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10 Reasons for Business Owners To Get a Business Credit Card

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Susan Wright
Susan Wright's image

Susan Wright

Former Finance Contributor

17 Published Articles

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Susan earned a BA from Michigan State University and her MBA from St. Louis University and has spent more than 25 years as a financial copywriter. She holds 11 financial industry designations, includi...
Edited by: Keri Stooksbury
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Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

29 Published Articles, 3029 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 45U.S. States Visited: 28

With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Owning a business can entail a myriad of financial transactions — many of which may require more cash than you have on hand. For that and other reasons, it can be a wise move to apply for a business credit card.

In this article, we’ll discuss 10 reasons why using a business credit card could be favorable for your company.

Why Get a Business Credit Card?

There are several reasons to get a business credit card. And the good news is that you typically don’t need an incorporated business or brick-and-mortar store to apply for one! While requirements vary by each credit card company, but you may only be required to provide a Social Security number in order to qualify.

Some of the primary benefits of having a company card can include:

1. Access to Cash Flow and Financial Flexibility

Ample cash flow is typically a key priority for business owners, regardless of the size of the company. But having a business credit card can make it much more convenient to keep your expenses in check.

Also, because business credit cards can be much easier to obtain than a traditional loan or line of credit, they can provide a simple way to purchase the equipment, supplies, or inventory that you need.

In many ways, business credit cards can provide you with more advantages over personal credit cards. For example, business cards will oftentimes not only have higher spending limits than personal cards, but these higher limits can make it much easier to make large company-related purchases that you may not be able to make using a personal credit card.

2. Separation of Personal and Business Expenses

If you own a small company or are a solopreneur, having a business credit card can make it easy for you to separate your personal and business expenses.

Not only can this save you time on a monthly basis, but having 2 separate statements can also make it convenient for record-keeping and completing your annual tax return.

Some business credit cards will even offer online tools that can assist you with tracking your expenses — much easier than saving a year’s worth of invoices and receipts in a physical file! They often have special export functions that make it simple to transfer relevant information to QuickBooks or other account software.

On top of that, being able to access your business’s spending records at a moment’s notice can also help to speed up financial transactions, too, and could even allow you to take advantage of opportunities — such as purchasing property and/or inventory — more quickly.

Hot Tip: Speaking of keeping expenses separate, you should also keep your business revenue separate by opening a business checking account — you could even get a business checking and business credit card from the same bank. For example, Chase offers great business credit cards and business checking accounts.

3. Points, Cash-Back, or Other Rewards

Just like with personal credit cards, business cards will often offer points, cash-back, or other nice perks — including hefty sign-up bonuses!

For instance, if you have a business credit card that offers travel credits you could earn discounted (or even free!) airline tickets and hotel stays. This, in turn, can help keep your out-of-pocket expenses down.

Hot Tip: If you’re not sure where to start, check out our guide to points and miles for business owners.

4. Large Credit or Spending Limit

Often, business credit cards will offer higher limits than personal credit cards do. In fact, in some cases, the limits can be in excess of $50,000 or $100,000! The higher limits on business credit cards allow you to make purchases that may not have been possible using only the cash your company has on hand.

Amex Business Gold Upgraded Points LLC 12 large
Image Credit: Upgraded Points

Hot Tip: Don’t miss our piece on how to maximize rewards from your business purchases!

5. Opportunity to Boost Your Credit Rating (While Not Impacting Personal Credit)

Having a business credit card — and paying off the balance regularly — can help quickly boost your business credit rating, provided that the vendors and suppliers you work with report transactions to the credit bureaus.

While business credit cards are still backed by you, a business line of credit is completely separate from your personal credit line. This matters because your utilization ratio and other factors shouldn’t affect your personal credit score.

6. Establish a Business Credit Score

While you might need a high personal credit score to get a business credit card in the first place, your spending and payment habits on the business credit card will directly impact your business’s credit rating.

If you’d like to apply for loans or new lines of credit for your business in the future, banks will look at your business credit score when determining the terms it will offer. For example, the higher your business credit score and the more established your existing line of credit are, the better rate and repayment terms you’ll get.

