The best business credit cards for startups offer spending power coupled with benefits that deliver financial flexibility or boost your new business's bottom line, like a long 0% APR introductory period or cash back tied to travel or certain purchases.
Card issuers prioritize your personal credit history so even new businesses can choose from the best small-business credit cards if you have good credit. There are business credit cards for startups with no credit, as well, including secured business credit cards.
All of our selections for the best business credit cards for startups and new businesses are chosen by our editorial team, which independently evaluates and rates cards based on fees, rewards rates and redemption options, among numerous other factors.
Note: Some of our selections for the best business credit cards for startups can be applied for through NerdWallet, and some cannot. Below, you'll find application links for the credit cards from our partners that are available through NerdWallet, followed by the full list of our picks.
Our Nerdy picks for
Here are the best business cards for startups, new businesses from our partners
| Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card Apply now on American Express' website | 5.0/5 Best for Overall business card for startups | $0 | 1%-2% Cashback | $250 | Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees |
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit Apply now on Capital One's website | 4.6/5 Best for Cash back (flat rate) + sign-up bonus | $0 | 1.5%-5% Cashback | $500 | Apply now on Capital One's website |
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 5.0/5 Best for Cash back (bonus categories) + sign-up bonus | $0 | 1%-5% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on Chase's website |
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 5.0/5 Best for Travel rewards + big sign-up offer | $95 | 1x-3x Points | 100,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card Apply now on Bank of America's website | 3.9/5 Best for Travel rewards with no annual fee | $0 | 1.5x Points | 30,000 Points | Apply now on Bank of America's website |
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on US Bank's website | 4.7/5 Best for Intro APR + balance transfers | $0 | 1%-3% Cashback | $500 | Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Ramp Card Apply now on Ramp's website | 4.1/5 Best for Corporate card for startups (no personal guarantee) | $0 | 1.5% Cashback | N/A | Apply now on Ramp's website |
Brex Card Apply now on Brex's website | 3.2/5 Best for Startups with professional funding | $0 | 1x-7x Points | 10,000 Points | Apply now on Brex's website |
Capital One Spark Cash Plus Apply now on Capital One's website | 4.2/5 Best for Startups with heavy spending | $150 | 2%-5% Cashback | $1,000 | Apply now on Capital One's website |
Our pick for
Overall business card for startups
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2% Cashback
Intro offer
$250
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- Cash rewards
Cons
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Requires good/excellent credit
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2% Cashback
Intro offer
$250
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- Cash rewards
Cons
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Requires good/excellent credit
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2% Cashback
Intro offer
$250
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- Cash rewards
Cons
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
- From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That’s why you’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
- Just remember, the amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us and other factors.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.24%-26.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply
- View Rates & Fees
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2% Cashback
Intro offer
$250
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- Cash rewards
Cons
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Requires good/excellent credit
Our pick for
Cash back (flat rate) + sign-up bonus
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit
Read Review
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- No reward caps
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- No reward caps
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit
Read Review
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- No reward caps
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Earn a $500 bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere — with no limits or category restrictions
- No annual fee
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Rewards won't expire for the life of the account
- Redeem your cash back rewards for any amount
- Free employee cards, which also earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- $0 fraud liability if your card is lost or stolen
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- No reward caps
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
Our pick for
Cash back (bonus categories) + sign-up bonus
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Our pick for
Travel rewards + big sign-up offer
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
100,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Bonus categories
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Has annual fee
- No intro APR offer
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
100,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Bonus categories
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Has annual fee
- No intro APR offer
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
100,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Bonus categories
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Has annual fee
- No intro APR offer
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Member FDIC
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
100,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Bonus categories
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Has annual fee
- No intro APR offer
Our pick for
Travel rewards with no annual fee
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Read Review
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x Points
Intro offer
30,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x Points
Intro offer
30,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Read Review
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x Points
Intro offer
30,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Earn 30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening which can be redeemed for a $300 statement credit towards travel or dining purchases.
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all purchases everywhere, every time - no matter how much you spend.
- No limit to the amount of points you can earn and points don't expire.
- You can earn up to 75% more points on every purchase, if you have a business checking account with Bank of America and qualify for our highest Preferred Rewards for Business tier. That means you could earn up to an unlimited 2.62 points per $1 spent on all purchases.
