How to Apply for Business Credit Cards
How Business Credit Cards Differ From Personal Credit Cards
Let’s just cover the basics. For one, business credit cards do not have to offer all the same consumer protections as consumer cards, though in practice they tend to offer most of them anyway.
The main questions people have are around how a business credit card affects your credit score. Most issuers will pull one credit report (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion). This is a normal hard pull. Exceptions are Capital One which will pull all three reports and American Express that will often not pull any at all if you already have a relationship with them. A hard inquiry generally will drop your score in the neighbohood of 7-10 points for a few weeks and then bounce right back.
Beyond that inquiry, though, they will never show up on your personal credit file unless you are in default. The card won’t appear there at all and your credit utilization will not be reported to the credit bureaus at all. This makes a business card a great choice for heavy spend, so the credit bureaus don’t see a super high utilization on your personal credit card.
The only exception to this rule is Capital One. Their Spark Cash Plus will not report to your personal credit, however, their other business cards will.
Also note that business credit cards that don’t report to your personal credit also do not count against your Chase 5/24 score.
Business Credit Cards: Are You Eligible?
If you have a full on business with an EIN, then obviously yes, you can get a business credit card. Skip to the cards. But what if you don’t?
1) You do need to conduct business outside of a day job to get business credit cards. You are not eligible if you have a salaried position and no other income.
2) A side hustle counts. If you consult on the side, then you qualify for a business credit card. If you sell things on eBay or Craigslist, you qualify. If you sell goods or services anywhere, you qualify!
3) Note that if you do not have a registered business name and an EIN, you must apply in a very specific way, described below. Pay careful attention or you will be declined for a business credit card.
Apply as follows:
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Your business name is just your real name. If you are “Jim Smith” on your personal credit cards, then put “Jim Smith” as your name and “Jim Smith” again as your Business name. DO NOT MAKE UP A BUSINESS NAME.
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Your Tax ID number is your Social Security Number.
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Your business income will be the amount you make or expect to make from your side business.
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Do *not* include other income (such as investment income) etc, unless it is part of your business.
And if you have any questions at all, click the Live Chat button below.
Below are some of the best business credit cards. How are the cards ordered? We base our ratings on the value of the points of each business credit card by the amount of the bonus. Pretty simple!
Advertiser Disclosure: Your Best Credit Cards has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Your Best Credit Cards and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Commissions do not affect or prioritize placement within our results and not all cards displayed earn us a commission. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone.
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25 Cards Available:

Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Annual Fee:
$95
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,750
Annual Fee:
$95
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,750
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on all travel, advertising, and shipping, as well on Internet, cable and phone services, up to $150,000 a year.
If your business spends a lot in any of these categories, you can earn a ton of points.
It also earns 5X Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides.
You'll get complimentary cell phone insurance when you pay your cell phone bill with this card. (See Chase website for details). No foreign transaction fees.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Annual Fee:
$0
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,313
Annual Fee:
$0
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,313
The simplest of the Chase Business cards, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card earns a flat 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points for every dollar spent on the card except Lyft rides, where it earns 5X points through March 2025.
It is best used in conjunction with a Chase Ultimate Rewards card that is enabled for points transfers to airline/hotel partners, such as the Chase Ink Preferred, Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Chase Sapphire Reserve, as you can transfer points from this product to one of those.
0% APR Intro Offer
Get 12 months of 0% Interest (17.99% - 23.99% thereafter) on purchases on your new card account for 12 months (Terms apply).
Please note: The Estimated Rewards Value of an Ultimate Rewards point earned from this card assumes that you have a Chase Ink Preferred, Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Chase Sapphire Reserve as well, which allows portal redemptions worth 1.25 - 1.5 cents per point and the opportunity for even greater value with airline and hotel transfer partners. If you do not have one of these cards, points would be worth a flat 1 cent per point and this bonus would be worth exactly $750.

Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Annual Fee:
$0
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,313
Annual Fee:
$0
Close X
This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,313
The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card generously offers an excellent 5x on up to $25,000 annually at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services as well as 5X on Lyft rides. It also offers 2x on up to $25,000 annually at gas stations and restaurants.
Businesses with a lot of spend at office supply stores like Staples and Office Depot can really clean up.
Get a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases,17.99% - 23.99% thereafter.
Please note: The Estimated Rewards Value of an Ultimate Rewards point earned from this card assumes that you have a Chase Ink Preferred, Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Chase Sapphire Reserve as well, which allows portal redemptions worth 1.25 - 1.5 cents per point and the opportunity for even greater value with airline and hotel transfer partners. If you do not have one of these other Chase cards, points would be worth a flat 1 cent per point and this bonus would be worth exactly $750.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Annual Fee:
$199
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,120
Annual Fee:
$199
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,120
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card card is all about being half of the one-two card combo needed to earn Southwest Companion Pass for two years with just two credit cards.
The premium version of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, this card offers 9,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points each cardmember anniversary, has multiple spending bonus categories, and includes benefits like 4 upgraded boardings per year, in-flight Wifi credits and Global Entry / PreCheck fee credits.
Full list of features and benefits:
- 4X points on Southwest Airlines
- 2X points on social media / search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services.
- 2X points on local transit and commuting purchases, including rideshares (like Uber and Lyft)
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- 9,000 bonus points each year after your Cardmember anniversary.
- $500 fee credit each year towards Rapid Rewards transfers
- Unlimited Tier Qualifying points (TQPs) towards A-List status (previously maxed out at $100,000 in spend / 15,000 points)
- 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available
- Inflight WiFi Credits
- Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Fee Credit
Note: Our rewards calculator and Estimated Rewards Values assume all of your "Airfare" is on Southwest and is therefore counted at 4x points. If you also fly another carrier, you will only earn 1x points for those purchases.

Chase Ink Business PremierSM Credit Card
Annual Fee:
$195
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,000
Annual Fee:
$195
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$1,000
The Chase Ink Business Premier(SM) credit card, which earns 2% cash back on everything and 2.5% on purchases over $5,000 is now available.
- $195 annual fee, not waived the first year
- Earn 2% cash back on all purchases
- Earn a bonus 0.5% back (2.5% total) when you make a purchase of $5,000 or more in one transaction
- Earn 5% cash back when you book travel through the Chase Travel Portal
- No foreign transaction fees
- No fees for authorized users
- Cell phone protection with a $100 deductible
- The Chase Ink Business Premier is a “charge card” meaning that you are expected to pay in full each month, however . It won’t have “No Preset Spending Limit” as we are used to with charge cards, however, but it will be similar as this product is intended for very high spenders. You’ll have a limit, but you’ll also be able to exceed the limit. The limit will be based on your financials. Chase will also (similar to Amex’s Pay Over Time) have. “Flex for Business” which says “We may assign a portion of your Credit Access Line for use with Flex for Business. Flex for Business allows a portion of your Credit Access Line to be used for qualifying purchases over time, with interest.”

World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
Annual Fee:
$199
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$960
Annual Fee:
$199
Close X
This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$960
The World of Hyatt Business card gives you Discoverist status, 5 elite nights for every $10,000 you spend, and 2X points on a range of common business spending categories.
World of Hyatt Business Credit Card Earn Rate
- Earn a total of 2 points per $1 spent for the top two of eight spend categories you spend on each calendar quarter —with no cap..
- The qualifying spend categories include dining; airline tickets purchased directly with the airline; car rental agencies; local transit and commuting; gas stations; internet, cable and phone services; social media and search engine advertising; and shipping.
- Stays at World of Hyatt hotels earn 4X points per dollar.
- Fitness club and gym memberships earn 2X points per dollar.
- Everything else earns 1 point per dollar spent.
Click on Card Details for all the benefits of the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card.
Keep in mind that all points earned on a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred can also be transferred to World of Hyatt at a 1 to 1 ratio.
NOTE: In calculating your rewards for this card, we are making the assumption that all Hotel spend entered is spent on Hyatt. If part of that spend is on other hotel chains, that spend will earn only 1x on this card, reducing the value of your rewards.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Annual Fee:
$99
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$840
Annual Fee:
$99
Close X
This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$840
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is useful in conjunction with a personal card bonus to get the Southwest Companion Pass, since you can get one of each bonus and exceed the required 135,000 points for Companion Pass.
Full list of features and benefits:
- 3X points on Southwest purchases
- 2X points on local transit and commuting purchases, including rideshares (like Uber and Lyft)
- $500 fee credit each year towards Rapid Rewards transfers
- 2 EarlyBird Check-Ins per year (Worth $15-$25 each)
- 6,000 bonus points on your card anniversary.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Tier qualifying points. For every $10,000 points that you spend, you’ll receive 1,500 tier qualifying points. Up to $100,000 per year.
Note: Our rewards calculator and Estimated Rewards Values assume all of your "Airfare" is on Southwest and is therefore counted at 3x points. If you also fly another carrier, you will only earn 1x points for those purchases.

IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Annual Fee:
$99
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$660
Annual Fee:
$99
Close X
This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$660
The IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is a great choice for business travelers that stay at IHG Rewards hotels often as it comes with a range of perks.
IHG Rewards Club Premier Business Credit Card Earn Rates
- 10X IHG bonus points when staying at IHG properties.
- 5X points for all travel
- 5X points at gas stations
- 5X points for dining / take out / delivery
- 5X points for social media and search engine advertising
- 3X points for all other purchases
IHG properties include: InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Alliance®Resorts, Crowne Plaza®, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday Inn Resort®, Holiday Inn Club Vacations®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™
Additional IHG credit card benefits:
- IHG Platinum Status
- An annual anniversary free night (up to 40,000 points, but you can "top off" with additional points).
- The fourth reward night free: Enjoy a reward night when you redeem points for any consecutive four-night stay at an IHG hotel; your fourth night will be free!
- Earn 10,000 bonus points and a $100 statement credit when you spend $20,000 plus one additional purchase each year.
- Earn an additional free night (up to 40,000 points) each calendar year when you spend $60,000 plus one additional purchase.
- Receive Diamond (top tier) elite status when you spend $40,000 plus one additional purchase in a calendar year.
- Receive up to $50 each year in United Airlines TravelBank Cash.
- Get a Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Fee Credit (up to $100 every 4 years).
- No foreign transaction fee.
NOTE: In calculating your rewards values for this card, we are making the assumption that all Hotel spend entered is spent on IHG. If part of that spend is on other hotels, that spend will earn only 1x on this card, reducing the value of your rewards.

Annual Fee:
$0 Introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99
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This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$600
Annual Fee:
$99
Close X
This is the Estimated Value that you can expect to earn from the Bonus Offer this card. It represents an average value based on you knowing a bit about the rewards program and the best ways to use the points. The value is based on our miles and points values, explained in detail here. It is not the minimum possible value nor a guaranteed return. You can also click the calculator icon to see how the values for this card are calculated.$600
Allows for a free checked bag, priority boarding, 2 United Club one-time passes each card anniversary, the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection, access to United MileagePlus events, and expanded economy award availability.
The United Business Card offers bonus categories of 2x on office supply stores, restaurants, and gas stations, local transit and commuting, including taxicabs, mass transit, tolls, and ride share services as well as on United itself, of course. It also offers 10,000 bonus miles and a PQD waiver upon spending $25,000.
Perhaps best of all, cardholders get access to expanded saver award availability.
Additional benefits:
- $100 annual United travel credit after 7 United purchases over $100
- Receive 5,000 bonus miles each card anniversary if you have both the United Business card and a personal United credit card
- Get 25% back on United inflight purchases
Need to Know: The calculations for this card assume that your "airfare" spend is on United only. If a portion of your airline spend is on other airlines, your reward values will be slightly lower than stated.
Also, if you used our rewards optimizer tool and are seeing this in your results, "Other Travel" refers to local transit and commuting - including taxis, mass transit, tolls, and ride share services.
Bonus Eligibility:
This card has replaced the United MileagePlus Explorer Business Card and is considered a new / different card for purposes of the bonus. If you have/had the United MileagePlus Explorer Business Card, you can still get this bonus.
Per the Chase website: This new Cardmember bonus offer is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of this business credit card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of this business credit card who received a new Cardmember bonus for this business credit card within the last 24 months.
Also Note: You will only be approved for a Chase card if you have applied for fewer than 5 personal credit cards within the last 24 months from any issuer. (Business cards do not count against the total, except for Capital One and Discover, but are subject to the policy). Learn more about the 5/24 rule here.

Chase Ink Preferred
Here’s how we calculated your Rewards Value:
Point Value X Multiplier = Rewards Value
X =
Here’s how we calculated your Bonus Value:
Point Value X Bonus = Bonus Value
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