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When it comes to real estate investing, a majority of folks decide to stick to rental properties or house-flipping as their go-to strategy.
These 2 popular strategies have pros and cons, but regardless of which one you fall under, this is one of the best ways to generate income off of your assets.
Whether you’re a rental property investor working primarily with tenants or a house flipper primarily working with contractors and skilled laborers, you’ll want to have the best business credit card to make your business management seamless.
In this article, we’ll be walking you through our top picks for the best business credit cards for house flippers and landlords.
What To Look for in a Business Credit Card for House Flippers and Landlords
As a house flipper or landlord, you will incur different types of expenses throughout the course of the year. As you can imagine, house flippers (at least those who fix properties up before selling them again) generally have larger expenses on a yearly basis.
House flippers must often pay for large, singular expenses, often in excess of $10,000 per transaction.
So what we looked for in a great business card for house flippers is a large spending limit, a big spend bonus, business purchase protections, and bonus rewards on as many spending categories as possible.
Landlords with rental property will have to pay for expenses like advertising rental listings, materials and supplies, and small touch-up repair projects in between tenants.
A large credit limit or spending limit is likely not an essential credit card benefit for landlords, but it’s still great to have.
The 5 Best Business Credit Cards for House Flippers and Landlords — Overview
Earn 1.5x Membership Rewards points in key business categories (including U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers and U.S. electronic goods retailers) and on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year)
Earn 2x Membership Rewards points on all business purchases (up to $50,000 per calendar year)
No-fee employee cards
Best Overall Business Cards
One thing is certain: house flippers and landlords have varied expenses at different times of the year for different reasons. So how can a business owner like yourself manage this?
Well, the first approach you can take is to get a business credit card that offers huge rewards on many bonus categories. The second approach is to get a business credit card that offers great rewards on all bonus categories.
Regardless of your approach, you’ll want to use a card that can help you manage your expenses and ideally has a high spending limit to help you scale your business headache-free.
Whether you’re paying contractors, buying office supplies, or putting ads in the local newspaper, you’ll want to have a solid business card in your wallet. So, let’s get into our favorite business cards for house flippers and landlords!
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
150,000 points
$3,300
$695
19.49% - 28.49% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers like the best airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges, along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card can is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.
Pros
5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel
Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
Get 50% more Membership Rewards points (1.5 points per $1) on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (cap applies)
Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card®, here.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card.
$199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card®.
The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
Our first (and favorite) business card for house flippers and landlords is the Amex Business Platinum card, and it’s one of the most well-known cards in the world.
The Amex Business Platinum card will earn you 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels at AmexTravel.com. So if you also have out-of-state properties, you can earn points on those business trips. The card also earns 1.5x on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year).
And speaking of travel, this card offers the most incredible travel benefits of any single card in the world. To start, you’ll be able to access the American Express Global Lounge Collection, which includes:
However, one of our favorite perks is the bonus earning structure. As mentioned, you’ll earn 1.5x for eligible purchases on your card made at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, at U.S. electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and at U.S. shipping providers as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more everywhere else.
One of the biggest benefits of this card type for business owners is the absence of any preset spending limit*. This is in contrast with a traditional credit card, where your credit limit is set in stone.
American Express offers some of the highest spending limits in the industry if it believes you have the means to pay off all your bills. This can be instrumental in managing or scaling your house flipping or rental property business.
Of course, the Amex Business Platinum card also offers the ability to “plug-in” your QuickBooks account to integrate your business expenses for seamless accounting and bookkeeping.
Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points
When you have the Amex Business Platinum card, the points you will accumulate are known as Amex Membership Rewards points.
These points are incredibly valuable — in fact, they are the most valuable points according to our valuations, easily worth 2+ cents per point!
Part of the value comes from the ease with which you can earn these points. Part of the value comes from the flexibility of redeeming points because you can use them for statement credits, charity, travel bookings through AmexTravel.com, gift cards, and more.
But what gives these points the most value is the ability to transfer your points to the AmexTravel.com partners for phenomenal redemptions like Singapore Airlines first class. This is an easy way to get immense value out of your points.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The Ink Business Unlimited card is a stellar option for business owners looking for a no-fuss uncapped 1.5% cash-back card without an annual fee.
The Ink Business Unlimited card is a stellar option for business owners looking for a no-fuss uncapped 1.5% cash-back card without an annual fee.
Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
$900
$900
$0
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
As a business owner, you likely keep pretty busy and probably prefer a credit card that just keeps things simple.
If so, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card might be just the card for you. From zero annual fee to a flat cash-back rate, the card is a no-frills option that you don’t have to think twice about.
Don’t forget too, 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
Pros
1.5% cash-back on all purchases
No annual fee
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
Our runner-up best credit card is the Ink Business Unlimited card, which offers a unique value proposition for house flippers and landlords. This business credit card offers an excellent welcome bonus with easy-to-achieve spending requirements.
One of the selling points of this card is the fact that you will earn 1.5% cash-back on all business purchases, regardless of the spending category. These rewards are also uncapped.
In addition, your 1.5% cash-back is convertible to 1.5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 if you hold a Chase credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards points such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Also, there’s an introductory 0% APR benefit you can enjoy when signing up for this card, which is designed to help you avoid interest fees on balances for your business.
Also, this card has no-additional-fee employee cards, primary rental car insurance, zero liability fraud protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty coverage as other important benefits.
Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Chase and Amex compete vehemently in the rewards landscape.
