Best Business Credit Cards
Separate business credit from personal with a business credit card.
Learn more about the best business cards and banks.
Business Credit Cards
Small business owners need cash flow and a business credit card can help with short-term needs. When choosing a business credit card, consider the rewards, interest rate and annual fees to make sure it aligns with your business needs.
Business Credit Cards
Audience
Small business-friendly.
Perks
Offer cash or rewards with purchases.
Fees
Offer no or low annual fees.
Best Business Credit Cards For Startups
Business credit cards are valuable for startups and new businesses. Startups often face trouble with cash flow and liquidity. A reliable credit card offers good cash flow support.
As a startup business owner, it is worth looking into a list of the best business credit cards for startups.
When choosing a business credit card, consider annual fees, APR, rewards, etc. to make sure it aligns with your business needs.
Getting a small business or startup business credit card is easy. Most lenders will decide on your personal credit history only.
You don’t need to have a business history to get a business credit card for a startup.
Your options will vary with your credit score. Some startup credit cards are available with a good or excellent credit score only. However, some credit cards are also available with bad credit or even with no credit.
We have evaluated and reviewed 11 business credit cards for startups. You can quickly decide if you can get a startup credit card with your credit score and how you can use it.
Did you know: You can also use trade credit for better cash flow management of your business. Check out List of Net 90 vendors and list of net 30 vendors to get the trade credit on net 90 and net 30 terms.
Check our list of 11 best business credit cards for startups.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
The Ink Business Cash Card is a reliable option for any small business that makes purchases at office supply retailers, and internet, cable, and phone service providers. This card currently offers a mind-blowing $750 sign-up bonus. Small business owners will appreciate the absence of an annual fee.
Welcome Bonus: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee: $0
APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months After that, 18.24%–24.24% variable APR.
Rewards: The spend cap of $25,000 per account anniversary year purchases, 2% cash back on $25,000 purchases each anniversary year on purchases from gas stations and restaurants, 1% cash back
Required Credit Score: Good credit Score
Provides a solution to your short-term cash needs for startup business and new business, gives cash back on office supplies and necessary expenses, one of the best deals in credit cards for startups and small businesses.
Pros:
- Good cashback signup bonus
- 0% intro APR
- No Annual Fees
- Cashback rewards on office supplies
- Cashback rewards on office utilities including internet, phone, and cable
- Limited Categories for cash back
- No balance transfer
- Foreign Transaction Fee
- No APR on purchases for the first year
- Get bonus cash back of $750 on spending at least $7500 on your purchases during the first three months of opening the account
- For the anniversary year of each account, receive 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent on business supplies and utility services including cable, broadband, and telephone
- Get 2% cash back on $25000 in gas station and restaurant purchases on every anniversary year after your account opening. Receive cash back of 1% on all other purchases
- Your card transactions will be checked for any indicators of possible fraud using real-time fraud monitoring
- You are shielded by Zero Liability from any illegal card charges or unauthorized access
- Gift cards, travel, and many other things are among the many methods for redeeming cash-back prizes
- No yearly charges
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card, which has no annual fee, is a great choice for small businesses looking to cut down on extra costs. It offers 2% cash back on all eligible purchases up to the first $50,000 you spend each year, followed by 1% cash back on all subsequent purchases.
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card, which has no annual fee, is a great choice for small businesses looking to cut down on extra costs. It offers 2% cash back on all eligible purchases up to the first $50,000 you spend each year, followed by 1% cash back on all subsequent purchases.
Welcome Bonus: $250 statement balance on the purchases of $3000 in the first three months of accounting opening
Annual Fee: $0
Intro APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months
Regular APR: varies between 18.24% – 26.24%
Rewards: Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases of up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. All cashback is sent to the statement balance.
Required Credit Score: Good/Excellent (670-850)
No annual fee, 0% APR, free employee cards, generous cash back rewards, but spending is capped at $50,000 per year.
