Best Startup Business Credit Cards [2023]

Business credit cards can help you save money, earn rewards, and make life as a business owner easier, but here's the thing — they're not one-size-fits-all. And if you're a brand-new entrepreneur looking for the best startup business credit cards, you may find all the options overwhelming. From corporate cards to charge cards, there are a lot of financial products out there.

We're going to help you simplify the process of running your business. Finding the right card just depends on your needs and spending habits, but if you’re making business-related purchases, you should be reaping the benefits. Beyond the huge rewards potential, separating business and personal expenses is a smart long-term move.

Best startup business credit cards of 2023

• Best overall: Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card
• Best for choosing your own rewards category: American Express^® Business Gold Card
• Best for airfare and airport lounge access: The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express
• Best for cashback rewards: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
• Best for no annual fee: Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card
• Best for a brand-new business: Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card
• Best for simple travel rewards: The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express
• Best for simple cash back: American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
• Best for fair credit: Capital One Spark Classic for Business

Best startup business credit cards [2023]

Best overall: Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card offers generous rewards and ample flexibility, making it a favorable choice to use on any core business expense. You can also add employee cards at no additional cost, get primary rental car insurance, and pay no foreign transaction fees. It's a good card if you find yourself incurring rideshare costs in particular.

Bonus offer: Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual fee: $95

What's great about it:

• 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
  
• Cell phone insurance benefit — Get up to $600 in protection against theft/damage for up to 3 claims per year with a $100 deductible, when you use your card to pay your cell phone bill
  
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal

For more information, read our full Ink Business Preferred Credit Card review.

Best for choosing your own rewards category: American Express^® Business Gold Card

Often seen as a go-to card, the American Express Business Gold Card gives you the power to choose your own rewards categories. You can earn bonus points in two chosen categories where you spend the most for your business each month, up to the first $150,000 in combined purchases per calendar year. You can also access Amex’s Expense Management Tools to help track and organize expenses efficiently.

Annual fee: $295 (Terms apply)

What's great about it:

• 4X Membership Rewards points for the first $150,000 spent in two select categories each year (after that 1X), and 1 point per $1 spent on other eligible purchases
  
• Redeem and/or transfer points through the Membership Rewards program to book high-end travel, purchase gift cards to reward employees, and book dinners for entertaining clients.
  

For more information, read our full Amex Business Gold review.

Best for airfare and airport lounge access: The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

The extensive air travel benefits and perks offered by The Business Platinum Card from American Express helps this premium metal card stand above the rest when it comes to travel. Unlike regular credit cards, the Amex Business Platinum allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not for all of them. You'll want to familiarize yourself with the eligible charges under the Pay Over Time option if you plan to carry a balance on this card. On the plus side, along with a $200 annual airline fee credit, you also get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and access to top-rated lounges across the globe.

Welcome bonus: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months

Annual fee: $695 (Terms apply)

What's great about it:

• 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on Amextravel.com; 1.5X points on eligible purchases at U.S. suppliers of construction materials and hardware, U.S. retailers of electronic goods, U.S. providers of shipping, software and cloud systems, and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million per year, then 1X); and 1X points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
• Enjoy access to Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass Lounges, as well as Delta Sky Clubs when you’re flying Delta. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

For more information, read our full Amex Business Platinum Card review.  

Best for cashback rewards: Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Straightforward and easy to remember, the high, flat rewards rate offered by the Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a good fit for the business owner who wants to carry a single card that earns cash back on everyday business spending, but that doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles.

Early spend bonus: Earn up to $1,000 cash bonus — $500 after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus $500 after spending $50,000 in the first 6 months

Annual fee: $150

What's great about it:

• 2% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  
• The break-even point on the annual fee for this card is about $4,750. If you plan to spend less, you may want to consider the no-annual-fee version (or another card altogether) instead.

Best for no annual fee: Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

Offering several cashback opportunities, no annual fee, and 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months (then 17.99% - 23.99% Variable), the Ink Business Cash is a dream come true for many business owners. Along with zero liability protection, fraud and purchase protection, and extended warranty protection, you can also add employee cards at no additional cost. Just remember that once the introductory interest rate ends, your remaining balance will become subject to the regular variable rate.

Bonus offer: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual fee: $0

What's great about it:

• 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
  
• 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months after account opening (then 17.99% - 23.99% Variable)
  
• Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel, and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
  
• Cashback rewards never expire as long as your account is open

For more information, read our full Ink Business Cash review.

Best for a brand-new business: Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card

When you’re starting a new business, capital can be hard to come by. The Ink Business Unlimited offers a generous cashback bonus, unlimited rewards, and a $0 annual fee. This card also offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months. Again, just make sure to plan to pay the regular APR (17.99% - 23.99% Variable) on any remaining balance once this intro APR ends.

