Just like consumer credit cards that provide rewards for spending, business credit cards can also give back, usually for spending on categories like office supplies, advertising, telecommunication services or other common business expenses.
When selecting a business credit card, you’ll want to examine your expenditures and cash flow — how much and where you spend money will help determine which card will work best for you. You’ll also want a credit card that lets you add as many employees as you need to be authorized users.
Note: Business credit cards are not the same thing as corporate credit cards. While corporate cards from employers are mostly used for personal work-related expenses, business credit cards are generally used by business owners and entrepreneurs and have more features designed specifically for them.
Discover our top partner offers for the best business credit cards below.
Best overall business credit card
Intro OfferEarn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
APR14.74% – 20.74% Variable
Intro Purchase APR0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months
Recommended Credit Good, Excellent
Reward Rates
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
- Earn 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn
Annual Fee$0
Balance Transfer APR14.74% – 20.74% Variable
Balance Transfer Fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fees 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Penalty APR Up to 29.99%
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
- Earn 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn
Our Take
The Chase Ink Business Cash offers most businesses the most value overall. The rewards program is very strong, netting you 5% cash back on common business expenses — up to $25,000 in spending at office supply stores and internet, phone and cable services per year. You’ll also earn 2% back on the first $25,000 spent at gas stations and restaurants each year. To round it out, you’ll earn 1% on all other purchases. You also get a competitive introductory APR and welcome bonus.
Intro OfferEarn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
APR14.74% – 20.74% Variable
Intro Purchase APR0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 Months
Recommended Credit Good, Excellent
Reward Rates
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
Annual Fee$0
Balance Transfer APR14.74% – 20.74% Variable
Balance Transfer Fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fees 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Penalty APR Up to 29.99%
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
Our Take
If you’re spending less on office supplies and telecommunication services, the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card is a good option that earns you 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You can also take advantage of 0% intro APR financing on purchases for the first 12 months after account opening (14.74% to 20.74% variable APR thereafter), making this a good option if you need to cover some upfront costs when getting off the ground. The welcome bonus is identical to that of the Ink Business Cash, as well.
Intro OfferEarn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
APR15.49% – 23.49% Variable
Intro Purchase APR0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
Recommended Credit Excellent/Good
Reward Rates
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
- 1% cash back on all eligible purchases after spending $50,000 per calendar year.
Annual FeeNo annual fee
Late Payment Fee Up tp $39
Foreign Transaction Fees 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Penalty APR 29.99% Variable
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
- 1% cash back on all eligible purchases after spending $50,000 per calendar year.
Our Take
The Blue Business Cash credit card from American Express has two features that stand out: It has the highest flat cash-back reward rate of all the no-annual-fee cards we evaluated, and it has automatic reward redemption. The first feature speaks for itself, but the second is sneakily awesome. Most credit cards require you to log in and manually redeem points or miles when you hit a certain threshold (such as 2,500 points or $25). The Blue Business Cash card, in contrast, automatically applies your cash rewards to your account, so you save money without even thinking about it.
This card offers all of the standard features you want in a business credit card: up to 99 employee cards for no additional charge (see rates and fees) and an account manager, spending summaries organized by category and the American Express Business App, which helps manage receipts.
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.
For shipping and advertising
Intro OfferEarn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
APR17.49% – 22.49% Variable
Intro Purchase APRN/A
Recommended Credit Good, Excellent
Reward Rates
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year
- Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases–with no limit to the amount you can earn
Annual Fee$95
Balance Transfer APR17.49% – 22.49% Variable
Balance Transfer Fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fees $0
Penalty APR Up to 29.99%
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year
- Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases–with no limit to the amount you can earn
Our Take
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers categorized points that may be ideal for certain business owners. This card’s large welcome bonus and high rewards rates for businesses with large ad budgets (with social media sites and search engines) and shipping expenses make this card another option worth considering. Points are valued at $0.01 each when redeemed for cash back, so you’ll earn 3% back on these categories — as well as on internet, cable and phone services, and travel purchases (on up to $150,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year).
Intro OfferWelcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
APR16.49% – 24.49% Variable
Intro Purchase APRN/A
Recommended Credit Excellent/Good
Reward Rates
- Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month.
- 1X is earned for other purchases. **
Annual Fee$295
Penalty APR 29.99% Variable
- Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month.
- 1X is earned for other purchases. **
Our Take
If you travel often for your business, the American Express® Business Gold Card earns you 4x points on the two categories where you spend the most each billing cycle (including categories such as airfare purchased directly from airlines, U.S. gas station purchases and dining expenses at U.S. restaurants) on up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1x. This card is also worth considering if your company spends a decent amount on TV or radio advertising.
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.
FAQs
What is a business credit card?