The Ink Business Unlimited card by itself doesn’t earn Ultimate Rewards points, but if you couple this card with an Ultimate Rewards card, you can easily double your return on spending by converting your cash-back rewards to Ultimate Rewards points.
Our personal favorite way to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points is to transfer them to the Chase travel partners and redeem them for flights like Emirates first class!
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
Get 4x points in 2 select categories where your business spends the most each month (on your first $150,000 spent each year).
Get 4x points in 2 select categories where your business spends the most each month (on your first $150,000 spent each year).
Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
100,000 Points
$2,200
$375
19.49% - 28.49% Variable,0% on purchases for 6 months from date of account opening
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
The card earns a whopping 4x points per $1 in the 2 categories (from a list of 6) that your business spends the most money on each month. With no need to opt-in or preselect your categories, so you can focus on what matters most — running your business.
Pros
4x points per dollar spent on your 2 highest purchase categories each month up to $150,000 each calendar year in purchases; categories include:
Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
U.S. purchases at gas stations
U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, plus TV and radio)
3x points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card
Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
0% Intro APR ¤ for 6 months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then a 19.49% to 28.49% variable APR.*
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.*
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.*
Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.*
The Business Gold Card now comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and Limited Edition White Gold. White Gold design is only available while supplies last. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
*Terms Apply
Financial Snapshot
APR: 19.49% - 28.49% Variable,0% on purchases for 6 months from date of account opening
The Amex Business Gold card has been one of our favorite cards for many years. Ever since this card got a facelift in rewards, it’s been a no-brainer for most business owners, including house flippers and landlords.
This card earns 4x Membership Rewards points on the top 2 categories in which your business spends the most every month (up to $150,000 in combined purchases every calendar year):
Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
U.S. purchases at gas stations
U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
And the best part of this card is that your 2 bonus categories are automatically selected for you every month so you don’t have to worry about figuring out which categories to choose — you’ll rest assured that you’ll max out your rewards in these categories.
Hot Tip: If you maxed out your 4x points, you’d earn 600,000 Amex points, which is worth around $13,200! Couple that with a nice welcome bonus and you’ll have tons of points before you know it.
This card doesn’t have a preset spending limit*, which means you may have the option to scale up your expenses without worrying about a hard credit limit every month.
The annual fee for employee cards is $95 for the first five cards and then $95 for each card thereafter, up to 99 cards (rates & fees).
Alternative Business Credit Cards
Having options in life is important, and this includes business credit cards.
We’ve made our opinions very clear on why the top 3 business credit cards above are great fits for house flippers and landlords. However, if you’re looking for other options, you’ll want to read this next section.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.
The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.
Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
90,000 Points
$1,800
$95
21.24%-26.24% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases, especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.
Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.
Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.
Pros
3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 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
Cell phone protection
Purchase protection
Cons
No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access
Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
The Ink Business Preferred card is a very popular credit card for business owners, and it is our top entry in alternative choices for flippers and landlords.
This card offers a huge welcome bonus and 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on your first $150,000 spent every account cardmember year on these business categories:
Travel
Shipping purchases
Internet, cable, and phone services
Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines
Notably, the Ink Business Preferred card earns Ultimate Rewards points directly, which means you don’t need to have another Chase card to earn these points.
It also earns 5x points on Lyft through March 31, 2025. Once you’ve earned these points, you can transfer them to partner airlines and hotels or use them for gift cards, cash-back, charity, Pay Yourself Back, and more.
You’ll enjoy no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance, primary rental car coverage, amazing cell phone protection insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty protection.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.
Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
15,000 points
$330
No annual fee
18.49% - 26.49% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
With the Amex Blue Business Plus card, you’ll earn 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases throughout the year (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter) and receive purchase protections and no-additional-charge employee cards all for no annual fee (see rates and fees).
The simple and straightforward earning structure makes it a great fit for those looking to earn flexible rewards, without having to fixate on which purchases earn the most points.
Let’s take look at all that the Amex Blue Business Plus card has to offer.
Pros
2x Membership Rewards points per $1 on everyday business purchases (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter)
Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
No annual fee and employee cards at no additional cost
Cons
No unique bonus categories and 2x earnings are capped at $50,000 in annual spend
No elite travel benefits like lounge access or elite status
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.49% - 26.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
You’ve got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power.
*The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.
No Annual Fee
Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
APR: 18.49% - 26.49% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
The Amex Blue Business Plus card is one of our favorites because it earns 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases on the first $50,000 spent every calendar year (1x thereafter) with no need to keep track of bonus categories — all for no annual fee.
You’ll also find a 0% introductory APR benefit (as shown in the table above), plus no-annual-fee employee cards, and the ability to access Amex’s famous Membership Rewards program without an annual fee (rates & fees).
Bottom Line: We absolutely love this card, and we’d recommend it wholeheartedly to both house flippers and landlords, but particularly landlords, since they tend to have lower yearly expenses.
Final Thoughts
House flippers and landlords need to think strategically about business finances, and a big chunk of that is having the right business credit card.
If you’re a house flipper or a landlord investing in real estate, you’ll want to look for a card that enables you to make large business transactions and offers great rewards and important benefits.
Our favorite choices are the Amex Business Platinum card, the Ink Business Unlimited card, and the Amex Business Gold card. For alternatives, consider the Ink Business Preferred card and the Amex Blue Business Plus card.
Whether you’re looking for travel perks, 5x bonus categories, lower annual fees, or simple earning structures, there’s bound to be a card option that fits your needs.
*No Preset Spending Limit on an American Express card means your spending limit is flexible. Unlike a traditional card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here. For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.