- No annual fee and no international transaction fees.
- Choose how to redeem points for a statement credit to offset travel and dining purchases, travel with no blackout dates at the Bank of America® Travel Center, for cash back or gift cards.
- 0% Introductory APR on purchases for your first 9 billing cycles. After the intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that's currently 17.99% to 27.99% will apply.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This offer may not be available if you leave this page or visit our website. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x Points
Intro offer
30,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
Our pick for
Intro APR + balance transfers
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- Bonus cash back categories
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- Bonus cash back categories
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- Bonus cash back categories
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Earn $500 in cash back. Just spend $4500 on the Account Owner's card in the first 150 days of opening your account.
- Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants.
- 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases.
- Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center.
- No limit on total cash back earned.
- Rewards never expire.
- Earn an annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription expenses such as FreshBooks or quickbooks
- 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles. After that, a variable APR currently 18.99% - 27.99%.
- No annual fee.
- Great Offer from U.S. Bank, a 2022 World's Most Ethical Company® - Ethisphere Institute, February 2022
- Terms and conditions apply
- Pay over time by splitting eligible purchases of $100+ into equal monthly payments with U.S. Bank ExtendPay™ Plan.
- View Rates & Fees
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
690-850 (Good - Excellent)
Pros
- Bonus cash back categories
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
Our pick for
Corporate card for startups (no personal guarantee)
Ramp Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Ramp's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
N/A
Recommended Credit Score
300850poor - excellent
300-850 (Poor - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Simple, straightforward rewards
- No personal guarantee or credit check
- Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
N/A
Recommended Credit Score
300850poor - excellent
300-850 (Poor - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Simple, straightforward rewards
- No personal guarantee or credit check
- Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
Ramp Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Ramp's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
N/A
Recommended Credit Score
300850poor - excellent
300-850 (Poor - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Simple, straightforward rewards
- No personal guarantee or credit check
- Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, no minimum spend required.
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees.
- No personal credit check or personal guarantee required.
- Issue unlimited virtual cards and physical cards for each employee.
- Prevent out-of-policy spending with built-in controls, including spend restrictions by category or merchant.
- Ramp is a corporate charge card powered by Visa. Businesses are required to pay the monthly balance in full by each statement period.
- Must have at least $75,000 in cash in any U.S. business bank account to qualify.
- Must have most of your operations and corporate spend in the US (although Ramp does support international transactions and will waive all related transaction fees).
- Ramp is only available to corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships. Individuals, sole proprietorships and unregistered businesses are not eligible.
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
N/A
Recommended Credit Score
300850poor - excellent
300-850 (Poor - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Simple, straightforward rewards
- No personal guarantee or credit check
- Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
Our pick for
Startups with professional funding
Brex Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Brex's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x Points
Intro offer
10,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
300850poor - excellent
300-850 (Poor - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Qualify with limited/bad credit
- Bonus categories
- No foreign transaction fees
- No personal guarantee
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure
- High capital requirement for approval
- Daily repayment may be required
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x Points
Intro offer
10,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
300850poor - excellent
300-850 (Poor - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Qualify with limited/bad credit
- Bonus categories
- No foreign transaction fees
- No personal guarantee
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure
- High capital requirement for approval
- Daily repayment may be required
Brex Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Brex's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x Points
Intro offer
10,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
300850poor - excellent
300-850 (Poor - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Qualify with limited/bad credit
- Bonus categories
- No foreign transaction fees
- No personal guarantee
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure
- High capital requirement for approval
- Daily repayment may be required
- Get 10,000 points when you spend $3,000 on a Brex Card within your first 3 months.
- No personal guarantee needed – Brex does not ask for a personal credit check or security deposit during the application.
- Credit limits 10-20x higher than traditional small business corporate cards.
- Minimum bank balance of $50,000 from professional investors may be required to qualify for Brex.
- Exclusive signup offers from the best products and tools for your business (e.g. AWS, Google Ads, WeWork, Salesforce) worth up to $150,000 in value.
- Earn points on every dollar spent with industry-leading multipliers: 7x on rideshare, 4x on Brex Travel, 3x on restaurants, 2x on software subscriptions and 1x on all other transactions.
- Earn 3x Brex Rewards points on all eligible Apple purchases through the link or your Brex dashboard.
