Here are the best small business credit cards of 2019:
- Best for sign-up bonus: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
- Best for premium travel benefits: The Business Platinum® Card from American Express:
- Best for points earning with no annual fee: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
- Best for flexible redemption options: Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
- Best for a flat earning rate: Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
- Best for 4x bonus categories: American Express® Business Gold Card
- Best for cash-back bonus categories: Ink Business Cash Credit Card
- Best for simplicity: Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business
- Best if you only use one business credit card: Brex Corporate Card for Startups and the Brex Corporate Card for Ecommerce
Whether you're a freelancer, someone with a side gig, or you run a business with 15 employees, keeping your personal and business finances separate is vital. Even if you're a sole proprietor using your personal checking account, things can get muddy quickly when you're cutting personal and business checks from the same account
To make your own day-to-day life easier, and to save yourself a tremendous number of headaches when it comes time to file taxes, you're best keeping business purchases separate — I learned this quickly when I started to do some freelance work on the side.
Reasons to get a business credit card
Your personal card might not facilitate the kind of spending your company does. Business cards can have higher credit limits, and in most cases, the activity on a business card won't affect your personal credit report (although if you default on the business card, the card issuer can still come after you personally).
If you're a "sole proprietor" business, where you work solo and work under your own name and social security number (rather than a business name), getting a business card is more about the convenience of keeping your expenses separate, and protecting your own credit profile and assets — even the smallest of businesses are eligible, such as freelancers, individuals with side gigs, or even people who resell things on eBay.
If you're a bigger business, though — or aspire to grow into one, with employees and more resources, having a business credit card is a must — not only to separate expenses, but also to establish business credit, so that you have flexibility later on with loans and leases. Plus, you can get additional authorized cards for employees as needed.
Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It's important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Welcome offer: 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $5,000 on the card in the first three months.
Annual fee: $95
Earning rates: 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 your business spends on combined purchases each cardmember year on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, and advertising on social media sites or with search engines. Purchases after you reach $150,000, or in any other category, earn 1 point per dollar.
Standout benefits: Cell phone protection, primary car rental insurance
If you're looking to earn valuable, flexible rewards points on your small business spending, the Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) ecosystem is among the best options. If you already have one of Chase's popular personal rewards cards — like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve — the Ink Business Preferred is an ideal business card companion.
Like those cards, the Ink Preferred earns UR points, and while you can keep them on that card and separate from the rest of your stash, you can also combine them with the rest of your points. These points can be traded for cash back, transferred to frequent flyer and hotel loyalty partners, or used to purchase travel with a 25% bonus (or a 50% bonus if you move your points over to your Chase Sapphire Reserve).
The Ink Business Preferred card also earns bonus points in some of the most common expense categories for businesses, from travel to shipping to advertising on social media sites like Facebook and search engines such as Google Ads. That earning rate, plus the card's 80,000 point sign-up bonus — the highest bonus currently offered by Chase — should make for a nice stash of Ultimate Reward points.
Among other benefits, the Ink Business Preferred offers cell phone protections. When you use the Ink Preferred to pay your cell phone bill, you're covered for up to $600 for damage, loss, or theft of your cell phone — or your employees' work-provided phones, if you provide them. You're limited to three claims per rolling 12-month period, but this can save you a fortune. That insurance alone makes up for the $95 annual fee.
Click here to learn more about the Ink Business Preferred card.
Read more about the Ink Business Preferred:
- Ink Business Preferred credit card review
- I put 90% of my small business spending on Chase's Ink Business Preferred card to get more points, easier redemptions, and no foreign transaction fees
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
Welcome offer: Up to 75,000 Membership Rewards points (50,000 points after you spend $10,000 in the first three months, and another 25,000 if you spend an additional $10,000 in that same time frame).
Annual fee: $595
Earning rates: 5 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked at amextravel.com, 1.5 points per dollar on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 1 million additional points per year), 1 point per dollar on everything else
Standout benefits:
- $200 annual airline fee credit
- Access to airport lounges include Centurion lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and Delta Sky Clubs (when you're flying Delta)
- Up to $200 in Dell statement credits annually (divided into up to $100 between January and June and up to $100 between July and December)
- Get 35% of your points back when you use Pay With Points to book an economy flight with your selected airline or a business- or first-class flight with any airline
The small business version of American Express' famed Platinum Card used to be our pick for the top business card, but in the past year the annual fee has increased and it's become a bit more of a niche product — potentially useful for mid-sized businesses that spend a lot on flights and travel, but less valuable for sole proprieters and very small operations.
Business Platinum card holders also get up to $200 of annual statement credits to use when shopping at Dell and $200 in airline fee credits each calendar year, essentially rebating part of the annual fee. Plus, because the airline fee credit is valid each calendar year, not cardmember year, you could get it twice in your first 12 months of having the card.
Other travel benefits include access to more than 1,200 airport lounges, 10 complimentary Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi passes each year, and complimentary Gold elite status with Hilton and Marriott.
