The best business credit cards for startups and new businesses offer spending power coupled with benefits that deliver financial flexibility or boost your bottom line, like a long 0% APR introductory period or cash back tied to travel or certain purchases.
Card issuers prioritize your personal credit history so even new businesses can choose from the best small-business credit cards if you have good credit. There are business credit cards for startups with no credit, as well, including secured business credit cards.
Some of our selections for the best business credit cards for startups 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.
Here are 8 business credit cards for startups from our partners
Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card Apply now on American Express' website | 5.0/5 Best for Best overall | $0 | 1%-2% Cashback | $250 | Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees |
Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus Apply now on Capital One's website | 4.6/5 Best for Flat-rate cash-back rewards | $0 | 1.5%-5% Cashback | $500 | Apply now on Capital One's website |
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 5.0/5 Best for Cash-back bonus categories, sign-up bonus | $0 | 1%-5% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on Chase's website |
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 5.0/5 Best for Travel rewards + big sign-up offer | $95 | 1x-3x Points | 100,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card Apply now on Bank of America's website | 3.9/5 Best for Travel rewards (no annual fee) | $0 | 1.5x-3x Points | 30,000 Points | Apply now on Bank of America's website |
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on US Bank's website | 4.7/5 Best for 0% intro APR offer | $0 | 1%-3% Cashback | $500 | Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Ramp Card Apply now on Ramp's website | 4.1/5 Best for Corporate card for startups | $0 | 1.5% Cashback | $0 | Apply now on Ramp's website |
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card Apply now on American Express' website | 5.0/5 Best for Hotel credit card | $95 | 3x-12x Points | 130,000 Points | Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees |
Our pick for
Best overall
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2% Cashback
Intro offer
$250
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- Cash rewards
Cons
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Requires good/excellent credit
Our pick for
Flat-rate cash-back rewards
Read Review
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus
Read Review
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- No reward caps
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
Our pick for
Cash-back bonus categories, sign-up bonus
Read Review
Apply now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
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
Our pick for
Travel rewards + big sign-up offer
Read Review
Apply now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
100,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Bonus categories
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Has annual fee
- No intro APR offer
Our pick for
Travel rewards (no annual fee)
Read Review
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Read Review
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x-3x Points
Intro offer
30,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
720-850excellent
Pros
- No annual fee
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Intro APR period
- No reward caps
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
Our pick for
0% intro APR offer
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
Pros
- Bonus cash back categories
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
Our pick for
Corporate card for startups
Read Review
Apply now
on Ramp's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
$0
Recommended Credit Score
300850poor - excellent
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.
Our pick for
Hotel credit card
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
3x-12x Points
Intro offer
130,000 Points
Recommended Credit Score
690-850good - excellent
Pros
- High rewards rate
- Automatic elite status
- Luxury perks
Cons
- Has annual fee
- No free anniversary night
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS: BEST SMALL-BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS FOR STARTUPS AND NEW BUSINESSES
Select the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Our pick for: Best overall
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 no annual fee. Read our review.Our pick for: Flat-rate cash-back rewards
The
Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus
offers a generous, attainable sign-up bonus, no annual fee and flat-rate cash-back rewards. Businesses that expect to spend $50,000 or more in their first six months should look to the Capital One Spark Cash Plus
, which offers a higher bonus and rewards rate (for a higher annual fee). Read our review.Our pick for: Cash-back bonus categories, sign-up bonus
If your business's spending matches the bonus categories on the
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
, 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. Read our review. Our pick for: Travel rewards + big sign-up offer
The
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
starts you off with one of the biggest sign-up bonuses of any credit card anywhere (assuming you spend enough to earn it), then gives you bonus rewards in common business spending categories. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. Read our review.Our pick for: Travel rewards (no annual fee)
This is the business version of the issuer's excellent no-annual-fee travel card. The
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
pays solid rewards on every purchase and gives you wide flexibility in redeeming your points for any travel purchase, without the restrictions of branded airline and hotel cards. Read our review.Our pick for: 0% intro APR offer
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, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants. Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases
. Plus, the card offers a competitive welcome bonus and 0% intro APR on Purchases for 15 billing cycles and 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 Billing Cycles, and then the ongoing APR of 16.24%-25.24% Variable APR
— all with a $0
annual fee. Read our review.Our pick for: Corporate card for startups
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. Read our review.Our pick for: Hotel credit card
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
is an outstanding small-business hotel credit card — though a little unusual. It comes with rich ongoing rewards, automatic elite status with Hilton and 10 free visits to select airport lounges each year (a rare perk for hotel cards). Rather than automatically granting a free night each year, like most hotel cards with annual fees, you have to spend at least $15,000 per calendar year to earn a free weekend night. Terms apply. Read our review. Our pick for: Fair credit
The rewards rate on the
Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
isn't going to wow anyone; there's no sign-up bonus and the APR is high. What makes this card valuable is that it's available to business operators with fair credit (a FICO score between 630-689), who don't have a lot of options in business credit cards — and it has no annual fee. Read our review. Our pick for: Startups with no credit, bad credit
If you can afford to put a lot of money down, the
First National Bank Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card
may be a good choice for bad-credit borrowers. The secured business credit card requires a credit check (personal credit) and security deposit (between $2,200 and $110,000 in multiples of $50) which dictates your credit limit. Your deposit earns interest and card activity is reported to Dun & Bradstreet, one of the three main business credit bureaus, so on-time payments will help build your business credit score. This card charges a $39
annual fee. Read our review.Can startups get business credit cards?
Startups with no established credit history can still get a business credit card because most issuers require a personal guarantee, which says if your business can’t repay the debt, you will. If you have good personal credit, you should have no issue opening a business credit card for your new business.
If you have no personal credit history or bad credit, you can still get a business credit card, though you will have fewer options and may need to start with a secured card.
Can you get a business credit card with an LLC?
Your new business’s structure won’t stop you from getting most small-business credit cards. Most business credit cards are available to LLCs, sole proprietors and corporations alike, though incorporated businesses with several million in revenue should weigh the differences between corporate credit cards and small-business credit cards to find the best fit.
How do small businesses establish credit?
A small-business credit card, used wisely, can help you build your business credit. Why does that matter? A strong business credit score can help you establish trade lines and secure a business loan for your startup.
How to get a business credit card for a new business
- Know your credit score. To qualify for most business credit cards, you’ll need to have good to excellent personal credit (typically a FICO score of 690 or above). If your personal credit is thin or poor, business credit cards for bad credit are available. You can get a free credit score from many sources, including NerdWallet.
- Look at your spending to find the best card. For example, if you or your employees travel often, consider a card with hotel or flight rewards. New businesses without months of receipts can look at future costs, such as opening an office. A card with bonus cash back on office supplies could make sense in that case. If you’ll use your card like a startup business loan, a long 0% APR introductory offer may be the right choice.
- Check for fees. Every dollar counts for a startup, so you may prefer a business credit card that helps cover your expenses — instead of adding to them. Some cards charge annual fees, which may be hundreds of dollars. If the rewards outweigh that cost, paying a fee may be worth it. But there are also a number of business credit cards with no annual fee to choose from.
- Gather your application materials. To get a business credit card, you’ll need to provide basic information about yourself, such as your name and Social Security number, and your new business. A formal business structure isn’t required for most cards. But in some instances — for example, if you want a corporate card for startups — you’ll need to provide company details like an employer identification number.
- Use your card responsibly. Once you get your new business credit card, you can start spending. Many issuers offer free cards for employees, if you have any, and you’ll get any rewards tied to their purchases. If this is your first business credit card, work to build business credit by establishing good habits, such as keeping your spending low (20% to 30% of your credit limit) and making on-time payments.
To view rates and fees of the
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.To view rates and fees of
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
, see this page.Last updated on August 11, 2022
To recap our selections...
8 Best Business Credit Cards for Startups of August 2022
- American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card: Best for Best overall
- Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus: Best for Flat-rate cash-back rewards
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Best for Cash-back bonus categories, sign-up bonus
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best for Travel rewards + big sign-up offer
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card: Best for Travel rewards (no annual fee)
- U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®: Best for 0% intro APR offer
- Ramp Card: Best for Corporate card for startups
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Best for Hotel credit card
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.