Pros:
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR
- $250 welcome bonus
- Free Employee cards
- Car rental insurance and purchase protection benefits
Cons:
- High international transaction fees
- Spending capped at $50,000
- Spend $3,000 on purchases during the first three months of opening your account and receive a $250 welcome reward in the form of a statement credit
- Spending up to $50,000 on all eligible purchases within a calendar year will earn you 2% cash back. This refund is added to the balance on your bill
- Your business is continuously evolving, including workflow, inventory, and floor plans. Because of this, you have the ability to spend more than your credit limit thanks to Expanded Buying Power
- With the option of expanded buying power, you could be able to spend more than $50,000 if American Express approves you for exceeding your credit limit. The use of the card, credit history, assets you have disclosed to American Express, and payment history are just a few of the variables that could affect whether this request is approved. Limitations apply to the Expanded Buying Power as well
- After the account is opened, there is a 12-month introductory APR of 0% on purchases. After that, a variable rate between 18.24% and 26.24% is set based on your dependability and other variables at the time the account is opened
- No yearly charges
- Terms and conditions apply
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
American Express Blue Business Plus Credit Card is the best for small businesses without an annual fee. There are 2 Amex Membership Rewards points available for every $1 spent on the first $50,000 in purchases made each calendar year. Membership Rewards points can be transferred to more than 20 airline and hotel partners which is great.
Welcome Bonus: 15,000 Membership Rewards points on a spend of $3,000 in first 3 months
Annual Fee: $0
Introductory APR: 0% APR Need to list how long the intro APR period is for and if its for Purchases and/or balance transfers
Regular APR: 18.24% – 26.24% (variable),
Rewards: Get 2x points when you make purchases of up to $50,000 per year. Get 2x points when you book prepaid rental cars through AmexTravel. After that, you’ll get 1x point. Get 2x points when you make purchases of up to $50,000 per year, then you’ll get 1x points.
Required Credit Score: Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
No annual fee, good rewards especially on rental car bookings, and 0% introductory APR No annual fee, good rewards especially on rental car bookings, and 0% introductory APR
Pros:
- No annual fee
- 0% introductory APR, (0% APR in the first 12 months)
- Expanded Buying Power feature (Conditional to your creditworthiness)
Cons:
- Limited 2x rewards for up to $50,000 only.
- Intro APR does not apply to balance transfer
- High, 2.7% foreign transaction fee
- Welcome bonus of 15,000 reward points on the eligible purchases of $3000 in the first three months of account opening
- 0% introductory APR for the first 12 months, variable APR within the range of 18.24% – 26.24% (your APR rate will depend on many factors including spending behavior and creditworthiness.
- Generous 2x rewards for $50,000 spend in the first year, then you will get 1x points
- Vast options for redeeming reward points including airlines, hotels, online shopping, and gits.
- Expanded Buying Power for customers with good creditworthiness
- Employee cards with preset spending limit
- High fee for international transactions
Discover it® Business Card
Welcome Bonus: Cash back match offer at the end of first year
Annual Fee: $0
Introductory APR: 0% for first 12 months
Regular APR: 12.99% – 20.99%, variable
Rewards: 3 points per dollar on first $150,000 in selected categories, 1 point per dollar for other purchases
Required Credit Score: Excellent, Good (700 – 749)
No annual fee, 0% introductory APR, cash back rewards and free employee cards
Pros:
- Competitive cashback rate
- No annual fee
- Sign-up bonus
- Great intro APR offer
- Free employee cards
Cons:
- No bonus categories
- Cashback match offer for new customers, Discover will match your cash back earnings at the end of the first year. No limit on the cashback amount
- Get 1.5% cashback on every dollar spent on purchases
- Redeem anytime, rewards never expire
- Works with Quickbooks, Quicken, and Excel
- 50 Free Employee cards
- No annual fee
- Terms Apply
Capital One Spark Classic
The Capital One Spark Classic Card may not have many perks, such as a welcome bonus or introductory 0% APR offer, but its key selling point is that it is a good alternative for people with fair credit. It’s simple to earn rewards with the Capital One Spark Classic. You’ll receive 1% cash back on each purchase.
Welcome Bonus: N/A
Annual Fee: $0
Introductory APR: N/A
Regular APR:20.99% variable APR
Rewards: Unlimited 1% Cashback
Required Credit Score: between 670 and 739.(fair, good credit score)
No Annual fee, unlimited cashback rewards, easy access with low credit score, and free employee cards
Pros:
- No annual fee
- Unlimited cashback rewards
- Free employee cards with preset spending limit
Cons:
- Available for people with fair credit score
- Limited reward
- High APR
- 95 annual fee
- No intro APR
- A good business credit card at ‘Fair’ credit score level
- No annual fee
- Unlimited 1% cash back rewards and unlimited 5% cashback reward on hotels and car booking via Capital One Travel.
