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12 Best Small-Business Credit Cards – Reviews & Comparison


Small-business credit cards are increasingly popular business financing options, particularly for entrepreneurs who don’t qualify for traditional business loans or have access to networks filled with deep-pocketed family members, friends, and colleagues. No matter what your business does, a credit card can probably help — as long as you use credit wisely and avoid making purchases your company can’t afford.

Small-business credit cards typically have higher spending limits and more generous rewards programs than consumer cards. Some have additional benefits, such as low APRs, attractive balance transfer promotions, personalized concierge service, and fringe benefits. However, many also require good or excellent credit to qualify and come with annual fees, and if you’re going to pay that much for a credit card, you should pick the one with the best features for your business.

The Best Small-Business Credit Cards Right Now

These are the best small-business credit cards on the market right now. They include a mix of low-interest credit cards, travel rewards credit cards, cash-back credit cards, and general-purpose rewards cards.

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The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a longtime favorite of Chase small-business card users. It offers:

  • A generous rewards program that favors travel and everyday business purchases, earning up to 3x the baseline rewards rate on those items.
  • An attractive points transfer feature that lets you swap your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for other companies’ loyalty currency at a 1-to-1 ratio.
  • No foreign transaction fee on purchases made overseas or from international merchants.
  • Perhaps best of all, a massive sign-up bonus worth up to $1,250 in free travel. If you travel a lot for business, that’s hard to resist.

It all adds up to the best overall credit card for small-business users.

Pros

  • Up to 3x points on eligible purchases
  • Category-leading sign-up bonus
  • Transfer points to over 10 travel merchants, potentially multiplying their value

Cons

  • Low baseline rewards rate
  • No way to earn above the 3x bonus rewards rate

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The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a no-annual-fee business credit card that echoes the consumer version of the card, which also earns unlimited 1.5% cash back on most purchases.

Ink Business Unlimited accrues cash back via Ultimate Rewards points, which you can redeem for more than just cash and travel. The one-two punch of a no-nonsense rewards program and flexible redemption make it the best flat-rate cash back card for business owners, period.

Pros

  • Predictable cash-back rewards with no limits
  • Above-average sign-up bonus
  • No annual fee
  • Above-average intro purchase APR

Cons

  • No intro balance transfer APR
  • No way to earn above 1.5% cash back

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The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a popular business credit card with a generous cash-back rewards program, above-average sign-up bonus, and attractive 0% intro APR promotion.

With the potential to earn up to 5% cash back on select purchases, the ongoing cash-back program qualifies as the best tiered cash-back scheme of any card on this list. It’s a compelling choice if you concentrate your business spending on office supplies, telecommunications, fuel, and dining.

Pros

  • Up to 5% back on eligible purchases
  • Above-average sign-up bonus
  • No annual fee
  • Above-average intro purchase APR

Cons

  • Low baseline cash-back rate
  • 5% and 2% categories have annual spending caps
  • No intro balance transfer APR

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The BMO Harris Business Platinum Rewards Mastercard® is a practical credit card for everyday business spending.

Its generous rewards program offers up to 5x points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases and an above-average number of purchase categories that earn above the baseline 1x rate. Points don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

Also of note: This card has one of the best sign-up bonus opportunities of any no-annual-fee business card around.

Pros

  • Up to 5x points on eligible purchases
  • Multiple broad bonus rewards categories
  • No annual fee
  • Above-average intro purchase APR

Cons

  • Low baseline cash-back rate
  • No intro balance transfer APR

Products and services are provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. and are subject to bank and credit approval. Terms and conditions apply.

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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a popular business card that’s fantastic for business travelers in particular.

This card’s top travel perks include:

  • A $200 statement credit for purchases made with an airline of your choice (enrollment required).
  • Complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide through the American Express Global Lounge Collection (enrollment required).
  • Reimbursement for TSA Precheck application fees ($85) or Global Entry application fees ($100), but not both programs.
  • A 35% bonus when using Membership Rewards® points to book travel with your selected qualifying airline, up to 1 million bonus Membership Rewards® points each calendar year.

Pros

  • Extensive perks for frequent travelers
  • Excellent welcome offer

Cons

  • High annual fee
  • Low baseline rewards rate

For rates and fees of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this rates and fees page.

