7 Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases [2023]

Online advertising has become the major strategy for growing businesses in today’s marketplace.

Estimates vary by source, but according to data research company Statista, its recently released report estimates that nearly 92% of U.S. businesses will use social media for marketing in 2021, and even exceed that figure in 2022. This is a staggering increase from 86.2% in 2013.

Chances are, your business spends money on advertising. Whether you use Facebook, Amazon, Google, Twitter, or more traditional media platforms such as TV or radio, if a big share of your business expenses falls in this category, you’ll want to make sure you’re earning the highest rewards possible.

Fortunately, several of the best credit cards available have been designed to reward common types of advertising spending inherent to businesses today.

In our article, we’ll cover:

Which credit cards are best for earning rewards on advertising purchases
Which advertising categories are eligible for bonus earning
The benefits of different reward currencies
Alternative credit cards for earning rewards on advertising purchases

Let’s get busy making sure every advertising purchase your business makes earns rewards.

Table of contents

The 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases — Overview
The 3 Best Overall Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases
Best Business Card for Unlimited Advertising Purchases
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
3 Alternative Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

The 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases — Overview
The 3 Best Overall Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases
Best Business Card for Unlimited Advertising Purchases
- 1. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
3 Alternative Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases
Final Thoughts

The 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases — Overview

Card	Welcome Offer and Annual Fee	Benefits for Advertising Purchases
American Express® Business Gold Card	Earn 70,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $295 (rates and fees)	4x points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most (limit of $150,000): U.S. purchases for advertising in select media Airfare purchased from airlines U.S. purchases made from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions U.S. purchases at gas stations U.S. purchases at restaurants U.S. purchases for shipping
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	3x points on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card	Earn a $250 statement credit after making $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $0 (rates and fees)	2% cash-back on up to $50,000 in spend, then 1% back thereafter
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 120,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)	1.5x points for eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year)
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express	Earn 15,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months. Annual fee of $0 (rates and fees)	2x points on everyday business purchases (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter)
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Earn $750 cash-back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months Annual fee of $0	1.5% cash-back on all purchases
Citi® Double Cash Card	No welcome offer available. Annual fee of $0	2% cash-back on all purchases (1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay)

The 3 Best Overall Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases

1. American Express® Business Gold Card (Staff Favorite)

How To Earn on Advertising Purchases

You have more productive things to do with your time than trying to determine which bonus earning categories you should select on your business credit card.

With the Amex Business Gold card, elevated earning is simple. All of the 4x bonus earning categories are eligible, but your actual spending determines which 2 categories receive the bonus each statement period.

For example, if this month’s statement shows that shipping and radio advertising were your biggest expenses, those are the categories that will receive 4x bonus earnings.

Next month’s spending could change, with airline tickets and computer hardware being your largest expenses. Those will then be the categories earning the 4x bonus.

This process ensures your greatest expenses receive the greatest rewards. If advertising is always your biggest expense category, you’ll always receive 4x earnings for those purchases.

If your business spends a lot on Google Ads or Facebook Ads, the Amex Business Gold card is an excellent choice. If you maximize the $150,000 annual purchase limit in this 4x earnings category, that’s 600,000 Membership Rewards points earned each year!

Hot Tip: It’s worthy to note that Amex does not list Amazon advertising as a qualifying online ad purchase at this time.

Here’s how the Amex Business Gold card rewards advertising purchases:

Best For:	Examples of Bonus Earning Merchants	Rewards
Qualifying online ads, television and radio advertising purchased in the U.S. for the purpose of promoting a business	Ads on Google, Yahoo, and Bing Ads on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter NBC TV CBS Radio	4 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on 2 categories Limit of $150,000 for both 4x earning categories combined

Why We Like Earning Membership Rewards Points

Membership Rewards points are one of the most valuable rewards currencies given how many ways there are to earn Amex points and the variety of good value redemption options.

The value you receive for your points will depend on which redemption option you select. You can purchase travel through Amex Travel, redeem your points for gift cards, or donate to charity to easily receive 1 cent per point in value.

Transferring Membership Rewards points to travel partners (especially airlines) can yield even greater value and be the best option for maximizing your Amex points.

While there are several other redemption options, choices such as statement credits, shopping at Amazon, Best Buy, or Shop with Membership Rewards Points will yield significantly less value for your points.

Cable TV Channels — Whether you use traditional media or social media, advertising expenses can earn big rewards. Image Credit: Spectrum

2. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

How To Earn on Advertising Purchases

No need to select a specific bonus category with the Ink Business Preferred card — all of the business spending bonus categories automatically earn 3 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent.

