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Best Business Credit Cards for Startups, New Businesses of February 2025

Edited by

Ryan Lane

Last updated on February 3, 2025

Fact checked and reviewed
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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 business credit cards for startups offer rewards, perks and flexible financing to help new businesses grow. Business credit card issuers prioritize your personal credit history over factors like time in business or annual revenue, so if you have good or excellent personal credit, your startup can likely choose from the best small-business credit cards.
Have a personal credit score below 690? Explore cards for business owners with fair/average credit (FICO of 630-689) or bad credit (FICO below 630).


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 business credit cards for startups offer rewards, perks and flexible financing to help new businesses grow. Business credit card issuers prioritize your personal credit history over factors like time in business or annual revenue, so if you have good or excellent personal credit, your startup can likely choose from the best small-business credit cards.
Have a personal credit score below 690? Explore cards for business owners with fair/average credit (FICO of 630-689) or bad credit (FICO below 630).


Here are the best credit cards for startups and new businesses

Best forNerdWallet ratingAnnual feeRewards rateIntro offerLearn more
NerdWallet mini logo
Best Small Business Credit Card 2025

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Apply now

on Chase's website

4.9/5
$0

1.5%

Cashback

$750

Apply now

on Chase's website

No preset spending limit

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

4.9/5
$150

2%-5%

Cashback

$2,000

Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

Up to 5% back on office supplies, internet and phone

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Apply now

on Chase's website

4.6/5
$0

1%-5%

Cashback

$350

Apply now

on Chase's website

2% back on up to $50K annually

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

4.5/5
$0

1%-2%

Cashback

$250

Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

Travel rewards + big sign-up offer

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Apply now

on Chase's website

4.8/5
$95

1x-3x

Points

90,000

Points

Apply now

on Chase's website

0% APR period + 3% back on bonus categories

U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

4.4/5
$0

1%-3%

Cashback

$750

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

Corporate card for startups

Brex Card

Apply now

on Brex's website

4.3/5
$0

1x-7x

Points

10,000

Points

Apply now

on Brex's website

Cash-back rewards + no foreign transaction fees

Capital One Spark Cash Select

Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

4.6/5
$0

1.5%-5%

Cashback

$500

Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

Startups with fair credit

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

Apply now

on Capital on Tap's website

4.6/5
$0

1.5%

N/A

Apply now

on Capital on Tap's website

Advertising + software

American Express® Business Gold Card

Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

4.3/5
$375

1x-4x

Points

100,000

Points

Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

Travel, gas + EV charging (up to 4X points)

U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

4.5/5
$0 intro for the first year, then $95

1x-5x

Points

60,000

Points

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

I'M INTERESTED IN:

Our pick for

Overall card for new businesses

NerdWallet mini logo
Best Small Business Credit Card 2025
NerdWallet mini logo
Best Small Business Credit Card 2025

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Read Review
Apply now

on Chase's website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
$750

Pros

  • High rewards rate
  • Intro APR period
  • No reward caps
  • New cardholder bonus offer

Cons

  • No bonus categories
NerdWallet mini logo
Best Small Business Credit Card 2025
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
$750

Our pick for

No preset spending limit

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

Pros

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

Cons

  • High annual fee
  • Balance must be paid in full every month
  • High spending requirement to hit bonuses
  • Requires excellent credit
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$2,000

Our pick for

Up to 5% back on office supplies, internet and phone

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

  • Intro APR period
  • New cardholder bonus offer
  • High reward rate in bonus categories

Cons

  • Low rate outside bonus categories
  • Spending caps on bonus rewards
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$350

Our pick for

2% back on up to $50K annually

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

  • High cash-back bonus rate
  • Intro APR period
  • New cardholder bonus offer

Cons

  • Spending caps on bonus rewards
  • Low rate after you hit bonus cap
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2% Cashback
Intro offer
$250

Our pick for

Travel rewards + big sign-up offer

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Read Review
Apply now

on Chase's website

Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
90,000 Points

Pros

  • New cardholder bonus offer
  • High reward redemption rate
  • Transfer partners

Cons

  • Does not include lounge access or travel credits
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
90,000 Points

Our pick for

0% APR period + 3% back on bonus categories

U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card

Read Review
Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

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

Pros

  • High cash-back bonus rate
  • No cap on bonus rewards
  • Intro APR period on purchases
  • Reports to Dun & Bradstreet
  • New cardholder bonus offer

Cons

  • Low rate outside bonus categories
  • Activity on employee cards does not count toward bonus spending requirement
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$750

