Best Credit Cards for Contractors [2023]: Your Blueprint to Better Rewards

In the world of contracting, where every expense counts, using credit cards to earn rewards can boost your return. Business owners, especially contractors, can harness the power of rewards credit cards to not only manage their cash flow effectively but also benefit from their rewards rates and potential welcome bonuses.

Let’s explore the top small business credit card options and explore the benefits they can add to your business.

Key takeaways

• Using a business credit card for your expenses can help you keep personal and business finances separate.
• Among our business credit card recommendations are the Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card, the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card, the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit, and The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express.
• These credit cards offer rewards on various types of purchases, providing construction businesses with an opportunity to earn money on their spending.
• Some of our recommended credit cards offer purchase protection or extended warranty protection, which can help you have more peace of mind when making your purchases.
• Some of these cards offer an intro APR period on purchases, which can be beneficial for contractors who need to pay off their purchases over time.

The best credit cards for contractors

• Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card
• Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card
• Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card
• Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit
• The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Compare the best credit cards for contractors

As a contractor with a limited liability company (LLC), it’s important you stick with business credit cards for your business expenses. You carry a lot of liability in your profession, and using a personal credit card for your business expenses opens you up to being held personally liable should something go wrong on the job. Using a business card for all your business expenses keeps you and your business completely separate from one another.

With that in mind, I’ll walk you through a handful of the best business credit cards I recommend for contractors.

Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card is a straightforward credit card that takes the guesswork out of earning rewards. There’s no need to worry about spending categories with this card. You simply earn a flat amount every time you swipe your card. There are no spending caps either, which means you’ll earn unlimited rewards on all your business expenses. This card has a $0 annual fee.

Welcome offer: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Why we like it: You can earn Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase using the Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card. You’ll also have a 0% intro APR on your purchases for the first 12 months (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable). This is huge if you have to carry a balance until you get paid for a project, as you can save money on interest charges. And because Chase doesn’t report business activity to your personal credit, carrying a balance on this card won’t negatively impact your personal credit score by increasing your credit utilization.

What we don’t like: The Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card offers a fixed rewards earning rate, so it doesn’t have elevated rates for certain categories like some other cards do. While this might not be a deal breaker, it means that you might be able to earn more rewards on certain purchases using a different card.

Learn more in our Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card review.

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card rewards you for spending within certain categories. This card comes with a $0 annual fee.

Welcome offer: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Why we like it: With this card, 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. The Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card also comes with 12 months of 0% intro APR on purchases (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable), so you can have the freedom of carrying a balance until you get paid while saving money on costly interest charges.

What we don’t like: While the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card offers bonus categories, these categories are capped. This means you’d earn the base rewards rate on spending that exceeds the maximum amount for these categories.

Learn more in our Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card review.

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card comes with a lucrative welcome offer and elevated rewards rates on certain spending categories.This card comes with a $95 annual fee, but it easily pays for itself when you consider its benefits.

Welcome offer: Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Why we like it: Using this credit card, you can earn 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.

What we don’t like: The Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card has an annual fee of $95. While this fee can be easily justified thanks to this card’s welcome offer and rewards rates, it’s still money out of your pocket. Additionally, this card doesn’t offer an intro APR period on purchases.

Learn more in our Ink Business Preferred Credit Card review.

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a flat-rate rewards credit card that helps you earn reward using a simple structure. This credit card comes with an annual fee of $0 (terms apply).

Welcome offer: 0% Intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, a variable APR of 18.49% to 26.49%.

Why we like it: The The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express allows you to earn 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that. Plus, thanks to its intro APR period on purchases, this card can help you save money on interest charges.

What we don’t like: Having a fixed rewards rate simplifies your earning potential. However, it also means that you might miss out on earning elevated rewards on specific categories. That’s why you may want to pair the The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express with another credit card that offers higher rewards for certain expenses.

Learn more in our Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card review.

Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit

The Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit is another solid option for contractors who simply want a flat-rate rewards credit card that allows them to earn cash back using a straightforward structure.

Welcome offer: Introductory APR on purchases.

Why we like it: With this card, you can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases on all cards attached to the account; plus 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. You can also benefit from its 0% intro APR on purchases for first 12 months, then 21.24% - 29.24% (variable) APR.

What we don’t like: Like other credit cards with fixed rewards rates, using the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit for your business expenses may not provide the highest possible earning potential. But its simple rewards rate means that you won’t have to carry several credit cards to find the best one to use in every situation.

Learn more in our Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit review.