In addition, while you may want to collect a variety of business credit cards, it is best if you only apply for those cards that fit your specific situation and objectives. This is because, similar to personal credit cards, having too many credit card inquiries may show up as a negative on your company’s credit report.

7. Control of Employee Spending

If your business has employees who travel, make purchases of inventory or supplies, or have other responsibilities that require them to spend company money, a business credit card can help you to keep tabs on exactly what they are buying, and how much they are spending.

You could also set spending limits for employee cardholders, based on the amount of credit that is available to spend on the card. Many credit card carriers will offer business credit cards free (i.e., with no annual fee) to a company’s employees.

8. Business Perks

If you have a business credit card that offers rewards, these perks may be business-related, such as discounts on business travel, shipping, and business supplies.

Depending on your company’s particular needs, you may even get a credit card that offers rewards on advertising purchases, which could mean more exposure — and ultimately more customers — for your business.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a rewards card that we put a lot of advertising costs for this site on as it earns 3 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines.

Hot Tip: Having a company credit card with business perks can make for a win-win situation, as you could essentially “save” money while spending it.

Some of the business credit cards that offer a variety of perks for business-related needs can be found below:

Recommended Chase Business Cards

NEW OFFER
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

U.P. Rating
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.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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 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 Travel
100,000 points
$2,000
$95
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
  • 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 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.
  • Member FDIC
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

U.P. Rating
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.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

This card offers great rewards and no annual fee. Any new business owner that needs to get going will enjoy this card.
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
$750
$750
$0
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; 18.49% - 24.49% variable 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)

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 $750 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®.
  • 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
  • Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; 18.49% - 24.49% variable thereafter.
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

U.P. Rating
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.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

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 $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
$750
$750
$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
  • Employee cards at no additional cost
  • Earn flexible rewards

Cons

  • 3% foreign transaction fee
  • Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
  • No Annual Fee
  • Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
  • Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
  • 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.
  • 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
  • Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card

Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card

U.P. Rating
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 up to 5% cash-back for your business without complex bonus earning categories!

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card

Earn up to 5% cash-back for your business without complex bonus earning categories!
Earn $1,000 bonus cash-back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
$1,000
$195
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)

Chase has introduced the Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card to its business credit card lineup. With straightforward cash-back earnings on everyday purchases and large expenses, tools to help you monitor your business, and multiple ways to redeem your rewards, this is a great card option to consider.

Pros

  • Earn 2.5% total cash-back on purchases of $5,000 or more
  • Earn 2% cash-back on all other business purchases
  • Unlimited 5% total cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Travel
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance
  • No additional cost for employee cards
  • Cell phone protection
  • Primary rental car coverage
  • Purchase protection
  • Extended warranty coverage

Cons

  • $195 annual fee
  • Some purchases need to be paid in full each month and don’t qualify for Flex for Business APR
  • Rewards cannot be pooled with Chase cards that offer access to transfer partners
  • Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Earn unlimited 2.5% total cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases.
  • Travel Benefits: Unlimited 5% total cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, No Foreign Transaction Fees and Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance.
  • The only business credit card with 2.5% cash back on every purchase of $5,000 or more.
  • For businesses who prefer to pay their balance in full each month, Ink Business Premier gives access to increased spending power, rich rewards, and premium benefits.
  • Pay off eligible purchases over time with interest up to assigned Flex for Business limit. All other purchases must be paid in full each month.
  • Purchase with confidence with built-in protections like Fraud Protection, Zero Liability Protection, Purchase Protection, Cell Phone Protection, and Extended Warranty Protection.
  • There's no additional cost for employee cards. Monitor spend with digital tools like purchase alerts, set spending limits, reporting, and more.
  • Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Recommended Amex Business Cards

OUR BEST OFFER
The Business Platinum Card® from American ExpressTerms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

U.P. Rating
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!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
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.
120,000 points
$2,640
$695
19.49% - 27.49% 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.
Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a premium travel rewards card tailored toward business owners who are frequent travelers with a high number of annual expenses.

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.

