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Credit CardsComparison

The 7 best small-business credit cards

A business card separates your company spending from your personal money, simplifies bookkeeping at tax time, and earns on expenses you already have. Here is how the leading options compare.

Last reviewed: · Reviewed by the TheSavvyAmericans editorial team

Important: Small-business cards nearly always require a personal guarantee, so business debt can become your personal debt and can damage your personal credit if the account defaults. Consumer protections under the CARD Act generally do not extend to business cards, so terms such as rate changes and payment allocation can differ. Rewards rates, fees and reporting policies vary by issuer and change over time, so verify current terms on the issuer's page before applying.

Key takeaways

  • 1You do not need a large company to qualify. Sole proprietors, freelancers and side-business owners can apply using their own name and Social Security number, with the business income they actually earn.
  • 2Our top pick is the Ink Business Cash for no annual fee and high earning on office supplies and telecom services. If your business spends heavily on travel, shipping or advertising, the Ink Business Preferred earns transferable points worth more per dollar.
  • 3Almost every small-business card requires a personal guarantee, which means you are personally liable for the balance if the business cannot pay. This is the single most important line in the agreement.
  • 4Business cards do not carry the same CARD Act protections consumer cards do, so rate changes and fee terms can work differently. Read the agreement rather than assuming the consumer rules apply.
Advertising disclosure: TheSavvyAmericans may receive compensation when you apply for or open a product through links on this page. This does not influence our editorial evaluations. Products are reviewed using a documented methodology. Learn how we make money.

The 7 best small-business credit cards

We compared business cards on what they earn against common small-business expense categories, the annual fee weighed against the benefits, the expense-management and employee-card tooling included, and how flexible the rewards are. Rates, fees and welcome offers change frequently, so we describe them structurally; verify current terms on the issuer's page.

Small-business credit cards compared at a glance
#ServiceBest forRatingRewards typeAnnual feeEmployee cards
1Ink Business Cash Credit CardBest no-annual-fee business card4.7 / 5Category cash backNone (verify current)Free (verify current)
2Ink Business Preferred Credit CardBest for growing businesses4.6 / 5Transferable pointsMid (verify current)Free (verify current)
3American Express Business Gold CardBest for shifting spend categories4.4 / 5Transferable pointsMid (verify current)Available (verify current)
4Ink Business Unlimited Credit CardBest flat-rate business card4.4 / 5Flat-rate cash backNone (verify current)Free (verify current)
5The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American ExpressBest no-annual-fee points card4.3 / 5Transferable pointsNone (verify current)Free (verify current)
6Capital One Spark Cash PlusBest for large monthly spending4.2 / 5Flat-rate cash backYes (verify current)Free (verify current)
7The Business Platinum Card from American ExpressBest for frequent business travel4.1 / 5Transferable pointsPremium (verify current)Available, fee may apply
#1Rank
Editor's ChoiceBest no-annual-fee business card

Ink Business Cash Credit Card

4.7 / 5

Ink Business Cash earns its top spot by charging nothing to hold while paying high rates at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services, up to an annual cap. Those two categories cover a surprising share of small-business overhead, and the rewards can convert to transferable points if you also hold a premium Chase card.

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • High rates on office supplies and telecom services
  • Free employee cards
  • Rewards can become transferable points with a premium Chase card

Cons

  • Bonus categories are capped annually
  • Weak base rate outside the bonus categories
  • Charges a foreign transaction fee
Rewards type
Category cash back
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Employee cards
Free (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
Yes (verify current)
Visit Chase

Official site opens in a new tab

#2Rank
Best for travelBest for growing businesses

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

4.6 / 5

Ink Business Preferred earns boosted Ultimate Rewards points on travel, shipping, internet and advertising purchases up to an annual cap, and those points transfer to airline and hotel partners. It also includes cell-phone protection when you pay business phone bills with it.

