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Best Credit Cards for Construction and Contractors of December 2024

By Kelsey Sheehy
Last updated on December 3, 2024
Edited by Ryan Lane
Fact checked and reviewed

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

The best construction credit cards offer your business flexibility and rewards. Construction companies and contractors often manage irregular cash flow, in addition to multiple job sites. The right business credit card should make your life easier. That could be by offering additional purchasing power, straightforward spend management or useful payment terms — like a no-interest intro financing period.
Cash in where your construction business spends most. Small-business credit cards rarely offer contractor-specific perks. Instead, look for a card that gives you flat-rate cash back on all your business expenses or offers bonus rewards on your common purchases, like gas.
Some of our selections for the best construction business credit cards 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.

Looking for a business credit card?

See our overall favorites, or choose a feature that will benefit your business spending the most.

Our top overall picks

on Nerdwallet's secure site

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

The best construction credit cards offer your business flexibility and rewards. Construction companies and contractors often manage irregular cash flow, in addition to multiple job sites. The right business credit card should make your life easier. That could be by offering additional purchasing power, straightforward spend management or useful payment terms — like a no-interest intro financing period.
Cash in where your construction business spends most. Small-business credit cards rarely offer contractor-specific perks. Instead, look for a card that gives you flat-rate cash back on all your business expenses or offers bonus rewards on your common purchases, like gas.
Some of our selections for the best construction business credit cards 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.

Looking for a business credit card?

See our overall favorites, or choose a feature that will benefit your business spending the most.

Our top overall picks

on Nerdwallet's secure site

Here are the best credit cards for construction businesses

Best forNerdWallet ratingAnnual feeRewards rateIntro offerLearn more

Intro APR + 2% cash back

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

4.7/5
$0

1%-2%

Cashback

$250

Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

Up to 5% cash back + signup bonus

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Apply now

on Chase's website

4.8/5
$0

1%-5%

Cashback

$350

Apply now

on Chase's website

No preset spending limit + unlimited 2% cash back

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

5.0/5
$150

2%-5%

Cashback

$2,000

⏱️ New bonus offer

Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

Flexible financing for big purchases

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

Apply now

on Chase's website

4.5/5
$195

2%-5%

Cashback

$1,000

Apply now

on Chase's website

Long intro APR + 3% cash back on gas

U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

5.0/5
$0

1%-3%

Cashback

$750

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

Corporate card + spend management platform

Ramp Card

Apply now

on Ramp's website

2.8/5
$0

1%-1.5%

Cashback

N/A

Apply now

on Ramp's website

Best forNerdWallet ratingAnnual feeRewards rateIntro offerLearn more

Intro APR + 2% cash back

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

4.7/5
$0

1%-2%

Cashback

$250

Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

Up to 5% cash back + signup bonus

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Apply now

on Chase's website

4.8/5
$0

1%-5%

Cashback

$350

Apply now

on Chase's website

No preset spending limit + unlimited 2% cash back

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

5.0/5
$150

2%-5%

Cashback

$2,000

⏱️ New bonus offer

Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

Flexible financing for big purchases

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

Apply now

on Chase's website

4.5/5
$195

2%-5%

Cashback

$1,000

Apply now

on Chase's website

Long intro APR + 3% cash back on gas

U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

5.0/5
$0

1%-3%

Cashback

$750

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

Corporate card + spend management platform

Ramp Card

Apply now

on Ramp's website

2.8/5
$0

1%-1.5%

Cashback

N/A

Apply now

on Ramp's website

I'M INTERESTED IN:

Our pick for

Intro APR + 2% cash back

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Read Review
Apply now

on American Express' website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2% Cashback
Intro offer
$250

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • High rewards rate
  • Intro APR period
  • Cash rewards

Cons

  • Spending caps on bonus rewards
  • Requires good/excellent credit

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

NerdWallet rating 

4.7/5
Apply now

on American Express' website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2% Cashback
Intro offer
$250

Our pick for

Up to 5% cash back + signup bonus

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Read Review
Apply now

on Chase's website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$350

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • Intro APR period
  • New cardholder bonus offer

Cons

  • Requires good/excellent credit
  • Low rate outside bonus categories
  • Spending caps on bonus rewards

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

NerdWallet rating 

4.8/5
Apply now

on Chase's website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$350

Our pick for

No preset spending limit + unlimited 2% cash back

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Read Review
Apply now

on Capital One's website

Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$2,000

⏱️ New bonus offer

Pros

  • Earns cash back on primary and employee cards
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

  • Balance must be paid in full every month
  • Has annual fee
  • High spending requirement to hit full welcome bonus, annual bonus offers

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

NerdWallet rating 

5.0/5
Apply now

on Capital One's website

Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$2,000

⏱️ New bonus offer

Our pick for

Flexible financing for big purchases

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

Read Review
Apply now

on Chase's website

Annual fee
$195
Rewards rate
2%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$1,000

Pros

  • High rewards rate
  • New cardholder bonus offer
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

  • Has annual fee
  • Requires good/excellent credit
  • Purchases that don’t qualify for Flex for Business must be paid in full every month

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

NerdWallet rating 

4.5/5
Apply now

on Chase's website

Annual fee
$195
Rewards rate
2%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$1,000

Our pick for

Long intro APR + 3% cash back on gas

U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®

Read Review
Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$750

Pros

  • Bonus cash back categories
  • No annual fee
  • Intro APR period on purchases

Cons

  • Requires good/excellent credit
  • Low rate outside bonus categories

U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®

NerdWallet rating 

5.0/5
Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$750

Our pick for

Corporate card + spend management platform

Ramp Card

Read Review
Apply now

on Ramp's website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
N/A

Pros

  • No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
  • 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
  • Rewards rate varies and is determined for each customer by Ramp.