Click here to learn more about the Business Platinum card.
Read more about the Business Platinum card:
- Amex Business Platinum card review
- Why I opened the Business Platinum to get Centurion Lounge access
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
Welcome offer: N/A
Annual fee: $0
Earning rates: 2 Amex Membership Rewards points per dollar on the first $50,000 in spending every year (after that, it's 1x point).
Standout benefits: No annual fee, 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months (then a variable rate of 14.74%-20.74%)
The Blue Business Plus Card doesn't usually have a welcome offer, and that might be enough to turn many people away from it. However, it's the rare points-earning business card that doesn't charge an annual fee; you'll earn 2 points per dollar on the first $50,000 you spend each year, with no bonus categories to keep track of. According to travel website The Points Guy, Amex points are worth 2 cents apiece, so you're getting a 4% return on all your business spending up to $50,000 each year.
Click here to learn more about the Blue Business Plus.
Read more about the Blue Business Plus card:
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Welcome offer: Earn up to 200,000 miles — 50,000 miles after you spend $5,000 in the first three months, and 150,000 miles when you spend $50,000 in the first six months
Annual fee: $0 the first year; $95 after that
Earning rate: 2x miles on all purchases
Standout benefits: Transfer miles to Capital One's airline partners including Air Canada and Emirates or redeem miles to cover travel purchases on your statement, up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
The Spark Miles for Business is a great option if you want choices in how you redeem your miles. You can transfer them to more than 10 airline partners or you can use miles to "wipe" your business' travel expenses from your credit card statement. Beyond that, you can redeem miles for cash back or gift cards. So if you don't want to be locked into just one way to use your rewards, this card could make sense.
You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases with no cap. Transferring miles to airline partners like Air Canada, Avianca, and Singapore Airlines will usually get you the most value, but you'll have to do a bit of work to uncover the best uses with each program.
The card's currently offering an elevated welcome bonus of up to 200,000 miles, so now could be the time to give the Spark Miles a closer look. You'll need to spend at least $50,000 total in the first six months to earn the full bonus, but depending on your business that could be attainable — and 200,000 miles could get you up to $2,000 in value (or more, if you're able to score a lucrative airline award with an airline transfer partner).
Click here to learn more about the Capital One Spark Miles for Business.
Read more about the Spark Miles for Business card:
Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
Welcome offer: $500 (or 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after you spend $3,000 in the first three months
Annual fee: $0
Earning rate: 1.5% cash back on all purchases
Standout benefits: If you also have a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, you can redeem cash back as points with travel partners and get more than 1.5% back per, 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 12 months (then a variable rate of 14.99%-20.99%)
The newest card in Chase's business portfolio, the Ink Business Unlimited is a simple one at first — earn unlimited 1.5% cash back.
However, just like the consumer Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards, the Ink Business Unlimited has a trick up its sleeve. Although the card is marketed as "cash back," it actually earns Ultimate Rewards points that you can redeem for cash (1 point = $0.01).
That means that you can combine the points earned from the Ink Business Unlimited with the ones you earn from cards like the Ink Preferred, or the personal Sapphire Reserve, and either earn a bonus when you redeem them for travel through Chase, or transfer them to travel partners. Combined with an Ink Preferred, you'll get a guaranteed 1.5–3 points per dollar spent.
The card offers a 0% introductory APR for 12 months (then a variable rate of 14.74% to 20.74%) and has no annual fee, making it a no-brainer for every small business owner, freelancer, or side-gig hustler.
Click here to learn more about the Chase Ink Business Unlimited.
Read more about the Ink Business Unlimited card:
American Express Business Gold Card
Welcome offer: 35,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months
Annual fee: $295
Earning rates: 4x points on your top two spending categories each billing cycle on up to $150,000 in combined purchases each year from the following list: airfare purchased directly from airlines, US purchases for advertising in select media, US purchases at gas stations, US purchases made directly from select technology providers, US purchase at restaurants, and US purchases for shipping; 1x point on everything else
Standout benefits: 25% of your points back when you pay with points to book first or business-class airfare with American Express Travel (or any class of flight with your selected qualifying airline), up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.
If you don't want to pay the higher annual fee of the Business Platinum card, the Business Gold card is a good alternative. And depending on your spending habits, the Business Gold could actually be a more rewarding choice, thanks to the ability to earn 4x points on popular business spending categories.
Click here to learn more about the American Express Business Gold card.
Read more about the Amex Business Gold card:
Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
Welcome offer: $500 (or 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after you spend $3,000 in the first three months
Annual fee: $0
Earning rates: 5% cash back (or 5x points) on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services each card holder year, 2% back (or 2x points) on the first $25,000 in purchases at gas stations and restaurants each year, and 1% (or 1x point) on everything else with no cap.
Standout benefits: If you also have a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, you can redeem cash back as points with travel partners and get a higher return on your spending, 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 12 months (then a variable rate of 14.74%-20.74%)
The Ink Cash is another solid Chase entry, and just like with the Ink Unlimited, you can pool the "cash" you earn with points from a points-earning card, effectively converting your cash into (potentially) more valuable points.