Advertising purchases on social media and search engines are included in the bonus earning categories and also receive 3 points per dollar spent.

Other 3x bonus-earning categories include travel, shipping, and internet, cable, and phone services.

There is a $150,000 annual limit on total 3x category earnings, after which you will earn 1 point per dollar spent. If you’re reaching this level of spending on Google, Amazon, or Facebook ads, or another 3x category, that’s a total of 450,000 Ultimate Rewards points!

Once earned, Ultimate Rewards points are deposited in your Ultimate Rewards account at the end of each statement period and are available for use.

Here’s how the Ink Business Preferred card rewards advertising purchases:

Best for:	Example of Bonus Earning Merchants	Rewards
Social media website advertising and search engine advertising purchases	Advertising on Google and on Amazon Yahoo, Bing, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter ads	3 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent ($150k annual limit on the 3x, 1x thereafter)

Why We Like Earning Ultimate Rewards Points

We like to earn Ultimate Rewards points because of their flexibility and value.

Redeem Ultimate Rewards points for travel, cash-back, gift cards, merchandise, or services
Maximize the value of your points by transferring Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel travel partners
Points redeemed via Chase’s travel portal are worth 25% more in value

Hot Tip: If your business spends a lot on Google, Amazon, or Facebook advertising, the Ink Business Preferred card is an excellent choice for those advertising purchases. Maximizing the $150,000 purchase limit for 3x categories will generate $5,625 in travel value when redeemed via the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.

3. American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

How To Earn on Qualifying Advertising Purchases

If advertising is your greatest expense, you can consistently earn 2% cash-back with the Amex Blue Business Cash card. 2% earnings are limited to up to $50,000 in eligible purchases per year, and after you’ve maxed our your 2% earning, you’ll earn 1%.

Amex advertising categories include Google Ads, Yahoo Ads, and Facebook Ads. NBC TV and CBS Radio all qualify for 2% since the card learns 2% on all eligible purchases within the cap.

Why We Like Earning Cash-Back

If you’re operating your business on a tight budget and traveling is not a priority, cash-back can be a valuable way to bring capital back into the business.

No need for complicated redemption strategies — cash-back earned on the Amex Blue Business Cash card is applied automatically to your statement, helping to offset expenses and improve your bottom line.

Hot Tip: Have a large business purchase coming up that you won’t be able to pay off right away? The Amex Blue Business Cash card has [a up cc_id=”1925″ name=”amex-blue-business-cash-purchase-apr”] (rates and fees). This 0% APR interest period will allow you to make that large purchase and pay the debt back over the intro period without incurring interest charges.

Marketing Sketch — It’s easy to earn rewards on every business advertising expense. Image Credit: Tobias Dziuba via Pexels

Best Business Card for Unlimited Advertising Purchases

1. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card! (The current public offer is 120,000 points.)

If your business spends an inordinate amount of money on advertising each month, you’ll want to make sure every dollar is earning rewards. Plus, you’ll want to have a card that comes with many additional benefits you can use.

The Amex Business Platinum card comes with a long list of benefits that make it a valuable business resource.

Why We Like the Card for Advertising Purchases

Earn 1.5x for eligible purchases made at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, at U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and at U.S. shipping providers as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year)
There is no limit on the amount of Membership Rewards points you can earn

Why We Like the Card Overall

The Amex Business Platinum card is a premium travel rewards card that comes with premium travel benefits including the following.

Complimentary access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, including the prestigious Centurion Lounge network
Up to $200 in airline fee credits
Flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel earn 5x points per dollar spent
35% points rebate on flights with your selected qualifying airline booked through Amex Travel
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit
Hotel elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors upon enrollment

If your business is spending big on advertising, considering a card like the Amex Business Platinum card, with no spending limits, might be a rewarding option.

3 Alternative Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases

If you want to earn rewards on all of your purchases, you can accomplish this with several credit cards.

Let’s take a look at several no-annual-fee credit cards that deliver earnings on every purchase you make, including advertising.

1. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Amex Blue Business Plus card earns 2x points on everyday business purchases, including advertising like Google Ads and Facebook Ads, up to $50,000 per year. After that, you earn 1x.

If you maximize that limit, you’ll earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points — an excellent value for a no-annual-fee credit card.

2. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

With 1.5% cash-back on every purchase your business makes, including advertising, the no-annual-fee Ink Business Unlimited card is worthy of consideration.