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The Chase Ink Business Premier Credit Card is Chase’s newest small-business credit card, and it has the best cash-back rate for larger business purchases.

Earn unlimited 2.5% cash back on individual purchases worth $5,000 or more, a notable improvement on the card’s baseline 2% cash-back rate on smaller purchases.

Pros

  • Above-average baseline cash back, especially on big purchases
  • Extensive Chase travel benefits
  • Above-average sign-up bonus

Cons

  • No intro APR promotion
  • Limited opportunity to earn more than 2.5% cash back

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Best Flexible Spending Limit: Revenued


Earn up to 3% cash back on eligible purchases after snagging an easy-to-attain sign-up bonus. Plus, lax underwriting means you can be approved even with a low personal FICO score.

Rewards Rate

Up to 3% cash back

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Revenued offers a unique twist on the traditional business card — one that’s potentially game-changing for new small businesses with limited credit history.

Revenued stands out for a flexible spending line that grows with your company’s revenue. That’s different from most business cards, which either impose a rigid spending limit (meaning you have to apply for more spending availability) or require you to pay your statement in full every month.

Plus, there’s no hard credit check to apply, and approvals are based on revenue rather than credit. So approval is likely even if you’ve been turned down elsewhere due to a low FICO score.

Pros

  • Ideal for newer businesses with limited credit history
  • Well-above-average baseline cash-back rate

Cons

  • Not ideal for lower-revenue or pre-revenue businesses
  • Mediocre sign-up bonus compared with other small-business cards
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    Ramp is a simple Visa business credit card that dispenses with the gimmicks — and limits — of other corporate payment products.

    Its biggest differentiator is its truly limitless supply of physical and virtual cards. There’s no cap on the number of employee cards you can add and no limit to the number of single-purpose virtual cards you can create (which is useful for security-minded companies with lots of subscriptions and vendors).

    Pros

    • Create and destroy cards at will
    • Sophisticated spending and card controls

    Cons

    • Mediocre baseline cash-back rate
    • No sign-up bonus

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    The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card is a super-premium business travel card designed for frequent flyers who like to travel in style.

    Big spenders make out especially well with this card. Spend $30,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year and get 15,000 bonus Medallion Qualification Miles with Status Boost up to four times per year (for a total potential haul of 60,000 bonus miles).

    And when you spend at least $25,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year, qualify for the Medallion Qualification Dollar waiver, making it even easier to ascend the Medallion status ranks and earn coveted Delta perks.

    Pros

    • Above-average welcome offer
    • Clear path to higher Medallion status levels with qualifying spend
    • Lots of potentially valuable Delta perks

    Cons

    • Low baseline rewards rate
    • High annual fee

    For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please visit this rates and fees page. Terms and limitations apply.

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    The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is the business version of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.

    It’s the best business credit card overall for business travelers who regularly stay in hotels thanks to an unusually generous status benefit, multiple opportunities to earn free nights at Marriott properties, and an above-average rewards scheme.

    Pros

    • Category-leading welcome offer
    • Above-average return on spending at Marriott properties
    • Automatic Gold Elite Status with card membership

    Cons

    • Has an annual fee
    • Poor point value when not redeemed for award nights

    For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, please visit this rates and fees page.

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    Methodology: How We Select the Best Small-Business Credit Cards

    We use several important factors to evaluate small-business credit cards. Those that score highest on an acceptable mix of factors earn a spot on this list.

    Qualification Requirements

    Virtually all small-business credit cards assess applicant creditworthiness. 

    Some are fine with applicants using their personal credit scores to apply, provided they personally guarantee the account.

    Other small-business credit cards ask that applicants have a business credit score before they apply. This is something of a catch-22 for new businesses since it’s hard to build credit without a credit history. But there are ways to do it. For more information, read our article on ways to establish business credit fast.

    More selective small-business credit cards typically have minimum revenue and time-in-business requirements as well. These standards weed out new or revenueless enterprises.

    Personal Guarantee Requirements

    If you’re applying for your first small-business credit card, choose one that accepts a personal guarantee. That’s your ticket into the business credit card world and could help you build business credit over time. But beware. If your account becomes delinquent, your personal credit could suffer.

