Best Business Credit Card For Nonprofits [2024]: Earn Valuable Rewards

We recommend the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card as one of the best business credit cards for nonprofit organizations because it has a $0 annual fee and provides a high rewards rate for common business purchases.

If you prefer to earn travel rewards and want to avoid foreign transaction fees, we recommend the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card.

Let’s explore the best business credit cards for nonprofit organizations to find the right option for you.

Key takeaways

5 of the best business credit cards for nonprofits

1. Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card
2. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
3. Bank of America^® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard^® credit card
4. Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card
5. Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Compare the best business credit cards for nonprofits

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash provides excellent earning opportunities in common business categories.

Why we like Ink Business Cash

It has a $0 annual fee and offers terrific earning potential on everyday business purchases. You can 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; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

You can also take advantage of an intro APR offer to help manage your new purchases. You can receive a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable).

Other helpful benefits for nonprofit organizations include free employee cards, purchase protection, and extended warranty coverage.

What we don’t like about Ink Business Cash

It’s not the best card for making foreign purchases because you have to pay foreign transaction fees. These fees are 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.

Learn more in our Chase Ink Business Cash review.

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The Amex Blue Business Cash makes it easy to earn rewards on all your eligible purchases.

Why we like Amex Blue Business Cash

It has a $0 annual fee and helps you earn 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that.

There’s also an intro APR offer that you can use on purchases. You can benefit from a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 18.49% - 26.49% Variable).

You can even add up to 99 employee cards to your account. Customizable employee card features include setting spending limits and spending category alerts.

What we don’t like about Amex Blue Business Cash

You have to pay 2.7% foreign transaction fees on applicable purchases abroad. If your nonprofit business frequently makes foreign purchases, look for a business card with no foreign transaction fees.

Learn more in our Amex Blue Business Cash Card review.

Bank of America^® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard^® credit card

The Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards has a simple rewards rate with increased earning potential if you’re a Preferred Rewards for Business member.

Why we like Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards

It has a $0 annual fee and helps you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. That makes it easy to earn valuable rewards regardless of the spending category.

Even better, you can boost your earning by up to 75% through the Bank of America Preferred Rewards for Business program. That means you could earn up to 2.62% cash back on all your eligible purchases.

For its introductory APR offer, you can receive 0% intro APR for 9 billing cycles on purchases (then 18.49% - 28.49% Variable).

What we don’t like about Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards

This isn’t the card to take on your international travels, as you have to pay 3% foreign transaction fees.

Learn more in our Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards review.

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred provides great ways to earn travel rewards in common business categories.

Why we like Ink Business Preferred

It doesn’t have foreign transaction fees and provides 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases.

Any points you earn are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. That means you can get more value from your points if you use Chase Ultimate Rewards to redeem for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and experiences.

For more redemption flexibility, you can also transfer your points to Chase travel partners. Some of the partners include Air Canada, British Airways, Southwest Airlines, United, and World of Hyatt.

What we don’t like about Ink Business Preferred

You have to pay a $95 annual fee as a cardholder. There also aren’t any intro APR offers on purchases or balance transfers.

Learn more in our Chase Ink Business Preferred review.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus makes it easy to have a stress-free and rewarding experience with its simple cashback rate.

Why we like Capital One Spark Cash Plus

It doesn’t have foreign transaction fees, and you can earn 2% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Even better, you can earn a statement credit of $150 each anniversary year (not calendar year) when you spend at least $150,000 in net purchases. That can immediately offset your annual fee if your nonprofit spends enough.

What we don’t like about Capital One Spark Cash Plus

There’s a $150 annual cardmember fee and no intro APR offers.

Learn more in our Capital One Spark Cash Plus review.

How to choose the best credit card for a nonprofit organization

Consider these factors as you compare credit cards to find the right card for your nonprofit organization.

1. Card qualifications

Many different types of businesses can qualify for a business credit card. That includes sole proprietorships, corporations, startups, nonprofit organizations, and more.

Sometimes you can get a business credit card with an EIN rather than using your Social Security number (SSN). But in many cases, you have to provide an SSN on a business credit card application, especially if you haven’t yet built your business credit history.

Many small business credit cards also require a personal guarantee. Having a good personal credit score can improve your creditworthiness in the eyes of lenders.

2. Expense management

Nonprofit organizations tend to have multiple employees, so it’s important to have tools in place to help manage your spending. Many business credit cards provide free employee cards as well as options to set spending limits and alerts.

3. Rewards

The focus of your business might not be making a profit, but it doesn’t hurt to earn rewards on your business expenses.

In general, business rewards cards earn cash back or travel rewards. The main difference between them is how you can redeem your rewards.

It could make sense to go for cashback rewards if you want a way to lower your overall expenses with statement credits and bank deposits. But if you frequently pay for a lot of travel-related business expenses, earning travel rewards that you can use for flights and hotel stays might be better.

4. Perks and benefits

Credit cards can have loads of different benefits. Depending on your business goals, you might prefer some benefits over others.

Here are different types of benefits you might want to consider as you compare cards.

Remember to carefully look over and compare card benefits to see which ones make the most sense for your business.

5. Fees

Cards can have annual fees and foreign transaction fees as well as additional but less common fees.

If your nonprofit organization makes frequent foreign purchases, it’s important to apply for a card with no foreign transaction fees. This can help you avoid unnecessary charges if you’re traveling abroad or buying from foreign merchants.

To determine whether it’s worth paying an annual fee, you have to calculate how much value you could receive from a card’s benefits. If that value more than offsets the annual fee, the card is likely worth it for your organization. Otherwise, a different card, perhaps one without an annual fee, might make more sense.

FAQ

Best business credit cards for nonprofits: bottom line

We recommend the Ink Business Cash and Amex Blue Business Cash as two of the best business credit cards for nonprofit organizations. They both provide valuable rewards and intro APR offers that can help you make purchases while keeping your additional expenses low.

If you prefer earning travel rewards and want to avoid foreign transaction fees, we recommend the Ink Business Preferred.

To see our top business credit card offers, check out our list of the best business credit cards.

Methodology

To determine the best business credit cards for nonprofit organizations, we first compiled a list of business credit cards that this type of business may qualify for. We then gathered information about these cards, including but not limited to earning rates, welcome offers, annual fees, and other relevant features and benefits.

The next step was determining which cards offer the most value to nonprofit organizations. It’s important to note that our recommendations do not include all available business credit cards suitable for nonprofits. Additionally, we didn’t rank the cards in any specific order. Instead, our recommendations are designed to provide information on a curated selection of business credit cards that may be suitable for nonprofit organizations.

Up to 5% Cash Back

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

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Current Offer

Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

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; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
• $0 annual fee
• 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable)
• Up to 5% cash back

Drawbacks

• Capped spending on bonus cash back categories
• Has foreign transaction fee

Card Details

• Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after 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
• 10% Business Relationship Bonus If you have the Ink Business Cash card plus a Chase Business Checking account on your first card anniversary
• 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