The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is known as a top-tier business rewards credit card. The card may be a good addition to your wallet if you plan to use it to book frequent business travel.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers generous cashback rewards with 5% back on the first $25,000 spent annually at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services. It also features a $0 annual fee, making it a budget-friendly option for small businesses.
The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card offers elevated rewards with 2% cashback on all purchases and 2.5% on purchases over $5,000. Designed for larger businesses, it includes premium benefits but comes with a $195 annual fee.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 3x points on the first $150,000 spent annually in select categories, including travel, shipping, and advertising. With robust travel protections and the ability to transfer points to Chase travel partners, it’s ideal for businesses with frequent travel needs.
The American Express® Business Gold Card rewards you generously for spending in select business-related categories and booking trips through American Express® Travel. Plus, being a cardholder gives you access to several travel-related perks that can protect and enhance each journey.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers unlimited 1.5% cashback on every purchase, making it a straightforward choice for businesses with diverse spending needs. With no annual fee, this card provides simple, flat-rate rewards.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express could be a great addition to your wallet if you want a basic rewards card that gives you a solid return on all your company purchases.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a solid cashback card for business owners who want to earn rewards without worrying about specific spending categories.
visited a credit card site this month
The best business credit cards available today are incredibly broad and varied, with some offering cash back and others earning flexible travel rewards or points that work with airlines and hotels. Some cards also come with considerably more benefits than others, which may include premium travel perks, travel insurance protections, free employee cards and more.
Whether you're looking for a big welcome bonus or want to focus on ongoing rewards, read on for an overview of top cards based on their rewards programs, introductory APR offers, cardholder benefits, features, fees and more.
Many of the best business credit cards earn cash back, yet some offer flexible rewards for travel or points or miles that work within specific loyalty programs.
Where some top business cards earn more rewards in certain spending categories, others offer a higher flat rewards rate on everything your business buys.
Common benefits of business credit cards include free employee cards and introductory annual percentage rate (APR) offers for purchases.
Make sure to compare card costs, rewards programs and included benefits before you pick a business card for your wallet.
Business credit cards offer a line of credit small business owners and entrepreneurs can use for new purchases and ongoing bills. Customers can pay their balance in full each billing period in order to avoid paying interest, or they can pay less than the statement balance (and at least a minimum payment) and carry remaining debt from one month to the next. In that case, interest is charged on those balances based on the card's variable APR.
Like with consumer credit cards, the rewards business credit cards offer vary dramatically. Some cards in this niche offer cash back on all spending, whereas others offer flexible rewards points that can be used in more than one way. There are also co-branded business credit cards that come from card issuers and airline and hotel loyalty programs. Business cards in this realm make sense if you're looking for the best business credit card for hotel points or airline miles.
When it comes to the benefits top business cards offer, you can find nearly any perk you can get with a consumer credit card. The best travel business credit cards can offer perks like annual travel credits, airport lounge membership and fee credits for membership with Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, whereas business cash back cards may offer free employee cards, intro 0% APR offers and protections for purchases. Co-branded business cards from airlines and hotels may also offer more specific travel benefits like free checked bags, priority boarding, early check-in at hotels and automatic elite status.
Expert intel: A handful of top business cards are actually pay-in-full charge cards that don't let you carry a balance unless a purchase qualifies for a pay-over-time benefit. If you opt for a business charge card, make sure you only charge purchases you can afford to pay in full when the bill comes due.
Earn rewards for business purchases and bills
Convenience of paying with plastic
Some cards offer 0% APR on purchases for a limited time
Some cards come with premium travel benefits like airport lounge access
Chance to build your business credit score
Annual fees up to $695 are possible
High variable interest rates apply
Potential for overspending and long-term debt
There are a few different types of business credit cards on the market today, although some cards fit in more than one category.
If you're looking for the best cash rewards business credit card and hoping to avoid interest for a while, you're in luck. Many top offers in this space come with 0% APR on purchases for a limited time, usually up to 12 months. These offers can help small business owners invest in business supplies or equipment, or help them improve their cash flow. Just remember that interest-free offers don't last forever, and that a card's regular variable APR applies once they end.
Many of the best credit cards for business are cash back credit cards, although they can also be charge cards that require you to pay your balance in full each month. Some of these cards offer a flat rewards rate no matter what you buy, yet others offer more cash back in categories like office supply stores or dining out. Many cash back credit cards for business come with a $0 annual fee, and some have intro 0% APR offers for purchases.
There are also travel credit cards for business, although these cards earn different types of rewards. Some travel credit cards earn flexible points that can be redeemed in more than one way, typically through programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles or Chase Ultimate Rewards.
There are also travel cards for business that earn airline miles or hotel points in specific programs. For example, you'll find business cards that are co-branded with the American AAdvantage program, Delta SkyMiles, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy.
What is the best business credit card to have? That depends on the features you're looking for. Here's an overview of different factors to consider as you search for the right card.
The best business cards give you something back for each dollar your business spends, whether it comes in the form of cash back, flexible rewards points, airline miles or hotel points. Since business cards feature rewards rates that can be all over the map, you'll want to compare options to see which ones make sense for how your business spends.
There are plenty of business credit cards with $0 annual fees, yet you'll also find options with fees up to $695 per year. The key to getting ahead is making sure any fees you're paying are worth it based on the rewards you earn, the perks you get or both.
Expert intel: You might be tempted to balk at the Business Platinum Card® from American Express with its $695 annual fee. However, this card comes with more than $1,000 in statement credit offers each year, Priority Pass Select membership valued at $469, access to Centurion airport lounges, automatic Gold elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy and more.
