Best Small Business Credit Cards of 2025

credit cards - business credit cards
Updated April 17, 2025
Fact checked

You don't need to own a big business to see big rewards from a business credit card. Whether you're looking for bonus cashback rates on office supplies, a way to build business credit, or a card with no annual fee and a long 0% introductory APR period, there's a business card that will meet your needs.

Generous sign-up bonuses also sweeten the deal for small business owners and will likely leave you wanting to apply for multiple cards to take advantage of all the introductory offers and other cardholder perks. Hopefully, one of the credit card offers below provides just the perks and rewards that you're looking for to get the maximum benefit from your company card.

How we evaluate products

The best small business credit cards

Up to 5% Cash Back

4.8
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Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

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
Card Details

Get 2% Back Automatically

5.0
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The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Current Offer

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

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

2% cash back on the first $50,000 in eligible purchases each year, then 1% after that

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

Flexible Payment Options with Unlimited Rewards

5.0
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Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

Current Offer

Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee

$195

Rewards Rate

5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; unlimited 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more; unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

Unlimited Cash Back

4.8
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Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Current Offer

Earn $750 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
Card Details

Simplified Earnings for Small Business Owners

4.9
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The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Current Offer

Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

Premium Business Rewards

4.9
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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Current Offer

Limited Time Travel Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. Offer ends 6/30/25.

Annual Fee

$695

Rewards Rate

5X points for flights, prepaid hotels, and short-term rentals and prepaid flight + hotel packages booked at 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 (purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus)

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

Unlimited 2% Cash Back

4.4
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Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Current Offer

Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$150

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's travel booking site

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

Amazing Travel Benefits for Business Owners

4.7
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Capital One Venture X Business

Current Offer

For a limited time, earn up to 350,000 bonus miles: 150,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months, and an additional 200,000 miles once you spend $200,000 in the first 6 months

Annual Fee

$395

Rewards Rate

10X miles on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One's travel booking site, 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One's travel booking site, and 2X miles on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

4.9
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Capital One Spark Cash

Current Offer

Earn a one-time $750 cash bonus once you spend $7,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee

$95 (waived first year)

Rewards Rate

Earn unlimited 2% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions; plus unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details


Pick Your Top Business Cashback Category

Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
4.3
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Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card

Current Offer

Earn a $300 online statement credit after you make at least $3,000 in net purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

3% cash back in your category of choice: gas stations & EV charging stations (default), office supply stores, travel, TV/telecom & wireless, computer services or business consulting services and 2% cash back on dining (for the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year, then 1%); and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

Other recommended small business credit cards

How to pick the right card for your business

No two businesses are alike and different owners have different needs. The best business credit card for your small business is one that offers perks you can use and enables you to optimize earnings on your business expenses.

To help decide, consider:

  • How much you plan to spend on your card: Some cards have maximum spending limits within bonus rewards categories; others offer extra perks for big spenders. Consider your average budget and business finances, your ideal credit limit, and how much your business spends each month.
  • What type of spending you do the most: Look at your typical business spending in a given calendar year. Business credit cards often offer bonus rewards for different spending categories, and you'll want a card that gives you extra points for the things your company spends the most on. If you have a wide variety of expenses that don't always align with select categories, you might consider a flat-rate rewards card.
  • What kinds of rewards you're interested in: Some cards offer the chance to redeem for cash back or gift cards, while others allow you to trade points for travel purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, or rental cars. Some even allow you to use your rewards points with partner rewards programs as a redemption option. Consider how much redemption flexibility you need and which rewards excite you, whether that's Marriott Bonvoy points, Delta SkyMiles, Membership Rewards points, or another rewards currency, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards you can earn with Chase Ink Business cards.
  • Your card benefit preferences: Many business cards provide additional benefits to cardholders. If you have specific preferences, such as receiving flight upgrades, free night awards, travel credit, elite status, Clear Plus fee credit, extended warranty protection, rideshare credit, or a Quickbooks discount, make sure you read over the benefits on each card you compare. Note that many business cards also provide ways to interface with expense management tools.
  • How many employee cards you need: If you have lots of staff who need to charge purchases to your account, free employee cards could be an important perk and management tool. Employee card cancellation is typically easy to handle through your online card account.
  • Can you afford — and justify — an annual fee: There are free business cards and cards that charge you to become a cardholder, though some waive the annual fee for the first year. Paying an annual fee is worth it only if you'll earn enough rewards to justify the fee or if the cardholder perks make the fee worth paying. Many of the best credit cards have an annual fee (sometimes a high annual fee), but you have to consider whether the card's benefits will help you more than offset the cost. A low or no annual fee might make the most sense if you don't want to stress about the cost.
  • Business credit reporting vs. personal credit reporting: Certain card issuers report business card activity to your personal credit report, while others only report business credit card activity to your personal credit report if your account is delinquent. The rules typically vary by issuer, so do your due diligence before you apply for a card if this is an important consideration for you. Many business credit cards also require a personal credit inquiry to qualify. In some cases, you might need a good or excellent credit score to be eligible.
  • Credit card issuer: Card perks and benefits, as well as general card acceptance, can vary by credit card issuer. The American Express business card lineup offers loads of useful perks, which could include earning rewards on U.S. purchases and redeeming rewards with amextravel.com. But American Express cards use the Amex payment network, which generally isn't as widely accepted as Visa and Mastercard. Remember that different terms apply depending on the card issuer as well, so it's always a good idea to read over your guide to benefits as a new cardholder.

