Best Business Credit Cards

Business credit cards offer a combination of travel perks, cashback, and added protection so you can make the most of your business purchases. After starting dozens of businesses and using just about every business credit card on the market, Chase Ink Business Cash is our top pick because there are no annual fees and you can earn up to 5% cashback on everyday business purchases.

The Best Business Credit Card for Most

If you’re looking for the best all-around business credit card (that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg), Chase Ink Business Cash is the way to go. With it, you can earn up to 2-5% cashback on your first $25,000 and an unlimited 1% cashback on all purchases after that. The best part is that there are no annual fees or maintenance fees.

You also get unlimited employee cards at no extra charge, each of which accumulates rewards and cashback benefits so you can make the most of the money you spend.

The 8 Best Business Credit Card Options to Consider:

1. Chase Ink Business Cash – Best for most businesses
2. American Express Business Gold – Best for membership rewards
3. Capital One Spark Cash Plus – Best business credit card for cashback
4. Capital One Spark Cash Select – Best cash rewards with no annual fee
5. Wells Fargo Business Secured – Best for users with bad credit
6. American Express Business Platinum – Best for business travel
7. American Express Business Blue Plus – Best for small businesses
8. Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi – Best for Costco members

When It Makes Sense to Apply for a Business Credit Card

Credit cards are an essential lifeline for businesses of any size. There’s no better way to maintain financial flexibility on business expenses, both large and small.

Even freelancers, sole proprietors, and single-member LLCs can benefit from a business credit card—it makes it much easier to separate your personal and business expenses. Plus, you can earn cash back and travel rewards on purchases you’re making to put a bit more money back in your wallet.

Getting one also can be incredibly handy when you’re planning on making a big purchase.

Why? Because introductory interest rates on new business credit cards are often very low—sometimes 0% for the first six, 12, or 18 months.

As such, it’s really never too early to apply for a business credit card.

Even if you don’t have a registered business with an EIN (employer identification number), you can still apply for most business cards using your personal social security number.

So, even if you just have a part-time side gig, you can still get a business credit card to pay for transactions and enjoy the perks, rewards, and protections that come with it.  

#1 – Chase Ink Business Cash — Best Business Credit Card for Most

Chase Ink Business Cash is our top recommendation for most users. To start, the introductory bonus is easily achievable for most businesses—all you have to do is spend $7,500 within the first three months and you’ll get a $750 cashback bonus.

On top of that, you get 5% cashback on the first $25,000 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and office supplies per year. Since those are things most businesses regularly buy, the perk makes sense.

The $25,000 limit resets every year, giving you the opportunity to reap those rewards year after year.

Many businesses will also love the 2% cashback offer for the first $25,000 spent at restaurants and gas stations. This limit also resets every year, rewarding you for your time on the road.

You also earn an unlimited 1% cashback on everything else. So, you’ll get a kickback for every purchase, regardless of what it is and how much you spend.

To sweeten the deal, you can get employee cards at no extra cost. You can set limits on a per-employee basis for granular control. Employee cards also earn rewards and cashback offers the same rate as the primary cardholder, making it easier than ever the make the most of your card-holder perks.

When you’re ready to cash out your rewards, you can opt for cash, gift cards, or travel vouchers to match your needs.

Every purchase you and your employees make is protected from damage or theft for 120 days, up to $10,000 per claim, and $50,000 per account.

Other top benefits of the Cash Ink Business Cash card include:

• Fraud alerts
• Zero liability protection
• Free employee cards
• Rental car rewards
• Auto rental collision damage waiver
• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty protection

Best of all, there are no annual fees, making it suitable for any business, no matter how small, and one of the best fee-free cards on our list.

#2 – American Express Business Gold — The Best For Membership Rewards

If you’re interested in membership rewards, Amex Business Gold is our top pick. When you use your card for purchases, you rack up points you can use for airfare, pre-sale concert tickets, Amazon purchases, Paypal purchases, and more.

You can earn 90,000 membership rewards points just by spending $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months. The value of your points depends on what you use them for.

For example, 10,000 points equal $70 at Amazon, Best Buy, Dell, Grubhub, Newegg, and PayPal. But it’s $100 NYC Taxi and only $50 at TicketMaster.

The application process is entirely online and most businesses get approved in as little as 30 seconds. The entire process is pain-free and straightforward so you can get back to running your business as fast as possible.