- Miles transfer program to 7 airlines (including Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Air France, and more) and their loyalty programs, giving Brex customers access to book travel across all of the major global airline alliances - Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam.
- 30-day charge card running on the Mastercard network. Enjoy global acceptance with no foreign transaction fees.
- Build business credit: Brex partners with Dun & Bradstreet and Experian to report your on-time payments.
- Make employee expenses seamless - automated receipt-capture and expense matching and reconciliation via text, email, and mobile app. Instantly add new users and set spending limits.
- Contactless pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
- Simplify reconciliation with built-in integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and more.
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x Points
Intro offer
10,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
300850poor - excellent
300-850 (Poor - Excellent)
Pros
- No annual fee
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Qualify with limited/bad credit
- Bonus categories
- No foreign transaction fees
- No personal guarantee
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure
- High capital requirement for approval
- Daily repayment may be required
Our pick for
Startups with heavy spending
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Read Review
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$1,000
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- Earns cash back on primary and employee cards
- Rewards don’t expire
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full every month
- Has annual fee
- High spending requirement to hit full welcome bonus, annual bonus offers
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$1,000
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- Earns cash back on primary and employee cards
- Rewards don’t expire
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full every month
- Has annual fee
- High spending requirement to hit full welcome bonus, annual bonus offers
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Read Review
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$1,000
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- Earns cash back on primary and employee cards
- Rewards don’t expire
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full every month
- Has annual fee
- High spending requirement to hit full welcome bonus, annual bonus offers
- Earn up to a $1,000 cash bonus; $500 once you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, and $500 once you spend $50,000 in the first 6 months of account opening
- Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Comes with no preset spending limit, so it can adapt to your needs based on your spending behavior, payment history and credit profile
- Earn an annual $200 cash bonus every year you spend $200,000 or more—that's enough to cover your annual fee and then some
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Add employee cards for free, and earn unlimited 2% cash back from their purchases
- $150 annual fee
- Spark Cash Plus has no APR because your balance is due in full every month
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$1,000
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
720-850 (Excellent)
Pros
- Earns cash back on primary and employee cards
- Rewards don’t expire
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full every month
- Has annual fee
- High spending requirement to hit full welcome bonus, annual bonus offers
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST SMALL-BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS FOR STARTUPS
Select the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Our pick for: Best overall business card for startups
The
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
boasts one of the better introductory APR offers among business credit cards. Beyond that, you earn a solid cash-back rate (at least for a while — the rate drops after you hit a spending threshold). There's also $0
annual fee. Learn more and apply.Our pick for: Flat-rate cash-back rewards
The
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit
offers a generous, attainable sign-up bonus, no annual fee and flat-rate cash-back rewards. Businesses that expect to spend $50,000 or more in their first six months should look to the Capital One Spark Cash Plus
, which offers a higher bonus and rewards rate (for a higher annual fee). Learn more and apply.Our pick for: Cash-back bonus categories, sign-up bonus
If your business's spending matches the bonus categories on the
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
, you can rack up some serious cash back. (If not, then look elsewhere.) There's an excellent sign-up bonus for a no-annual-fee cash-back card, plus an introductory APR period for purchases. Learn more and apply.Our pick for: Travel rewards + big sign-up offer
The
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
starts you off with one of the biggest sign-up bonuses of any credit card anywhere (assuming you spend enough to earn it), then gives you bonus rewards in common business spending categories. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. Learn more and apply.Our pick for: Travel rewards (no annual fee)
This is the business version of the issuer's excellent no-annual-fee travel card. The
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
pays solid rewards on every purchase and gives you wide flexibility in redeeming your points for any travel purchase, without the restrictions of branded airline and hotel cards. Learn more and apply.Our pick for: 0% intro APR offer
The
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
is a solid cash-back card for business owners. Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants. Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases
. Plus, the card offers a competitive welcome bonus and 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 18.99%-27.99% Variable APR
— all with a $0
annual fee. Learn more and apply.Our pick for: Corporate card for startups (no personal guarantee)
The
Ramp Card
's main selling point: It does not require a credit check or personal guarantee. You just need strong revenue and a healthy bank balance. The corporate charge card also offers unlimited cash-back rewards and card-level spending controls with no annual fee. Learn more and apply.Our pick for: Startups with professional funding
Unlike most cards designed for entrepreneurs, the
Brex Card
doesn't require the cardholder to personally guarantee the debt on the card. Instead, Brex determines creditworthiness by evaluating a company's cash balance, spending patterns and investors. It's a good option when a business owner has a thin credit file but is well capitalized. The card earns rewards, too. Learn more and apply. Our pick for: Startups with heavy spending
The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
is an excellent option for business operators whose expenses don't fall into the bonus categories on other business credit cards. You get a high, flat rewards rate on every purchase, with no limit to how much you can earn. And you can earn an extra welcome bonus, and qualify for an annual bonus, if you hit certain spending requirements. Just make sure that you can pay off your spending in full each month, as this is a charge card that doesn't let you revolve a balance. Learn more and apply. Our pick for: Fair credit
The rewards rate on the
Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
isn't going to wow anyone; there's no sign-up bonus and the APR is high. What makes this card valuable is that it's available to business operators with fair credit (a FICO score between 630-689), who don't have a lot of options in business credit cards — and it has no annual fee.Can startups get business credit cards?