The difference between a business credit card and a personal credit card

Business credit cards are meant for small business owners to use for everyday business purchases. Personal credit cards are meant for individuals to use on everyday expenses, such as groceries or gas.

That doesn't mean you need a separate business credit card for business expenses. You can still use personal cards for business expenses. But as a small business owner, the benefits of having a business credit card over a personal credit card could include:

  • A higher credit limit and expanded buying power
  • Bonus categories that align with common business expenses
  • Business-related perks and benefits
  • Separate credit reporting
  • Employee credit cards
  • Convenient tracking of business expenses

One of the most important reasons to have a business credit card is to clearly separate your business and your personal expenses. When it comes time to file your taxes, or if you ever have to undergo an audit, it could prove helpful to have a two separate records of spending.

How to get approved for a small business credit card

Business credit cards aren't just for large corporations with loads of employees. You could qualify with many different types of business income, even as a freelancer or someone doing a part-time side hustle. Sole proprietors, LLCs, non-profit organizations, startups, and more can all qualify for business credit cards.

Here are some of the application requirements for getting approved for a small business credit card:

  • Social Security number (SSN) or individual tax ID number (ITIN)
  • Legal business structure (sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, etc.)
  • Business' legal name
  • Employer identification number (EIN) if you have one
  • Number of employees
  • Established business date
  • Annual business revenue

In some cases, you can use your SSN or ITIN in place of an EIN. And keep in mind that business credit cards also have credit score requirements. This means that even though some business cards don't report to your personal credit, you often need a good or excellent personal credit score to qualify.

Pros and cons of business credit cards

Pros
  • Separating personal and business expenses to track your business expenses better
  • Potentially having a higher credit limit and building your business credit history
  • Improve cash flow for your business
  • Issuing employee credit cards to help with your business needs
  • Earning rewards on business purchases and/or bonus offers and taking advantage of rewards and protections
Cons
  • Paying an annual fee unless you have a no-annual-fee card
  • Losing out on some of the protections offered to consumer cardholders under the Credit CARD Act of 2009
  • Not having the best intro APR offers on purchases or balance transfers (the offers typically last fewer billing cycles compared to consumer cards)
  • Potentially having to pay high interest rates (variable APR) with a credit card or certain fees with a charge card
  • Having hard credit checks on your consumer credit history could affect your personal finance goals

FAQs

What is the best business credit card for building credit?

Does applying for a business credit card affect personal credit?

Applying for a business card can affect your personal credit if you apply with your Social Security number, as this will result in an inquiry on your personal credit report. A hard inquiry could impact your personal credit score.

Some business card issuers will report all information, including payment history, from your business card to your personal credit history; others report only negative information.

Can I get a business credit card for personal use?

The definition of what constitutes a "business" for obtaining a business card is pretty relaxed. Although you shouldn't lie on your application, you can often qualify with something as simple as selling a few items on eBay or listing crafts in an Etsy store.

Once you obtain a business card, the credit card issuer usually won't prevent you from using it for personal use. But if you obtained the card in the name of your business and want to maintain your company's separate legal identity, or you have business partners or shareholders, you typically shouldn't use the company card for personal purchases. Stick with a personal credit card instead.

Advice from our experts

Making sure your small business' finances are in order is no small feat. That's why we asked a panel of experts to weigh in on the business card application process and potential tax benefits. 

Do you need an LLC or incorporated business before going through the credit card application process?

Are there any tax-related benefits to putting your expenses on a business credit card?

When should you open a business credit card rather than applying for a small business loan?

Up to 5% Cash Back

4.8
info

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

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
Card Details