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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:

  • 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.
  • Your Tax ID number is your Social Security Number.
  • Your business income will be the amount you make or expect to make from your side business.
  • 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:

Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$2,040

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dollar Annual Fee: $695

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Estimated Bonus Value :

$2,040

Offer: 120,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $15,000 within 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees).

A great card for flights and prepaid hotels earning 5x points, and for large expenses over $5,000 for 1.5x points. It earns:

  • 5X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked via AmexTravel
  • 1.5X Membership Rewards points on any single purchase that is over $5,000
  • 1.5X Membership Rewards at U.S. Construction material and hardware suppliers, Electronic goods retailers and software & at cloud system providers, and with Shipping providers
  • 1X Membership Rewards points on other purchases

(1.5X purchases are capped at $2,000,000 in spend per calendar year.)

Card Benefits

  • Hilton Gold status (enrollment required)
  • Marriott Gold status (enrollment required)
  • Receive up to $100 as a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry or every 4.5 years for TSA Pre✔®
  • Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection which includes Centurion, Delta, and Priority Pass Lounge access (enrollment required)
  • Fine Hotels and Resorts benefits
  • $200 airfare credit for incidentals like luggage fees on your chosen airline. (enrollment required). Terms apply.
  • $200 in Dell statement credits twice annually, up to $400 total (Jan-June and July-Dec; Enrollment required / terms apply).
  • Up to $120 a year in wireless credits; up to $10 per month, Enrollment required / terms apply.
  • Up to $360 in Indeed credits ($90 per quarter; enrollment required, Terms Apply)
  • Up to $150 in credits with Adobe on annual prepaid plans for eligible Creative Cloud for teams and Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign, enrollment required, Terms Apply.
  • Up to $189 in fee credits for a CLEAR® airport security service plan. (Enrollment required; credit is a statement credit.)

Note: When displaying Estimated Rewards Values and calculations, this card is factoring in airline and hotels at 5x. This requires booking at AmexTravel.com and, if you do not, your earned rewards will change. Hotel bookings made via AmexTravel will generally not earn points or elite benefits.

Offer: 120,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $15,000 within 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees).
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$1,190

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dollar Annual Fee: $295

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Estimated Bonus Value :

$1,190

Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $10,000 within first 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees)

The American Express® Business Gold card is a powerful earner for business owners with high spend on the included bonus categories.

You will earn 4 points per dollar on any 2 out of 6 categories, automatically selected each calendar month based on which ones you spent the most on, up to $150,000 per year. Terms apply.

Categories include airfare purchased directly with airlines, US advertising and media, US gas stations, US hardware/software/cloud computing services, US restaurants, and US shipping.

Our page on the Amex Business Gold Card has the American Express definition of hardware, software, and cloud computing merchants.

Also, get a 25% rebate on airfare booked American Express Travel using Membership Rewards. Applies to all First/Business Class tickets and economy tickets with your one selected airline, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year. Terms apply.

Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $10,000 within first 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees)
Credit card

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®

dollar Annual Fee: $0 Introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99

Estimated Bonus Value :

$975

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dollar Annual Fee: $99

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$975

Offer: 65,000 bonus AAdvantage® miles after spending $4,000 in your first 4 months

Review: Get a free checked bag and preferred boarding on American Airlines. The free checked bag is valid for for you and up to 4 travel companions. Earn a $99 companion certificate for domestic main cabin travel.

Earn AAdvantage miles at the rate of 2x for American Airlines, telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants, and gas stations, plus 1x for everything else.

Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage(R) mile earned from purchases

NOTE: Our estimated rewards values assume all of your airline spend is with AA for the purposes of valuing your rewards for this card. If you spend across multiple airlines, your rewards will be lower as this card earns 2x on AA purchases only.

Offer: 65,000 bonus AAdvantage® miles after spending $4,000 in your first 4 months
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$840

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dollar Annual Fee: $550

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Estimated Bonus Value :

$840

Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you make $5,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the first 3 months. (Rates and Fees)

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Credit Card offers an annual companion certificate in any cabin class and Delta Sky Club Access + Centurion Lounge, plus your first checked bag free and priority boarding on Delta.

Earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to 4x per year getting you closer to Medallion Status.

Unlike the Platinum version of this card, these MQMs can be transferred to anyone you designate.

Spending $25,000 in a year on this card will waive the MQDs requirement for Medallion qualification up to Platinum status.

