Best Business Credit Cards for Bad Credit of April 2023
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Business credit cards for bad credit can help entrepreneurs with a personal FICO score below 630 access and build business credit. These cards typically fall into two buckets: secured cards and corporate cards.
Secured business cards are relatively easy to get but require a cash security deposit. Corporate cards don't require a credit check, but you need strong annual revenue and a sizable bank balance to qualify. They’re also only available to incorporated businesses. If approved, corporate credit cards offer perks and rewards similar to traditional business credit cards.
All of our picks for the best business cards for bad credit are chosen by our editorial team, which independently evaluates and rates cards based on fees, rewards rates and redemption options, among numerous other factors. We’ve included personal cards among our selections, as a secured personal card can help your personal credit score so you can qualify for a better business credit card down the road.
Note: Some of our selections can be applied for through NerdWallet, and some cannot. Below, you’ll find application links for the credit cards from our partners that are available through NerdWallet, followed by the full list of our picks.
Business credit cards for bad credit can help entrepreneurs with a personal FICO score below 630 access and build business credit. These cards typically fall into two buckets: secured cards and corporate cards.
Secured business cards are relatively easy to get but require a cash security deposit. Corporate cards don't require a credit check, but you need strong annual revenue and a sizable bank balance to qualify. They’re also only available to incorporated businesses. If approved, corporate credit cards offer perks and rewards similar to traditional business credit cards.
All of our picks for the best business cards for bad credit are chosen by our editorial team, which independently evaluates and rates cards based on fees, rewards rates and redemption options, among numerous other factors. We’ve included personal cards among our selections, as a secured personal card can help your personal credit score so you can qualify for a better business credit card down the road.
Note: Some of our selections can be applied for through NerdWallet, and some cannot. Below, you’ll find application links for the credit cards from our partners that are available through NerdWallet, followed by the full list of our picks.
Best Business Credit Cards for Bad Credit
| Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brex Card Apply now on Brex's website | Best for Corporate cards | $0 | 1x- Points | 10,000 Points | Apply now on Brex's website |
Ramp Card Apply now on Ramp's website | Best for Corporate cards | $0 | 1.5% Cashback | N/A | Apply now on Ramp's website |
First National Bank Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card | Not yet rated Best for Secured card to build business credit history | $39 | N/A | N/A | Learn more |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Apply now on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 | Best for Secured cards to build personal credit | $0 | 1%- Cashback | Cashback Match™ | Apply now on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 |
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's website | Best for Secured cards to build personal credit | $0 | 1.5%- Cashback | N/A | Apply now on Capital One's website |
Our pick for
Corporate cards
Corporate credit cards don't require a personal credit check, but the minimum bank balance requirement might be a problem for some newer or cash-strapped businesses.
on Brex's website
on Brex's website
$0
1x-7x
Points
10,000
Points
Pros
No annual fee
New cardholder bonus offer
Qualify with limited/bad credit
Bonus categories
No foreign transaction fees
No personal guarantee
Cons
Complicated rewards structure
High capital requirement for approval
Daily repayment may be required
Pros
No annual fee
New cardholder bonus offer
Qualify with limited/bad credit
Bonus categories
No foreign transaction fees
No personal guarantee
Cons
Complicated rewards structure
High capital requirement for approval
Daily repayment may be required
Get 10,000 points when you spend $3,000 on a Brex Card within your first 3 months.
No personal guarantee needed – Brex does not ask for a personal credit check or security deposit during the application.
Credit limits 10-20x higher than traditional small business corporate cards.
Minimum bank balance of $50,000 from professional investors may be required to qualify for Brex.
Exclusive signup offers from the best products and tools for your business (e.g. AWS, Google Ads, WeWork, Salesforce) worth up to $150,000 in value.
Earn points on every dollar spent with industry-leading multipliers: 7x on rideshare, 4x on Brex Travel, 3x on restaurants, 2x on software subscriptions and 1x on all other transactions.
Earn 3x Brex Rewards points on all eligible Apple purchases through the link or your Brex dashboard.
Miles transfer program to 7 airlines (including Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Air France, and more) and their loyalty programs, giving Brex customers access to book travel across all of the major global airline alliances - Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam.
30-day charge card running on the Mastercard network. Enjoy global acceptance with no foreign transaction fees.
Build business credit: Brex partners with Dun & Bradstreet and Experian to report your on-time payments.
Make employee expenses seamless - automated receipt-capture and expense matching and reconciliation via text, email, and mobile app. Instantly add new users and set spending limits.
Contactless pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Simplify reconciliation with built-in integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and more.
on Ramp's website
on Ramp's website
$0
1.5%
Cashback
N/A
Pros
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
Simple, straightforward rewards
No personal guarantee or credit check
Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
Balance must be paid in full each month
Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
Pros
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
Simple, straightforward rewards
No personal guarantee or credit check
Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
Balance must be paid in full each month
Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, no minimum spend required.
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees.
No personal credit check or personal guarantee required.
Issue unlimited virtual cards and physical cards for each employee.
Prevent out-of-policy spending with built-in controls, including spend restrictions by category or merchant.
Ramp is a corporate charge card powered by Visa. Businesses are required to pay the monthly balance in full by each statement period.
Must have at least $75,000 in cash in any U.S. business bank account to qualify.
Must have most of your operations and corporate spend in the US (although Ramp does support international transactions and will waive all related transaction fees).
Ramp is only available to corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships. Individuals, sole proprietorships and unregistered businesses are not eligible.
Our pick for
Secured card to build business credit history
A secured business credit card will help establish your business credit history and more formally separate your business and personal finances.
