)
They differ mainly in eligibility, credit limit, liability, point collection, and regulations. Since most people have a personal credit card, they are familiar with the application process. The business credit card application process is similar. Quite often, banks that transact with the business offer business credit cards and help in the application process.
However, most major banks offer business credit card programs. The most commonly used details are business name, tax identification (Social Security number or Employer Identification Number), date of birth, contact information, business details (start date, employees, state of business, title, annual revenue, estimated expenses, etc.). Small business credit card applications also require a personal guarantee and personal credit score.
Answer by: John J. Petosa, CPA, J.D. Professor of Practice, Syracuse University, Whitman School of Management
The application process is usually very similar with either an online or paper application. There are obvious differences in the information being requested, for example, the individual application would ask for the income of the person applying while the business card would want the sales and/or net income of the business and possibly a financial statement.
Answer by: Thomas Ulbrich, Executive in Residence for Entrepreneurship, University at Buffalo School of Management
If we’re focusing on small to mid-size businesses (which are the vast majority of businesses in the U.S.), truth be told there is little difference between the two. A small business credit card functions much the same as a personal credit card and the application process is similar. You are almost certainly going to have to give your personal information and personally guarantee the card if you aren’t a publicly traded company.
Answer by: Rainford Knight, PhD and Instructor for Finance, Florida Atlantic University School of Business
In order to assess your credit worthiness, credit reports are usually pulled. The process of pulling credit reports – hard pulls – will negatively impact your credit scores.
Q2) Are there any requirements to get business credit cards?
Answer by: Rama Malladi
Business credit cards require the owner or an authorized officer who can borrow on behalf of the business to sign the application. Corporate cards for large businesses typically require more significant annual revenue (example: more than $4 million), a minimum number of card users (example: 15), sufficient credit card usage (example: $300,000 or more), be registered as a corporation (instead of a sole proprietorship), tax ID and state registration, and recent audited financial statements.
Answer by: John J. Petosa
Each bank is different, but they’re making a credit decision so the Dun & Bradstreet number and the credit history of the business are taken into consideration. Some card companies follow new incorporations and offer introductory cards with a low threshold of say $2,000 as a way to gain the business of a new entity.
Q3) What is a personal guarantee for business credit cards, and why is it usually required?
Answer by: Rama Malladi
Unlike the small-business credit cards that make cardholders personally responsible for the card balance if the business fails, business (corporate) cards make only the business liable for the card debt. Typically, most small-business credit cards require a personal guarantee along with the application. If the business defaults (fails to pay credit card bills), the personal guarantor may be financially responsible. It may be possible to waive the personal guarantee requirement based on company payment history, solid financials, and low leverage ratios.
Answer by: John J. Petosa
Since many businesses choose to incorporate, the assets of the corporation are the sole way that the card payments would get paid. If the business goes bankrupt, credit cards are an unsecured creditor and therefore unlikely to get paid or are paid last after secured creditors. As such, and as a way to keep the interest rates somewhat reasonable, a personal guarantee will give the credit card issuer some additional collateral to collect any unpaid balances in the event the business files for bankruptcy.
Answer by: Thomas Ulbrich
I love this question as it makes me smile when I think the number of times I’ve heard a small business owner say, “I’m going to get a business credit card so I don’t have to do a personal guarantee”. That’s simply not going to happen. Although you won’t be signing a huge loan document, read the fine print on the application and in your acceptance letter. You’re responsible for the card. It’s under your social security card number, remember when you had to fill that in on the application?
There may be some advantages to choosing certain business card issuers over another if you look into their credit reporting policies. If you have a personal credit card you’ll typically have your credit history reported to the consumer credit bureaus on a monthly basis. That’s true for some business credit cards too, but there are some business credit card issuers that only report to the commercial credit bureaus and not the consumer credit bureaus. To further complicate things, you want to be doubly careful which card issuing bank you choose if you do have trouble making timely payments as many of the small business credit card companies actually report your activity to both the consumer credit bureaus and the commercial credit bureaus, which affects both your personal and business credit scores.
Answer by: Rainford Knight
Most business credit cards come with personal guarantees. So, if you do not have decent credit, getting a business credit card will be challenging. The personal guarantee protects the card issuer if the business fails, the borrower is still on the hook for the borrowed funds.
