If you’re starting a new business, you’ll need a business credit card that will help keep track of your finances and provide consistent cashflow for your operations.
Fortunately, there are credit cards that specifically cater to startups, SMEs, or businesses that don’t have a solid credit history.
In this article, we’ll provide you with several options and help you decide which ones are the perfect fit for your business.
Best for Everyday Spending: Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Best Welcome Bonus: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Best for Travel, Shipping, and Advertising: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
1. Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Best for Everyday Spending
- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards Points for $3,000 in Eligible Purchases in the First 3 Months
- 2 Points Per Dollar on the First $50,000 in Purchases Each Calendar Year (1x Points thereafter)
- 0.0% Intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months. After that, a variable APR of 17.99% – 25.99%.
- No Annual Fee (Rates and Fees)
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is one of my favorite cards because it has no annual fee and earns 2x Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 in purchases every year. After that, you will earn 1 point on all other eligible purchases.
You can transfer Membership Rewards to 18 airlines and three hotel points programs, with several great sweet spots to travel in business class to anywhere in the world.
I put all of my everyday business spending on my Blue Business Plus because it is a quick way to rack up points for my next trip.
2. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Best for Welcome Bonus
- Earn a $750 Cash Welcome Bonus After Spending $6,000 in the First 3 Months.
- 5% Cash Back at Office Supply Stores, Internet, Cable, and Phone Services up to $25,000 Each Account Year
- 2% Cash Back at Gas Stations and Restaurants Up to $25,000 Each Account Year
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
- No Annual Fee
The no-annual-fee Ink Business Cash® Credit Card currently offers a $750 cash-back bonus when you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Plus, the Ink Business Cash earns:
- 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.
- 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The card also offers nice benefits such as primary rental car insurance (when renting for business purposes), 120-day purchase protection, and extended warranty protection.
2. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Best for Travel, Shipping, and Advertising
- Earn 100,000 Ultimate Rewards Points After Spending $15,000 in Purchases in the First 3 Months
- 3X Points on Travel, Shipping, Advertising (Social Media and Search Engines), Internet, Cable, and Phone on the First $150,000 Each Account Year
- 25% Additional Points Value in Travel Redemption
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
- Cell Phone Protection
- Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $95 Annual Fee
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a versatile business rewards card earning 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year in business categories, including shipping, online advertising, internet, phone, and travel.
This business card offers a lucrative bonus of 100,000 points worth $1,000 cash back or $1,250 when redeemed toward travel via Chase.
For $95 per year, the Chase Ink Business Preferred offers comprehensive protection, including trip cancellation insurance, trip delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, purchase protection, cell phone insurance, and extended warranty.
4. American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Best for Cash Back Card
- Earn a $250 Statement Credit After $3,000 in Eligible Purchases in the First 3 Months
- 2% Cash Back On Up to $50,000 Per Year (1% Thereafter)
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 Months. After that, a variable rate of 17.99% – 25.99% applies.
- No Annual Fee (Rates and Fees)
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers simple, straightforward rewards for no annual cost.
This zero-annual-fee card earns a flat 2% cashback rate on all qualifying purchases up to $50,000 each year (1% thereafter).
The Blue Business Cash also offers expanded buying power, giving your business the flexibility to spend above your credit limit for your business expenses.
5. Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Best for Unlimited Cash Back
- Earn $1,000 Bonus Cash: $500 after Spending $5,000 in the First 3 Months, and $500 after Spending $50,000 in the First 6 Months
- 5% Back on Hotels and Rental Cars Booked Via Capital One Travel
- 2% Cash Back on All Purchases
- Extended Warranty & No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $150 Annual Fee
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is great for businesses that spend a lot each year.
The card earns 2% cash back on all purchases and comes with no preset spending limit so that it can adapt to your needs based on your spending behavior, payment history, and credit profile.
The card also earns unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
6. Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Best for Business Travel
- Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles After Spending $4,500 in the First 3 Months
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x Miles On Every Purchase
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for the First Year, $95 Thereafter
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is one of the top travel rewards credit cards for small business owners.
The card earns unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. It also earns unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, which can be transferred to Capital One’s airline and hotel partners.
The Spark Miles also offers a statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years (up to $100) and no foreign transaction fees.
7. CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
Best for American Airlines Frequent Flyers
- Earn 65,000 AAdvantage Miles After Spending $4,000 in the First 4 Months
- Free Checked Bags for You and 4 Companions
- 2X Miles on American Flights, Cable, Satellite, Gas, Telecommunications, and Car Rentals
- Preferred Boarding (Group 5)
- 25% Discount on American In-Flight Purchases of Wi-Fi, Food, and Beverages When Using the Card.
- $99 Annual Fee, Waived the First Year
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® is good for business owners that want perks on American Airlines.
The card offers benefits such as a free checked bag on domestic flights for up to four travel companions on the same reservation, preferred boarding in Group 5, and a 25% savings on American Airlines inflight Wi-Fi, food, and beverage purchases when you use your card.
8. Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi
Best for Gas Purchases & Shopping at Costco
- 4% Cash Back on Eligible Gas and EV Charging for the First $7,000 Per Year, 1% Thereafter
- 3% Cash Back on Restaurants and Travel
- 2% Cash Back at Costco and Costco.com
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- No Annual Fee
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi is a no-annual-fee card that earns 4% cash back on gas up to $7,000 per year (then 1%), 3% cash back at restaurants and eligible travel purchases, and 2% cash back at Costco.
The Costco card also offers purchase protection and no foreign transaction fees.
9. Sam’s Club® Business Mastercard®
Best for Gas Purchases & Shopping at Sam's Club
- Earn a $30 Statement Credit Upon Opening Account
- 5% Cash Back on Gas (on the First $6,000)
- 3% Cash Back on Sam’s Club Purchases for Plus Members (1% for Club Members)
- 3% Cash Back on Dining and Takeout
- 1% Cash Back on All Other Purchases
- No Annual Fee
The Sam’s Club® Business Mastercard® can be a good choice for Plus members ($110 per year) because it earns 3% cash back at Sam’s Club for Plus members (only 1% if you are only a Club member).
The card also earns 5% cash back on gas anywhere on the first $6,000 in gas purchases and 1% thereafter.
But it is not a good card for spending for other business purchases because it only earn 1% cash back.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business Plus® Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, please click here.