Delta Reserve Business Bonus Categories

  • Earn 3X miles on Delta purchases

Additional Delta Reserve Business Benefits

  • Complimentary Delta Upgrades: For those without Delta Medallion Elite status, you will still be eligible for complimentary domestic upgrades after all elite members have cleared.
  • Additionally, Reserve cardholders with status get upgrade list priority over members at the same Medallion tier without the Reserve card
  • Annual domestic companion certificate in any class, including First and Business (This can be an amazing value, especially on a Delta One transcontinental flight).
  • $100 statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry or an $85 statement credit for TSA Pre✓® every 4.5 years.

Terms apply.

NOTE: Our rewards calculator and Estimated Rewards Values assume all "Airfare" is on Delta and is therefore counted at 3x points. If you also fly another carrier, you will only earn 1x points for those purchases and your Reward Values would be lower than indicated.

Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you make $5,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the first 3 months. (Rates and Fees)
Credit card

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

dollar Annual Fee: $0 Introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $95

Estimated Bonus Value :

$800

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $95

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$800

Offer: Get 50,000 Capital One miles when you spend $4,500 in your first 3 months

This business card offers 2x on all purchases and 5X miles on hotel and rental car booked via Capital One Travel.

You can use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase on your card or redeem your miles by booking a trip through Capital One Travel at a value of one cent per point for an effective 2% cash back on all purchases - or transfer them to a range of airlines and hotel partners.

It also has a $100 credit for Global Entry or PreCheck once every 5 years.

NOTES:

1) The bonus value for the early spend bonus on this card assumes you will transfer the points to miles. If you use as a rebate on travel spend, the early spend bonus value will be $500, exactly.

2) 5X on Hotels and Car Rentals applies only when you book via Capital One's own travel service. Otherwise, you will earn the standard 2X miles.

You can transfer to more than 18 airline and hotel partners. See the full list of Capital One Miles transfer partners and transfer times.

Offer: Get 50,000 Capital One miles when you spend $4,500 in your first 3 months
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$750

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dollar Annual Fee: $95

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$750

Offer: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points & a Free Night Reward after spending $4,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/19/23. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees)

Get Hilton Honors Gold Status, earn Free Weekend Night Awards based on annual spend, and earn Hilton Honors points on all purchases. Terms apply.

Also, you'll receive 10 free airport lounge visits each year with included free Priority Pass Select membership. (Enrollment required.)

Earn bonus points on eligible purchases in select business and travel categories: U.S. gas stations, U.S. wireless telephone service, U.S. shipping, U.S. restaurants, U.S. flights booked direct, and U.S. car rentals booked direct.

Earn 3x Hilton points on all other eligible purchases.

Note: Estimated Rewards Values shown throughout this site assume your hotel spend will be at Hilton brand hotels and resorts. If you have additional hotel spend not associated with Hilton, your actual return will be lower.

Offer: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points & a Free Night Reward after spending $4,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/19/23. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees)
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$720

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $250

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$720

Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you make $3,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the first 3 months.(Rates and Fees)

With the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card you'll get an annual main cabin "Buy One, Get One" companion certificate, plus your first checked bag free and priority boarding on Delta.

Earn bonus Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) and bonus miles at tiered spending thresholds. Spending $25,000 in a year on this card will waive the MQDs requirement for Medallion qualification up to Platinum status.

Delta Business Platinum Bonus Categories

  • Earn 3X miles on Delta purchases.
  • Earn 3X miles on hotels (purchased directly with the hotel - much better than when you have to use a booking portal!)
  • Earn 1.5 miles on purchases of $5,000 or more, up to 50,000 miles per year.

Additional Amex Delta Business Platinum Benefits

  • $100 statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry or an $85 statement credit for TSA Pre✓® every 4.5 years.
  • Buy One, Get One Companion Certificate on select fares.
  • $50 Delta SkyClub per-visit lounge access for yourself and up to two guests when flying Delta.

NOTE: Our rewards calculator and Estimated Rewards Values assume all "Airfare" is on Delta and is therefore counted at 3x points. If you also fly another carrier, you will only earn 1x points for those purchases and your Reward Values would be lower than indicated.

Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you make $3,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the first 3 months.(Rates and Fees)
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$500

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $0

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$500

Offer: $500 when you spend $4,500 in 3 months

This no-fee business card offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

You'll also earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Offer: $500 when you spend $4,500 in 3 months
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$500

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $0

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$500

Offer: Get $500 when you spend $3,000 in your first 90 days

The US Bank Business Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard may not be the first small business credit card that you think of, but it's an excellent cash back card if you spend a lot at gas stations, office supplies or cell phone service as you will earn 3% cash back on all three of these categories with no cap.