American Express rewards you for high-value transactions. Each billing cycle, you earn 4x points on your top two spending categories from the following list:

• Restaurants
• Gas stations
• Shipping
• Airlines
• Advertising purchases
• Technology (hardware, software, cloud solutions)

One cycle you might earn 4x points on airlines and technology if you’re making a big investment in software and traveling a lot. In the next cycle, you could earn 4x points on advertising and restaurants if you’re making big moves with clients and increasing your ad spend.

This perk applies to the first $150,000 in spending within your top two categories during a calendar year. From there, you can earn one point for every $1 spent within these categories with no limitations. 

All other purchases earn 1x points as well.

Amex offers other perks like travel and transportation protection, access to pre-sale tickets, discounts on airfare, expense management tools, and flexibility in terms of paying your balance. So it’s not just great for rewards—it’s reliable, safe, and full of other perks.

The American Express Business Gold card has a $295 annual fee. So, it’s not free but it pays for itself if you earn enough points and use them.

#3 – Capital One Spark Cash Plus — Best Cash Back Rewards

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus card is one of the industry-leading options for cash-back benefits on the market. And it’s an excellent choice for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

New cardholders can earn a $1,000 bonus. Spend at least $5,000 in the first three months to get the first $500 and at least $50,000 in the first six months to unlock the remaining $500. Even if the $50k is a bit out of range, $5,000 is an easy target to snag five Benjamins.

On top of that, you can earn an extra $200 every year you spend more than $200,000 or more. It’s a reward that keeps on rewarding.

It’s a great opportunity to earn some extra cash if you have any big purchases coming up, or if you plan to make a lot of small purchases in the near future.

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus card offers 2% cash back on all purchases with no limits. It’s a truly unlimited benefit that has no minimums or expiration dates.

On top of cash back perks, you also get:

• Free employee cards
• Custom employee spending limits
• No foreign transaction fees
• Automatic fraud alerts
• Virtual card numbers for online purchases
• Itemized year-end summaries
• Extended warranty protection

Plus, you can easily stay on top of recurring subscriptions and monthly bills charged to your Spark card.

Managing your account is easy and you can do it from anywhere using Capital One’s intuitive mobile app. With it, you can track activity alerts, see payment options, download statements, and more.

With that said, there’s a $150 annual fee and your balance is due in full at the end of every month with a 2.99% late fee for any unpaid balances—it’s a bit different from most cards that have an APR attached for unpaid balances. So, keep in mind that you have to pay every month in full before you make your final decision.

#4 – Capital One Spark Cash Select — Best Cash Rewards With No Annual Fee

If you’re sold on Capital One’s cash-back rewards but don’t want to pay a monthly fee, you can opt for the Capital One Spark Cash Select card instead.

The card is nearly identical to the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card in the review above. You get all of the same perks, including free employee cards, fraud protection, and virtual card numbers, and year-end summaries. But the cash-back amount is slightly lower in exchange for a non-existent annual fee.

As a new cardholder, you can earn a $500 bonus if you spend at least $4,500 in the first three months. Need to buy some new computers for your team? Maybe it’s time to purchase a new round of inventory. Either way, it’s a great time to make that big investment to score an extra $500 bucks.

For all of your other purchases, you get 1.5% cash back with no limits.

So, you get rewards for every purchase throughout the year, not just the first few you make. The potential is massive, especially if you use your card for most of your business purchases.

It’s not quite as good as the 2% offered on the other Capital One card, but you’re saving $95 per year. Businesses with lower spending volume that can’t justify the annual fee will definitely enjoy the cashback rewards from this card. 

The application takes just 10 minutes and all you need is the name, address, and SSN of all owners to get started.

#5 – Wells Fargo Business Secured — Best Business Credit Card For Bad Credit

Not all business owners will qualify for certain cards. If you have bad personal credit or poor business credit, your options will be limited.

But the Wells Fargo Business Secured card can help you repair your credit score. It’s also a great option for startups that need to establish their credit history.

Here’s how it works. You need to secure your credit line with a deposit ranging from $500 to $25,000. This deposit essentially becomes your credit limit.

But you’ll still earn rewards and get the benefits of a traditional credit card. Wells Fargo actually gives you some options for how to redeem your rewards:

• 1.5% cash back for every $1 spent
• 1 point for every $1 spent

If you choose the point rewards option, you can earn 1,000 bonus points for spending $1,000+ in any billing cycle. 

The card has a $25 annual fee.

#6 – American Express Business Platinum — The Best For Business Travel

If you have to travel frequently for your business, the American Express Business Platinum Card is a must-have in your wallet.

Choose your favorite qualifying airline, and get a $200 statement credit each calendar year for baggage fees and other charges incurred from that particular airline. 