    Rewards Program

    Most of the credit cards on this list have a rewards program. We evaluate them based on:

    • How generous they are overall
    • Which spending categories they reward
    • Whether they have any caps or restrictions on earned rewards
    • How easy it is to redeem
    • What you can redeem for

    Earning rewards is the reason many small-business owners sign up for small-business cards, so we take this evaluation seriously.

    Sign-Up Bonus (Welcome Offer)

    Many of these cards offer bonus rewards for new cardholders. Typically, these sign-up bonuses — also known as welcome offers or early spend bonuses — require hefty upfront spending. 

    But that’s no sweat for capital-intensive businesses. So all else being equal, we prefer business cards with attractive sign-up bonuses.

    Interest Rate & Promotions

    Carrying a credit card balance is never ideal, but sometimes, you have no choice — especially when you’re building a business and watching absolutely every penny.

    With that in mind, we prefer small-business cards with low regular interest rates and long 0% APR introductory promotions. The latter isn’t as common in the business card world as it is among personal cards, but you can still find 0% APR promotions if you know where to look.

    Benefits for Business Users

    This is where some business cards really shine. From partnerships with popular business vendors (bookkeeping software, digital storage) to cutting-edge spend reporting and analysis tools, the best business credit cards offer thousands of dollars in annual value to dedicated users. We reward them with high placement on this list.

    Annual Fee

    Sometimes, you have to spend money to make money. The best business credit cards generally have annual fees, but we prefer those that keep them reasonable — a subjective description if ever there were one.

    Other Fees

    Other business credit card fees include but aren’t limited to:

    • Fees for employee cards
    • Foreign transaction fees
    • Balance transfer fees
    • Cash advance fees
    • Late and returned payment fees

    Most business cards charge at least some of these fees, so there’s really no such thing as a “fee-free” business credit card. But we prefer cards that keep these fees to a minimum.


    Small-Business Credit Card FAQs

    It’s normal to have questions about credit cards for your small business. Most of the answers are common sense when you think about it, but it’s reassuring to see them in writing.

    How Do You Qualify for a Small-Business Card?

    Qualifying for business credit cards is a bit different from qualifying for consumer credit cards. Some issuers simply require you to submit a valid Social Security number and affirm in writing that you’ll use the card exclusively for business purposes.

    Such laid-back issuers welcome freelancers and solopreneurs. That’s basically anyone who files a Schedule C at tax time, including people who don’t really think of themselves as business owners.

    Some issuers are more strict. They request a federal employer identification number (EIN), seek evidence of incorporation, or ask for financial statements. If you can’t prove you own an incorporated business with legitimate cash flow, you won’t qualify.

    Do You Need to Personally Guarantee Your Small-Business Credit Card?

    It depends.

    You should know before you apply whether you need to personally guarantee your business credit card account. If you don’t have to, you should think very carefully before doing so since it could open you up to considerable personal liability if things go sideways.

    That said, you might have no choice. If this is your first business credit card, your business credit history probably isn’t enough to qualify.

    Does Using a Small-Business Card Hurt Your Credit Score?

    Only if you don’t use it responsibly — or your business falls on hard times. If you keep your credit utilization at a manageable level and pay your bills on time, your small-business credit card could improve your business credit score — or improve your personal credit score if you went that direction.

    How High Are Credit Limits on Small-Business Credit Cards?

    It depends on several factors:

    • Your credit score (personal, business, or both)
    • Your business revenue (or personal income, if you’re personally guaranteeing the card)
    • Your requested credit limit
    • Your time in business

    Other factors may come into play as well. The best business credit cards have eye-popping limits, often 20 or 30 times revenue, and business charge cards typically have no preset spending limits at all. But that doesn’t mean they’re appropriate or accessible for your business.

    How Much Do Small-Business Credit Cards Cost?

    No-annual-fee business cards do exist — there are some on this list. But premium cards charge annual fees ranging from $100 to more than $500.


    Final Word

    If you still haven’t found a clear business credit card winner, don’t fret. You’re closer to the end of your search than to the beginning. 

    You just need some perspective. So take a step back and consider:

    • Your company’s top spending categories
    • How much you spend overall in a typical month or year
    • Which benefits you value above all
    • Whether you need short-term financing to reach a key milestone
    • How many people in your organization are authorized to use a company credit card

    Your answers can guide you toward the right card for your needs — or at least a narrower set of potential choices.

    The final decision might well come down to gut feeling. But so do plenty of high-stakes business decisions.

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