Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Erika’s Picks for Best Business Credit Cards
- Best for cashback on low spending:
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - Best for unlimited cashback on low spending:
Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® - Best for unlimited cashback on high spending:
Capital One Spark Cash Plus - Best for customized rewards:
Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards - Best for balance transfers:
U.S. Bank Business Platinum Credit Card - Best for luxury travel perks:
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Best for flying Southwest:
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card - Best for Hilton hotel stays:
Hilton Honors American Express Business Card - Best for Marriott hotel stays:
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card - Best for low credit score:
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card
If you run your own business, you’re going to want a business credit card. Having a business card that’s separate from your personal card makes it easier to keep those finances separate. Plus, some business credit cards come with benefits like cashback and travel perks.
Before you decide which business credit card to get, figure out your business needs. Estimate your level of spending, your highest categories of spending, and the most useful rewards for you.
To help you choose, here are our picks for the best business credit cards for different needs and different types of entrepreneurs.
Best for Cashback on Low Spending
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 5% cashback on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- 2% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
- 1% on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn up to $750 bonus cashback: $350 when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months after account opening
Annual Fee
$0
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers cashback of up to 5% for your business spending, with no annual fee. You can also get extra employee cards for free, setting customized spending limits for each one.
You’ll earn 5% cashback on certain business expenses, including purchases at office supply stores as well as internet, cable, and phone. Cashback is available on up to $25,000 in spending per calendar year of holding the account.
You also earn 2% cashback at gas stations and restaurants (combined, and again on up to $25,000 per year). Other purchases earn an unlimited 1% cashback.
Other card features include auto rental collision damage waivers, travel and emergency services, roadside dispatch, purchase protection, and extended warranties.
With the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, you don’t need to have huge monthly expenses to earn rewards or to earn the welcome bonus.
Since the highest rewards earned are capped at a combined $50,000 per year, you’ll benefit the most from this card if your business falls under that spending range.
Best for Unlimited Cashback on Low Spending
Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard®
Rewards Rate
- 1.5% cashback on all purchases, with no limits or expiration
Welcome Offer
$300 online statement credit after spending $3,000 in 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
Bank of America’s Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard pays you back 1.5% on all purchases, with no limit to the rewards you can earn. Plus, you won’t need to spend a huge amount to earn the bonus.
If you have a business checking account with Bank of America, you may qualify for higher rewards of up to 2.62% cashback.
Other features include free business credit monitoring, $100,000 in travel accident insurance, and fraud monitoring (with zero liability for fraudulent transactions).
All information about the Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you want the simplicity of a flat cashback rewards rate, the Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards has a lot to offer.
With no annual fee, no limits on earnings, and no designated or rotating categories to think about, you can earn simply on whatever expenses your business incurs, even if those costs change from month to month.
Just be aware there’s a foreign transaction fee if you use it internationally.
Best for Unlimited Cashback on High Spending
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Rewards Rate
- 5% cashback on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn a $2,000 cash bonus when you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$150 (waived if you spend $150,000 that year)
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a charge card rather than a credit card, which means you must pay off the balance in full every month by the due date, or else pay a late fee. (In comparison, credit cards do let you carry a balance from month to month, although it’s best practice not to.)
With this charge card, you’re not assigned a preset spending limit — but the logical limit is what you can pay back every month.
You can earn an unlimited 2% cashback on purchases, plus a higher 5% rewards rate on hotels and rental cars when you book them through Capital One Travel.
If your business spends at least $150,000 in a calendar year, your annual fee for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus will be credited back to your account.
You can also get free employee cards and virtual card numbers for security. There’s also zero liability for fraudulent purchases.
The high rewards rate on bookings through Capital One Travel, plus no foreign transaction fees, makes this a solid card for businesses that require travel.