Pros

  • Transferable points with strong partner list
  • Bonus categories fit service and e-commerce businesses
  • Cell-phone protection on business lines
  • Free employee cards

Cons

  • Carries an annual fee
  • Bonus categories capped annually
  • Chase application restrictions can apply
Rewards type
Transferable points
Annual fee
Mid (verify current)
Employee cards
Free (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
None (verify current)
Visit Chase

Official site opens in a new tab

#3Rank
Best adaptive rewardsBest for shifting spend categories

American Express Business Gold Card

4.4 / 5

Business Gold automatically applies its boosted earning to the categories where your business spent most that billing cycle, drawn from a set list, up to an annual cap. For a business whose expenses move around, that removes the guesswork entirely.

Pros

  • Bonus applies automatically to your top spending categories
  • Membership Rewards points transfer to partners
  • Statement credits can offset part of the fee (verify current)
  • Expense-management integrations

Cons

  • Annual fee is mid to premium
  • Bonus earning capped annually
  • Amex acceptance trails Visa and Mastercard with some vendors
Rewards type
Transferable points
Annual fee
Mid (verify current)
Employee cards
Available (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
None (verify current)
Visit American Express

Official site opens in a new tab

#4Rank
Best simple earnerBest flat-rate business card

Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

4.4 / 5

A flat cash-back rate on every business purchase with no annual fee. It is the card for a business whose spending does not concentrate in any one category, and it pairs neatly with Ink Business Cash to cover both bonus and non-bonus spending.

Pros

  • Flat rate on all purchases
  • No annual fee
  • Free employee cards
  • Rewards can become transferable points with a premium Chase card

Cons

  • No bonus categories
  • Charges a foreign transaction fee
  • Best value needs a paired Chase card
Rewards type
Flat-rate cash back
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Employee cards
Free (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
Yes (verify current)
Visit Chase

Official site opens in a new tab

#5Rank
Best no-fee pointsBest no-annual-fee points card

The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express

4.3 / 5

Blue Business Plus earns boosted Membership Rewards points on all purchases up to an annual cap, then a base rate after that, with no annual fee. It is the cheapest legitimate way into the Amex transferable-points ecosystem for a small business.

Pros

  • Boosted points on all purchases up to an annual cap
  • No annual fee
  • Membership Rewards transfer partners
  • Expanded Buying Power for spending above your limit (verify current)

Cons

  • Bonus rate stops at the annual cap
  • No category bonuses
  • Charges a foreign transaction fee
Rewards type
Transferable points
Annual fee
None (verify current)
Employee cards
Free (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
Yes (verify current)
Visit American Express

Official site opens in a new tab

#6Rank
Best for high spendBest for large monthly spending

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

4.2 / 5

Spark Cash Plus pays a flat cash-back rate on everything with no preset spending limit, but it is a charge card: the balance is due in full each month. For an established business with real revenue and disciplined cash flow, that constraint is a feature.

Pros

  • Flat cash back on all purchases with no caps
  • No preset spending limit
  • Free employee cards with individual limits
  • No foreign transaction fee

Cons

  • Balance must be paid in full each month
  • Carries an annual fee
  • Not suitable if you need to carry a balance
Rewards type
Flat-rate cash back
Annual fee
Yes (verify current)
Employee cards
Free (verify current)
Foreign transaction fee
None (verify current)
Visit Capital One

Official site opens in a new tab

#7Rank
Best premium perksBest for frequent business travel

The Business Platinum Card from American Express

4.1 / 5

The Business Platinum brings the consumer Platinum's lounge access and travel benefits to a business account, adds a rebate on large purchases booked through Amex Travel, and layers on business-specific statement credits. The fee is the highest here, so it only makes sense with real travel volume.

Pros

  • Extensive lounge access including Centurion Lounges
  • Rebate on eligible larger travel bookings (verify current)
  • Business-specific statement credits
  • Strong transfer partners

Cons

  • Highest annual fee in this comparison
  • Credits are fragmented and easy to leave unused
  • Weak earning outside travel categories
Rewards type
Transferable points
Annual fee
Premium (verify current)
Employee cards
Available, fee may apply
Foreign transaction fee
None (verify current)
Visit American Express

Official site opens in a new tab

Ratings are TheSavvyAmericans editorial scores based on the criteria in the methodology section below, not user reviews or paid placements. Features and pricing change often, so confirm the current details on each provider’s official site before you sign up.