- High APR at 20.99%
- Suitable for building credit
- Terms Apply
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is a great all-around business credit card with a significant sign-up bonus and the chance to earn significant Ultimate Rewards points on a variety of business purchases. These awards can subsequently be used to book travel at a rate of 1.25 cents or transferred to 13 airline and hotel partners.
Welcome Bonus: 100,000 points welcome bonus on a spend of $15,000 in the first three months
Annual Fee:$95
Introductory APR: N/A
Regular APR: 20.99% – 25.99%
Rewards: 3 points per dollar on first $150,000 in selected categories, 1 point per dollar for other purchases
Required Credit Score: Excellent, Good (700 – 749)
Excellent for frequent business travelers, good rewards on travel and related categories
Pros:
- 100,000 points welcome bonus
- 3x rewards on business expenses, 1x on all other expanses
- Points don’t expire
- Free employee credit cards with individual spending limit
Cons:
- $95 annual fee
- No intro APR
- A credit card designed for ambitious startups and small businesses
- Offers reward for most office expenses including shipping charges, utilities like cable, internet, phone, digital advertising and travel
- Fraud Protection features and zero liability against unathorized charges
- Redeem points does not expire as long as you are a customer
- Get 25% more on points when you redeem points with Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 120 days Purchase Protection cover for new purchases
- Two drawbacks are $95 annual fee and no intro APR
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus card has an annual fee of $150 and delivers unlimited cash-back rewards at a rate of 2% on all purchases. In other words, whether you’re buying office supplies or business meals, the more you spend, the more you’ll earn since you’ll be sure to get the most out of your purchase.
Welcome Bonus: Earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee: $150
APR: No APR, balance due every month in full, 2.99% monthly late fee
Rewards: 2% cash back for all purchases with this card. 5% cash back for rental car and hotel with Capital One Travel.
Required Credit Score 740-850 ( Excellent)
Flat APR, travel-friendly, 5% cash back on all purchases, free employee cards. 2% cash back on your employees’ cards credited to your accounts
Pros:
- Generous welcome bonus
- No APR/Flatrate APR
- Good for the people who are always on the move
- Free employees’ cards
- Cash back to you even for your employees’ cards
Cons:
- High, $150 annual fee
- Monthly late payment fee of 2.99%
- Earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months
- Get a 2% cash back on all purchases, no limit, no category restriction
- No preset limits, your limit is determined by factors like spending pattern, payment history, and creditworthiness
- Better cashback of 5% on Capital One Travel hotels and car rentals
- Free employee cards, earn unlimited 2% cash back from their purchases too
- $150 annual fee
- Flat rate APR/ no APR, your balance is due in full every month,
- Monthly late payment fee of 2.99%
The Plum Card® from American Express
The American Express Plum Card allows you to choose whether to pay your bill in full each month or to carry a balance for up to 60 days without paying interest. This benefit alone is valuable for some cardholders who need a longer time to pay down their account.
Welcome Bonus: N/A
Annual Fee: $250
Introductory APR: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Rewards: 1.5% Early Pay discount on your statement when you pay within 10 days of statement closing date
Required Credit Score: RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE, 690-850 Good – Excellent
No APR, suitable for small businesses and startups with cash flow problems
Pros:
- No fee on foreign transaction
- No reward cap
Cons:
- No bonus
- High Annual fee
- Complicated Reward
- No welcome bonus, no APR, no late payment charges till 60 days
- $250 annual fee
- Unlimited reward earning potential
- No preset spending limit, grow with confidance and don’t worry about business cash flow
- Buy goods and services from overseas, no foreign transaction fee
- Terms and conditions apply
American Express® Business Gold Card
The American Express Business Gold makes accumulating points less difficult. Cardholders can choose where to spend their money and quickly get points that are most useful for their business needs because there are no rotating bonus categories. Earning 4 times as many Membership Rewards points in the top 2 monthly spending categories is beneficial.
Welcome Bonus: 70,000 points on a spend of $10,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
Annual Fee: $295
Introductory APR: N/A
Regular APR: 19.24% – 27.24%
Rewards:4x points on purchases for top 2 business categories, 1x points on other eligible purchases, 25% Airline Bonus on Flights when booked with Amex Travel. Airline Bonus is capped.