Q4) Why would a small business use a business credit card over a personal one?
Answer by: Rama Malladi
Using a small business credit card may be advantageous in the following areas:
A) Minimize reimbursement process: employees spend lots of time submitting documents and wait to be reimbursed.
B) Expense analytics: Since credit card companies provide expense analytics (monthly or quarterly, or annually), the small business does not need an expense analyst. So, the company can reduce time in number crunching and instead focus on improving the business.
C) Manage employee spending: Each employee spending can be managed automatically by setting limits and using the credit card systems (instead of a small business employee keeping track of spending).
D) Points to the company, not individual: Some companies may not allow employees to use personal credit cards for business purposes since the benefits of personal credit card usage go to the individual.
E) Build business credit: Business credit history is often used to make business loans and other lending decisions. Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, and Equifax Commercial are a few firms that keep track of business credit history. One primary reason for not using a personal credit card for business is inadvertently crossing the firewall between personal and business expenses. Commingling business and personal expenses can happen quickly in such a scenario and may violate company ethics guidelines and breach the firewall between a person and business. The CARD Act of 2009 provides many legal protections (such as constraints on APR increases, the fee for infractions) to users of personal credit cards, but these protections do not apply to business card users.
Answer by: John J. Petosa
If the business card is used effectively and is paid within terms, this helps build the business’ credit just as it would for an individual. Additionally, if for some reason the business card isn’t guaranteed the business owner would not be held responsible for the balance in the event the business fails. If the business fails and the owner uses their personal card, they not only have a failed business, but will impact their personal credit if they don’t pay the personal card.
Answer by: Thomas Ulbrich
There are a few reasons that a small business may want to use a business credit card instead of their personal card:
A) Although it is perfectly legal and acceptable to use your personal card for business, you do have track your purchases carefully and make sure you’re not mixing personal and business charges. Although the credit card companies likely won’t care, the IRS will if you get audited. Having a dedicated business credit card is a great way to keep things cut and dry. Business charges are business. Period.
B) Many business credit cards provide you year-end statements that can separate purchases by categories, making it easier for you and your accountant to complete your tax returns.
C) Annual fees can be tax deductible in many instances
D) Many times a business credit card has much higher limits than you might get with a personal card
E) Many cards offer unique and valuable bonus points or cash back which can be attractive if you are charging large sums of money. Sometimes business cards have super attractive 0% introductory periods that may be attractive to business owners
Answer by: Rainford Knight
There are several good reasons why a small business would want to use a business credit card instead of a personal credit card:
A) Ideally, a business owner should not mingle business and personal expenses. These expenses should be kept separately so that the cost of running a business can be clearly determined and done profitability. Also, proper expenses need to be tracked for tax purposes.
B) Using a business credit card will help to establish business credit history which could lead to better financing terms (for loans and credit lines) at some point in the future.
C) If you need to rebuild your credit, then a business credit cards showing on time payments and no defaults can be helpful.
Q5) How can businesses make the most out of business credit cards?
Answer by: Rama Malladi
Business credit cards can be helpful in the following areas:
- Manage and monitor employee expenses effectively
- Establish and build business credit
- Motivate and recognize key employees
- Create a company-wide pool of points
- Provide access to emergency financing, and
- Create a higher credit ceiling since credit limits are higher for businesses than those for people.
Answer by: John J. Petosa
Most businesses look for low interest cards and/or build points or cash back rewards as an additional way to finance their growing business. The key is discipline! Pay the balance each month to avoid higher interest costs, additional fees and provide room for unexpected expenses.
Answer by: Thomas Ulbrich
A word of warning. Like a personal credit card, don’t use if for the wrong purposes. It should never be used for long-term purchases or to try to save a dying business as in the end. It’s likely you’ll be on the hook for that debt. There is a saying that says, “I went bankrupt gradually, then suddenly”. The same goes with credit card debt, it sneaks up on you and builds gradually, only to find out that suddenly you’re beyond the point of being able to pay back the debt you’ve accrued. Business credit cards are a great tool for a good business, but they are not a panacea for a failing business.
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, please click here.
