The 6 Best Business Credit Cards for Dentists [October 2024]
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To figure out the best business credit cards for your dental practice, you need to first determine how you can earn the most rewards and benefits!
While dentistry clinic costs run the gamut of categories, they’re concentrated on:
- Payroll
- Laboratory fees, drugs, supplies, and other medical expenses
- Office supplies, utilities, and rent
- Insurance
- Advertising and marketing
Expenses #1, #2, and #4 don’t really have any special bonus categories from different credit cards, so there’s not a whole lot of optimization that can be had here.
However, office supplies and advertising are 2 optimizable expenses that we should be focusing on. So in this guide, we’ll walk you through our favorite credit cards that offer bonus rewards on office supplies, advertising, and non-bonused expenses.
Top Cards (Quick Picks)
Card | Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee | Benefits for Dentists |
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express |
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| Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card |
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| American Express® Business Gold Card |
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| Ink Business Cash® Credit Card |
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| Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
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The 3 Best Overall Business Credit Cards for Dentists
1. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (No Preset Spending Limit*, Best for Airport Lounge Access)
Terms Apply / Rates & Fees
This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
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.
- 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)
- High annual fee of $695 (rates & fees)
- Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags
- 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.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- APR: 18.99% - 27.99% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
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 150,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
Starting with a bang, the Amex Business Platinum card is the card to get if you’re a dentist. And to be honest, this card reigns superior to almost every business credit card out there. Remember that you’ll also earn 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel.
This card is probably the best business card in existence, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of its benefits.
As far as travel benefits go, you’ll enjoy the most impressive lounge access possible from a single card, collectively known as the American Express Global Lounge Collection, and this includes:
- Centurion Lounges
- Delta Sky Clubs (when flying on a same-day Delta flight)
- Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
- International American Express Centurion Lounges
- Plaza Premium Lounges
- Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required)
- Select Lufthansa Lounges (when flying on a same-day Lufthansa flight)
- Select Virgin Clubhouse Lounges
We’re just getting started because you’ll also get Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status upon enrollment, access to the famous Fine Hotels & Resorts program, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, a $200 airline fee credit every calendar year, a 35% Pay with Points rebate on flights (up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year), and more.
You’ll also get several non-travel benefits, such as up to $400 in statement credits for U.S. purchases with Dell and up to $360 in Indeed credits, $150 in Adobe credits, $120 in wireless credits, and $199 in CLEAR credit to extract even more value here.
The card 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). The large spending bonus can come in handy if you tend to make purchases of $5,000 or more.
This card doesn’t come with a preset spending limit*, so your monthly spending isn’t constrained by a normal credit limit you’d find from a credit card. If Amex thinks you have the ability to pay your bills, it may extend to you much more credit to help you operate your business.
2. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (No Annual Fee, LOW Intro APR)
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 17.99% - 23.99% thereafter
- 1.5% cash-back on all purchases
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.99% - 23.99% thereafter
- 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 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
- APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.99% - 23.99% thereafter
- Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
Our next-best credit card is the Ink Business Unlimited card for 1 very simple reason: the vast majority of a dentist’s expenses will be non-bonused purchases, so the bulk of your rewards will come from these non-bonused categories.
The Ink Business Unlimited card offers an unfussy and uncapped earning structure whereby you can get unlimited 1.5% cash-back on any purchase you make. You don’t need to pay attention to any bonus categories — just swipe your card, and you’ll be confident that you’ll earn 1.5% cash-back.
This card also comes with an awesome welcome bonus and no annual fee!
It’s hard to beat the rewards you’d earn from this, but one of the ways to do it is to couple your rewards with an Ultimate Rewards credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card that would allow you to instead earn 1.5x points per dollar spent.
Since we value Ultimate Rewards points to be 2 cents each, this simple conversion from cash-back to Ultimate Rewards points results in doubling your return on spending!
Having uncapped rewards is essential because a dentistry office will probably have large overhead costs!
The Ink Business Unlimited card also offers 0% introductory APR as an added benefit, plus zero liability protection, employee cards for no additional fee, primary rental car collision damage coverage, purchase protection, and extended warranty protection.
3. American Express® Business Gold Card (Best for Earning Lots of Points)
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesGet 4x points in 2 select categories where your business spends the most each month (on your first $150,000 spent each year).
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.
