Corporate credit cards are issued to a company rather than a business owner. Because of this, corporate cards don’t require a personal guarantee. Instead, the corporation often assumes all financial liability for purchases made on the card by its employees.
Corporate cards from issuers like American Express, JP Morgan Chase and U.S. Bank are generally geared toward large corporations with millions in annual revenue. Smaller businesses and startups may be better suited for cards from financial technology companies, some of which are highlighted below.
If you're a sole proprietor or single-member LLC, or if your business has uneven cash flow, a traditional business credit card is probably a better fit than a corporate card. Here’s how these options stack up:
Corporate credit cards | Business credit cards | |
|---|---|---|
Who they're for | Incorporated or registered businesses, such as corporations and LLCs. | All business owners, including freelancers and sole proprietors. |
How repayment works | Typically must be paid in full every month; users can’t carry a balance over time. | You can carry a balance, allowing you to pay off purchases over time with interest. |
Qualification requirements | Strong revenue history and bank balance, but no personal guarantee. | Good or excellent personal credit; personal guarantee required. |
Primary benefits | Employee cards with spend controls and simplified expense reporting. | Rewards, including cash back, points and sign-up bonuses. |
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
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.
Corporate credit cards are issued to a company rather than a business owner. Because of this, corporate cards don’t require a personal guarantee. Instead, the corporation often assumes all financial liability for purchases made on the card by its employees.
Corporate cards from issuers like American Express, JP Morgan Chase and U.S. Bank are generally geared toward large corporations with millions in annual revenue. Smaller businesses and startups may be better suited for cards from financial technology companies, some of which are highlighted below.
If you're a sole proprietor or single-member LLC, or if your business has uneven cash flow, a traditional business credit card is probably a better fit than a corporate card. Here’s how these options stack up:
Corporate credit cards | Business credit cards | |
|---|---|---|
Who they're for | Incorporated or registered businesses, such as corporations and LLCs. | All business owners, including freelancers and sole proprietors. |
How repayment works | Typically must be paid in full every month; users can’t carry a balance over time. | You can carry a balance, allowing you to pay off purchases over time with interest. |
Qualification requirements | Strong revenue history and bank balance, but no personal guarantee. | Good or excellent personal credit; personal guarantee required. |
Primary benefits | Employee cards with spend controls and simplified expense reporting. | Rewards, including cash back, points and sign-up bonuses. |
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
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.
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Here are the best corporate credit cards
Here are the best corporate credit cards
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Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$250
⏱️ New bonus offer
Apply now
on Ramp's website
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- No personal guarantee or credit check
- Direct integrations with tools and card-level spending controls
- Rewards do not expire
- Card-level spending controls
Cons
- Not available to sole proprietors
- Rewards rate varies and is determined per customer
Ramp Card
Best for Cash back
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$250
⏱️ New bonus offer
Apply now
on Ramp's website
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- No personal guarantee or credit check
- Direct integrations with tools and card-level spending controls
- Rewards do not expire
- Card-level spending controls
Cons
- Not available to sole proprietors
- Rewards rate varies and is determined per customer
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x
Points
Intro offer
10,000
Points
Apply now
on Brex's website
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No personal guarantee
- Card-level spending controls
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure
- High capital requirement for approval
- Daily repayment may be required
- Not available to sole proprietors
Brex Card
Best for Venture-funded startups with travel expenses
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x
Points
Intro offer
10,000
Points
Apply now
on Brex's website
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No personal guarantee
- Card-level spending controls
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure
- High capital requirement for approval
- Daily repayment may be required
- Not available to sole proprietors
Annual fee
No annual fee for free plan. Paid plan available.
Rewards rate
1%
Cashback
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on U.S. Bank's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Two-way integration with QuickBooks
- Can choose from cash back or travel rewards
- High rewards rates on travel spending through U.S. Bank's portal
Cons
- High annual revenue requirement ($10 to $150 million)
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Not available to sole proprietors
- Quarterly spend requirement ($150,000) to earn cash back
U.S. Bank Commercial Rewards Card
Best for Established businesses with travel expenses
Annual fee
No annual fee for free plan. Paid plan available.
Rewards rate
1%
Cashback
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on U.S. Bank's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Two-way integration with QuickBooks
- Can choose from cash back or travel rewards
- High rewards rates on travel spending through U.S. Bank's portal
Cons
- High annual revenue requirement ($10 to $150 million)
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Not available to sole proprietors
- Quarterly spend requirement ($150,000) to earn cash back
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x
Points
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on BILL Spend & Expense's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Card-level spending controls
- No personal guarantee
- Available to sole proprietors
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure with limits on redemption
- Rewards rate varies depending on user activity
BILL Divvy Corporate Card
Best for Businesses with smaller bank balances
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x
Points
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on BILL Spend & Expense's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Card-level spending controls
- No personal guarantee
- Available to sole proprietors
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure with limits on redemption
- Rewards rate varies depending on user activity
Annual fee
Required subscription to Rippling Spend. Pricing starts at $11 per employee per month.
Rewards rate
1%
Cashback
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on Rippling's website
Pros
- Potential for a high rewards rate
- Card-level spending controls
- Supports employee reimbursements in more than 100 countries and receipt collection in multiple languages
- Rippling’s software suite includes HR, payroll and digital security tools
Cons
- Required software subscription
- Rewards rate varies depending on user activity
Rippling Corporate Card
Best for Companies operating internationally
Annual fee
Required subscription to Rippling Spend. Pricing starts at $11 per employee per month.
