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Best Credit Cards for Nonprofits of May 2025

Corporate cards are generally the best choices for nonprofits with multiple staff members. But if your organization is very small or its leaders travel often, a traditional business credit card might make sense. (As long as you’re OK with a personal guarantee.)
Written by

Rosalie Murphy

Edited by

Ryan Lane

Last updated on April 22, 2025

Fact checked and reviewed
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Here are the best credit cards for nonprofits

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Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

4.6 

Best for 5% cash back on office supplies

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$350
Apply now

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Best for 5% cash back on office supplies

4.6 
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$350
Apply now

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

4.9 

Best for No preset spending limit

Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$2,000
Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Best for No preset spending limit

4.9 
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$2,000
Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

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

4.4 

Best for Up to 3% cash back on gas

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3%

Cashback

Intro offer
$750
Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

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

Best for Up to 3% cash back on gas

4.4 
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3%

Cashback

Intro offer
$750
Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

Ramp Card

4.3 

Best for Corporate card for nonprofits

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$250

⏱️ New bonus offer

Apply now

on Ramp's website

Ramp Card

Best for Corporate card for nonprofits

4.3 
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$250

⏱️ New bonus offer

Apply now

on Ramp's website

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

4.2 

Best for Replacing employee reimbursements

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x

Points

Intro offer
N/A
Apply now

on BILL Spend & Expense's website

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

Best for Replacing employee reimbursements

4.2 
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x

Points

Intro offer
N/A
Apply now

on BILL Spend & Expense's website

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

4.5 

Best for Small nonprofits

Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%

Cashback

Intro offer
$250
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Best for Small nonprofits

4.5 
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%

Cashback

Intro offer
$250
Apply now

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

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

4.5 

Best for Travel card for nonprofit leaders

Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
1x-5x

Points

Intro offer
60,000

Points

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

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

Best for Travel card for nonprofit leaders

4.5 
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
1x-5x

Points

Intro offer
60,000

Points

Apply now

on U.S. Bank's website

Rates & Fees

Other picks: Credit cards for nonprofits

The following business credit cards aren't currently available through NerdWallet, but we think they're still worth a look in certain instances. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.

How we chose the best credit cards for nonprofits

👋 I’m Rosalie Murphy, NerdWallet’s writer covering small-business banking and corporate credit cards. I did the research for this page.
I started with our list of best business credit cards, reviewing each card’s fees, bonus offers and features to find the best options for nonprofits. I also evaluated nonprofit-specific cards, adjusting our calculations to match the audience for these products. (Read our full business credit card methodology.)
Nonprofits have unique operational needs. To ensure our picks met those, I also interviewed six experts. These included nonprofit board members, representatives from financial institutions and bookkeepers and financial advisors who focus on nonprofits.
Here’s what stood out as most important for a nonprofit credit card:
  • Simple, effective expense management features. The more time nonprofits can save on gathering receipts, categorizing expenses and generating tax forms, the more they can spend on the organization’s mission.
  • Lack of a personal guarantee. Nonprofits don’t have owners, and mature organizations may see frequent board and staff turnover. Nonprofits need card options that don’t require personal guarantees to ensure continuity in credit access.
  • Solid rewards. If you can earn cash back or points that you can reinvest in your mission, you should. 
  • Strong mission alignment. A card provider dedicated to nonprofits may offer especially useful customer support because they understand these organizations’ specific needs.
Does your nonprofit have experience with any of these financial products? I’d love to hear about it. Email me at rmurphy@nerdwallet.com.

NERDWALLET'S GUIDE TO NONPROFIT CREDIT CARDS


What is a nonprofit credit card?