Required Credit Score: Good credit, over 700 points
Good credit limit, suitable for big purchases and business expenses
Pros:
- Excellent welcome bonus
- High Limit on credit
- Credit revolving facility, pay in installments with Amex Pay Over Time
- No interest on timely payments,
- Versatile reward points
- Consumer protection and travel protection
Cons:
- $295 annual fee
- Bonus reward spending is capped
- Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $10,000 on the top business purchase categories with your Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership
- 4x points on the 2 select categories your business spent the most each month, up to the first $150,000 in combined purchases. 1x points on other eligible purchases,
- 25% Airline Bonus on Flights when booked with Amex Travel. Airline Bonus is capped. Up to 250,000 points back per calendar year
- Terms Apply
Marriott Bonvoy Business ® American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is a reliable small-business card for fans of Marriott Bonvoy. It has some benefits like the possibility to accelerate your Marriott elite membership by providing 15 elite night credits annually and an annual free night at hotels.
Bonus: Earn 75,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership
Annual Fee: $125
Introductory APR: N/A
Regular APR: 20.74% – 29.74%
Rewards: 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Required Credit Score: Good, Excellent (700 – 749)
Huge welcome bonus, no intro APR, suitable for frequent travels
Pros:
- Generous welcome bonus
- No intro APR
- Versatile rewards on eligible purchases to flights and hotels
- Airport Lounge Access
- Suitable for business owners who travel often
Cons:
- High Annual Fee
- Require high spending for earning rewards
- Limited spending on bonus categories
- Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for Purchases 20.74% – 29.74% variable (Prime Rate + 21.49%), based on your creditworthiness as determined at the time of account opening. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
- APR for Cash Advances 29.99% (Prime Rate + 21.74%) This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
- Penalty APR and When It Applies 29.99% (Prime Rate + 25.99%)
This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
This APR will apply to your account if:
1) You make 2 or more late payments in a 12-month period;
2) You do not pay the Minimum Payment due by the closing date of the billing period in which it is due; or
3) You make a payment that is returned.
How Long Will the Penalty APR Apply? If the Penalty APR is applied, it will apply for a minimum of 12 billing periods in a row, and will continue to apply until after you have made timely payments, with no returned payments for 12 billing periods in a row. - Paying Interest Your due date is at least 25 days after the close of each billing period. We will not charge you interest on purchases if you pay your entire balance by the due date each month. We will begin charging interest on cash advances on the transaction date.
- Annual Membership Fee $125
- Transaction Fees Cash Advance Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
- Foreign Transaction None
- Penalty Fees Late Payment Up to $39
- Overlimit None
- Returned Payment $39
- Terms Apply.
Brex Card
A Brex Card is praised as being one of the most user-friendly banks for small businesses with no yearly charges. With no personal liability requirements and credit restrictions depending on a company’s cash flow, the Brex Card promises to offer a solution. A significant rewards program called Brex Exclusive is available with the card.
Welcome Bonus: 50,000 points on spending $9,000 in the first 30 days
Annual Fee: $0
Introductory APR: N/A
Regular APR: N/A
Rewards: Earn 7x reward points on rideshare, 2x on software subscription
Required Credit Score: No credit check
Zero annual fee, generous welcome bonus, great rewards, easy access without any credit score check or personal guarantee
Pros:
- $0 annual fee
- Good welcome bonus
- No APR
- Generous rewards
- Easy to get, no credit score check or personal guarantee
Cons:
- Available only to selected business categories
- High cash on hand requirement of $50,000 in linked bank account
- Earned points depend on your payment history
- Earn a signup bonus of 50,0000 points on spending $9,000 in the first 30 days
- A true corporate card that enhances spending power and helps grow faster
- 10-20x higher spending limits than average business credit cards. Generous rewards of 2x-7x.
- No credit check, no personal guarantee, no interest, and no account fees; one of the easier startup credit cards you can get.
- Issue unlimited virtual cards to your team, and set custom limits on each card
- receipt-matching and built-in expense management tools,
- close the books in record time with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Concur, and Expensify integrations
- Requires high cash-on-hands for approval, you’ll need $50,000 in the linked account
Best Startup Credit Cards with No Credit
If you are starting a business and you don’t have a credit score yet, you can build your credit score with these easy-access credit cards.