The Ink Cash is an especially good option if you can maximize its bonus categories, including office supply stores, internet, cable, and restaurants, among others.
Click here to learn more about the Chase Ink Business Cash.
Read more about the Ink Business Cash card:
Capital One Spark Cash for Business
Welcome offer: Earn up to $2,000 in cash bonuses — $500 after you spend $5,000 in the first three months and $1,500 when you spend $50,000 in the first six months
Annual fee: $0 for the first year; $95 after that
Earning rate: 2% on all purchases
Standout benefits: Free employee cards that also earn 2% back on everything,
This is probably the easiest-to-use card on this list, but simple doesn't mean bad — this can be a fantastically rewarding card.
The Capital One Spark Cash earns unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. That's it. No categories, no points values or conversions, no redemption minimums. Rewards won't expire for the life of the account, and you can redeem any amount of cash back. The card has a $95 annual fee, waived the first year.
At first glance, the Amex Blue Business Plus might seem like a better option, since it earns 2x points and doesn't have an annual fee. However, keep in mind that while 2x points may be more valuable than 2% cash if you redeem strategically for travel by transferring to partners, Membership Rewards points can't be redeemed outright for cash. You can redeem them for a statement credit, but they'll only be worth 0.6 cents each. That means that effectively, the Amex card only offers 1.2% "cash" back, compared to the no-strings-attached 2% from the Capital One Spark Cash.
Like the Spark Miles for Business, the Capital One Spark Cash for Business is currently offering an elevated bonus. You'll need to spend $50,000 in the first six months to earn the full $2,000 in cash back, but if that's doable for your business and you prefer earning cash back, it could be worth signing up for this card sooner rather than later.
Click here to learn more about the Capital One Spark Cash card.
Read more about the Capital One Spark Cash card:
Brex Corporate Card
Welcome offer: 75,000 Brex points upon sign-up (available until October 31)
Brex offers two versions of its unique business credit card: the Brex Corporate Card for Startups, and the Brex Corporate Card for Ecommerce. The card stands out because it doesn't require any personal guarantees, and it offers strong rewards for customers who make Brex their exclusive corporate card (7x points on rideshare and 3x points at restaurants and coffee shops, for example).
The Brex Corporate Card for Ecommerce offers a credit limit of 5o% to 100% of your projected monthly sales, up to $5 million, while Brex says the Brex Corporate Card for Startups offers up to 20 times higher credit limits than competing cards.
You can transfer Brex points to seven airline partners, including JetBlue, which was the most recent addition.
Click here to learn more about the Brex Corporate Card for Startups.
Click here to learn more about the Brex Corporate Card for Ecommerce.
Airline business credit cards
Welcome offer: Varies
If you fly often for work, and you're loyal to one particular airline, then it could be worth getting an airline's business credit card. In addition to earning frequent flyer miles on every purchase, you'll get a variety of perks like free checked bags and priority boarding.
Each airline card's terms and benefits are slightly different, but these are some of the best options to consider for your business.
Delta
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
- Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express
- Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card
United Airlines
American Airlines
- CitiBusiness® /AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®
Southwest Airlines
Alaska Airlines
- Alaska Airlines Visa Business credit card
Hotel business credit cards
Welcome offer: Varies
If you frequently travel for business, a hotel business credit card could also make sense. You'll earn hotel points on all your spending, and some cards offer complimentary elite status and annual free reward nights.
The benefits and bonuses vary, but here are some top options to consider:
Hilton
Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Marriott
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
Frequently asked questions
Who has the best business credit card?
American Express, Chase, Citi, Capital One, and other issuers all offer solid options when it comes to business credit cards. The best choice for you depends on what benefits you value, and how much of an annual fee you're willing to pay.
If you want a rewards credit card with all the bells and whistles, the Business Platinum Amex is a good choice. If you care less about perks like airport lounge access and annual statement credits, a more straightforward card that earns bonus rewards on all your spending, a card like the Capital One Spark Miles for Business could be a better fit.
How do I qualify for a business credit card?
The good news is that it's easier to qualify for a business credit card than you may think. If you do any freelancing or a side gig, such as driving for Uber or selling items on eBay, you can typically qualify for a business credit card as a sole proprietor. In this case, you are personally on the hook for your business' debts.
Small business owners who aren't sole proprietors can qualify for business cards too. If you have a larger business with employees, you may be asked to include Employer Identification Number number on your credit card application.
What do I put on a business credit card application?
If you're a sole proprietor, you can apply for a business card using your Social Security number. You should put down your legal name as the business name. If you have a business with employees, you'll need to answer questions about your business size, type, and revenue, in addition to providing your SSN and your EIN (if requested).
More credit card coverage
- What's the best airline credit card?
- The best cash-back credit cards
- Southwest credit card review
- Best credit card reward programs
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