Best for Customized Rewards
Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards
Rewards Rate
- 3% cashback in your selected category
- 2% on dining
- 1% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
$300 statement credit after spending $3,000 in 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
The Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards lets you customize your top-earning categories. You'll earn 2% on dining, but can assign 3% cashback to one of these categories:
- Gas stations and EV charging stations (default category)
- Office supply stores
- Travel
- TV/telecom and wireless
- Computer services
- Business consulting services
You can earn the 2% and 3% on a combined total of up to $50,000 per calendar year and 1% thereafter. For all other purchases, you’ll earn an unlimited 1%.
Plus, business owners with a Bank of America business checking account who qualify for Preferred Rewards for Business Platinum Honors earn more. The top category could earn you 5.25%, plus 3.5% on dining and 1.75% on other purchases.
All information about the Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards card has most of the same features as its sister card (the Business Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard), but you get to customize your rewards levels.
If you spend more in certain categories, the Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards may be the better option.
Best for Balance Transfers
U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card
Rewards Rate
- None
Welcome Offer
None
Annual Fee
$0
If your business has some debt, a balance transfer for 0% APR can help you pay it off faster. The U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card offers no interest for 18 billing cycles.
However, there are some downsides. Balance transfer fees are the greater of either 3% or $5, so your 0% rate doesn’t come free. The issuer also charges fees for cash advances and foreign transactions.
You’ll notice another major drawback with the U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card: it doesn’t offer any rewards or welcome bonus. You’ll have to be satisfied with the 0% APR as the primary reward.
All information about the U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card doesn’t charge an annual fee, and the 0% APR applies to both new purchases and balance transfers.
You can also get extra employee cards and set spending limits to manage company-wide costs.
You’ll also receive Visa Spend Clarity, a tool to help you track spending.
Best for Luxury Travel Perks
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Rewards Rate
- 5x points on prepaid flights and hotels with amextravel.com
- 1.5x points on eligible purchases of over $5,000
- 1.5x points on certain business expenses including electronic goods retailers
- 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
150,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $20,000 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$695 (rates and fees)
If your business is on the higher end of the spending spectrum and you want premium travel benefits, consider The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Just be sure you’ll take advantage of the luxury travel benefits to make the steep annual fee worthwhile.
In addition to the high earning rates, other features include:
- Up to $400 in Dell Technologies credit annually
- Up to $360 in Indeed credit annually
- $200 airline fee credit
- $199 CLEAR Plus credit
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck*
- Global Lounge access
- Car rental privileges with several providers
One major perk of the American Express Business Platinum credit card is a 35% Airline Bonus. When you book an eligible flight through American Express Travel, using your rewards points to pay for part or all of the cost, you can recoup up to 35% of your points (a maximum of 1 million points returned per calendar year).
The The Business Platinum Card® from American Express really stands out for business owners who are big on travel benefits and premium experiences.
You’ll get plenty of travel perks, such as reimbursement for TSA PreCheck®* and certain airline fees, plus elite hotel status (enrollment required), and valuable travel protections.**
Most of these statement credits require you to enroll, so don’t ignore that step.
Best for Flying Southwest
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 3x points on Southwest Airlines® purchases
- 2x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners and rideshare
- 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open
Annual Fee
$99
If you’re a business owner who frequently flies with Southwest Airlines, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is your best choice.
The highest rewards category is for purchases of Southwest Airlines flights, at 3 points per dollar. Other features and benefits include:
- Two EarlyBird Check-Ins annually
- 25% cashback on in-flight purchases
- 6,000 anniversary points annually
- Unlimited Tier Qualifying Points toward elite status
- No foreign transaction fees
- Unlimited reward seats to over 100 destinations
- Lost luggage reimbursement and baggage insurance
While the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is limited in the way it rewards spending, if you swear by Southwest Airlines, the rewards are quite lucrative.
You’ll get travel perks like early check-ins for flights, discounts on in-flight purchases, and coverage for lost or delayed luggage.
This card also comes with a lower fee than its sister card, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.
