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A business credit card is more than a convenient way to pay — it’s a critical tool for maintaining cash flow, building credit, and avoiding tax headaches.
And whether you’re full-time freelancing, casually side-hustling, or well on your way to an IPO, the steps to get a card are straightforward.
Erika Recommends
- American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Cashback card with low minimum income requirement. - Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Flat cashback rate on all purchases.
Figure Out If You Qualify
Determining if you qualify for a business credit card is easy.
Do you run a business? If so, you probably qualify.
What counts as a business?
People who earn side income — like rideshare drivers, homestay hosts, or pet sitters — often don’t realize they’re eligible for business credit cards. But virtually any activity that’s legal and aspires to be financially productive is considered a business by credit card issuers.
And even some of the best business credit cards have low minimum revenue requirements.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, for example, is available to businesses with just $1,000 or more in annual revenue:
Many other business credit cards don’t have any formal minimum revenue requirement, so they’re obtainable even if your business idea is still in its early growth stage.
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Rewards Rate
- 2% cashback on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year (1% after)
- 1% cashback automatically credited to your statement after the first $50,000 spent per calendar year
Welcome Offer
Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
Annual Fee
Who can apply?
You must be authorized to borrow money on a business’s behalf to apply for a business credit card. Eligible job titles include:
- Owner
- CEO
- Chief financial officer
- Treasurer
- General manager
What credit score do you need?
Card issuers usually check your personal credit score when they review your application.
Your score also helps determine the annual percentage rate (APR) you’ll be subject to if you’re approved.
This makes a good credit score key to both increasing your card approval chances and minimizing interest payments if you need to carry a balance — which about a third of businesses do at some point, according to JPMorgan Chase.
With that in mind, wait until you have a credit score of at least 715 — the national average, according to Experian — before applying for most business credit cards.
But there’s some wiggle room depending on the type of card you want. For example, Capital One’s Spark 1% Classic is a basic credit card designed for businesses that are just starting out.
On the other hand, premium credit cards for businesses have significantly better perks and require above-average credit scores.
Capital One Spark 1% Classic
Rewards Rate
- 5% cashback on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Unlimited 1% cashback on every purchase
Welcome Offer
None
Annual Fee
$0
Find the Right Card for You
The five major U.S. credit card issuers offer nearly 40 small business credit cards, which can make choosing the best card for your business overwhelming.
But focusing on a few key card features will help you work through the options quickly.
Choose your card type
Business credit cards can be grouped into two broad categories: travel cards and cashback cards.
Business travel cards
Business travel cards offer benefits like travel insurance, airport lounge access, and waived foreign transaction fees.
Their rewards can be redeemed for flights and hotel nights, making them ideal if you conduct some of your business away from home.
COMPARE: Best Business Credit Cards for Travel
Business cashback cards
Cashback cards’ rewards can be redeemed as a statement credit, bank account deposit, or check.
They often provide purchase protection and extended warranties for items you buy, but have limited benefits beyond that. As such, they’re best for businesses with infrequent travel.
Review rewards rates
If your business spends significantly in certain purchase categories — like advertising, office supplies, or shipping — choose a card that earns elevated cashback or rewards points in those categories, like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
If expenses are more evenly balanced across a range of spending categories, go with a card that offers a high base rewards rate on every purchase, like the Capital One Spark Cash Plus.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
All information about the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is no longer available through Erika.com.
Rewards Rate
- 3x points on every dollar spent on shipping, advertising with social media and search engines, internet, cable, phone, and travel — up to the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in these categories
- 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27
- 1x per dollar spent everywhere else
Welcome Offer
Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Rewards Rate
- 5% cashback on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site
- 2% on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. Earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year. You can earn this bonus multiple times over the course of year 1!
Annual Fee
$150 (waived if you spend $150,000 that year)
Check welcome offers
Welcome offers can be worth $2,000 or more, making them the single most valuable benefit offered by most credit cards.
But the most lucrative welcome offers also have high minimum spending requirements, which might tempt you into spending beyond your means.
Only apply for a credit card if you’ll comfortably meet its welcome offer’s minimum spending requirement without changing your usual spending patterns.
COMPARE: Best Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses
How To Apply for a Business Credit Card
Once you’ve figured out which card you want, it’s time to prep for and complete your application.