You also get a 25% bonus each anniversary of your prior year's rewards, up to $250.

There's no annual fee, no foreign transactions fees, and it offers complimentary secondary cell phone protection.

Offer: Get $500 when you spend $3,000 in your first 90 days
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$500

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $0

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$500

Offer: Get $500 when you spend $4,500 in your first 150 days

The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card is a new small business credit card that offers a great 3% cash back at gas stations including EV charging stations, office supplies or cell phone service or at restaurants.

You will earn 3% cash back on all four of these categories with no cap.

Also earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Rewards Center.

No annual fee.

Offer: Get $500 when you spend $4,500 in your first 150 days
Credit card

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

dollar Annual Fee: $150

Estimated Bonus Value :

$500

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $150

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$500

Offer: Earn up to a $1,000 cash bonus: Earn $500 once you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, and another $500 once you spend $50,000 in the first 6 months of account opening

The new Capital One Spark Cash Plus replaces the older Spark Cash card and earns 2% cash back on everything. The primary difference is that the new Spark Cash Plus is a charge card with no preset spending limit, making it ideal for companies that spend a lot on their cards and tend to run into issues with credit limits.

Also, earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel

Offer: Earn up to a $1,000 cash bonus: Earn $500 once you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, and another $500 once you spend $50,000 in the first 6 months of account opening
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$450

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $125

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$450

Offer: Earn 75,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees)

Earn Marriott Bonvoy points with the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card for all eligible purchases.

Earn 6x for stays at Marriott; 4x at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, with U.S. shipping companies, and wireless telephone service from U.S. providers; and 2x on all other eligible purchases.

Get a free night award, Gold Elite status, and 15 elite credits annually. Terms apply.

Also, receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.

If you stay at Marriott properties often, this card will offer a nice return on your spend on-property. The 15 elite nights annually can help you get to the next elite level. In fact, if you also have a personal Bonvoy credit card, you can earn 15 elite nights annually on each card - for a total of 30 per year.

Note: For the purposes of calculating your points and expected value, we assume all of your spend at "Hotels" will be at Marriott properties. You will only earn 2x points instead of 6x for spend at non-Marriott properties meaning that your Estimated Rewards Value would be lower than indicated.

Offer: Earn 75,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees)
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$255

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $0

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$255

Offer: Earn 15,000 Bonus Membership Rewards points when you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees)

Highly Recommended: Earn 2x Membership Rewards points on everything with The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express - up to $50,000 per year. This is a great card to use when your expense doesn't correspond to a bonus category on any of your other cards.

Intro 0% APR - 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months, then 18.24% - 26.24% (Rates and Fees)

Offer: Earn 15,000 Bonus Membership Rewards points when you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates and Fees)
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$250

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $0

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$250

Offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 within your first 3 months. Terms Apply. (Rates and Fees)

The American Express Blue Business Cash credit card allows you to earn a simple 2% in cash back (on up to $50,000 a year of purchases) without paying an annual fee.

0% Intro APR

0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.24% - 26.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.

Offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 within your first 3 months. Terms Apply. (Rates and Fees)
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$125

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $0

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$125

Offer: Receive a $125 Amazon Gift Card when approved for this card with an eligible Amazon Prime membership.

Earn 5% Back on your first $120,000 in purchases each calendar year on U.S. purchases at Amazon Business, AWS, Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market with an eligible Prime membership. Or, get 90 day terms for those purchases instead of the 5% cash back.

You'll also earn 2% cash back at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers.

Earn 1% back on everything else.

Earned rewards can be redeemed for Amazon purchases ur used as statement credits.

Offer: Receive a $125 Amazon Gift Card when approved for this card with an eligible Amazon Prime membership.
Credit card
Estimated Bonus Value :

$0

Calculator

dollar Annual Fee: $0

Calculator
Estimated Bonus Value :

$0

Offer: This card does not have a bonus offer at this time.

Review: For Costco members seeking pure cash back, this credit card is hard to beat!

Costco Business credit card earn rate and benefits:

  • This Costco Business credit card earns 4% cash back at gas stations, both Costco and otherwise, for the first $7,000 per year.
  • Earn 3% cash back at restaurants and on travel.
  • Earn 2% cash back at Costco.
  • Get 1% cash back on everything else.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

The cashback will be awarded as an annual credit card reward certificate, redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, (including Puerto Rico). The certificate will be included in your February billing statement and expires on December 31st of the year issued.

** Requires a Costco membership **"

Offer: This card does not have a bonus offer at this time.

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