Business credit cards can help you build your personal and business credit. However, not all business cards report your credit balances and payments to your personal credit reports. It all depends on the issuer and their specific policies.
Also be aware that it's nearly impossible to find a business credit card with no personal guarantee required. Nearly all the best offers will check your personal credit in order to approve your application.
Look out for small business credit cards that offer the benefits you want the most, whether that's travel benefits, purchase protections or travel insurance perks. Note that cards with the most benefits tend to charge annual fees. As the well-known saying goes, you often get what you pay for.
With so many business credit cards out there today, you need to know what to look for. These steps can help you narrow down your options and find the right card.
You'll be hard-pressed to find a business credit card with no credit check, thus you need to know your credit score before you apply. This factor matters since the best offers all require very good or excellent credit, although some business credit cards are geared to fair credit as well.
Our advice? Use free services like Capital One CreditWise or Chase Credit Journey to check your credit score before you apply for a business credit card. This will help you gauge which cards you may be eligible for while letting you know if your credit needs some work.
Decide which type of card you want to have, whether you need 0% APR on purchases for a limited time, you prefer to earn travel rewards or you're really after some basic cash back. If you're a frequent traveler, you should also compare the best travel business credit cards that earn airline miles and hotel points.
Keep an open mind when it comes to credit card annual fees, and remember that business cards with the most perks require annual fees from $95 all the way up to $695. If you want premium benefits like airport lounge access or annual travel credits, you'll need to pay an annual fee each year.
If you are after a small business card that earns cash back, this factor is less of a consideration. However, those considering cards that earn flexible points in programs like Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles or Chase Ultimate Rewards will want to take note.
These programs all work similarly in the fact they all let you redeem rewards for flexible options like statement credits or gift cards. However, they don't all offer the same redemption value for these options. For example, Amex only gives you $0.6 cents per point for statement credits on your account and anywhere from half a cent to 1 cent per point for gift cards, whereas Chase offers 1 cent per point in value for most non-travel options like statement credits and gift cards.
Also note that all of these programs offer point transfers to airlines and hotels, yet they have different sets of transfer partners. This means you'll want to compare programs carefully if you prefer to travel with a specific airline, a major airline alliance or a hotel brand.
Finally, decide which perks you're willing to pay for — if any at all. Business credit cards with the highest annual fees tend to be travel credit cards with luxury benefits, which can be worth it if you're a jetsetter who is always traveling somewhere new.
There are also lower annual fee business credit cards that offer perks worth pursuing, so make sure to compare options and decide what you want the most before you select a card.
If you're wondering how to get a business credit card, the following steps will walk you through the process.
Find the right card online. Look for business credit cards that offer the rewards and perks you want the most, which you can find on this page and elsewhere online.
Fill out the credit card application. Click where it says "apply now" and fill out the application with your full name, address, date of birth, employment information, Social Security Number, business name, Employer Identification Number (EIN) and other required information.
Double-check your information. Look over your application to make sure all information is correct before you hit submit.
Wait for the results. You may find out you're approved for a business credit card in a matter of minutes, or you could have to wait to hear via email within 30 days.
Expert intel: If you're a sole proprietor who doesn't have an Employer Identification Number (EIN), you can still apply for a business credit card. Do so by filling out the application as a sole proprietorship and using your Social Security number (SSN) in place of an EIN.
To get the most out of your business credit card, you'll want to make sure you wind up with the right card (or cards) for your needs. Consider these tips and tricks to maximize rewards all year long.
The best business card for you depends on the business categories you spend the most in, whether you spend a lot on fuel for company vehicles, business travel, shipping purchases, supplies purchased at office supply stores or something else. If your business spending is all over the place, you can also consider flat-rate rewards cards for business that offer a higher earning rate on all business spending and bills.
As you look for new business credit cards to sign up for, make sure to consider their welcome bonuses and whether you can earn them through regular business spending and bills. This step is crucial since business card bonuses can be worth $1,000 or more, and since some require as much as $10,000 or $15,000 in spending in the first few months.
For the most part, you'll want to go with business bonus offers that have a reasonable spending requirement you can meet within the required timeline. If you go for a bonus offer that requires more than your average spending, you could wind up missing out on the bonus altogether.
Also consider getting more than one rewards credit card to maximize points or cash back all year long, and remember that you can pair business cards with consumer credit cards. Some card programs even let you pool all your rewards in one place for convenience or premium redemption options. An example of this is the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which lets users pool all their points or cash back in one account.
While all credit card rankings are subjective, we considered a range of important factors while comparing business credit cards for this guide. Factors we assessed include rewards rates and programs, interest rates and fees, cardholder benefits, account security, user experience and customer service.
We also reached out to renowned credit card experts for their takes on the best business credit cards, and we surveyed message boards like Reddit for consumer sentiment. Ultimately, the business credit cards that made our guide scored the best in all categories considered.
The best business credit card depends on the rewards you want to earn, the perks you want and how much you're willing to pay in annual fees. Some of the top options come from card issuers like American Express, Bank of America, Capital One and Chase.
Apply for a business credit card by filling out an application directly from this page. Plan to submit information like your full name, address, date of birth, SSN and household income, along with information on your business like the company name and EIN.
Chase offers several top business credit cards that can work for different needs. Frequent travelers tend to love the Chase Ink Business Preferred®, where the Chase Ink Business Premier®, Chase Ink Business Unlimited® and Chase Ink Business Cash® are best for earning cash back.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
