Best Business Credit Cards to Support Your Business 

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

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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 at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services; 2% on gas and restaurants; 1% on everything else
  • Welcome offer: Earn up to $750 cashback after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months
  • 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 don’t need to have huge monthly expenses to earn rewards and the welcome bonus from this credit card. To get the full welcome offer, you only need to spend $6,000 within the first six months of opening your account — $3,000 in the first three months to earn $350, then earn the remaining $400 after spending a total of $6,000.

(Its sister card, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, offers a similar welcome bonus but only pays a flat 1.5% cashback.) 

With the Ink Business Cash credit card, 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. 

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. 

Other card features include auto rental collision damage waivers, travel and emergency services, roadside dispatch, purchase protection, and extended warranties. 

Learn more about the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card or compare all credit card offers.

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 Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard

. . .

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. 

You can also earn a $300 statement credit after only $3,000 in net purchases within 90 days of opening the account. This makes it an excellent option if you have a small or new business with low costs. There’s also an introductory 0% APR offer. 

Other features include free business credit monitoring, $100,000 in travel accident insurance, and fraud monitoring (with zero liability for fraudulent transactions).

If you want the simplicity of a flat cashback rewards rate, the Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards has a lot to offer. 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)
Spark Business Cash Plus Credit Card

. . .

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. 

If your business spends at least $150,000 in a calendar year, your annual fee 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. 

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. That, 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
Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards

. . .

This Bank of America business credit card has most of the same features as 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. 

Like its sister card, you earn a $300 statement credit after posting $3,000 in purchases within 90 days. 

For rewards, you earn 2% on dining and 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. 

Best for Balance Transfers: U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card

  • Rewards rate: None
  • Welcome offer: None
  • Annual fee: $0
U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card

. . .

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. 

The card doesn’t charge an annual fee, and the 0% APR applies to both new purchases and balance transfers. 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. 

However, you can 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. 

READ MORE: How To Do a Balance Transfer the Smart Way

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. 

With this card, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar when you book flights or hotels with AmexTravel.com. You’ll also earn 1.5x points on spending at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, U.S. electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and U.S. shipping providers.

The 1.5x rate is good on up to $2 million in spending each year — after that, the rate drops to 1x.

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). 

Learn more about The Business Platinum Card® from American Express or read our full review.

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 from account opening and an additional 60,000 points when you spend $15,000 in 9 months
  • Annual fee: $99
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

If you’re a business owner who frequently flies with Southwest Airlines, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is your best choice. There’s a relatively low minimum spend threshold of $3,000 in three months to earn 60,000 bonus points, and the annual fee is reasonable

The highest rewards category is for purchases of Southwest Airlines flights, at 3 points per dollar. Plus, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotels and rental cars. Earn 1 point per dollar on other purchases. 

Other features and benefits of the Rapid Rewards Premier Business card 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

Learn more about the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card or compare all credit card offers.

READ MORE: Best Southwest Credit Cards

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.

As you can imagine, this card is best suited for businesses planning to spend and redeem rewards at Hilton properties. You’ll get automatic free Hilton Honors Gold Status.

Here’s how to earn rewards with Hilton Honors American Express Business:

  • 12x points per dollar on Hilton hotels and resorts
  • 5x points on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year
  • 3x points thereafter

You can also get a Hilton credit of up to $240 each year ($60 in statement credits per quarter), based on eligible purchases charged directly with a Hilton property, including bookings and incidental charges.

Other benefits include QuickBooks access and other expense management tools, baggage insurance,** and car rental loss and damage insurance.** 

Learn more about the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card or read our full review.

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 everything else
  • 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
  • Annual fee: $125 (rates and fees)
Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card

. . .

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. 

The current welcome offer gives you the chance to 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.

In addition to earning free nights at eligible Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 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. 

Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.

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 
Capital On Tap Business Credit Card

. . .

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. 

You can earn an unlimited 1.5% cashback on purchases, get free employee cards and manage their spending, and 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. 

READ MORE: How To Build Credit Over Time

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

The Bottom Line

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.  

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Learn With Erika

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* 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.

Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

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I'm an award-winning lawyer and personal finance expert featured in Inc. Magazine, CNBC, the Today Show, Business Insider and more. My mission is to make personal finance accessible for everyone. As the largest financial influencer in the world, I'm connected to a community of over 20 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. I'm also the host of the podcast Erika Taught Me. You might recognize me from my viral tagline, "I read the fine print so you don't have to!"

I'm a graduate of Georgetown Law, where I founded the Georgetown Law Entrepreneurship Club, and the University of Notre Dame. I discovered my passion for personal finance after realizing I was drowning in over $200,000 of student debt and needed to take action-ultimately paying off my student loans in under 2 years. I then spent years as a corporate lawyer representing Fortune 500 companies, but I quit because I realized I wanted to have an impact; I wanted to help real people and teach them that you can create a financial future for yourself.

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Our aim is to help you make financial decisions with confidence through our objective article content and reviews. Erika.com is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. 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.

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Our aim is to help you make financial decisions with confidence through our objective article content and reviews. Erika.com is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. 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.