Best for Hilton Hotel Stays
Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Rewards Rate
- 12x points for eligible hotel or resort spending with Hilton
- 5x points on other purchases on the first $100,000 each calendar year (3x thereafter)
Welcome Offer
Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership
Annual Fee
$195 (rates and fees)
If you’re a Hilton Hotels devotee, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card can help you earn rewards like free nights and status upgrades within the Hilton Honors program.
You’ll get automatic free Hilton Honors Gold Status, which grants you an 80% bonus on the Base Points you earn on every stay. You can also qualify for room upgrades at select properties and other perks.
You can also get a statement credit of up to $60 each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio.
As you can imagine, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is best suited for businesses planning to spend and redeem rewards at Hilton properties.
However, you can also enjoy its benefits even when you aren’t at your hotel — like with the Priority Pass Select membership that grants you access to airport lounges around the globe.
Other benefits include QuickBooks access and other expense management tools, baggage insurance,** and car rental loss and damage insurance.**
Best for Marriott Hotel Stays
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Rewards Rate
- 6x points on Marriott Bonvoy® hotels
- 4x points at U.S. gas stations, worldwide restaurants, and U.S. wireless phone services
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply.
Annual Fee
$125 (rates and fees)
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card offers impressive rewards on Marriott Bonvoy purchases and plenty of travel-related perks. You’ll get complimentary Gold Elite status, one free night award each year, and no foreign transaction fees.
By pairing your Marriott Bonvoy membership with your Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card, you get 7% off eligible hotel bookings.
In addition to earning free nights at eligible Marriott Bonvoy hotels with the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card , you can redeem rewards points for flight and car rentals with hundreds of travel partners.
Baggage insurance** and rental car loss and damage coverage** are included.
The card offers business tools like automatic expense categorization with QuickBooks, free employee credit cards with spending limits you set, year-end spending summaries, and Vendor Pay.
Best for Low Credit Score
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 1.5% cashback
Welcome Offer
$200 back after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee
$0
The Capital on Tap Business Credit Card earns an unlimited 1.5% cashback on purchases. Plus, you'll get free employee cards (and can manage their spending).
You can also redeem points for discounts on travel and gift cards.
The APR can creep fairly high, but if you’re unable to qualify for other business credit cards, Capital on Tap provides an option.
All information about the Capital on Tap Business Credit Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you’re looking for a way to grow your business but don’t have great credit history, the Capital on Tap Business Credit Card can help. There’s no hard credit check required to apply.
How To Choose a Business Credit Card
When you’re selecting a business credit card, consider the typical factors like interest rate, annual fee, welcome bonus, and rewards.
But since this is for your business, you also need to factor in your typical business expenses. Do you need free cards for employees that allow you to set spending limits? Will a large percentage of your purchases be at gas stations, travel, office supplies, business consulting, or other types of spending?
If you have some business debt, an introductory 0% APR could be helpful for getting your books back in order.
You might even benefit from one business credit card for hotels or airlines and another for general purchases and cash rewards.
Choosing the best business credit card means evaluating your business’s current spending needs and the most useful rewards.
Pros and Cons of Business Credit Cards
Business credit cards can help you grow your business and keep your personal expenses out of your company budget, but there are some cons to consider.
Pros
- Build business credit
- Manage and monitor company expenses
- Short-term cash availability
- Earn cashback or other rewards
- Easy to access records at tax time
Cons
- Good or excellent credit may be required
- Potential to rack up debt
- Interest charges may be high if not paid in full
- May briefly impact your personal credit score
Bottom Line: Should You Get a Business Credit Card?
If you have your own business or are planning to start one, it’s a smart move to get a business credit card. This can help you to better separate your business costs from your personal costs.
Plus, you can get business-specific perks like access to accounting programs, upgraded travel perks, and cashback on ongoing business costs like shipping and internet use.
Just remember that this is your business card and you don’t want to start using it for your personal spending. Not only could this muddy up your expenses come tax time, but you could end up losing track of your personal budget.
* Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
** Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