Ramp Card

NerdWallet rating 

2.8/5
Apply now

on Ramp's website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
N/A

Full list of editorial picks: Best credit cards for construction businesses and contractors

Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Our pick for: Intro APR + 2% cash back
NerdWallet star rating:
4.7
.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
boasts one of the better introductory APR offers among business credit cards. Beyond that, you earn a solid cash-back rate (at least for a while — the rate drops after you hit a spending threshold). There's also a
$0
annual fee. Terms apply. Learn more and apply.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Our pick for: No preset spending limit + unlimited 2% cash back
NerdWallet star rating:
5
.
The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
is an excellent option for business operators whose expenses don't fall into the bonus categories on other business credit cards. There's no preset spending limit and you get a high, flat rewards rate on every purchase. Plus, you can earn a welcome bonus if you hit certain spending requirements. Just make sure that you can pay off your spending in full each month, as this is a charge card that doesn't let you revolve a balance. (See rates and fees.) Learn more and apply.

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Our pick for: Up to 5% cash back + signup bonus
NerdWallet star rating:
4.8
.
If your business's spending matches the bonus categories on the
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
, including 5% cash back on spending at office supply stores, you can rack up some serious cash back. (If not, then look elsewhere.) There's an excellent sign-up bonus for a no-annual-fee cash-back card, plus an introductory APR period for purchases. Learn more and apply.

Lowe's Business Rewards Card from American Express

Our pick for: 5% off at Lowe’s + 2% cash back on business expenses
NerdWallet star rating:
3
.
The
Lowe's Business Rewards Card from American Express
is a great option for contractors who rely on the home improvement store for the bulk of their materials. The card offers an upfront discount on all eligible Lowe's purchases, as well as up to 2% cash back on other business expenses, such as office supplies and cell phone service. Learn more and apply.

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

Our pick for: Flexible financing for big purchases
NerdWallet star rating:
4.5
.
The
Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
pays you more for big purchases:
Earn unlimited 2.5% total cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases. Earn unlimited 5% total cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
And while this is nominally a charge card, Chase offers some wiggle room with its Flex for Business program, which allows cardholders to finance qualified purchases of $500 or more, up to a set limit. There's also a generous welcome bonus.
Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Learn more and apply.

U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®

Our pick for: Long intro APR + 3% cash back on gas
NerdWallet star rating:
5
.
The
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
is a solid cash-back card for business owners.
Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations (transactions of $200 or less)*, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants (*excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs). Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases. Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center.
Plus, the card offers a competitive welcome bonus and
0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 billing cycles, and then the ongoing APR of 18.24%-27.24% Variable APR
— all with a $
0
annual fee. Learn more and apply.

Ramp Card

Our pick for: Corporate card + spend management platform
NerdWallet star rating:
2.8
.
The
Ramp Card
is a corporate charge card available to incorporated businesses that have strong revenue and at least $25,000 in a business bank account. There's no personal guarantee or credit check and you get built-in expense management and card-level spending controls. Ramp has no annual fee and offers cash back on qualified purchases, but the actual reward rate varies by business. Learn more and apply.

Alternative financing options for construction businesses

Flex your purchase power wisely. Don’t use a construction business credit card to finance large purchases, such as machinery, unless you’re in a position to pay the balance off quickly. The interest charges will hit your bottom line, and your credit score will be dinged for using up your available credit.
Instead, use your business credit card for everyday expenses and items you can pay off within the 0% APR period (if your card has one). And look to small-business loans to fund more substantial purchases.
  • Business line of credit: Lines of credit are similar to business credit cards — you can draw from either as needed, up to a set credit limit. Business lines of credit may offer more funding than even the highest-limit business credit cards — up to $250,000 or more — and often at lower interest rates. But you won’t earn perks like cash back or have your interest waived for any period of time. Business owners can tap into a line of credit to smooth out the dips and dives in their regular cash flow.
  • Equipment financing: You can use an equipment loan to purchase everything from office equipment to construction machinery to heavy-duty vehicles. Equipment loans typically carry an interest rate of 8% to 30%, making them a more affordable option for financing machinery purchases, especially if you have a FICO credit score of 630 or higher.
  • Home Depot project loan: Construction contractors can use this short-term loan to finance materials purchases for a given project, provided those items are purchased from Home Depot. You can borrow up to $55,000 and take up to six months to buy everything you need. Interest rates vary by loan size and term, ranging from 7.42% APR to 19.96% APR as of this writing.
All information about the Lowe's Business Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by NerdWallet.
To view rates and fees of
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.
Last updated on December 3, 2024

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.
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Find a business credit card that works as hard as you do

Looking to earn rewards or build your credit? We’ll help match you to the perfect business credit card based on your qualifications.

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Find a business credit card that works as hard as you do

Looking to earn rewards or build your credit? We’ll help match you to the perfect business credit card based on your qualifications.