If a large share of your business expenses is advertising on Facebook, Amazon, Google, Twitter, or more traditional media platforms such as TV or radio, you should make sure you’re earning the highest rewards possible. Fortunately, several of the best business credit cards reward common types of advertising spending, with earning rates ranging from 1.5% cash-back to 4x points, depending on the card and spend volume.
Chase business cards earn bonus rewards on advertising purchased directly from social media sites and search engines, and Amex business cards earn on qualifying online, television, and radio advertising purchased directly from U.S. media providers. The best business card for advertising purchases depends on your business’s spending volume, the advertising platform you use, and your rewards preferences.
Quick Overview of the Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases
The highest earning rate on advertising spending is 4x points with the Amex Business Gold card on up to $150,000 per year across 2 qualifying categories, including some advertising. The Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card and Ink Business Preferred card earn 3x points on social media and search engine advertising, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card has no earnings cap. Chase defines ad spending as purchases made directly with social media and search engine merchants, and third-party ad platforms may not qualify (Source: Chase).
No-annual-fee business cards that earn well on advertising include the Amex Blue Business Cash card (earning 2% cash-back) and the Amex Blue Business Plus card (earning 2x points) on all purchases up to $50,000 per year (Amex Blue Business Cash card rates & fees, Amex Blue Business Plus card rates & fees). Amex considers ad spending to be online, TV, and radio advertising purchased directly from U.S. media providers, but it excludes Amazon advertising (Source: American Express).
The Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card is the only featured card with 3x earnings on ad spending with no cap, making it a good choice for businesses spending more than $150,000 annually on advertising.
Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases
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Card |
Welcome offer |
Annual fee |
Earning rates |
Best for |
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
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LIMITED TIME OFFER200,000 pointsSapphire Reserve for Business℠Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening and access more than $7,000 in total business and travel value in your first year. |
$795 (rates & fees) | 1x-8x pointsSapphire Reserve for Business℠
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Uncapped advertising rewards |
American Express® Business Gold Card
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NEW OFFERAs High As 200,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.American Express® Business Gold CardAs High As 200,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. |
$375 (rates & fees) |
1x-4x pointsAmerican Express® Business Gold Card
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Highest advertising rewards rate |
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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NEW OFFER100,000 pointsInk Business Preferred® Credit CardEarn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
$95 (rates & fees) |
1x-3x pointsInk Business Preferred® Credit Card
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Advertising and travel rewards |
The American Express Blue Business Cash® Card
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$250The American Express Blue Business Cash® CardEarn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months. |
$0 | 1%-2% cash-backThe American Express Blue Business Cash® Card
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Straightforward cash-back |
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
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15,000 pointsThe Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American ExpressEarn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. |
$0 | 1x-2x pointsThe Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
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Membership Rewards with no annual fee |
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
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OFFER ENDING SOON |
$0 (rates & fees) |
1.5% cash-backInk Business Unlimited® Credit Card
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Uncapped cash-back |
4 Best Overall Business Cards for Advertising Purchases
Chase Sapphire Reserve Business Card (Best Overall for Advertising Purchases)
The Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card offers an impressive rewards rate of 3x points on advertising purchases. There’s no limit on how much you can earn.
Here’s how the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card rewards advertising purchases:
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Best For: |
Examples of bonus earning merchants |
Rewards |
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Social media website advertising and search engine advertising purchases |
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3x points with no caps |
We like earning Ultimate Rewards points because they can be used flexibly for valuable redemptions, including travel, and transferred to Chase transfer partners.
Amex Business Gold Card (Best for Businesses With Under $150,000 in Annual Ad Spending)
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer as high as 200,000 points with the Amex Business Gold card. Find out your offer. Terms apply.
With the Amex Business Gold card, you can earn 4x rewards on the 2 eligible categories you spend the most in each month, up to $150,000 in annual combined purchases (1x thereafter). This process ensures your greatest expenses receive the greatest rewards. If advertising is always your biggest expense category, you always receive 4x earnings for those purchases.
Here’s how the Amex Business Gold card rewards advertising purchases:
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Best for: |
Examples of bonus earning merchants |
Rewards |
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Qualifying online ads, television and radio advertising purchased in the U.S. for the purpose of promoting a business |
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Membership Rewards points are one of the most valuable reward currencies because there are many ways to earn and valuable ways to redeem Amex points, including transferring Amex points to Amex transfer partners.