A nonprofit credit card is a spend management tool for charities and other tax-exempt organizations. There are only a handful of credit cards designed specifically with nonprofits in mind. But nonprofits also have access to general small-business credit cards and corporate cards.
Nonprofit credit cards fall into three categories:
1. Corporate cards. These include Ramp and BILL Divvy. They generally don’t allow you to carry a balance — you’ll have to pay off your card in full every month, or in some cases every day.
However, corporate cards offer spend management tools that can be very useful for organizing your nonprofit finances. You can create unlimited virtual cards, label and categorize every expense and prompt employees to upload receipts right away.
Crucially, corporate cards are issued to organizations instead of individuals. That means they don’t require a personal guarantee. Multiple experts I spoke with stressed the importance of this, since nonprofits don’t have owners in the way private businesses do.
2. Corporate cards designed specifically for nonprofits. Devote and Charity Charge, for instance, exclusively serve nonprofits. Their financial management tools include nonprofit-specific features, like the ability to generate reports for donors and stakeholders, and their customer support teams will likely be more familiar with nonprofit finances. But other corporate cards offer more lucrative rewards.
3. Business credit cards for nonprofits. These come from well-known issuers and include cards like the Chase Ink Business Cash card and the U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards card. Your local bank or credit union may also offer credit cards with perks specific to nonprofits — for instance, Colorado’s Ent Credit Union gives nonprofits access to a business credit card with no personal guarantee.
These cards generally work the same way credit cards for individuals and other businesses do:
  • You can use the card to pay for organizational expenses, up to your credit limit.
  • You pay the credit card issuer back over time.
  • You pay interest on any balance that remains after the due date.
  • An individual personally guarantees the debt, which means they promise to repay it if the nonprofit can’t. 
Business credit cards generally allow you to revolve a balance, meaning you don’t have to pay your entire bill every month. But the nonprofit finance pros I spoke to advised against using credit cards for financing due to their high interest rates. If your cash flow is seasonal or uneven, talk to your bank about a line of credit instead.

Can nonprofits use credit cards — and should they?

Yes, nonprofits can use credit cards in the same way for-profit businesses can.
However, unlike businesses, nonprofits don’t have owners. They also tend to experience lots of board and staff turnover. For that reason, corporate cards are usually better for mature organizations. No one has to provide a personal guarantee, and you can simply add and remove cards and users as employees come and go.
If your organization is small and you’re comfortable providing a personal guarantee, a business credit card can offer generous rewards. These cards generally don’t have revenue requirements, and you can qualify for many if you have good or excellent personal credit.
Credit cards also offer flexible financing, but experts recommend that nonprofits don’t use them that way. Paying credit card interest rates, which tend to be very high, likely isn't the best way to use donor funds.

Do nonprofits pay credit card fees?

Yes, nonprofits are generally subject to the same credit card fees as for-profit businesses. Unlike nonprofit bank accounts — which may waive fees or offer other cost savings — major credit card issuers don't usually include perks for charities.
Ultimately, it’s best to choose a card with rewards or features that match your organization's overall spending patterns and financial management needs.

Who can get a nonprofit credit card?

To qualify for more traditional business credit cards, you’ll generally need good to excellent personal credit (a FICO score of 690 or above). There are a handful of bad credit business credit cards, however.
Corporate cards, like the Ramp Card and Charity Charge, are a little different. Because these cards are issued to your organization, qualification is based on factors like your bank balance and organization's overall financial health.
For example, Charity Charge requires at least five years of operation and $100,000 in annual revenue or at least two years of operation and $250,000 in annual revenue. It also offers newer or smaller organizations a secured card with a minimum security deposit of $5,000.

How to choose a business credit card for your nonprofit

Consider the following factors when evaluating a business credit card for your charity or nonprofit organization.
  • Card type. If you’re a one-person or small operation or want to maximize your rewards, choose a traditional business credit card. If your organization is well established and your focus is on financial management tools, choose a corporate card.
  • Your qualifications. Business credit card applicants typically need good or excellent credit to qualify for most cards. If you have bad or fair credit, your options are more limited. A secured business credit card may be a good start. Some corporate credit cards are available without a credit check and can be underwritten to your organization — eliminating the need for a personal guarantee. But you’ll likely need strong financials to qualify. 
  • Spending controls. Giving out employee credit cards means your staff won’t always have to cover expenses themselves, then file for reimbursement. And the person who manages your organization’s finances can typically limit how much they can spend at once or what they can use those credit cards for.  
  • Rewards. There are two types of cash-back business credit cards: those that pay a flat rewards rate on all your spending, and those that pay higher rates on certain types of spending, like gas. If your nonprofit’s spending is all over the place, a flat-rate card is likely the better fit. And if your leadership team frequently travels for conferences or speaking engagements, a travel business credit cards that earns miles or hotel points might be most beneficial.
  • Annual fees. Many business credit cards — especially those with the most lucrative rewards rates — charge annual fees. If you use these cards enough, the rewards often cover the cost of the fees. But if you don’t want to incur additional expenses, avoid them.

Find more financial products for your nonprofit

From banking to bookkeeping, NerdWallet has your charity covered.

Small-business grants for nonprofits

on Nerdwallet's secure site

To view rates and fees of
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.
The information related to the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
Last updated on April 22, 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.
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