A rewards credit card can be a great way for you to earn cash back or points for purchases you’re already making in your business. Several business credit cards offer generous rewards rates on advertising, including Google Ads spend.
When you’re choosing a business credit card, it’s important to consider all factors, including rewards on your most common business purchases, welcome bonuses, 0% APR offers, and other perks.
Let’s explore the best credit cards for Google Ads spending to see how you can use a winning strategy to earn valuable rewards on your ad purchases.
When identifying the best credit cards for Google Ads spending, we started by looking at a wide variety of cards that reward businesses for their ad spending, whether with bonus categories or high flat-rate rewards. Some of the cards on our list, including the American Express Business Gold Card, offer elevated reward rates on advertising spending, including Google Ads. Meanwhile, others, such as the Capital One Spark Cash Plus, offer a generous flat rate across the board.
In addition to looking at each card’s rewards for advertising spending, we also included cards that had something else to offer business owners, whether it be travel rewards, no annual fee, business credits, and other perks. Our goal was to include a wide enough variety of cards that most business owners could find one to meet their needs.
How we evaluate products
6 best credit cards for Google Ads spend
- American Express® Business Gold Card
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- Capital One Spark Cash Plus
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Compare the best credit cards for Google Ads spend
Credit card | Excellent for | Earning rate |
American Express® Business Gold Card | High advertising rewards | 4X Membership Rewards Points on purchases in the two eligible categories with the most spend each month from 6 eligible categories (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, after that 1X), 3X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked at amextravel.com, and 1 point per $1 spent on other eligible purchases |
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | Travel rewards | 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 |
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card | No annual fee | 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that |
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card | Flat cash back rewards | Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase |
Capital One Spark Cash Plus | High-spend businesses | Unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card | Airline miles | 2X miles per $1 spent on eligible Delta and restaurant purchases, and on eligible U.S. shipping purchases and eligible U.S. advertising in select media up to $50,000 per category, per year. Plus, 1X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases |
American Express® Business Gold Card
Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months
Rewards rate: 4X Membership Rewards Points on purchases in the two eligible categories with the most spend each month from 6 eligible categories (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, after that 1X), 3X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked at amextravel.com, and 1 point per $1 spent on other eligible purchases
Annual fee: $375
The American Express® Business Gold Card provides excellent earning potential on advertising purchases and other common business expenses.
You can earn 4X Membership Rewards Points on purchases in the two eligible categories with the most spend each month from 6 eligible categories (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, after that 1X), 3X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked at amextravel.com, and 1 point per $1 spent on other eligible purchases. Eligible 4X categories include:
- Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
On top of that, the card has plenty of other perks, including a whole slew of annual business credits, a monthly Walmart+ membership credit, and a whole host of travel-related perks.
- High rewards rate for advertising
- Generous welcome offer
- No foreign transaction fee
- Many annual business credits
- $150,000 cap on bonus categories
- $375 annual fee
- High spend required for welcome offer
Apply now or read our full American Express Business Gold Card review.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Welcome offer: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards rate: 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
Annual fee: $95
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is one of our favorite cards for small business owners with online advertising expenses because of its high earning potential and flexible redemption options. Points earned can be redeemed through Chase Travel℠ at 25% more value, meaning every 100,000 points earned is worth $1250 toward travel. Points can also be transferred to airline and hotel partners where they're potentially worth even more.
This card comes with other travel perks as well, including no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance, rental insurance coverage, and more.
- High rewards rate for advertising
- 25% higher point redemption rate through Chase Travel
- Generous welcome offer
- No foreign transaction fees
- $150,000 cap on bonus categories
- $95 annual fee
Apply now or read our full Ink Business Preferred Credit Card review.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Rewards rate: 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that
Annual fee: $0
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card provides great earning potential up to its $50,000 spending cap.
This type of rewards rate makes sense if you typically spend $50,000 or less on advertising in a year. It could also make sense if you plan to spend $50,000 on advertising and then switch to another card.
This card also offers a bit more flexibility than other business credit cards. American Express offers Expanded Buying Power, meaning you can spend above your credit limit up to a point. And because of this card’s 0% APR intro offer on purchases, it’s a great option if you have a big purchase coming up in your business. You can take advantage of the 0% intro APR for 12 months from date of account opening on purchases, then 17.49% - 25.49% Variable.
- $0 annual fee
- High flat rewards rate
- Long intro APR
- Expanded Buying Power
- $50,000 cap on bonus categories
- 2.70% foreign transaction fee
Apply now or read our full American Express Blue Business Cash Card review.
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Welcome offer: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards rate: Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase
Annual fee: $0
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is an excellent all-around cash back card.
It doesn’t have as high of a rewards rate compared to some cards, but it has a $0 annual fee, and there’s no limit to how much you can earn. If you’ve already hit the spending cap on other cards, this is a great card to switch to.
Thanks to its long 0% intro APR, this card could also be a good option for a large business expense. You can enjoy a 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 17.74% - 23.74% Variable).