Cash-back rewards are earned in the form of Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for cash-back at 1 cent per point.

You can, however, transfer the Ultimate Rewards points to premium Chase credit cards such as the Ink Business Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card for 25% to 50% more value when redeemed for travel.

There is no limit on how much cash-back (in the form of Ultimate Rewards points) you can earn with the Ink Business Unlimited card.

3. Citi® Double Cash Card

Though not a business-specific credit card, there are no complicated earning structures to keep track of with the Double Cash card. You’ll earn 1% cash-back when you make a purchase and 1% cash-back when you pay off your purchase.

With 2% cash-back on every purchase, including advertising like Google Ads, Amazon Advertising, and Facebook Ads, the Double Cash card makes earning easy. There’s also no limit on the amount of cash-back you can earn.

Hot Tip: If your advertising expenses exceed the bonus category limits that come with a specific credit card, a combination of 2 cards that match up with your spending levels may be the ultimate solution. For example, the Ink Business Preferred card (great for Amazon advertisers) and the Amex Business Gold card are cards with elevated advertising earnings that have a $300,000 annual limit combined.

Final Thoughts

If your business is heavy into advertising and the expense is significant, selecting a credit card that earns rewards for these purchases makes good business sense.

It’s also prudent to look at your other major expenses and select a card that matches as much of your spending mix as possible.

For example, if your 2 largest business expenses are for travel and advertising, the Ink Business Preferred card might be a better choice than the Amex Business Gold card that limits travel-related earnings to just airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines.

If your business is small and you have a lot of office supply and wireless phone expenses, the Amex Blue Business Cash card will have you earning plenty at 2% cash-back on up to $50,000 per year.

Selecting the best credit card for earning rewards on your business advertising expenses should involve looking at all of your expenses to determine which card is the best one overall for your business bottom line.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.

Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Frequently asked questions

Which credit card is the best for advertising?

The best credit card for earning rewards on your advertising purchases will depend on which media you spend the greatest.

For example, if you purchase a lot of TV and radio advertising, the Amex Business Gold card or the Amex Blue Business Cash card will earn rewards on these categories and be good choices.

The Ink Business Preferred card does not include TV and radio advertising but earns rewards for social media ads on Google, Amazon, and Facebook, which makes the card a wise choice if you use these vehicles for online advertising.

If you spend a lot on print publication advertising, a credit card such as the Ink Business Unlimited card will ensure you earn rewards on every purchase.

Selecting the best credit card for advertising purchases should also take into consideration the total mix of spending and whether other large business expenses could earn even greater rewards.

Which advertising purchases earn rewards?

Each credit card has its own definition of advertising and which merchants qualify for bonus earning.

Some credit cards only include social media, while others include TV and radio.

You can access the credit card’s terms and conditions for more detailed descriptions before you apply for any credit card and should review the “offer and benefit terms” and “rates and fees” information.

The details on which advertising media qualify is located under the “offer and benefit terms.”

Is there a card with no annual fee for earning rewards on advertising?

The Amex Blue Business Cash card does not charge an annual fee and earns 2% cash-back on advertising purchases (and all other purchases up to $50,000 per year; 1x thereafter).

You can also earn 2% back with the Double Cash card — 1% cash-back when you make a purchase and 1% when you pay off your purchase.

How can I qualify for a business credit card?

While the IRS definition of a business is quite broad and includes “any activity carried on for the production of income,” credit card issuers will want more evidence of your business existing.

With that said, even small businesses such as part-time coaching, selling on eBay, or dog-walking can qualify.

Registering your business in the state where you operate can help establish legitimacy and improve your chances for approval of a business credit card. A current relationship with the credit card issuer (such as a bank account) can also improve your chances.

However, it is the strength of your personal credit that will ultimately solidify your approval for a business credit card.

Those with good credit, business activity (even it is small), and the bonus of an existing relationship are most likely to succeed in securing a business credit card.

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About Christine Krzyszton

Christine was born in Northern Michigan but spent most of her career operating her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services offices throughout the state. Her previous experience involved building and writing business plans in the mergers and acquisitions sector in New York, as well as staffing in the insurance and financial technology software field. Her successful insurance and financial services career has been an excellent foundation from which to source her knowledge for many of Upgraded Points’ travel insurance articles.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

11 comments

Hector Patrick August 7, 2019

I’m the owner of Digital Marketing Gorilla. We have both the Ink Business Prefered and the Amex Gold Business. As a small marketing agency spending roughly $30-$40k a month in ad revenue, my advice is that if you want to accumulate points for travel via ad spend, the Amex Gold Business is your best bet. Transferring points to their travel partners can yield a 2-3x return on points. However, if cashback is your motive, the Ink is your best bet as you get a 1 to 1 return on cash which equates to roughly 3% cashback on ad spend.