The credit cards available with low or no credit score come with high APR. Building a credit score with a high APR credit card is a struggle but there is no way around it.
Check our list of the best startup credit cards with a bad credit score or no credit.
- Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
- CREDIT NEEDED Average, Fair, Limited
- Brex Business Card
- CREDIT NEEDED: no requirement, anyone can apply, no personal guarantee required
- Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card
- Credit needed: Fair, Good, No Credit
- Discover it® Secured Credit Card
- Credit needed: New / Rebuilding
- U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa® Secured Card
- Credit needed: Poor/None
- Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
- Credit needed: No credit history
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa® Secured Card
- Credit needed: Poor/None
- Discover it® Student Cash Back
- Credit needed: Fair / New to Credit
Looking to Build Credit?
Learn how to build credit with a credit card in our comprehensive guide proven by credit experts.
How to apply for a credit card?
Getting a credit card can be easy if you have a good credit score. The better your credit score is, the more credit card options you will have.
We have outlined the 4-step process to get a credit card for your startup and small business.
Know your credit score: You will need a good credit score to get any of the best credit cards for startups and small businesses. A credit score over 690 is a good score.
If your credit score is bad, see our list of credit cards with no credit score above; you can get a credit card from that list with a low credit score or no credit.
Consider how you will spend: Some credit cards are better for office expenses, and some credit cards are good for traveling. You will need to see the credit card offer and how it will serve the most pressing funds need. Spending time on finding the best match for your startup business is a great investment.
Check for Fees: if you will not spend a lot, consider a $0 annual fee credit card. The high credit limit credit cards often have a high annual fee.
Prepare Documents and Information for Applying: For a typical small business, you will need only your personal identity and SSN. However, you’ll need to provide an Employer Identification Number for the corporate credit cards
Use your credit card responsibly and strategically: A credit card is there to help you solve short-term financial problems for your business. See how you can make the best use of rewards and cashback. Establish spending patterns like spending 20%-30% of your credit limit and making payments on time.
How to build credit for getting a startup credit card?
Building credit is a vast topic. We will shortly discuss the main steps of building credit.
Get a credit-builder Credit Card:
Get a credit card that will build your credit. Look into retail store credit cards or secured credit cards. Get a credit-builder loan which is released to you only after you have repaid the loan. Such loans exist with the sole purpose of helping you build credit. Check SeedFi and Kikoff for credit-builder credit cards for startup owners.
Become an Authorized User
Become an authorized user on someone else’s credit account and start adding a good record to your credit.
If the person operating the account uses credit responsibly, you will benefit from it. However, their irresponsible behavior will damage your credit. We advise you to partner with a trusted friend or family member only.
Make Rent and Utility Payments Count:
Look for a rent payment service that can get your rent payment counted towards credit. Services like Experian RentBearu, Rent Kharma, and Rent Reporters report your rent payment to credit bureaus.
Take one step further; use Experian Boost and get phone and utility payments counted to your credit score. These are two easy ways to boost your credit-building process.
Develop Good Credit Habits
Develop these credit habits and you will build good credit quickly.
- Pay Bills on time
- Monitor your Credit report
- Keep credit utilization in check
- Limit your credit card accounts
- Keep old credit accounts open
Factors To Consider Comparing Business Credit Cards
What you’ll need for a business credit card application
Here are the commonly required fields on business credit card applications.
- Your business name
- Your business address and phone number
- Your business industry
- How long your business has been operating
- Number of employees
- Annual business revenue
- Estimated monthly expenses
- Your business EIN and your Social Security number
Do I need an Employer Identification Number to get a small business credit card?
It depends on the card, but you will usually need an EIN to submit a business credit card application. If your business doesn’t yet have an Employer Identification Number or business entity, click here.
What is your credit score?
Most credit card issuers will require a good credit score (670+), while others may even require an excellent score (720+). Although there are a small number of cards that require fair credit (620+), just like a personal card, you may increase your chances of getting approved for a business card with a higher credit score.
What are the benefits of a business credit card?
The first reason for a business credit card is to help you keep your business and personal expenses separate, which is essential for filing taxes. Additionally, business credit card rewards and benefits are tailored to small business needs, unlike consumer cards. Last but certainly not least, to build business credit.
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