Ink Business Preferred Card (Best for Travel Rewards)
With the Ink Business Preferred card, advertising purchases on social media and search engines earn 3x points. Other 3x bonus-earning categories include travel, shipping, internet, cable, and phone services. There is a $150,000 annual limit on total 3x category earnings, after which you earn 1x points.
Here’s how the Ink Business Preferred card rewards advertising purchases:
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Best for: |
Example of bonus earning merchants |
Rewards |
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Social media website advertising and search engine advertising purchases |
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3x Ultimate Rewards points ($150,000 annual limit on the 3x bonus, 1x thereafter) |
Amex Blue Business Cash Card (Best for Consistent Cash-Back)
You can earn 2% cash-back on up to $50,000 in eligible purchases per year (including advertising) with the Amex Blue Business Cash card. After you’ve maxed out your 2% earnings, you earn 1%. Amex advertising categories include Google Ads, Yahoo Ads, and Facebook Ads.
Cash-back earned with the Amex Blue Business Cash card is automatically applied to your statement.
Alternative Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases
Amex Blue Business Plus Card (Best for No-Annual-Fee Membership Rewards)
The Amex Blue Business Plus card earns 2x points on everyday business purchases, including advertising like Google Ads and Facebook Ads for up to $50,000 per year. After that, you earn 1x.
If you maximize that limit, you earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points — an excellent value for a $0-annual-fee credit card.
Ink Business Unlimited Card (Best for No Annual Fee and Cash-Back)
The $0-annual-fee Ink Business Unlimited card earns 1.5% cash-back on every purchase, including advertising.
Cash-back rewards are earned as Ultimate Rewards points, which can be redeemed for cash-back at 1 cent per point. They can also be transferred as Ultimate Rewards points to premium Chase credit cards such as the Ink Business Preferred card, Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card, or Chase Sapphire Reserve® for greater value when redeemed for travel.
Hot Tip: If your advertising expenses exceed the bonus category limits for a specific credit card, a combination of 2 cards that align with your spending levels may help you earn more rewards.
How To Choose a Business Card for Ad Spending
The amount your business spends on advertising each year should be the primary consideration when choosing a card with advertising rewards. Businesses spending more than $150,000 per year should consider cards with uncapped earning, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card, rather than cards that earn higher rates but have caps, such as the Amex Business Gold card.
Your preference of reward currency matters, too, though both Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards offer strong transfer partners. Cash-back options such as the Amex Blue Business Cash card may suit businesses that prioritize simplicity.
No-annual-fee options can deliver meaningful value for businesses with lower ad spending that can’t offset a premium card’s annual fee with rewards earnings.
What Counts as Advertising on These Cards?
American Express and Chase differ on what counts as an advertising purchase, which affects which advertising expenses earn bonus rewards on each card.
American Express defines ad spending as online, television, and radio advertising purchased directly from U.S. media providers, but Amex excludes Amazon advertising (Source: American Express). Chase considers social media websites and online search engines as advertising purchases (Source: Chase).
Are Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases Worth It?
A business card that earns bonus rewards for advertising purchases can be worth it if you have significant ad spending each year. For example, spending the full $150,000 annual limit to earn 4x rewards on the Amex Business Gold card would earn you 600,000 Membership Rewards points. We value Membership Rewards points at about 2.2 cents each, making 600,000 points worth about $13,200.
How We Selected the Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases
Upgraded Points evaluated business cards based on their advertising earning rates, spending caps, and qualifying purchase definitions. We also considered how flexible the rewards currency is and the business benefits that enhance the card’s overall value.
Flat-rate cards were included as alternatives for businesses with advertising purchases that don’t qualify for a bonus category or that exceed category bonus caps. See our credit card rating methodology for more information.
Final Thoughts
The best business card for advertising spending depends on how much your business spends on ads each year and whether that lands within a card’s category caps. Consider annual fees and whether you prefer travel rewards or cash-back. Businesses that spend on travel and qualifying social media or search advertising may prefer Chase. Small businesses with frequent office supply purchases and wireless phone expenses may benefit from the Amex Blue Business Cash card’s 2% cash-back on up to $50,000 per year. See the comparison table above to compare each card’s features to your business spending mix.