Gather info
You’ll need to provide the card issuer with personal details, like your:
- Name, date of birth (DOB), and contact information
- Total annual, pre-tax income, including income from sources outside your business
- Monthly housing payment
- Business role and ownership percentage
… and business details, like your business’s:
- Legal name, doing business as (DBA) name, and contact information
- Federal Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) — i.e., an employer identification number if your business has one, or your Social Security number if not
- Structure — e.g., sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), etc.
- Industry, years in business, and number of employees
- Annual revenue
- Projected monthly card spending
- Tax returns, pay stubs, and bank statements for the past seven years (or however many you’ve been in business)
Some issuers let you request employee credit cards during your application for the primary card.
If you want multiple cards, you’ll also need to provide basic information about each employee you want on the account, like their name, DOB, TIN, and home address.
Complete the application
A business credit card application takes about 10 minutes if you prepare beforehand, and most issuers let you apply online, by phone, or in person.
Some, like Wells Fargo, offer online business credit card applications to current banking customers only and require new customers to apply in a branch.
Smaller banks or credit unions may require all business credit card applications to be conducted in-branch.
Wait for approval
Approval takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks after application. You can minimize approval time by:
- Double-checking your details before submission
- Being responsive to the issuer’s communication — they might call to verify information
- Keeping business and financial records handy in case they’re requested
You’ll usually get your physical credit card within 7 to 10 business days after you’re approved.
Some issuers provide your card number upon approval, letting you use it immediately in your digital wallet. They may also offer expedited shipping for a fee.
What If You Get Denied?
Rejection hurts.
But unlike unresponsive investors or flighty suppliers, lenders are legally required to explain why they turned you down, and they may offer an appeal process.
Review the reason
According to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, lenders must provide you with specific reasons for denying your credit applications.
If an explanation isn’t given in your rejection notice, there should be a department listed where you can get one.
Request reconsideration
If the reasons for your denial are outdated or mistaken — for instance, a past loan payment mistakenly reported as late has been corrected or a “0” is missing from your listed income — contact the card issuer and ask to speak with its “reconsideration department.”
The issuer may reverse its decision after you explain the error you spotted or provide supporting documentation to make your case.
Keep in mind, though, that reconsideration may result in another hard credit inquiry.
Explore other options
If your reconsideration request is rejected, take time to build your credit score and improve your business’s cash flow before reapplying.
Meanwhile, consider alternatives you’re more likely to be approved for:
- Secured business credit cards have lower credit score requirements than unsecured cards while offering some of the same benefits.
- Opening a business bank account can help you qualify for other business credit products, like a line of credit.
- Establishing trade credit gives you flexible payment terms, and your suppliers may have more lenient credit score expectations than a credit card issuer.
FAQs About Business Credit Cards
How do business credit cards work?
Business credit cards work like personal credit cards but are designed strictly for business expenses.
Most have a preset spending limit and charge interest on unpaid balances. APRs typically range from 15% to 30% and are usually variable.
Why get a business credit card?
Business credit cards offer business owners advantages over personal credit cards, including:
- Higher credit limits, which help you keep credit utilization low and avoid credit cycling
- Elevated rewards rates for common business expenses
- Separation of personal and business expenses, simplifying taxes
- Tax-deductible annual fees
- Employee cards with customizable spending limits and accounting software integration
And use of some business credit cards, like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, is reported to business credit bureaus, allowing your business to build a credit history separate from yours.
Can you get a business credit card without a business?
No, you can’t get a business credit card without operating some kind of business.
But most business credit cards are available to sole proprietorships, the default structure for one-person businesses that aren’t registered as separate entities.
This means you’re probably eligible for business credit cards if you have income from freelancing or side hustles.
TL;DR: Can You Get a Business Credit Card?
Getting a business credit card is more accessible than many people realize. Even side hustles, freelance work, or small unregistered businesses typically qualify, even with low annual revenue.
Plus, business credit cards can help you grow your business. Not only do they offer business-specific rewards, but they also help you build a business credit history and make it easier to separate your personal and business expenses.
Choose a card that matches your personal spending patterns and the type of rewards you want to earn, like cashback or travel points. Then, gather your personal and business information to apply.
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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.
