The 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Independent Contractors in July 2024
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Below are the best business cards for freelancers, self-employed, and independent contractors.
Top Picks (Quick Summary)
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.
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 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)
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
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 and prepaid hotels booked via Amex Travel.
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
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (upon enrollment)
- Up to $400 in statement credits for Dell purchases in the U.S.
- 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, electronic goods retailers, software and cloud system providers, and 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)
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
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):
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.
You can add up to 99 employee cards with no annual fee (rates & fees) after the first employee card ($50 annual fee).
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® 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
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. For a limited time through March 2025, you’ll also earn 5x points on Lyft purchases.
Another underrated benefit is the ability to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for 25% more value at a rate of 1.25 cents per point for any travel booked through the Chase travel portal or 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.
5. 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 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 gives you some incredible potential for solid cash savings, thanks to its thoughtful business bonus categories.
You’ll almost always find a fantastic welcome bonus on the card. Then, you’ll also find a 0% introductory APR perk, which could save you thousands of dollars on interest accrual.
After that, you’ll earn up to 5% cash-back per the following structure:
- 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
- 5% cash-back on Lyft purchases (through March 2025)
- 2% cash-back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
- 1% cash-back everywhere else
Earning 5% cash-back on a no-annual-fee card is amazing, even if it has a cap of $25,000 every account anniversary year.
Also, this credit card comes with primary rental car coverage, roadside dispatch, purchase protection, extended warranty, and employee cards for no additional annual fees.
Your cash-back can also be converted to Ultimate Rewards points if you have a credit card such as the Ink Business Preferred card. That means 5%, 2%, and 1% cash-back is equal to 5x, 2x, and 1x Ultimate Rewards Points. If you maxed out the 5% cash-back and converted it to Ultimate Rewards points, you could get a 10% return on spend!
6. 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 our favorite business credit card for everyday purchases. You can earn 2x points on everyday business purchases, up to $50,000 per calendar year (1x thereafter). Plus, there’s an awesome 0% introductory APR offer as shown in the table above. This card is a favorite because 2x Amex points are equal to a return on spend of around 4.4%. Not too shabby, right?
This card is one of the rare no-annual-fee cards that allows you access to a transferable rewards system and earnings of 2x transferable points per dollar. Other crucial perks include no additional fees for employee cards, Expanded Buying Power, purchase protection, extended warranty, and access to Amex Offers (rates & fees).
7. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Terms Apply / Rates & FeesTake control of your cash-back with the Amex Blue Business Cash card, and earn 2% cash-back on up to $50,000 in purchases each year.
Looking for a way to keep tabs on your office supply costs and business travel expenses while earning cash-back? Then The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card could be a good fit.
This card offers expense management solutions that are designed to give companies more control, along with a much clearer picture of their business spending. In doing so, the more you spend, the more cash-back you can earn.
- 2% cash-back on up to $50,000 in spend, then 1% back thereafter
- No annual fee
- Travel and purchase protection
- Not ideal for those who spend a lot on a specific category like groceries or gas
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
- 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 as determined at the time of account opening. APRs will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
- From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That’s why you’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
- Just remember, 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: 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 as determined at the time of account opening. APRs will not exceed 29.99%
- Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to U.S. dollars
Our very last credit card pick is a superb choice if you’re looking for straightforward cash-back to reinvest into your business as an independent contractor.
The Amex Blue Business Cash card will earn you 2% cash-back on all eligible purchases (up to $50,000 per calendar year), then 1% cash-back.
This card is awesome because the cash-back rewards you earn are automatically credited to your statement, which means you don’t need to worry about using your rewards!
Also, you’ll find a 0% intro APR perk to help you avoid interest fees in the first 12 months of your account opening. Regular APR, as shown in the table above, will apply after the introductory period.
There is no annual fee, and the Amex Blue Business Cash card gives cardholders Expanded Buying Power, extended warranty coverage, purchase protection, secondary car rental coverage, access to Amex Offers, and no additional fees for employee cards (rates & fees).
*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.
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.
For rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, click here.