How credit cards can be a powerful tool for contractors

As a contractor, it’s important to stay on top of your finances. If a job requires you to pay for materials out of your own pocket, you may not get reimbursed for those costs until after you complete the job. Depending on the length of the job, you could be waiting months to get paid and/or reimbursed.

However, there’s a way you can avoid using your cash reserves to pay for the costs of doing business while also earning rewards: credit cards.

When you use the best business credit card to fund your business purchases, it lets you do two things: alleviate the burden of using your own money to front the costs of materials and earn cash back on that spending. For these reasons, credit cards are valuable lines of credit that every contractor needs to add to their wallet.

Let me paint a picture of what I’m talking about in real-world terms so you can see the enormous money-saving potential of adding a credit card to your toolkit.

Paying for materials in cash versus credit cards

Say you’ve landed a new roofing job. The job is to replace the entire roof on a 3,000-square-foot home. The homeowner told you what sort of material they want to use, but it’s up to you to supply everything. So you head to Home Depot to get what you need.

You get the materials, and the total comes to roughly $15,000. Let’s look at how funding this project with cash versus a credit card would play out.

By using the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card instead of cash, you can earn $900 cash back. And that’s just the welcome offer — that’s not including the points you earned on your purchase itself. 

With the Ink Business Cash, you 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. This card even has a $0 annual fee.

This is just one example of how the right business credit card can improve your bottom line. In fact, there are many business credit cards that can transform your expenses. All have something unique about them, but all allow you to cut costs and increase your earnings.

How to choose the best credit card as a contractor?

As a contracting business owner, you probably have specific spending habits and needs, so you should consider the following factors when selecting a credit card:

• Assess Your Spending Habits: You likely have varying expenses, so consider a credit card that rewards you for the categories in which you spend the most. If there’s no category that clearly comes on top, you may prefer a credit card that offers a fixed rate on all purchases.
• Consider the card’s annual fee: Some cards come with annual fees, while others have $0 annual fees. Weigh the benefits of the card against its annual fee to determine if it's a cost-effective choice for your financial situation. Keep in mind that some premium cards may offer significant perks that can outweigh the annual fee.
• Look for an intro APR period: Contractors often encounter fluctuating income streams, so managing cash flow is critical. Look for credit cards that offer an introductory APR period for purchases. This can provide you with a valuable buffer to make necessary business purchases without facing high interest rates. However, ensure you have a clear repayment plan in place to avoid debt when the introductory period ends.
• Find out the card’s additional benefits: Beyond cashback rewards, cardholders should explore the additional available benefits. These may include a sign-up bonus, purchase protection, extended warranty, and more. Consider which benefits are most relevant to your contracting work and choose a card that complements your professional needs.

Best credit cards for contractors FAQ

Best credit cards for contractors: bottom line

As a contractor, your business expenses give you a lot of potential to earn big rewards. Using the right business credit card for your expenses can put cash back into your pocket as long as you practice good financial habits. Pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges, or you can avoid these charges by using a 0% intro APR credit card.

Credit cards are valuable tools that can transform your contracting business. Decide which credit card best fits your needs as a contractor, and watch the rewards roll in.

Methodology

To identify the best credit cards for contractors, we began by compiling a list of credit cards relevant to their unique financial needs. We considered factors such as rewards and benefits relevant to contractors' expenses, including business-related purchases, equipment, and project-related costs. In addition, we assessed annual fees, welcome offers, and other perks that could benefit contractors.

We then collected information on each card and selected the options that offered the highest benefits for contractors. Note that we haven't included every available credit card option in our recommendations, as our aim is to provide a curated list to assist contractors in making informed decisions. Additionally, our list is not presented in any particular order, as the best credit card for one contractor may not necessarily be the ideal choice for another.

Unlimited Cash Back

Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card

Apply Now

Current Offer

Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase
• Intro APR on purchases
• No annual fee

Drawbacks

• Has foreign transaction fee
• No lucrative rewards categories

Card Details

• Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
• No Annual Fee
• Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
• Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
• 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.
• 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
• Member FDIC

Author Details

Brandon Neth Brandon Neth is a credit card and award travel expert. He runs social media and audience growth for FinanceBuzz, including the FBZ Elite Facebook travel group. He’s spent the last 11 years using credit card points and miles to travel the world, taking him to 600 cities in 76 countries and counting. He's well-versed in credit cards, early retirement, real estate investing, and frugal living. He's been featured in Business Insider, Yahoo, MSN, Credit.com, U.S. News, Reader's Digest, and The Wirecutter (A New York Times Company).

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