How we picked and scored these cards

We rank independently, and compensation does not set the order. Business cards are bought for different reasons than consumer cards, so we score them on how well they handle real overhead, how much administrative friction they remove, and what they cost once the welcome offer is long gone.

  • Earning against common small-business expenses: software, telecom, shipping, advertising, travel and office supplies.
  • Cost to hold: the annual fee measured against credits and benefits a working business will actually use.
  • Employee cards and controls: whether additional cards are free and whether you can set individual limits.
  • Bookkeeping tools: expense categorization, accounting-software integrations and year-end summaries.
  • Reward flexibility: cash back versus transferable points, and how easily rewards return to the business.

Good to know: Ratings are our editorial assessments, not user reviews. We publish no rates, fees or bonus values, because issuers change them and they vary by applicant. Confirm current terms on the issuer's application page.

Who qualifies for a business card

The most common misconception about business cards is that you need an incorporated company, employees and a long trading history. You generally do not. If you earn money from any activity outside of employment, whether that is freelancing, consulting, selling online, driving for a rideshare platform or renting out a property, most issuers will consider you a sole proprietor.

  • Business name: sole proprietors typically apply using their own legal name as the business name.
  • Tax ID: an EIN if you have one, otherwise your Social Security number is normally accepted for a sole proprietorship.
  • Revenue: report your actual gross business income honestly, including projected income if the business is new.
  • Personal credit: approval decisions usually lean on your personal credit score, not a business score, especially for a young business.

Good to know: Some issuers report business-card activity to the personal credit bureaus, others report only to commercial bureaus, and several report only if the account goes delinquent. This matters if you plan to carry a balance, because a card that reports can push your personal utilization ratio up sharply. Ask before you apply.

The personal guarantee, and what it commits you to

Nearly every small-business credit card requires a personal guarantee. In plain terms, you are promising that if the business cannot pay the balance, you will pay it from your own money. The LLC or corporation that protects you in other contexts does not protect you here, because you signed a separate personal promise.

  • A default on the card can be collected from you personally, and can appear on your personal credit report.
  • Closing the business does not end the guarantee. The obligation follows you.
  • Corporate cards without a personal guarantee exist, but they generally require substantial revenue or a cash balance held with the issuer.
  • Business cards are largely outside the CARD Act, so protections such as restrictions on rate increases and payment-allocation rules may not apply.

Good to know: None of this is a reason to avoid business cards; it is a reason to treat the credit line as the company's money and to pay it in full. The clean separation of business and personal spending is genuinely valuable at tax time, and it becomes a liability only when the balance starts revolving.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a business credit card as a sole proprietor?
Yes. Freelancers, contractors, gig workers and side-business owners routinely qualify as sole proprietors, applying with their legal name as the business name and a Social Security number in place of an EIN. Report your actual business income honestly on the application; issuers mainly evaluate your personal credit for a young business.
Do business credit cards affect my personal credit score?
It depends on the issuer. Some report business-card activity to the personal bureaus, some report only to commercial bureaus, and several report to personal bureaus only if the account becomes delinquent. The application itself usually triggers a hard inquiry on your personal credit either way. Confirm the issuer's reporting policy before you plan to carry a balance.
What is a personal guarantee on a business card?
It is your personal promise to repay the balance if the business cannot. It means your personal assets and personal credit are exposed to business card debt, regardless of whether you operate as an LLC or corporation. Cards without a personal guarantee exist but generally require significant business revenue or deposits held with the issuer.
Should I use a business card or a personal card for business expenses?
A business card, in almost every case. It keeps company spending separate from personal spending, which makes bookkeeping and tax preparation dramatically easier and strengthens the separation between you and an incorporated entity. Business cards also tend to reward the categories businesses actually spend in, and offer free employee cards with individual limits.

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