The 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Independent Contractors in September 2025

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Below are the best business cards for freelancers, self-employed, and independent contractors.
Top Picks (Quick Summary)
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Card | Welcome Offer and Annual Fee | Benefits for Independent Contractors |
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card ![]() |
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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express |
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American Express® Business Gold Card |
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Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card ![]() |
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Ink Business Cash® Credit Card ![]() |
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1. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (Best 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.
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.
$900
$0
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.49% - 23.49% thereafter
Why We Like This Card
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 17.49% - 23.49% thereafter
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 1.5% cash-back on all purchases
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.49% - 23.49% thereafter
Cons
- 3% foreign transaction fee
Card Highlights
- 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
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.49% - 23.49% thereafter
- Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
Rewards Center
The Ink Business Unlimited card is often thought of as a competitor to the Amex Blue Business Plus card. It ’s also thought of as the business card equivalent to the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
Both of these labels are partially correct in the sense that this credit card offers awesome rewards on everyday business purchases.
Specifically, you’ll earn 1.5% cash-back on all of your purchases with no caps! You’ll also enjoy a 0% introductory APR benefit for the first 12 months.
Although this card doesn’t earn Ultimate Rewards points by itself, the 1.5% cash-back rewards you earn can be converted to 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points if you also hold an Ultimate Rewards credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. That’s equivalent to a return on spend of 3%!
This no-annual-fee credit card has unlimited employee cards for no additional fee, zero liability fraud protection, primary car rental insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, and many more benefits.
2. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Best Card for Airport Lounge Access)

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
Up to $3,300
$695
18.49% - 29.24% Variable
Why We Like This Card
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.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on eligible travel purchases like flights, prepaid hotels, and prepaid short-term rentals booked through AmexTravel.com
- Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection (as of 10/2024).
- 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 (on up to $2 million per calendar year)
Cons
- High annual fee of $695 (rates & fees)
- Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags
Card Highlights
- 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.
- 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 10/2024.
- Unlock over $2,000 in statement credits with business and travel benefits annually* on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply. Learn more. *After meeting qualifying spend thresholds
- New! Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
- New! Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- Make the Business Platinum Card® work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required.
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
- 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
- Use the Business Platinum Card® and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 18.49% - 29.24% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center
Our absolute staff-favorite business card for independent contractors is the Amex Business Platinum card, which, as you can imagine, is fully loaded with travel perks and the ability to earn some of the most amazing rewards out there.
Rewards start with an incredible welcome bonus, worth more than $2,000+ by itself. You’ll also earn 5x points on flights, prepaid hotels, and short-term rentals booked at AmexTravel.com.
Cardholders get unrivaled lounge access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection. This includes over 1,400 locations around the world at the following lounges:
- Amex Centurion Lounges
- Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta the same day)
- Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
- Select Lufthansa Lounges (when flying Lufthansa the same day)
- Priority Pass lounges, upon enrollment
- Select Virgin Clubhouses, Plaza Premium Lounges
We’re just getting started with the travel benefits of the Amex Business Platinum card! You will also get:
- A Global Entry or a TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- Access to amazing Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts
- An up to $200 airline fee credit every calendar year (enrollment required)
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (upon enrollment)
- A 35% rebate on select flights through the Pay With Points benefit
In addition, the Amex Business Platinum card earns 1.5x points on eligible purchases in key business categories (U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, U.S. electronic goods retailers, U.S. software and cloud system providers, and U.S. shipping providers), as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in these purchases per calendar year).
To finish off the travel benefits, you will get state-of-the-art travel insurance that covers trip cancellation and interruption, trip delays, and lost/damaged baggage, along with secondary car rental coverage and emergency medical transportation.
And you can bet that you’ll also get top-of-the-line benefits not related to travel, including QuickBooks integrations, purchase protection, return protection, extended warranty coverage, and no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees).
3. American Express® Business Gold Card (Best for Earning Lots of Points)

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).
Up to $2,200
$375
18.49% - 29.24% Variable
Why We Like This Card
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 & Cons
Pros
- 4x points per dollar spent on your 2 highest purchase categories each month up to $150,000 each calendar year in purchases; categories include:
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, plus TV and radio)
- 3x points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card
- Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
Cons
- $375 annual fee (rates and fees)
- No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access or elite status
Card Highlights
- 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.*
- 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 comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and White Gold. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
- *Terms Apply
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 18.49% - 29.24% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
Rewards Center
The Amex Business Gold card is the little sister of the Amex Business Platinum card for a few reasons. Ultimately, it’s difficult to compare the 2 cards, but here’s what we can tell you about the Amex Business Gold card.
You’ll get a huge welcome bonus, which could be worth more than $1,500 by itself.
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)
As an independent contractor, you might have different expenses from one month to another — the Amex Business Gold card is one of the few cards that automatically adjusts your bonus categories for you based on where you’d earn the most points every month. That way, you can just focus on growing your business!
If you max out the $150,000 in purchases earning 4x points every calendar year, you’ll get 600,000 Amex points, which is worth a whopping $13,000+! With 4x Amex points, your return on spend is equal to about 8.8%!
The Amex Business Gold card’s rewards structure is second-to-none — but it doesn’t offer anywhere near the same travel benefits the Amex Business Platinum card does, including lounge access or a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
Nonetheless, it does offer valuable benefits including purchase protection, extended warranty, secondary rental car coverage, travel insurance, and business integrations with QuickBooks.
The annual fee for employee cards is $95 for the first five cards and then $95 for each card thereafter, up to 99 cards (rates & fees).
Also, this card doesn’t have a preset spending limit*, and it doesn’t have any foreign transaction fees (rates & fees).
4. 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 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.
$1,800
$95
20.24% - 26.24% Variable
Why We Like This Card
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 & Cons
Pros
- 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
- Cell phone protection
- Purchase protection
Cons
- No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access
Card Highlights
- Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- 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 more when you redeem for travel through Chase TravelSM
- 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
Financial Snapshot
- APR: 20.24% - 26.24% Variable
- Foreign Transaction Fees: $0
Rewards Center
The king of business credit cards has officially made an appearance! The Ink Business Preferred card offers incredible well-rounded benefits, starting with the massive welcome bonus worth $2,000+ alone!
On top of that, this credit card allows you to earn the amazing Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 3x points on the first $150,000 (1x points after that) in combined purchases across these categories:
- Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- Shipping purchases
- Travel
Maxing out these bonus categories would net you 450,000 Ultimate Rewards points every year — that’s worth up to $9,000!
You’ll also earn 1x points on all other purchases. Plus, through September 30, 2027, you’ll also earn 5x points on Lyft purchases.
Other underrated benefits are the ability to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for up to 75% more value at a rate of up to 1.75 cents per point for select travel booked through the Chase travel portal with Points Boost offers and up to 1.25 cents per point via Pay Yourself Back.
The Ink Business Preferred card offers purchase protection, extended warranty, top-notch cell phone protection insurance, travel insurance (including primary car rental insurance), and more.
There are no foreign transaction fees or employee card fees.
Bottom Line: The Ink Business Preferred card offers exceptional rewards and travel protections with an extremely reasonable annual fee, plus a huge welcome bonus to boot.