The best credit cards for freelancers and the self-employed offer straightforward rewards, no annual fee and perks to help with cash flow, such as a long 0% APR period or a generous welcome bonus.
Business credit cards with bonus categories also warrant a look, depending on your spending. For example, a card that offers 3% on gas is a great fit for delivery and rideshare drivers.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Business credit cards typically come with bigger sign-up bonuses than personal cards. The difference can mean hundreds of dollars in rewards value.Freelancers and gig workers can qualify for a business credit card the same as any company, even if your business is your side hustle and not your main gig. Approval is based on your personal credit and business cards typically require a FICO score of 690 or higher.
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.
The best credit cards for freelancers and the self-employed offer straightforward rewards, no annual fee and perks to help with cash flow, such as a long 0% APR period or a generous welcome bonus.
Business credit cards with bonus categories also warrant a look, depending on your spending. For example, a card that offers 3% on gas is a great fit for delivery and rideshare drivers.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Business credit cards typically come with bigger sign-up bonuses than personal cards. The difference can mean hundreds of dollars in rewards value.Freelancers and gig workers can qualify for a business credit card the same as any company, even if your business is your side hustle and not your main gig. Approval is based on your personal credit and business cards typically require a FICO score of 690 or higher.
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 credit cards for freelancers
Here are the best credit cards for freelancers
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2025 BEST CREDIT CARD SMALL BUSINESSAnnual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Apply now
on Chase's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- No reward caps
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- No bonus categories
2025 BEST CREDIT CARD
SMALL BUSINESSInk Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Best for Lucrative welcome offer
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Apply now
on Chase's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- No reward caps
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- No bonus categories
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x
Points
Intro offer
90,000
Points
Apply now
on Chase's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High reward redemption rate
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Does not include lounge access or travel credits
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Best for Business travel card for freelancers
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x
Points
Intro offer
90,000
Points
Apply now
on Chase's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High reward redemption rate
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Does not include lounge access or travel credits
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
Best for Cash back bonus categories + intro APR period
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Apply now
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High cash-back bonus rate
- No cap on bonus rewards
- Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers
- 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
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
Best for Cash back bonus categories + intro APR period
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$500
Apply now
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High cash-back bonus rate
- No cap on bonus rewards
- Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers
- 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
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Best for Intro APR period for purchases, balance transfers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$300
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High rewards rate
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Best for Intro APR period for purchases, balance transfers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$300
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High rewards rate
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Best for Business travel card with no annual fee
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x
Points
Intro offer
30,000
Points
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR offer
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
- Does not include lounge access or travel credits
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Best for Business travel card with no annual fee
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x
Points
Intro offer
30,000
Points
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR offer
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
- Does not include lounge access or travel credits
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%
Cashback
Intro offer
$250
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
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
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Best for Overall business card for freelancers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%
Cashback
Intro offer
$250
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
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
NerdWallet's editorial picks: Best business credit cards for freelancers, self-employed
Click the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Our pick for: Overall business card for freelancers
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.Our pick for: Lucrative welcome offer
The
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
earns a simple, flat cash-back rate on every purchase, with no limit on how much you can earn. The sign-up bonus is outstanding for a cash-back card, particularly one with no annual fee, and there's an intro APR period for purchases. Learn more and apply.U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
Our pick for: Cash back bonus categories + intro APR period
The
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
is a solid cash-back card for business owners. Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas 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 purchases. Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center when using your card.
Plus, the card offers a competitive welcome bonus and long intro APR period (on purchases and balance transfers) — all with a $0
annual fee. Learn more and apply. Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Our pick for: Intro APR period for purchases, balance transfers
If your spending doesn't align with typical bonus categories, consider the
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
. This card offers 1.5%
cash back on all purchases with no annual cap. Rewards can climb even higher for Bank of America® customers who qualify for the bank's Preferred Rewards for Business program — up to 2.62%, depending on the tier — which is tough to beat among flat-rate cash-back business credit cards. Learn more and apply. Our pick for: Business travel card for freelancers
The
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
starts you off with one of the biggest sign-up bonuses of any credit card anywhere: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
You also get bonus rewards on travel expenses and common business spending categories, like advertising, shipping and internet, cable and phone service. 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. Learn more and apply.Our pick for: Business travel card with no annual fee
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. Learn more and apply.Can freelancers get business credit cards?
If you drive a rideshare part time, regularly resell on eBay or do any other kind of freelance work, you may qualify for a business credit card. You don’t need to have a storefront, employees or an LLC. In fact, your business doesn’t even need to make a profit, and you can say so on the application. If you don’t have a separate tax ID for your business — many self-employed sole proprietors don’t — you can use your Social Security number to apply.
Approval for a small-business credit card is typically based on your personal credit history. Credit scores of 690 or above are generally eligible, although issuers have their own approval criteria, which can vary by type of card.
Should freelancers get a personal or business credit card?
A separate credit card for business spending can help freelancers with expense tracking, running financial reports and gathering tax-return information. There's no rule that this has to be a business credit card, but they do have some distinct advantages over personal cards in these regards, including:
- Larger sign-up bonuses — though you'll also have to spend more to get them.
- Free employee cards, if more than one person will purchase items on behalf of your business.
- Reward categories tailored to self-employed business owners, such as extra cash back on things like office supplies and telecommunications services.
- Higher spending limits.
- Establishing and building your business credit score.
Whatever card you choose, make sure it fits your needs and spending patterns as a freelancer.
To view rates and fees of
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.Last updated on May 12, 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.
Notable changes to our methodology for 2025 include factoring in whether spending on employee cards earns rewards and counts toward the welcome offer requirements. We also now consider what information the card issuer reports to consumer credit bureaus. Learn how NerdWallet rates small-business credit cards.