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 120,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Pros

  • 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)
  • Access to Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program

Cons

  • High annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)
  • 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.
  • $695 Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 19.49% - 27.49% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

BEST FOR BONUSES
American Express® Business Gold CardTerms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express® Business Gold Card

U.P. Rating
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).

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

American Express® Business Gold Card

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
70,000 points
$1,540
$375
19.49% - 27.49% 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.
Good to Excellent (670-850)

The American Express® Business Gold Card is excellent at racking up rewards for your business spend.

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:
    • NEW! Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
    • NEW! U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
    • NEW! 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
  • Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
  • Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
  • Trip delay insurance
  • Car rental insurance
  • Cell phone insurance

Cons

  • $375 annual fee (rates and fees)
  • 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.*
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle 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 $12.95 back in statement credits each month when you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. $12.95 plus applicable taxes.
  • Your Card – Your Choice. Choose from Gold or Rose Gold.
  • *Terms Apply

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 19.49% - 27.49% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American ExpressTerms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

U.P. Rating
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.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

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.
Good to Excellent (670-840)

As a business owner, getting a credit card that maximizes each dollar you spend does not have to be complicated or expensive. Especially when you opt for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

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
  • 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.

Card Categories

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

9. Business Cards Not Subject to Personal Card Limits

Some banks limit the number of cards you can open within a certain time frame. For example, you can only have 5 credit cards open at any 1 time with American Express, whereas Chase only allows you to open 5 cards within a 24 month period.

However, these limits don’t typically apply to business credit cards, allowing you a chance to further expand your credit card portfolio. This means you get access to more cards, more welcome bonuses, and a higher overall credit limit.

10. Higher Limit Purchase Protection

A business credit card with a higher spending limit may provide you with the ability to make larger purchases, as well as offer higher limit purchase protection. While personal credit cards will oftentimes provide this type of benefit as well, business credit cards can actually cover more expensive purchases. This can give you added peace of mind when making larger, company-related expense commitments.

In addition to higher purchase protection limits, you’ll also find cards that offer extended warranties, so your business won’t be financially responsible if your purchases are faulty or malfunction.

Qualifying and Applying for a Business Credit Card

There are several different ways that your company can qualify and get approved for a business credit card that we cover in our extensive guide. Even if you’re a very small company (or self-employed) it’s still very possible and typically doesn’t require much (if any) paperwork to get approved.

Final Thoughts

Using a business credit card can offer a number of nice advantages — including the “clout” it can show when you use a card with your company’s name embossed on it vs. paying only with cash or check.

The best business credit card for you will depend on a number of factors, such as the size of your company, your priorities — such as cash-back, rewards, travel, etc. — and the amount of credit limit that you need.

Before you commit to a particular card, be sure that you spend some time reviewing all of its attributes, including the spending limit, purchase protection, online account access, rewards, annual fee, interest rate, sign-up bonuses, and any other features it may have.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information do you need to apply for a business credit card?

When you apply for a business credit card, the card issuer will want to know some of your basic personal information, as well as some details about your company, such as your tax or employer ID number (or Social Security number if you are a sole proprietorship) and the amount of your annual revenue.

How long does it take to get a company credit card?

Provided that your business credit card application is approved, you can typically expect to receive the card within 10 business days. Once you receive your card, be sure to activate it so you can begin using it.

How can you apply for a business credit card?

There are several ways that you can apply for a business credit card. Depending on the card issuer, you may be able to complete a paper application and mail it to the credit card company. You may also be able to apply for a card over the phone or online.

Can you transfer a balance to a business credit card?

Whether or not you can transfer a balance from another card to your new business credit card will depend on the card and the credit card issuer. If your card is eligible, be sure to check the terms and conditions so that you know about any potential fees related to transferring a balance to your business credit card.

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About Susan Wright

While writing about finance and insurance isn’t something that keeps most people awake at night, it is what Susan Wright has focused on for more than 25 years. As a financial copywriter, Susan has an eye for money-related details such as credit and savings, and she loves to pass along helpful information to consumers. Susan holds 11 financial industry designations (including CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, ADPA, CITRMS, CIPA) as well as several licenses.

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