If you have good personal credit, you should have no issue getting a business credit card for a new business as most issuers base approval on your personal FICO score. Almost all business cards require a personal guarantee, too, which says if your business can’t repay the debt, you will.
If you have no personal credit history or bad credit, you can still get a business credit card, though you will have fewer options and may need to start with a secured card.
Can a newly formed LLC get a business credit card?
Business credit cards are available to most new businesses, including LLCs, provided the owner applying for the cards has strong personal credit. (See our picks for best business cards for LLCs.)
Incorporated businesses with at least $50,000 in a business bank account may also qualify for a corporate credit card like Ramp or Brex, which bases approval on company finances and business credit score. Corporate cards do not require a personal guarantee, which offers some added protection for LLC owners.
How do new small businesses establish credit?
Opening a business credit card is one of the first steps toward establishing and building business credit. On-time payments and keeping your spending low (20% to 30% of your credit limit) can help you strengthen your business credit score over time.
Why does that matter? A strong business credit score can help you establish trade lines and secure a business loan for your startup.
How to get a business credit card for a new business
- Know your credit score. To qualify for most business credit cards, you’ll need to have good to excellent personal credit (typically a FICO score of 690 or above). If your personal credit is thin or poor, business credit cards for bad credit are available. You can get a free credit score from many sources, including NerdWallet.
- Look at your spending to find the best card. For example, if you or your employees travel often, consider a card with hotel or flight rewards. New businesses without months of receipts can look at future costs, such as opening an office. A card with bonus cash back on office supplies could make sense in that case.
- Evaluate your cash flow. Can your cash flow reliably keep pace with the expenses you put on your new business card? If not, avoid charge cards like Ramp, Brex and Capital One Spark Cash Plus, which need to be paid in full each month. Instead, consider a business card with a long 0% APR introductory offer to give you time to pay those charges interest free.
- Check for fees. Every dollar counts for a startup, so you may prefer a business credit card that helps cover your expenses — instead of adding to them. Some cards charge annual fees, which may be hundreds of dollars. If the rewards outweigh that cost, paying a fee may be worth it. But there are also a number of business credit cards with no annual fee to choose from.
- Gather your application materials. To get a business credit card, you’ll need to provide basic information about yourself, such as your name and Social Security number, and your new business. A formal business structure isn’t required for most cards. But in some instances — for example, if you want a corporate card for startups — you’ll need to provide company details like an employer identification number.
- Use your card responsibly. Once you get your new business credit card, you can start spending. Many issuers offer free cards for employees, if you have any, and you’ll get any rewards tied to their purchases. If this is your first business credit card, work to build business credit by establishing good habits, such as keeping your spending low (20% to 30% of your credit limit) and making on-time payments.
To view rates and fees of the
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.Last updated on May 23, 2023
Methodology
NerdWallet's Credit Cards team selects the best credit cards for small business based on overall consumer value, as evidenced by star ratings, as well as their suitability for specific kinds of small-business operators. Factors in our evaluation include annual and other fees, rewards rates, the earning structure (for example, flat-rate rewards versus bonus categories), redemption options, bonus offers for new cardholders, introductory and ongoing APRs, and other noteworthy features such as special financing arrangements, free cards for employees or tools for managing business expenses. Learn more about how we rate business credit cards.