Bonus offer: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual fee: $0

What's great about it:

• Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase
• 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months after account opening (then 17.99% - 23.99% Variable)
  
• Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel, and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
  
• Cashback rewards never expire as long as your account is open

For more information, read our full Ink Business Unlimited review.

Best for simple travel rewards: The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express is a great option for businesses expecting a lot of big purchases. With this card, you will have a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases, then 18.24% to 26.24% (variable).

Annual fee: $0 (Terms apply)

What's great about it:

• 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that. 
• 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months (then 18.24% to 26.24% (variable)) of card membership
  
• Points are American Express Membership Rewards, which can be transferred to a variety of Amex travel partners
• Rental car insurance and access to the Global Assist Hotline in case things go awry while you are on the road

For more information, read our full Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card review.

Best for simple cash back: American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

If earning cash to put back into your business is as much of a priority as saving interest on purchases, the American Express Blue Business Cash Card may be a better fit for your needs. This card will give you a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases, then 18.24% to 26.24% (variable). 

Bonus offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months

Annual fee: $0 (Terms apply)

What's great about it:

• 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that
  
• 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months (then 18.24% to 26.24% (variable)) of card membership
• Rental car insurance and access to the Global Assist Hotline

For more information, read our full Amex Blue Business Cash Card review.

Best for fair credit: Capital One Spark Classic for Business

The Capital One Spark Classic for Business is a useful option for small business owners with average or fair credit. It’s not going to bowl you over with high-level perks, but it does enough to stand out among other business credit cards for people with little to no credit.

Annual fee: $0

What's great about it:

• 1% unlimited cash back on every purchase for your business, plus 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Responsible use could help you improve your creditworthiness

Benefits of business credit cards

Business credit cards provide business owners and entrepreneurs with easy and convenient access to a revolving line of credit to make purchases and withdraw cash to support their business endeavors. Much like a personal credit card, business credit cards have a set credit limit and carry interest charges if the balance isn’t paid in full each billing cycle. 37% of small business owners report using business credit cards to finance short-term needs and help increase their company’s purchasing power.

Business credit cards offer a slew of key benefits worth noting, including:

Instant capital

Having access to instant capital can help fund initial startup costs for equipment and advertising, while also assisting in managing cash flow and operating capital. If your business requires machinery, furniture, or electrical equipment, a business credit card can be used to purchase the equipment upfront — so there’s no delay in earning income — and can be paid off over time.

Business and personal assets remain separate

Keeping business and personal assets separate from each other is smart for any business owner. Not only does it help ensure that you, your family, and business partners remain protected from business liabilities, it also lessens the risk of endangering your limited liability protection. Without the limited liability protection gained from operating your business as a corporation or LLC, your personal assets may be at risk.

Bookkeeping/account features

Many business credit cards include useful expense management tools and features as added perks to cardholders. Some of these benefits may include minute-by-minute usage reports on cards across the account, capabilities to easily set spending limits or make adjustments on employee cards, cancel or pause cards, review transactions, filter expenses into categories, and access bookkeeping on a mobile device.

Tax benefits

The main tax benefits of using business credit cards are: simplifying taxes and easily being able to maximize tax deductions. By taking advantage of a business credit cards in-depth free reporting tools and accounting features, business owners can more easily determine which tax benefits they qualify for and can maximize.

Rewards

Many business credit cards are also generous rewards cards that can earn you cash back, points, or miles on select business expenses. When using your card to cover expenses for advertising, office supplies, internet, etc, why not earn rewards towards booking a free vacation or some grand getaway? Alternatively you could redeem your rewards in the form of statement credits to help cover your everyday business expenses.

How to choose the best business credit card for you 

Finding the best business credit cards that fit your needs comes down to assessing a few key factors of the card and determining your specific business needs, as well as your personal finances. For instance, consider the rewards, interest rates (both the intro rate and the subsequent ongoing variable APR), credit limit, and fees associated with the card.

Then, consider where most of your business expenses might come from. Do you travel a lot? What percentage of your monthly costs are used for advertising? Do you deal with irregular payments? Answering these questions can help narrow down your choices. Once you've considered how your business will spend and what your business will benefit from, you'll have an easier time picking the best new card for you.

FAQs about startup business credit cards

Methodology

Team FBZ selects the best credit cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Some of the factors we evaluate include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and signup bonuses. For rewards credit cards, we also consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options, and redemption difficulty. Cards are eligible to be chosen in multiple business categories.