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Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used...
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If you’re starting a new business or a startup firm, you’re probably juggling a ton of different tasks and wearing quite a few hats.
One thing you should absolutely not compromise on is optimizing your company’s finances.
In addition to separating your business expenses from your personal finances, getting access to quick funding, and starting to build your business credit, there are tons of benefits to opening a new credit card for your new venture.
Many different financial institutions offer business credit cards with a huge range of benefits that can easily become overwhelming.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of the best credit cards for new businesses and startups — let’s get started!
What To Look for in a Business Credit Card for Startups and New Businesses
When researching the best business credit card candidates, we put ourselves in the shoes of a new business owner or startup founder and thought deeply about the benefits we’d look for.
We searched for cards that reward you for common expenses associated with starting a business, like technology.
We also looked for products that offer business tools like expense management, employee cards, and purchase protection. And, of course, one of the best perks of a new card is the welcome bonus that can immediately get you on the right track to accelerating your rewards.
Other important benefits of a business credit card include quick, easy access to credit and travel benefits for any business trips you may be taking.
The 6 Best Business Cards for Startups and New Businesses — Summary
2x points on everyday business purchases, on up to $50,000 per year.
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. APRs will not exceed 29.99%
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 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership
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.
No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access or elite status
Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
MORE REWARDS: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases.**
**4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.*
PAY OVER TIME OPTION: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month—or pay over time with interest.*
As a new business, no 2 days will be the same, but rest assured that the Amex Business Gold card will consistently be the most rewarding card you can get.
First of all, the Amex Business Gold card offers 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent for the 2 categories in which your business spends the most each month (up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year). The categories eligible for bonus earnings are:
Airfare purchased from airlines
U.S. purchases at gas stations
U.S. purchases at restaurants
U.S. purchases for advertising in select media
U.S. purchases for shipping
U.S. purchases made from select technology providers of computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
This card has the broadest selection of bonus categories, which means that those unexpected, seemingly random expenses could easily earn up to 4x points. Whether you’re spending on advertising, office supplies like computer hardware, or on gas, the Amex Business Gold card has you covered.
Hot Tip: The bonus categories on the Amex Business Gold card are selected automatically for you every billing statement based on where you spend the most, ensuring you’ll earn the maximum number of points possible on each statement.
This card also comes with purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip delay insurance, car rental insurance, and no preset spending limit.
Even better, the Membership Rewards points you earn from this card are incredibly valuable, and they can be used to book first class flights!
At the end of the day, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a business card that offers a more diverse list of bonus categories where you can earn a whopping 4x points, which is a huge reason why we love this card.
Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards 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 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 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash-back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
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
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
Rental car insurance
Extended warranty coverage
Cons
No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access
Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
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 Ultimate Rewards®
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 similar to the Amex Business Gold card in a few ways but features several unique differences.
Arguably Chase’s best credit card for business spending, Ink Business Preferred cardholders are able to earn 3x points per $1 spent on up to $150,000 per year in several bonus categories, including:
Advertising on social media and search engines
Internet, cable, and phone services
Shipping
Travel
As you can see, the Ink Business Preferred card offers the ability to earn bonus points on expenses common for new businesses or startups like marketing (advertising), website/IT costs (internet, cable, and phone), and even logistics (shipping).
And if you have business trips here and there, you’ll earn 3x points per dollar spent on your travel purchases.
This card also offers awesome cell phone insurance, offering $1,000 per claim with a $100 deductible for up to 3 claims per rolling 12-month period.
Other useful benefits include purchase protection, extended warranty protection, trip interruption and cancellation insurance, trip delay insurance, and no foreign transaction fees!
You can also redeem your points for travel booked via the Chase travel portal for 25% more in value (1.25 cents per point). Finally, you can redeem them for cash-back, gift cards, merchandise, and services.
3. The Business Platinum 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.
This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
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.
5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel
Up to $200 annual airline fee credit on your selected qualifying airline
Statement credits on select purchases with your card
35% airline bonus when using Pay With Points (up to 1,000,000 bonus points per calendar year)
Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
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)
Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags
Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your 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 everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by your one selected, qualifying airline to your Card.
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your 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.
Maybe your new business or startup will have large expenses or will require frequent travel. If you’re looking for a card that offers the best travel benefits, look no further than one of the best American Express business cards, the prestigious Amex Business Platinum card.
