The 5 Best Business Credit Cards for Multiple Employees [July 2024]
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Top Picks (Quick Summary)
Card | Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee | Benefits for Multiple Employees |
| Ink Business Preferred® 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 Cash® Credit Card |
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The Best Overall Business Cards for Multiple Employees
1. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Top Pick, No Additional Fees for Employee Cards)
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 Ink Business Preferred card is our favorite pick here for a number of reasons. Simply put, it’s an incredible business credit card to help amass a ton of rewards with a mild annual fee ($95) and no additional fees for adding employee cards.
This card is a fantastic pick from top-to-bottom, starting with the humongous welcome bonus you can get. This welcome bonus alone could be worth up to $2,000 based on our valuations, and that benefit alone could be worth more than 20+ years of annual fees from this card!
But the best perk, arguably, is the ability to earn 3x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on up to $150,000 in combined purchases every year on internet, cable, and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites.
With such diverse earning categories and the ability to effectively get a 6% return on spend (2 cents per point value) across so many relevant business categories, it’s easy to see why the highlight is actually the points earning structure.
Whether you’re paying for phone bills, marketing, business travel, or logistics, you’re bound to rack up points quickly.
Let’s talk about the other benefits of this card. First, you’ll be able to access an industry-leading cell phone protection whereby you’ll get compensated if you break or damage your cell phone or if it’s stolen (note: lost phones aren’t covered). The coverage allows up to 3 claims every rolling 12 months with a $1,000 coverage limit per claim and a $100 deductible (up to $900 net payout per claim).
Bottom Line: The Ink Business Preferred card offers awesome benefits that will help you amass points quickly. Between the huge welcome bonus, the 3x earning categories, access to Chase Ultimate Rewards, and the superior cell phone insurance coverage, it’s easy to see why we love this credit card.
2. American Express® Business Gold Card (Big Points Earnings; $50 for First Employee Card, $0 for The Remaining 98)
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
One of our favorite mid-tier premium cards — the Amex Business Gold card — comes with a medley of perks.
This card also offers the ability to add up to 99 employee cards for an annual fee of $50 for the first card and then no authorized user fee for up to 98 remaining employee cards (see rates & fees).
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)
Your earning categories are automatically adjusted from month to month to maximize the number of points you earn, so it’s a headache-free way to earn up to 600,000 Membership Rewards points with this structure. After that, you’ll earn 1 point per dollar.
In addition, the Amex Business Gold card can seamlessly import your expenses via integrations with QuickBooks.
Why We Like Earning Amex Membership Rewards Points
We love what Amex has done with its proprietary rewards program, Membership Rewards. Because of its abundance of transfer partners (both airlines and hotels), Amex has the most valuable points out there.
If you maxed out the $150,000 in bonus categories every year, your 600,000 points would be worth around $13,000+! With those points, you can:
- Transfer to airline and hotel partners
- Book travel through Amex Travel
- Get gift cards
- Donate to charity
- Redeem for statement credits
- Buy merchandise
But of course, if your goal is luxury award travel, you’ll want to stick to transfer partners!
3. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (Best No Annual Fee, LOW Intro APR, Unlimited Number of Employee Cards for No Additional 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.
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 one of our top choices for a number of reasons. First of all, this card has no annual fee and almost always has an awesome welcome bonus.
Second of all, you can add an unlimited number of employee cards for no additional fee.
Third, the card will earn you an unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all your business purchases, regardless of which category they fall under.
You won’t need to worry about any bonus categories, bonus caps, or annual fees for yourself and your employees.
This card’s 1.5% cash-back is convertible to 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points if you have an Ultimate Rewards card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. That could double the value of your points, ultimately earning you a return on spend of approximately 3%!
There are some other superb benefits for Ink Business Unlimited cardholders, such as an introductory 0% APR perk that’ll help you defer paying interest on balances.
This card also offers primary rental car insurance, which is a travel benefit that some ultra-premium cards don’t even offer! Other benefits include zero liability fraud protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty protection.
The 2 Best Alternative Business Credit Cards for Multiple Employees
Now that we’ve gone over our biggest top picks that range across the spectrum of card offerings, let’s talk about some of the alternative choices you should consider.
1. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (No Annual Fee for Employee Cardholders, 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 is also an option worth talking about.
This credit card also has no annual fee for the primary and authorized employee cardholders.
You can earn up to 5% cash-back on these bonus categories:
- Office supply stores
- Cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services
You’ll be capped at $25,000 in combined purchases every account anniversary year.
Also, you’ll earn 2% cash-back (up to $25,000 in combined purchases) on gas stations and restaurants.
Your 5% cash-back and 2% cash-back could be converted to 5x and 2x Ultimate Rewards points, respectively, if you have a card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
You’ll gain access to travel insurance and purchase protection as an added benefit on these cards.
However, because of the relatively low bonus category caps, you might find yourself easily meeting the ceiling for bonus points! Still, it’s a card to consider if you find yourself transacting a lot in the categories above.
2. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (No Annual Fee for Employee Cardholders)
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 an underrated credit card that gets you some exceptional rewards on everyday business expenditures.
On up to $50,000 in purchases per year, you can earn 2x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on purchases. After that, you’ll earn 1x.
We love this card for plenty of reasons, but at the top of the list is the ability to earn an excellent 2x points without fussing about merchant categories. Also, this is a no-annual-fee card, so you also won’t need to worry about authorized user fees for employee cards (see rates & fees)!
The card is one of the lowest-cost ways to access a transferable rewards program, thanks to Membership Rewards.
There are numerous other benefits like expanded buyer power, and access to the famous Amex Offers ecosystem.
The only drawback of this card is that the $50,000 yearly purchase limit that qualifies for 2x points is relatively low — you could max this out with $4,167 in monthly spending.
Final Thoughts
Having a growing business is a great problem to have. And as your business needs grow, so will your business spending requirements. That’s why we put together this guide of the best cards to have if you have multiple employees.
In general, the card recommendations above avoid annual fees for employees, but you should weigh the trade-offs before gravitating towards a card with no authorized user fee for employee cards.
If you can get a higher value than the annual fee from an employee card, then it might be worth it.
For instance, the Amex Business Gold card comes with a $50 annual fee for the first employee card and then no authorized user fee for up to 98 additional employee cards, but it enables your business to seamlessly earn lots of Amex points!
Nevertheless, we hope you enjoyed our favorite picks of business credit cards for businesses with multiple employees.
*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.