Rewards rate
1%
Cashback
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on Rippling's website
Pros
- Potential for a high rewards rate
- Card-level spending controls
- Supports employee reimbursements in more than 100 countries and receipt collection in multiple languages
- Rippling’s software suite includes HR, payroll and digital security tools
Cons
- Required software subscription
- Rewards rate varies depending on user activity
Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
IO Card
Best for: Venture-funded startups who want flat-rate cash back
This card has not been rated by NerdWallet.
The IO Card is offered by the financial technology company Mercury, which specializes in software, e-commerce and biotech startups (though other businesses can qualify). This card includes 1.5% cash back across the board, and cash back is automatically deposited into your account; you don’t have to redeem points. You’ll need a Mercury business bank account to be eligible, but you can qualify with a balance as low as $25,000. Your credit limit will be determined by your account balance.
Mercury
Mercury Business Bank Account
NerdWallet Rating
4.6
Read Review
Learn more
at Mercury, Deposits are FDIC Insured
» MORE: Best banks for startups
Rho Corporate Credit Card
Best for: Flexible qualification requirements
This card has not been rated by NerdWallet.
Rho doesn’t have a minimum annual revenue requirement or a firm bank balance requirement — though you’ll have to upload 12 months of financial statements so Rho can determine your business’s credit limit.
The Rho credit card is a complement to Rho business checking, savings and treasury accounts, but you don’t have to bank with Rho to use the card — you can pay your bill from an external account. And Rho corporate cardholders can earn 1.25% cash back by paying the card off daily or 1% cash back by paying it off monthly.
To qualify for a corporate credit card, your company typically needs annual revenue in the millions and a dozen or more employees authorized to make spending decisions. Your business also needs to be incorporated as an S-corporation or a C-corporation, or structured as a limited liability company (LLC).
Specific requirements can vary from one card issuer to another. Historically, corporate card programs from major card issuers have required millions of dollars in annual revenue and at least six figures in annual credit card spend.
Corporate credit cards from fintech companies may have more attainable requirements. The Ramp Card, for example, is available to incorporated businesses with at least $25,000 in a business bank account, and the Rho Card doesn’t have a specific bank balance or revenue requirement (though both are underwriting criteria). Neither have spend requirements, though Ramp asks you to estimate your card spend on your application.
Corporate card applications may also consider your business history, revenue and how much capital you’ve raised during the underwriting process.
There are several advantages to choosing a corporate card program:
- Better expense reporting. Corporate credit card programs offer businesses robust ways to track expenses. Your cardholding employees typically will be able to file their expenses electronically, saving you time dealing with expense reports. Also, it will be easier for you to see where and how your employees are spending your company's money.
- Ability to set spending limits. Setting rules for spending is crucial for business success. Corporate card programs offer employee credit cards and let managers set limits on the amount of spending and the categories in which employees can spend. Many companies forbid the personal use of a corporate credit card.
- Personal credit is protected. Corporate cards do not affect your personal credit. Approval is based on your company’s revenue and business credit score (among other factors), and payments on the card — as well as any missed payments — are recorded on the company’s business credit report.
- Reduced personal risk. Unlike business credit cards, corporate cards do not require business owners to sign a personal guarantee. That means your personal assets are not on the line if an employee misuses a card or your company folds and can’t pay the outstanding balance.
Corporate credit cards also have disadvantages, including:
- In-depth application process. Setting up a corporate line of credit will likely be a more involved process than applying for a business credit card online. Card issuers will evaluate your business stability to establish creditworthiness, so be prepared to share your legal and financial information for corporate card approval.
- Can’t carry a balance. Corporate cards generally require full payment at the end of each billing cycle, and those cycles can be as short as a day, so won’t be able to put a big purchase on your corporate card and then pay it off over several months. If that's a need, consider a business card with a 0% APR intro period instead.
- May require a minimum number of cardholders. Some corporate card issuers require that eligible corporations sign up for a minimum number of employee cards. If your business doesn’t need that many authorized cardholders yet, you may want to research cards that do not have that requirement — or hold off on getting a corporate card until then.
Corporate credit cards allow multiple employees to use cards to make purchases on the employer's behalf. Who is legally responsible for those charges depends on the card; some default to corporate liability, while others give you the option to choose between corporate, individual or joint liability.
Corporate liability
The company is responsible for paying the bill. The issuer doesn't check employees' credit. Employees file expense reports so the company can reconcile charges with the card statement each month, but the employee doesn’t have to pay the bill upfront. This is the standard with most corporate card programs.
Individual liability
Employees must pay all charges on the card, and they get reimbursed when they file an expense report. The issuer will check employees' credit before giving them a card, but this check is a “soft pull,” meaning it doesn’t affect employees' credit scores.
Joint liability
The company and the employee are responsible for debt on the card. Employees are responsible for repaying personal or unauthorized spending on the corporate card but are not personally held liable for any expenses charged in compliance with company policies. However, if a long overdue balance gets reported to credit reporting bureaus, it may affect the employee’s credit.
Last updated on April 30, 2025
Methodology
NerdWallet's business credit card team selects the best small-business credit cards without outside input from partners or other business interests. We evaluate business cards based on value and simplicity, weighing fees, sign-up bonuses and reward rates, alongside perks like interest-free periods, statement credits and elite status (for travel cards). Business cards that earn the highest scores deliver the most value to the greatest number of business owners.
In 2025, we began evaluating corporate cards according to their own set of factors. These ratings place a greater emphasis on features more common among such cards, including spend and expense management software capabilities and card-level spending controls. We also examine fees, rewards rates and the simplicity of earning and using those rewards, along with customer service ratings for card providers. Learn how NerdWallet rates small-business credit cards.