Business credit cards can help separate business and personal expenses while earning rewards, improving cash flow, and unlocking perks. Cards are available for businesses of all sizes, whether you’re a freelancer, run a startup, or have a long-established company.
Fees, earning categories, and benefits vary, so don’t apply until you’ve reviewed the key factors and top recommendations below to find the best fit for your needs.
Quick Overview of the Best Business Cards
The best business credit cards combine rewards on common business expenses with benefits that can help offset annual fees, which range from $0 to nearly $900.
If you travel frequently, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is unmatched for its premium travel benefits, airport lounge access, and flexible rewards. To maximize routine business spending, the American Express® Business Gold Card provides a variety of 4x bonus categories. If you prefer to avoid an annual fee, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express offer great flat-rate rewards.
Most business credit cards require good to excellent personal credit. However, it’s important to know that business cards are available to sole proprietors, freelancers, and other self-employed individuals, and not just incorporated businesses.
The Best Business Cards Right Now
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: $895 annual fee (rates & fees), best for luxury travel benefits, including Amex Centurion Lounge access.
- American Express® Business Gold Card: $375 annual fee (rates & fees), best rewards earning on business purchases.
- Sapphire Reserve for Business℠: $795 annual fee, best for Chase Sapphire Lounge access for you and up to 2 guests.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: $95 annual fee, best for 3x rewards on a variety of expenses.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: $0 annual fee, best for 0% introductory APR offer.
What Is a Business Credit Card?
A personal credit card is intended for everyday personal spending, while a business credit card is designed to keep business expenses separate from personal ones. There are additional features you won’t find on personal cards, as business cards often come with higher spending limits, rewards on business categories (like advertising or shipping costs), expense tracking, and employee cards (Source: American Express).
However, business cards are available to more than just incorporated businesses. Sole proprietors, freelancers, and independent contractors can often apply using their Social Security number (SSN) instead of an Employer Identification Number (EIN). That’s because most issuers will check your personal credit during the application process, and you’ll typically need to provide a personal guarantee for the account (Source: Chase).
Best Business Credit Cards: Full Comparison
|
Business Card |
Annual Fee |
Welcome Offer |
Best Earning Category |
Best For |
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
 |
$895 |
NEW OFFERAs High As 300,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer. The Business Platinum Card® from American ExpressAs High As 300,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $20,000 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. |
5x points on flights, prepaid hotels, and short-term rentals booked at AmexTravel.com |
Access to over 1,550 worldwide lounges, including Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass™ (upon enrollment), and more |
| American Express® Business Gold Card
 |
$375 |
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. |
4x points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most (up to $150,000 per calendar year) |
Largest rewards potential of any business card |
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
 |
$795 (rates & fees) |
Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months and access more than $7,000 in total business and travel value in your first year. |
8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel |
Access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass lounges for you and up to 2 guests |
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
 |
$95 (rates & fees) |
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. |
3x points on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year |
Huge 3x rewards with a lower annual fee |
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
 |
$0 (rates & fees) |
LIMITED TIME OFFER |
5% cash-back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year |
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; 16.74% – 24.74% variable thereafter. |
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
 |
$0 (rates & fees) |
LIMITED TIME OFFER |
1.5% cash-back on all purchases |
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 16.74% – 24.74% thereafter. |
| The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
 |
$0 (rates & fees) |
$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. |
2% cash-back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year |
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 16.74% – 28.49%. (rates & fees) |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
 |
$0 (rates & fees) |
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. |
2x points on all purchases on up to $50,000 per year |
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 16.74% – 28.49%. (rates & fees) |
| The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
 |
$195 (rates & fees) |
130,000 pointsThe Hilton Honors American Express Business CardEarn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership. |
12x points at Hilton hotels and resorts |
Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $240 in annual Hilton statement credits |
| Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
 |
$650 (rates & fees) |
80,000 milesDelta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express CardEarn 80,000 Bonus Miles after spending $12,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. |
3x miles on Delta purchases |
Centurion Lounge access and 15 annual visits to Delta Sky Club (when flying Delta same day) |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
 |
$125 (rates & fees) |
Up to 125,000 pointsMarriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® CardEarn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases and an extra 50,000 bonus points after you make an additional $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. |
6x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels |
1 Free Night Award every year after card renewal |
How To Choose the Best Business Card
Business credit cards generally earn flexible points for travel or cash-back. The best choice depends on your spending.