- 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
- Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
- $375 annual fee (rates and fees)
- No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access or elite status
- 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 18.99% to 27.99% 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
- APR: 18.99% - 27.99% Variable,0% on purchases for 6 months from date of account opening
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 110,000 points with the Amex Business Gold card! The current public offer is 100,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
The Amex Business Gold card is yet another top pick. It’s the “1 level down” from the Amex Business Platinum card, but it has a totally different place when it comes to the best Amex credit cards!
Starting with a nice welcome bonus, this card focuses almost entirely on rewarding large business spending, instead of travel benefits.
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)
Whether you’re marketing your business, traveling to dental conferences, or paying for business software, the Amex Business Gold card has you covered. If you were able to take advantage of the entire $150,000 in bonused spending, you’d earn 600,000 points. After that, you’d earn 1 point per dollar.
Best of all, you don’t even need to select the top 2 business categories every month — it’s done automatically for you.
Indeed, you won’t get lounge access benefits with this card, but the annual fee for employee cards is $95 for the first five cards and then $95 for each card thereafter, up to 99 cards. Plus, no preset spending limit* (rates & fees).
The last benefit can be crucial if you have lumpy expenses from running your dental office, which, as you know, can happen quite often. The last thing you need is the inability to make essential purchases just because you maxed out a credit card.
3 Alternative Business Credit Cards for Dentists
We stand by our top 3 recommendations of the best business credit cards for dentists. But if you wanted to simply consider all the options and you love having more choices, then the next section is for you.
In this next section, we’ll walk you through some of the non-intuitive picks for business credit cards that actually make sense for some cohorts of dentists.
Although they’re probably not superb fits like the 3 cards above, you might still find value in learning about the top 3 alternative business credit cards for dentists.
1. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (No Annual Fee, LOW Intro APR)
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 17.99% - 23.99% thereafter, you could be adding big value back into your business for no cost out of pocket.
- 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
- 10% Business Relationship Bonus if you have the Ink Business Cash card plus a Chase Business Checking account on your first card anniversary
- Spending caps in bonus categories
- Low points earning outside of bonus categories
- Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after 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
- 10% Business Relationship Bonus If you have the Ink Business Cash card plus a Chase Business Checking account on your first card anniversary
- 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
- APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; 17.99% - 23.99% variable thereafter.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Ink Business Cash card is at the top of our alternatives list, thanks to a unique bonus structure that dentists will find useful.
This no-annual-fee credit card comes with the ability to earn up to 5% cash-back (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases) on office supply stores and cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services.
This is an incredible value proposition you should be able to easily max out as a dental office owner.
You can also earn 2% cash-back (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases) on gas stations and restaurants.
Everywhere else, you’ll earn 1% cash-back.
But what’s extra appealing is that you can convert your cash-back to Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio (1% cash-back to 1x Ultimate Rewards points) if you have one of the best Chase credit cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
The Ink Business Cash card also offers unlimited employee cards for no additional fee, primary rental car insurance, travel coverages, and purchase protection.
3. 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.
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.
- 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
- 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.
- Member FDIC
- APR: 20.74% - 25.74% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
The Ink Business Preferred card is the last card choice we’ll be outlining. Normally, it’s one of the best business credit cards out there, and it’s known to be the king of business credit cards.
You’ll start with a low annual fee of $95, and 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. Lastly, you’ll earn 5x points per dollar on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025.
The major bonus category that could be relevant to a dentist would be advertising, and even then, a well-known dentist may not always buy ads!
If you happen to be spending a significant sum of money on these categories, the Ink Business Preferred card could be a great fit for you.
This card is an Ultimate Rewards card, which means that your 3x points are equal to approximately 6% return on spend.
This card also offers cell phone protection insurance if you break or damage your cell phone or if it’s stolen. This coverage is worth up to $1,500 per year in the form of 3 claims every rolling 12 months, $600 in coverage limits per claim, and a $100 deductible per claim ($500 per claim in net payouts).
The Ink Business Preferred card also delivers purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, no foreign transaction fees, and travel insurance (including primary rental car coverage).
3. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesEarn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.
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.
- 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
- 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, 17.99% - 25.99%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2X 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. Terms and limitations apply.
- You’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply.
- APR: 17.99% - 25.99% 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 an amazing business credit card overall, with cardholders having the ability to earn 2x points on everyday business purchases, up to $50,000 in total purchases per calendar year. After that, you’ll earn 1x points.
The card also comes with a 0% introductory APR benefit (as shown in the table above) you might utilize to save on interest fees with any carried balances.
The only downside to this card is that with a $50,000 yearly purchase limit for 2x points, dentists operating their own offices will probably meet that cap very quickly. Other than that, it is a fantastic business credit card.
*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.