- Simple rewards structure
- Unlimited earning potential
- $0 annual fee
- Long intro APR
- Lower rewards rate than other cards
- 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars foreign transaction fees
Apply now or read our full Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card review.
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Welcome offer: Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards rate: Unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Annual fee: $150
Like some of the other cards on our list, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus offers a flat rewards rate rather than elevated rates for a few bonus categories. In this case, you could earn 2% on every purchase, every day (unlike the Blue Business Card from American Express).
It’s a particularly good option for high-spend businesses because you could spend an unlimited amount on ads and get the same generous rewards rate.
Additionally, though the card does have a $150 annual fee, you can have it waived every year you spend at least $150,000.
- High flat rewards rate
- Unlimited earning potential
- Generous welcome offer
- Must be paid in full each month
- High spend required for welcome offer
Read our full Capital One Spark Cash Plus review.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 6 months
Rewards rate: 2X miles per $1 spent on eligible Delta and restaurant purchases, and on eligible U.S. shipping purchases and eligible U.S. advertising in select media up to $50,000 per category, per year. Plus, 1X miles per $1 on all other eligible purchases
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is a great option if you want to earn airline miles for your business spending. It offers 2X miles on some common business expenses, including advertising.
As an airline card, it also comes with plenty of travel-related perks, including:
- $200 Delta flight credit
- 15% off Award Travel
- First checked bag free
- Zone 5 priority boarding
- Up to $150 Delta Stays credit
- 20% in-flight savings
- No foreign transaction fees
- Baggage insurance1 <p>Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip.</p><p></p><ul><li>Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. </li><li>Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. </li><li>Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.</li></ul><p></p>
- Car rental loss and damage insurance2 <p>Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply.</p><p></p><ul><li>Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. </li><li>Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. </li><li>Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.</li></ul><p></p>
Other options for airline business cards include the United℠ Business Card and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card.
- Generous welcome offer
- Many travel perks
- No foreign transaction fee
- $50,000 cap on bonus categories
- Annual fee
Apply now or read our full Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card review.
Limits on credit cards for Google Ads purchases
Earlier this year, Google sent communications to some advertisers letting them know that, starting July 31, they wouldn’t be able to use credit cards or debit cards for Google Ads purchases. It will now only accept bank-based payments from those customers.
Unfortunately, this change could do away with some business’s ability to earn credit card rewards on their advertising expenses. Reports indicate that Google is currently only requiring high-spend advertisers to use bank-based payments. However, there’s no telling whether they’ll roll this change out for all advertisers in the future.
How to maximize credit card rewards for Google Ads spending
There are plenty of strategies that can help you maximize your credit card rewards for your Google Ads spending. Some businesses might prefer a card that offers higher rewards in certain bonus categories, including advertising. On the other hand, others might prefer a solid rewards card with a flat rewards rate on all their spending.
Make sure to also keep in mind other perks the card offers. Chances are that Google Ads is just one of your business expenses. It’s likely worth exploring a card that can reward you for spending in other categories.
Finally, don’t forget you can mix and match cards to get multiple different benefits — this is especially easy if you’re pairing at least one card that doesn’t charge an annual fee. For example, you could pair a high-reward but high-annual-fee card like the American Express Business Gold with a no-annual-fee card like the Blue Business Card or Ink Business Unlimited.
Just make sure you’re not applying for too many cards at once. For example, read up on the Chase 5/24 rule before you dive in. If you get too many cards in the space of two years, you might not qualify for another Chase card — and what if a Chase card would be the best credit card for Google Ads in your situation? A simple rule of thumb is to consider opening Chase cards first, and then move on to other cards.
In the end, making the most out of your credit cards and getting the best value for your business expenses requires strategy. With a good plan, you’re likely to get more for your business buck.
FAQs
Can you put personal expenses on a business card?
From a legal standpoint, you can put personal expenses on a business card, though it might go against the terms of the credit card issuer agreement. You can also put business purchases on consumer credit cards, which could come in handy if you’re trying to maximize your earning potential with different cards. However, both of these can also create some complexities in keeping your business and personal finances straight.
What credit cards does Google accept?
Google Ads accepts credit cards that use the following networks:
- American Express
- Discover
- JBC
- MasterCard
- Visa
It also accepts PayPal and debit cards. Google doesn’t accept bank transfers, virtual credit cards, or wire transfers. Keep in mind that for some large advertisers, Google Ads no longer accepts credit card payments.
How do I stop Google Ads from charging my credit card?
You need to stop your ads or cancel your account and make sure all unpaid advertising costs are taken care of. Once you do that, Google Ads shouldn’t continue charging you. Note that Google Ads requires a primary method of payment at all times, so you can’t remove your payment method to stop charges.
What is a good budget for Google Ads?
It depends on the size of your business and campaign, but a small business might start with $1,500 to $2,500 per month and scale up from there. If you’re a large business, you could easily spend $20,000 or more per month on Google Ads.