You can earn 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through the Amex Travel portal. You’ll also earn 1.5x points on select business categories (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year), including:
Eligible purchases of $5,000 or more
U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers
U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
The 3 Best Alternative Business Credit Cards for Startups and New Businesses
If you happen to be following different spending patterns than what we outlined above, don’t worry! There are plenty of alternative options to consider for a new business or startup venture.
1. 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.
N/A
N/A
$0
$0
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. APRs will not exceed 29.99%
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
Charges foreign transaction fees
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: 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. APRs will not exceed 29.99%
Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
We’re big fans of the Amex Blue Business Plus card, which allows you to earn 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases, on up to $50,000 per year. After that, you’ll earn 1x. If you max out the $50,000 limit on 2x points, you’d earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points before reverting to earning 1 point per dollar.
This card has no annual fee, and it comes loaded with awesome perks like purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and employee cards at no additional cost (rates and fees).
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.
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
Employee cards at no additional cost
Earn flexible rewards
Cons
3% foreign transaction fee
Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back 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.
No Annual Fee
Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
The Ink Business Unlimited card is a simple but exceptionally rewarding business credit card to have in your wallet. If you don’t want to worry about bonus categories or an annual fee, this Chase credit card is a great choice.
You’ll earn a flat 1.5% cash-back on all your purchases with no cap. Plus, if you hold a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, your 1.5% cash-back is equivalent to 1.5x points.
This card gives you the ability to earn flexible and highly valuable points with no annual fee as long as you have a Chase credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards.
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 offers great rewards and no annual fee. Any new business owner that needs to get going will enjoy this card.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has a lot going for it that makes it a compelling choice for small business owners. The card features a very lucrative 5% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year.
When you factor in that the card has no annual fee, and 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter, you could be adding big value back into your business for no cost out of pocket.
Pros
Earn 5% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year
Earn 2% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% back on all other purchases
Travel insurance and purchase protection
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
Employee cards at no additional cost
No annual fee
Cons
Spending caps in bonus categories
Low points earning outside of bonus categories
3% foreign transaction fees
Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back 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.
No Annual Fee
Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
The Ink Business Cash card is the sister card of the Ink Business Unlimited card.
Whereas the Ink Business Unlimited card offers straightforward 1.5% cash-back, the Ink Business Cash card gives you the ability to earn up to 5% cash-back on select business categories.
You can earn 5% cash-back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases on the following categories each account anniversary year:
Cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services
Office supply stores
You can also earn 2% cash-back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.
If you have an Ultimate Rewards card, 5% and 2% cash-back is equivalent to 5x and 2x points, respectively.
You’ll also be able to take advantage of travel insurance, purchase protection, and primary rental car coverage.
It’s hard to think of another card that gives you up to 5x points with no annual fee!
Final Thoughts
With tons of different business credit cards out there competing for a spot in your wallet, deciding which one is right for your business can be overwhelming.
That’s why we did the legwork for you, narrowing the field down to just 6 options. The card you end up choosing should fit with your spending habits, your credit needs, and your rewards goals.
With any of these cards, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying credit card benefits, building credit for your business, and setting up your business for success!
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold 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, click here.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
For the most part, the bank will check your personal credit report when you apply for a business card.
To have the best chances of getting approved, you should try to have a perfect payment history, show strong personal income to fund your business, and avoid maxing out your existing credit cards.
Small businesses can qualify for these credit cards, so you don’t need to have a corporation, an LLC, or employees to apply for these cards. All it takes to get started is a sole proprietorship and a Social Security number!
The first thing you should do is open a business credit card under your LLC’s name. Once you’ve activated the card, you should use your credit responsibly, make payments on time, and avoid maxing out your cards.
If you do that consistently, you’ll build excellent credit for your business.
In general, the most rewarding business credit cards require a credit score of 700 to 720. This isn’t a written rule anywhere, but rather a solid rule of thumb.
It depends. In an ideal world, you’d just have 1 business credit card that allows you to earn all the perks and rewards you want.
In practice, though, you might need to have 2 or 3 to make the most of the rewards and benefits.
Yes, but you probably won’t qualify for the best cards. If you have bad credit, you should focus on rebuilding or repairing your credit first.
To do this, you should apply for a secured or low-limit card, use it responsibly, and slowly increase your credit score.
Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
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.
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