$39
N/A
N/A
Pros
Qualify with limited / bad credit
Cons
Has annual fee
No rewards
High APR
Pros
Qualify with limited / bad credit
Cons
Has annual fee
No rewards
High APR
Request your own credit limit between $2,000 and $100,000 (multiples of $50), when you apply, subject to credit approval.
Earn interest on your security deposit.
Variable 23.99% APR on purchases and balance transfers based on the Prime Rate.
Our pick for
Secured cards to build personal credit
If bad personal credit is preventing you from financing your business, a secured personal credit card can help you improve your credit over time and unlock better financing options down the road.
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
$0
1%-2%
Cashback
Cashback Match™
Pros
No annual fee
Reports to the three major credit bureaus
Qualify with limited/bad credit
Earns rewards
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
Requires minimum deposit
High APR
Pros
No annual fee
Reports to the three major credit bureaus
Qualify with limited/bad credit
Earns rewards
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
Requires minimum deposit
High APR
No credit score required to apply.
No Annual Fee.
Use your tax refund to fund your security deposit and start building your credit history. Your credit line will equal your deposit amount, starting at $200. Bank information must be provided when submitting your deposit.
Automatic reviews starting at 7 months to see if we can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.
Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. Activate for free.
Click through to Discover’s website to see terms and conditions.
- View Rates & Fees
on Capital One's website
on Capital One's website
$0
1.5%-5%
Cashback
N/A
Pros
Qualify with limited/bad credit
Reports to the three major credit bureaus
Earns rewards
No minimum redemption amount
Rewards don't expire
No annual fee
Cons
High APR
No new cardholder bonus offer
No bonus categories
Pros
Qualify with limited/bad credit
Reports to the three major credit bureaus
Earns rewards
No minimum redemption amount
Rewards don't expire
No annual fee
Cons
High APR
No new cardholder bonus offer
No bonus categories
No annual or hidden fees, and you can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day. See if you're approved in seconds
Put down a refundable $200 security deposit to get a $200 initial credit line
Building your credit? Using a card like this responsibly could help
Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
Enjoy up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS FOR BAD CREDIT
Click the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Our pick for: Corporate cards
Our pick for: Corporate cards
The Ramp Card's main selling point: It does not require a credit check or personal guarantee. You just need strong revenue and a healthy bank balance. The corporate charge card also offers unlimited cash-back rewards and card-level spending controls with no annual fee. Learn more and apply.
First National Bank Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card
Our pick for: Secured card to build business credit history
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card
Our pick for: Secured card to build business credit history
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no cap or expiration date on the rewards you earn. The card has a minimum security deposit of $1,000, which is equal to your credit limit and subject to credit approval. Bank of America will periodically review your secured card and may upgrade you to an unsecured card if and when you qualify. This card has no annual fee.
Our pick for: Business credit for fair, average credit
Our pick for: Secured cards to build personal credit
This personal secured credit card offers a generous cash-back program, and responsible habits will automatically trigger an evaluation from Discover after seven months of holding the card. Note that your original deposit, or security, must be paid through a bank account. Learn more and apply.
Our pick for: Secured card to build personal credit
The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card offers an impressive combination of features for those with poor credit. A deposit is required, but in exchange you get a $0-annual-fee card that reports to all three credit bureaus; an automatic credit limit review after six months; and a possible upgrade path to an unsecured Capital One card. Oh, and 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, plus 1.5% back on all other purchases, which equals what you'd find on many unsecured cards. Learn more and apply.
How do you apply for a business credit card with bad credit?
Know your credit score. Most card issuers will check your personal credit score when you apply for a business credit card. Your options will be limited if you have a FICO score below 630, which is considered bad credit. If you have time, see if taking some quick steps to build credit — like paying off existing debt or disputing errors on your credit report — could help your score before applying.
Find the right card for your business. Poor or thin credit may be the biggest factor in the card you choose, but you’ll still want to consider a card’s terms and individual features to determine the best fit for your company. First National Bank’s business secured card charges an annual fee, for example, but offers a higher potential credit line (with deposit) than other secured cards.
Make your deposit, if necessary. No-deposit business credit cards for bad credit are uncommon. Most likely, you’ll have to opt for a secured credit card that requires a deposit, which the lender can take in instances of nonpayment. Bank of America’s business secured card, for example, requires a security deposit of at least $1,000 and then limits your spending to that deposited amount.
Use your business credit card wisely. Getting a business credit card won’t help bad personal credit: Most business card providers only report negative behavior to consumer credit bureaus. But good habits like making on-time payments and paying in full can build your business credit. Plus, some issuers, like Bank of America, will monitor your secured card usage and let you upgrade to an unsecured account.
Alternatives to business credit cards for bad credit
Secured credit cards are tied to a cash deposit, which makes providers more willing to work with business owners with poor personal credit or no credit history. The card issuer can simply take that deposit if you fail to pay what you owe.
But if you need more money than a secured card’s credit limit, bad-credit business loans may be an option. For example, Fundbox’s business line of credit is worth up to $150,000 to business owners with a credit score of at least 600 and six months in business. If you’re a startup with bad credit, an option like invoice financing could make sense depending on your business model.
You may also want to consider a personal loan for bad credit or personal credit card for bad credit. While NerdWallet recommends separating your personal and business finances, these products can offer short-term financing and the opportunity to strengthen your credit for future business borrowing needs.
Last updated on March 31, 2023
Methodology
NerdWallet's Credit Cards team selects the best credit cards for small business based on overall consumer value, as evidenced by star ratings, as well as their suitability for specific kinds of small-business operators. Factors in our evaluation include annual and other fees, rewards rates, the earning structure (for example, flat-rate rewards versus bonus categories), redemption options, bonus offers for new cardholders, introductory and ongoing APRs, and other noteworthy features such as special financing arrangements, free cards for employees or tools for managing business expenses. Learn more about how we rate business credit cards.