With the Amex Business Platinum card, you’ll earn 5x points on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel. You’ll also earn 1x points for every $1 spent and 1.5x points on purchases of $5,000 or more.

Other travel benefits included with the American Express Business Platinum card:

• 35% points back bonus on airfare (up to 500,000 points per year)
• American Express Global Lounge access (1,200+ airports in 130+ countries)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck
• Hilton Honors Gold Status
• Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status
• Trip delay insurance
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance

You’ll also benefit from perks like free room upgrades, early check-ins, late check-outs, complimentary wifi, and credits for food, beverages, and spas at select hotels. 

The card has a $595 annual fee, but it’s well worth it if you travel often for business. New members can earn 150,000 bonus points by spending $15,000 in the first three months.

#7 – American Express Business Blue Plus — The Best Credit Card For Small Businesses

The Amex Business Blue Plus card is our top pick for small businesses. It’s great for everyday purchases as well as larger and recurring transactions.

New cardmembers can earn an extra 15,000 member points by spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases within three months of opening your account.

You’ll earn 2x points on the first $50,000 in purchases per year, with no category restrictions. After that, you’ll earn 1x points on remaining purchases—no limit.

The card comes with all of the perks and benefits you expect from American Express. It has exceptional customer support, account alerts, and free employee cards.

Even if you don’t charge a ton to the card, the $0 annual fee makes it hard to pass on.

#8 – Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi — Best Business Credit Card For Costco Members

If you’re a Costco business member, you need the Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi. 

As you likely know by now, Costco doesn’t accept American Express. So you want to have a Visa card in your wallet that will reward you for your Costco spending.

Here are the top cash back rewards offered by this card:

• 4% cash back on gas worldwide (including Costco)
• 3% cash back on restaurant and eligible business travel worldwide
• 2% cash back on Costco and Costo.com purchases
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

The card also comes with extended warranty benefits and purchase protection. You’ll have special access to presale tickets for sporting events, concerts, and other experiences through the Citi Entertainment Program as well. 

There’s no annual fee for the card if you have a Costco membership.

Methodology For Choosing The Best Business Credit Cards

With thousands of business credit cards to choose from, finding the best one for your business can feel like a daunting task. Fortunately, we’ve simplified this process for you. Keep the following considerations in mind as you’re narrowing down your options:

Annual Fees and Interest Rates

How much is the card going to cost you?

We’ve seen plenty of business credit cards with no annual fee, and others as high as $595. Those fees can definitely be worth it if you’re getting the most out of your membership, but smaller businesses probably shouldn’t be spending more than $95 on an annual fee.

Beyond the card membership cost, look at other fees for things like paper statements, additional employee cards, interest rates, late payment fees, and more. These can add up quickly if you’re not careful.

Membership Rewards

Business credit card rewards typically come in one of two forms—points or cash back. 

It’s really just personal preference when deciding which type of membership best fits your needs. If you’re not comfortable with the whole point redemption system, keep it simple and just go for the cash back.  

Qualification Criteria

Some credit cards offer exceptional rewards. However, you’ll likely need exceptional credit to get those benefits. 

Take a look at the qualification terms before you consider applying for a credit card. A hard credit check and a rejection could damage your credit even more. 

For those of you with poor credit or no business credit, you might need to use a secured business credit card to repair your score. After a year or two of on-time payments, you should be able to apply for a more traditional card.

Purchase Habits

What are you spending money on?

Some business credit cards offer better rewards for gas or restaurants. Other credit cards are designed for business travel. Some cards give you the same rewards regardless of what you’re spending the money on.

If the bulk of your purchases fall into one or two categories, it’s definitely worth getting a card that gives you extra rewards for those transactions. This is especially true for hotels, airlines, car rentals, and other business travel expenses. 

Summary

For most users, we highly recommend the Chase Ink Business Cash card. But that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for everyone.

There are plenty of other great options to consider, including:

1. Chase Ink Business Cash – Best for most businesses
2. American Express Business Gold – Best for membership rewards
3. Capital One Spark Cash Plus – Best business credit card for cashback
4. Capital One Spark Cash Select – Best cash rewards with no annual fee
5. Wells Fargo Business Secured – Best for users with bad credit
6. American Express Business Platinum – Best for business travel
7. American Express Business Blue Plus – Best for small businesses
8. Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi – Best for Costco members

Don’t forget to use the recommendations and methodology described in this guide to find the best business credit card for you. In some cases, you may even benefit from more than one.