The 5 Best Business Credit Cards for Doctors [July 2024]
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Top Picks (Quick Summary)
Card | Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee | Benefits for Doctors |
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express |
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| Ink Business Cash® Credit Card |
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| American Express® Business Gold Card |
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| Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card |
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| Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
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| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express |
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The 3 Best Overall Business Cards for Doctors
The best business cards for doctors will be focused on rewarding office equipment, software, and marketing spending.
Sure, there are bound to be other business categories doctors spend significant sums of money on, but many of these are non-bonused.
We’ll walk you through our favorite business cards to set your private practice up for success!
1. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (No Preset Spending Limit*)
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesThis 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 everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- 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.
- $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 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: 19.49% - 28.49% 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.)
The Amex Business Platinum card, right now, is the best business card in our opinion for doctors. Start off with a huge welcome bonus and earn 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel.
As a doctor, you might have large purchases here and there, and the Amex Business Platinum 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).
Next up is the incredible lounge access you’ll get through the American Express Global Lounge Collection:
- Centurion Lounges
- Delta Sky Clubs(when flying Delta the same day)
- Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
- International American Express Centurion Lounges
- Plaza Premium Lounges
- Priority Pass lounges (upon enrollment)
- Select Lufthansa Lounges (when flying Lufthansa the same day)
- Select Virgin Clubhouse Lounges
Surprisingly, the Chase card that competes with this card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, only offers Priority Pass lounge access. This just highlights how awesome of a travel companion the Amex Business Platinum card is.
In addition, you’ll get up to $200 annual airline fee credit, up to $400 in statement credits for U.S. purchases with Dell (2 equal credits of $200 semi-annually), up to $360 in Indeed credits, up to $150 in Adobe credits, $189 in CLEAR credit, and up to $120 in wireless credits.
This card also offers access to Amex’s famous Fine Hotels & Resorts benefit program, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status upon enrollment, a 35% points rebate on flights through Amex Travel (up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year), and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
You can even integrate your expenses into QuickBooks seamlessly by using the online tools with your card.
Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points
We talked a lot about the benefits of the Amex Business Platinum card, but we haven’t really touched on the value proposition of Amex points.
The short of it is that Amex Membership Rewards has the most valuable points out there, and they can be used for luxury travel via transfers to airline and hotel partners.
You can also use your Amex points for gift cards, charity, Amazon, cash-back, travel booked through Amex Travel, and more. But the drawback of these redemptions is that you won’t get anywhere near the same value as you would when booking business and first class flights!
2. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (LOW Intro APR, No Annual Fee)
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.
- 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; 18.49% - 24.49% variable thereafter.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Ink Business Cash card is our runner-up choice, and it’s truly an elegant credit card. This $0 annual fee card empowers you to earn up to 5% cash-back on crucial business categories!
Specifically, you’ll earn 5% cash-back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases every cardmember year on these categories:
- Office supply stores
- Cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services
You’ll also earn 2% cash-back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases every cardmember year at restaurants and gas stations.
Lastly, you’ll earn 1% cash-back elsewhere. Of course, your cash-back is convertible to Ultimate Rewards points, at a 1%/1x ratio, as long as you have an Ultimate Rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Undoubtedly, the most eye-catching category is the office supply stores category which effectively allows you to accumulate up to 125,000 Ultimate Rewards points if you max out the 5% cash-back/5x points categories.
Also, this card bestows impressive perks for a no-annual-fee card, including purchase protection, primary rental car coverage, and other travel insurance perks. Of course, employee cards are at no additional fee, and you’ll have zero liability fraud protection, too.
Lastly, you’ll have a 0% introductory APR benefit that will help you bring your business online and defer any interest payments on your balances, which could save you thousands of dollars!
Why We Like Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Ultimate Rewards points are one of our favorite points systems out there, and they’re among the most valuable.
It’s super-easy to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and it’s super-easy to redeem them, too!
You can use them for cash-back, goods, gift cards, and travel. If you have an Ultimate Rewards credit card, you can book travel for 25% to 50% more value (1.25 to 1.5 cents per point) using the Chase travel portal OR our personal favorite, transfer them to airline and hotel partners for phenomenal value.
3. American Express® Business Gold Card (Best for Earning Lots of Points, No Preset Spending Limit*)
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:
- 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
- $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 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
- APR: 19.49% - 28.49% Variable
- 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 arguably offers the most well-rounded business card spending categories in the world.
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)
This is an incredible list of bonus categories, especially the second and third ones. As a doctor, you might be spending a large sum of money on marketing and advertising.
However, this card is one of the only cards that offer bonus points on numerous technology purchases including hardware and software!
As you know, software subscriptions for your private practice are incredibly expensive, so putting your spending on this card could multiply your points quickly.
Your points earnings will adjust every month automatically, so no need to select any bonus categories or predict your spending habits.
As you might expect, your Amex points earned from this card are Membership Rewards points, which, at the end of the day, are the most valuable transferable points, beating out Chase, Citi, and Capital One.
3 Alternative Business Credit Cards for Doctors
There’s no cure-all solution for the best business credit cards for all doctors that covers all specialties, all practice sizes, and all expenses.
However, it’s understandable that you might not find as much value in, say, advertising categories if you’ve already established your practice and can’t take any more clients.
So in this next section, we’ll walk you through our favorite alternative business credit cards for doctors.
1. 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 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
- 1.5% cash-back on all purchases
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
- 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
- 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
The Ink Business Unlimited card offers unmistakably simple rewards with a flat 1.5% cash-back, no annual fee, no bonus categories, and no rewards caps!
This credit card’s 1.5% cash-back can be converted to 1.5x points if you have an Ultimate Rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
Also, this card doesn’t have any caps on earning and comes with a 0% introductory APR period, as well as a huge welcome bonus!
2. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Best Overall Business 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 120k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 cash back or $1,500 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: 21.24%-26.24% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
We are huge fans of the Ink Business Preferred card for most instances. Between the gigantic welcome bonus worth around $2,000, the 3x points categories, and the cell phone insurance, it’s easy to fall in love with this card.
However, the spending categories don’t perfectly align with the most common purchases doctors make, which is why this card isn’t at the top of our list.
You’ll earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on up to $150,000 every cardmember year in these bonus categories:
- Advertising on social media and search engines
- Travel
- Shipping
- Internet, cable, and phone
As you can see, the most applicable bonus category will probably be advertising, which isn’t a universal expense, especially if you’re an established, popular doctor.
Still, you could get tremendous value through benefits like the cell phone coverage that offers up to 3 claims per rolling 12-month period up to $600 per claim with a $100 deductible per claim.
Plus, you’ll find primary rental car insurance, trip interruption and cancellation insurance, trip delay insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, and no foreign transaction fees.
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, 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
- 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 similar to the Ink Business Unlimited card, except the rewards multiplier you’ll earn is slightly better, though this card comes with a bonus cap.
You’ll earn 2x Membership Rewards points (around 4.4% return on spend) on up to $50,000 in everyday business purchases every calendar year. After that, you’ll earn 1x.
You’ll also find common benefits like no annual fee, and employee cards at no additional cost (rates & fees).
The only drawback of this card is that the cap of $50,000 per year is easily surpassed for most doctors’ private practices.
*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.