Our pick for

Corporate card for startups

Brex Card

Read Review
Apply now

on Brex's website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x Points
Intro offer
10,000 Points

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • New cardholder bonus offer
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • No personal guarantee
  • Can apply with EIN only

Cons

  • Complicated rewards structure
  • High capital requirement for approval
  • Daily repayment may be required
  • Not available to sole proprietors
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x Points
Intro offer
10,000 Points

Our pick for

Cash-back rewards + no foreign transaction fees

Capital One Spark Cash Select

Read Review
Apply now

on Capital One's website

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$500

Pros

  • High rewards rate
  • No reward caps
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

  • Requires excellent credit
  • Reports all card activity to consumer credit bureaus
  • No Intro APR period
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$500

Our pick for

Startups with fair credit

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

Read Review
Apply now

on Capital on Tap's website

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

Pros

  • High rewards rate
  • No reward caps
  • Available with fair credit
  • No annual fee.
  • No foreign transaction fees.

Cons

  • Not available to sole proprietors, charities or nonprofits
  • Must enroll in automatic payments
  • Potential for very high APR
  • No new cardholder bonus offer
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Intro offer
N/A

Our pick for

Advertising + software

American Express® Business Gold Card

Read Review
Apply now

on American Express' website

Annual fee
$375
Rewards rate
1x-4x Points
Intro offer
100,000 Points

Pros

  • Transfer partners
  • New cardholder bonus offer
  • Intro APR period
  • High reward rate in bonus categories

Cons

  • High annual fee
  • Complicated rewards
  • Spending caps on bonus rewards
Annual fee
$375
Rewards rate
1x-4x Points
Intro offer
100,000 Points

Our pick for

Travel, gas + EV charging (up to 4X points)

U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card

Read Review
Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
1x-5x Points
Intro offer
60,000 Points

Pros

  • New cardholder bonus offer
  • High bonus rewards rate
  • Annual fee waived for the first year
  • Reports to Dun & Bradstreet

Cons

  • No intro APR offer
  • Activity on employee cards does not count toward bonus spending requirement
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
1x-5x Points
Intro offer
60,000 Points

Other picks: Best credit cards for startups and new businesses

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

Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card

Best for: Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases
NerdWallet star rating: 5
The Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card checks virtually every box when it comes to cash-back business credit cards. It's got a high rewards rate of 2% with no cap on rewards. There's no annual fee. It offers a 12-month 0% intro APR intro period on purchases (after that your variable APR will be 17.49% – 25.49%). There's even a welcome offer. While new businesses may take advantage of the high cash-back rewards rate and the 0% APR intro period, this card is worth a look for most business owners. Read NerdWallet's review of the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card.

Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business

Best for: Sole proprietors with fair credit
NerdWallet star rating:
3.3
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, who don't have a lot of options in business credit cards.

Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card

Best for: New business owners with bad credit
This card has not been rated by NerdWallet.
This is one of a handful of secured credit cards that caters to businesses. You’ll have to put down a security deposit of at least $1,000, and your available credit line will be equal to your deposit. But using the card and making on-time payments can help build your business credit over time — plus, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back rewards. Bank of America automatically reviews secured accounts and you can upgrade to an unsecured card if your credit history improves.

🤓 Nerdy Tip

A separate business bank account can help organize your company finances, streamline taxes and make it easier to apply for a business loan. Check out our picks for best banks for startups.

How to choose the best card for your new business

Follow these steps to find the right business credit card for your startup.
  • Figure out what you can qualify for. The better your personal credit, the more business credit card options you’ll have. If your FICO score is below 690, focus on business credit cards for fair credit (FICO scores typically from 630 to 689) or business credit cards for bad credit (FICO scores below 630).
  • Weigh the annual fee against potential rewards. Some credit cards charge annual fees, but those cards also tend to offer more generous rewards on travel or other types of spending. If the rewards outweigh that cost, paying a fee may be worth it (plus, the annual fee may be tax deductible). But you can also choose from a number of business credit cards with no annual fee so your new business has one less expense.
  • Look for a long intro period. A business credit card with a 0% APR introductory offer can help you pay off startup expenses over time — 12 or more billing cycles, in some cases — without owing interest on the balance you roll over.
  • Find rewards that match your spending. Some cash-back business credit cards offer a flat rewards rate on all your company’s spending, regardless of what you’re buying. Others offer higher rewards rates in categories like travel or gas — or on spending with specific companies, like Amazon or Lowe’s. Choose a card that’s likely to align with your purchasing patterns.