Business credit cards offer some of the best sign up offers and earnings potentials, and the best part is you DO NOT need to have a formal business entity to apply for them. Any business can count – a side hustle or sole proprietorship is perfectly fine! And the points/miles earned from each of these cards can be easily transferred to many travel partners, such as airlines and hotels.
If you’re new to the world of credit cards, no worries! We created this guide with our recommendations for best credit cards for small businesses.
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
This is our personal go-to for everyday business purchases! We love it because it has a $0 annual fee with a strong sign-up offer of Chase points, which can easily transfer to many airline and hotel partners. It is a great starter business card because of the no annual fee with potential for high earnings. It earns 1.5x points on everything, which is great for purchases that are not part of a bonus category on another card. Note that this does have a fee for international transactions (the next one does not).
- Sign-up Offer: Earn $750 cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Additional Point Earnings: 1.5x points for every $1 spent
- Benefits Include: No annual fee!
Click here to learn more about the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® card.
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
A step up, this card has zero fees on international transactions and comes with some excellent insurance options – such as trip cancellation/interruption insurance, primary business car rental insurance, and cellphone protection. This makes it an invaluable companion for traveler – ensuring peace of mind during unforeseen circumstances. It also has an excellent sign-up offer of Chase points, which can easily transfer to many airline and hotel partners. Plus, the $95 annual fee is still realistic for the benefits the card offers.
- Sign-up Offer: Earn 90,000 Chase points after spending $8,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
- Additional Point Earnings: 3x points on travel and select business categories on the first $150,000 spent each anniversary year
- Benefits Include: Many travel and purchase protections such as trip cancellation/interruption insurance, primary business car rental insurance, and cellphone protection
Click here to learn more about the Chase Ink Business Preferred® card.
American Express® Business Gold Card
If you want a higher points earning potential in your top spend business categories, this is the card for you. Its $375 annual fee (see rates and fees) is about half the cost of it’s “big brother” (shown next), while still offering a decent welcome offer and statement credits (such as a Walmart+ membership).
- Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 American Express membership rewards points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
- Additional Point Earnings: 4x points on your top 2 spending categories in the first $150,000 in combined purchases each year (then 1x), 3x points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, 1x points on all other purchases
- Benefits Include: Centurion Lounge Access and a variety of annual credits (such as Dell, Adobe, and airline fees)
Click here to learn more about the American Express® Business Gold Card. 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.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
This card is known as the ticket to luxury lounges worldwide, including Centurion Lounges. Its $695 annual fee (see rates and fees) is offset by over $1000 potential in various credits (such as for CLEAR Plus) and gold status at Marriott and Hilton hotels. It does have a very high minimum spend requirement for the welcome offer, so please only apply for this card if this is in line with your regular business expenses.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 American Express membership rewards points after spending $20,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
- Point Earnings: 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, 1.5x points on select business categories and on purchases of $5,000 or more on up to $2 million per calendar year, 1x points on other eligible purchases
- Benefits Include: Centurion Lounge Access and a variety of annual credits (such as Dell, Adobe, and airline fees)
Click here to learn more about The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. 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.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
This card simplifies travel rewards with 2 miles earned per dollar spent on every purchase. With a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then just $95 after that, this is a good choice for business owners who like the travel transfer partners of Capital One. It is a difficult card to get approved for – you must have a good to excellent credit score – but if you’re approved, it can provide a lot of value.
- Sign-up Offer: Earn 50,000 Capital One miles after spending $4,500 in the first 3 months from account opening
- Additional Point Earnings: Unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2x miles for every $1 spent elsewhere
- Benefits Include: Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
Click here to learn more about the Capital One Spark Miles for Business card.
Which of the credit cards for small businesses is best for you? Learn more here!
Those are our favorite credit cards for small businesses, but you can learn about other business credit cards here and click below for more of our specific recommendations!
- Our Top Recommended Credit Cards
- Best Credit Cards with Airport Lounge Access
- Best Credit Cards for Hotel Points & Airline Miles
The Daily Drop newsletter is another great resource to stay up to date on the latest credit card offers.
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 on this website.