Business credit cards are specifically geared toward small business owners. They can help you keep your business finances separate from your personal transactions, distribute and manage employee cards and earn rewards in typical small-business spending categories.
Like consumer credit cards, business credit cards most commonly come in the form of either cash-back rewards or travel rewards. Cash-back cards offer rewards in the form of cash or statement credit. A statement credit is basically a reduction of the amount you owe the issuer. A travel rewards credit card offers rewards in the form of miles or points. You can redeem miles or points either through the issuer’s travel portal for a small bonus or gift cards or you can transfer them to a partner travel affiliate, like a hotel group or airline. And, like a personal credit card, business cards must be managed carefully to ensure that a small business owner doesn’t hurt their business credit score.
What are corporate credit cards?
Corporate credit cards, also known as commercial credit cards, are designed for larger businesses — typically those with 100 or more employees or revenue of at least $10 million.
Should I get a business credit card?
If you spend in concentrated “business” categories — such as office supplies or telecom services — or want to have employee spending on a central credit account, then, yes. You may also appreciate these cards’ business-specific tools like budget trackers and account managers.
If you’re a small business owner, it’s a good idea to keep your business expenses separate from your personal finances — both for tax purposes and to make it simpler to review your spending. But you could just as easily keep your expenses separate, and track them, with a dedicated consumer credit card. As such, the typical rationale for getting a business credit card is to help manage employee cards or earn more rewards from business purchases.
A small-business credit card may not be the best option for a self-employed person, however. Self-employed individuals and sole proprietors may be better served by a consumer-oriented personal credit card from a credit card company — such as a cash-back credit card, travel credit card or student credit card. And a larger business (usually those with hundreds of employees or multiple millions in sales) will typically be able to negotiate more preferential and flexible terms with its card issuer (for example, an employee card system or business credit line not tied to someone’s personal credit) within a “corporate” or “commercial” credit card program.
What is the difference between a cash-back business credit card and a travel rewards credit card?
A cash-back rewards credit card typically offers a cash or statement credit — that is, a reduction of the amount you owe. For example, if you redeem $25 worth of cash rewards as a statement credit, your outstanding balance is reduced by $25.
A travel rewards credit card offers miles or point rewards that can be redeemed directly on an issuer’s travel website for a small bonus (usually around 25%) or with a partner affiliate such as a hotel group or airline. You usually get the best redemption value when strategically transferring points or miles, but it will always depend on the specific flight or hotel stay. Sometimes it requires some research and effort to identify maximum-value redemption opportunities. With American Express, for example, you get around 0.6 cent per point when redeeming Membership Rewards points as statement credits, about 1 cent per point when redeeming through the AmEx travel portal and up to 2 cents per point when you transfer them to a travel partner and then redeem them toward a flight or hotel stay, according to the most recent points valuations from The Points Guy.
We generally prefer cash-back rewards cards, which are often more straightforward. But if you don’t mind some extra work, travel rewards may provide a higher overall reward rate.
How many employee cards can I add to a single account?
It depends on the issuer. Wells Fargo and American Express cap it at 99. Chase doesn’t have an explicit limit. But employee cards are grouped in one central account, which has a cumulative credit limit that is typically spread evenly among the issued cards. That means the more cards on your account, the lower the individual spending limit. A credit limit of $10,000 with 100 employee cards will yield an individual card limit of $100, for example.
Do I need to have good credit to open a business credit card? What if my business doesn’t have an established credit history?
Generally, you need to have a credit rating of around 670 or higher to qualify for a business credit card, unless your business has been around for a while and has demonstrably steady and healthy revenue. As with all credit activities, if you can show that you’re a low-risk borrower, your credit score may have less of an impact.
Different issuers report business credit card activity to credit bureaus in different ways. Some report negative information to both consumer and commercial credit bureaus, some issuers don’t report to either and some report only to commercial credit bureaus. That’s why it’s a good idea to call your card issuer to ask about how it reports business credit card activity, especially if you think you may be maintaining a balance.
CNET reviews credit cards by exhaustively comparing them across set criteria developed for each major category, including cash-back, welcome bonus, travel rewards and balance transfer. We take into consideration the typical spending behavior of a range of consumer profiles — with the understanding that everyone’s financial situation is different — and the designated function of a card.
For cash-back credit cards, for example, key factors include the annual fee, the “welcome bonus” and the cash-back rate (or rates, if they differ by spending category). For rewards and miles cards, we calculate and weigh the net monetary value of a card’s respective perks. And with balance transfer credit cards, we analyze specs such as the duration of the introductory 0% APR period and the balance transfer fee, while acknowledging secondary factors such as the standard APR and the length of time you have to make a balance transfer after you open the account.
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Business Gold Card, click here.
More credit card recommendations
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