Top Picks (Quick Summary)
Here’s a quick look at the best business credit cards available today.
Business Card | Welcome Bonus & Annual Fee | Main Benefits |
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express | - Earn 120,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- Annual Fee of $695 (rates and fees)
| - Access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass (upon enrollment), and more
- 35% airline bonus when using Pay With Points (up to 1,000,000 bonus points per calendar year)
- A generous collection of statement credits
|
American Express® Business Gold Card | - Earn 70,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- Annual Fee of $295 (rates and fees)
| - Earn 4x points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most (up to $150,000 per calendar year)
- Pay Over Time option
|
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | - Earn $750 cash-back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- Annual Fee of $0
| - 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.74% – 23.74% thereafter
- 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
- Travel insurance and purchase protection
|
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | - Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- Annual Fee of $95
| - Earn 3x on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year
- Points are worth 25% more in the Chase travel portal
- Excellent cell phone protection
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✅ Our Pick for Premium Perks, Travel Rewards, and Best Card for Airport Lounge Access
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card! (The current public offer is 120,000 points.)
The elite Amex Business Platinum card is a clear leader if your business requires a lot of travel and you’re looking to get access to travel perks and benefits.
With this card, you’ll earn 5x Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel, 1.5x points 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), and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Although the annual fee is steep, you’ll find the Amex Business Platinum card has plenty of benefits that more than offset the fee. Here are just some of this card’s perks:
- Worldwide lounge access to 1,400+ airport lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass (upon enrollment), Plaza Premium Lounges, and more
- Up to $400 annual Dell credit
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- Gold Elite status with Marriott and Hilton, upon enrollment
✅ Our Pick for Flexible Bonus Categories
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 70,000 points.)
The Amex Business Gold card is an excellent choice if you’re looking to maximize the number of points you earn through your business spending. This card is a powerhouse when it comes to earning Membership Rewards points thanks to its flexible bonus categories that adjust automatically.
You’ll earn 4x points per dollar spent (up to $150,000) in any 2 of the following categories:
- Airfare purchased directly from the airline
- U.S. purchases for online, TV, and radio advertising
- U.S purchases from select technology providers for computer hardware, software, and cloud solutions
- U.S. gas stations
- U.S. restaurants
- U.S. purchases for shipping
✅ Our Pick for Cash-back Bonus Categories, No Annual Fee
With 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.74% – 23.74% thereafter, the Ink Business Cash card is a great no-annual-fee option that earns lots of cash-back with these great bonus categories:
Earn 5% cash-back (up to $25,000 in combined purchases):
- Office supply stores
- Internet, cable, and phone services
Earn 2% cash-back (up to $25,000 in combined purchases):
Plus you’ll earn 1% cash-back on all of your other purchases.
If you also have a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card (one that charges an annual fee) you can turn your cash-back into Ultimate Rewards points that can then be transferred to hotel and airline partners for maximum value.
Hot Tip: Many new businesses spend a lot on phone expenses, internet service, and office supplies, so having a business credit card such as the Ink Business Cash card that gives 5% cash-back in these categories could make it a good choice for a start-up business.
✅ Our Pick for Best Overall Business Credit Card, Best for Flexible Bonus Categories
The Ink Business Preferred card is the most appealing for businesses that travel frequently. Plus, its broad range of bonus earning categories is likely to pair nicely with your business’ spending patterns.
You’ll earn 3x points per $1 spent (up to $150,000 per year) in the following bonus categories:
- Advertising on social media and search engines
- Travel
- Shipping
- Internet, cable, and phone services
For example, if you spent $50,000 per year in those bonus categories you’d earn 150,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points. That’s worth $1,875 when you use Chase’s travel portal to book flights, hotels, etc. Or you can get even more value from your points by transferring them to airline and hotel partners!
✅ Our Pick for Flat-rate Cash-back, No Annual Fee
If you’re looking for simplicity, the Ink Business Unlimited card may be just right for you. This card earns a flat 1.5% cash-back on all purchases without having to worry about bonus categories or earning limits.
Additionally, enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 17.74% – 23.74% thereafter.
Ink Business Unlimited cardholders who also hold a premium Ultimate Rewards credit card can combine the points earned from their cards and transfer them to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
✅ Our Pick for Flat-rate, Cash-back
The Amex Blue Business Cash card offers a simple way to earn cash-back for every purchase you make. For the first $50,000 you spend per calendar year, you’ll earn 2% cash-back. After that, you’ll earn 1% cash-back.
✅ Our Pick for Flat-rate Earning
The Amex Blue Business Plus card is a great option that offers simple, flat-rate points earning. With this card, you’ll be earning valuable Membership Rewards points that can be transferred to hotel and airline partners for maximum value.
You’ll earn 2x points per dollar spent (up to $50,000 per year). After you hit the $50,000 threshold, you’ll earn 1x point per dollar.
Plus, you’ll be able to get additional employee cards at no cost and you’ll be able to earn points on all of their purchases in addition to your own (rates and fees).
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the America Express® Business Gold Card. click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.