If your largest expenses are travel, advertising, shipping, or office supplies, a card with those specific bonus categories can maximize rewards. Otherwise, a flat-rate card earning 1.5% or 2% on every purchase may provide more consistent value.
Businesses with lower spending or startups may benefit from a no-annual-fee card or a 0% introductory APR offer for short-term financing. A card with an annual fee may make sense when its rewards and benefits exceed the cost, and businesses with employees may want free additional cards and spending controls.
Keep in mind that business credit cards aren’t subject to CARD Act consumer protections (Source: Federal Reserve Board).
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer as high as 300,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card. Find out your offer. Terms Apply.
The Amex Business Platinum card is great if your business requires frequent travel and you want access to travel perks and benefits. Beyond worldwide airport lounge access, it offers numerous statement credits that add significant incremental value.
American Express® Business Gold Card
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.
The Amex Business Gold card is a powerhouse for earning Membership Rewards points thanks to its flexible 4x points bonus categories on the top 2 categories in which your business spends the most every month (up to $150,000 in combined purchases every calendar year).
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
The Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card offers bonus points on travel and earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on advertising expenses with no caps. Plus, cardholders receive access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass lounges, as well as additional perks like a $300 annual travel credit.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred card earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on advertising on social media, search engines, travel, shipping, internet, cable, and phone services (up to $150,000 per year). It’s the best business card for earning tons of rewards without a huge annual fee investment.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
The Ink Business Cash card is a great $0-annual-fee option that offers 5% cash-back on office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services (up to $25,000 in combined purchases) and 2% cash-back on gas stations and dining (up to $25,000 in combined purchases).
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
If you’re looking for simplicity, the Ink Business Unlimited card earns 1.5% cash-back on all purchases with no bonus categories or earning limits.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
The Amex Blue Business Cash card offers a simple yet affordable way to earn cash-back rewards on every purchase. For the first $50,000 you spend per calendar year, you earn 2% cash-back credited to your statement, then 1% cash-back.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
If you prefer to earn Membership Rewards points for travel, the Amex Blue Business Plus card is a great $0-annual-fee option that offers 2x points on up to $50,000 in annual spending, then 1x points.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
The Hilton Business Amex card is good for Hilton loyalists because it offers multiple points-earning categories and a fast track to Hilton Honors elite status. Plus, you can get up to $240 back each year on eligible purchases made directly with Hilton, up to $60 quarterly (Source: American Express).
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
If you fly Delta often and value earning Delta elite status, the Delta Reserve Business card could be a good addition to your wallet. It provides the added bonus of Amex Centurion Lounge access and 15 annual visits to the Delta Sky Club, requiring that you book your flight with Delta and present your same-day boarding pass.
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Business card offers a 7% room discount and 15 Elite Night Credits. One of the best benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Business card is the free night award certificate you get a month after every cardmember anniversary, worth up to 35,000 points.
Methodology: How We Selected Our List of the Best Business Credit Cards
The Upgraded Points team evaluates business credit cards based on the complete value they provide to business owners. Factors to consider include earnings rates, reward value, welcome offers, annual fees, benefits, and long-term value when identifying the best options for different types of businesses.
Other unique features of business cards are free employee cards, expense management tools, and travel perks when applicable. For a detailed explanation of our review process, visit our credit card rating methodology guide.
Final Thoughts
The best business credit card isn’t necessarily the one with the highest annual fee. Instead, it’s the one that matches your business’ spending habits and rewards you long term.
Fortunately, business cards are diverse, whether you’re seeking the premium travel perks of the Amex Business Platinum card, flexible transferable rewards of the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business card, or the $0 annual fee of the Ink Business Unlimited card or Amex Blue Business Plus card. Review the comparison table to find the best fit for your business.