Reply
kent April 3, 2020

A word of caution for businesses that advertise internationally:

1. some of these spend bonuses only apply to US ad spend. So if you advertise with, say, Amazon Europe, you only get the base 1x points. This is true for the Amex Gold Biz.

2. some of these cards above charges Forex fees! The Simplycash Business, Chase Ink Unlimited, Blue Business Plus, all charge 3% Forex. Learned this the hard way with my own business.

Reply
- Christine Krzyszton April 4, 2020
  
  Thanks for that reminder, Kent. It’s always good to check a card’s rates, fees, and bonus category details before applying for any card, to make sure it’s right for your situation.
  
  Reply
Samer Abdullah August 16, 2021

What about Capterra? Is it by merchant codes?

Reply
- Christine Krzyszton August 17, 2021
  
  Hi Samer. Each card defines qualifying advertising purchases differently. Amex does not list Capterra as a specific merchant for qualifying advertising. Chase’s bonus category includes social media advertising of which Capterra is not. The flat rate bonus earning cards with no specific bonus categories would include Capterra expenses.
  
  Reply
KEITH PICINIC October 15, 2021

The Wyndham Business card gives 5x on Internet Advertising, should be on the list.

Reply
- Christian C. July 26, 2022
  
  Please stay away from Barclays as I had a terrible experience with them. They did not honor a chargeback that I made, further, they closed the case saying that they asked for evidence when they never reached out to me for further evidence which I had. And upon checking on facebook…many people had the same problem of chargebacks/fraudulent charges on their credit card that Barclays did not honor. Stay away if you value your money and sanity.
  
  Reply
Laura Stropes November 17, 2021

I advertise on YouTube. Do any of these cards earn rewards on YouTube advertising?

Reply
- Christine Krzyszton November 18, 2021
  
  Hi Laura. The Amex Blue Business Plus card, Ink Business Unlimited card, and the Double Cash card all earn rewards on YouTube advertising.
  
  Reply
Mike September 26, 2022

Thanks for mentioning that Gold Amex doesn’t count Amazon for ad spend because I was just about to sign up for it for that exact reason. Already have INK and maxed out the $150k.

Reply
Bob February 21, 2023

Hyatt Business Card gets 2X points.

Reply

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The 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases (Facebook, Google, Amazon & More)

The 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases — Overview

The 3 Best Overall Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases

1. American Express® Business Gold Card (Staff Favorite)

How To Earn on Advertising Purchases

Why We Like Earning Membership Rewards Points

2. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

How To Earn on Advertising Purchases

Why We Like Earning Ultimate Rewards Points

3. American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

How To Earn on Qualifying Advertising Purchases

Why We Like Earning Cash-Back

Best Business Card for Unlimited Advertising Purchases

1. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Why We Like the Card for Advertising Purchases

Why We Like the Card Overall

3 Alternative Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases

1. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

2. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

3. Citi® Double Cash Card

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

Which credit card is the best for advertising?

Which advertising purchases earn rewards?

Is there a card with no annual fee for earning rewards on advertising?

How can I qualify for a business credit card?

About Christine Krzyszton

11 comments

Any thoughts or questions? Comment below! Cancel reply

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The 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases — Overview

The 3 Best Overall Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases

1. American Express® Business Gold Card (Staff Favorite)

How To Earn on Advertising Purchases

Why We Like Earning Membership Rewards Points

2. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

How To Earn on Advertising Purchases

Why We Like Earning Ultimate Rewards Points

3. American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

How To Earn on Qualifying Advertising Purchases

Why We Like Earning Cash-Back

Best Business Card for Unlimited Advertising Purchases

1. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Why We Like the Card for Advertising Purchases

Why We Like the Card Overall

3 Alternative Credit Cards for Advertising Purchases

1. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

2. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

3. Citi® Double Cash Card

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

Which credit card is the best for advertising?

Which advertising purchases earn rewards?

Is there a card with no annual fee for earning rewards on advertising?

How can I qualify for a business credit card?

About Christine Krzyszton

11 comments

Any thoughts or questions? Comment below! Cancel reply

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