Employee credit cards let workers make purchases on their company’s behalf using their own copy of a business credit card. By using employee credit cards, you can keep an eye on your employees’ spending, earn credit card rewards and reduce the need for expense and reimbursement claims.
All of our picks offer free employee cards, as well as tools for managing and tracking employee purchases. To choose the best option for your business, focus on what you value most — whether that’s cash back, travel points or something else — and whether the issuer caps those rewards. Remember: More employees spending on your card may mean you’ll hit those limits faster.
All of our picks for the best business cards are chosen by our editorial team, who follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the business card for your company. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features. View our full methodology.
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.
Employee credit cards let workers make purchases on their company’s behalf using their own copy of a business credit card. By using employee credit cards, you can keep an eye on your employees’ spending, earn credit card rewards and reduce the need for expense and reimbursement claims.
All of our picks offer free employee cards, as well as tools for managing and tracking employee purchases. To choose the best option for your business, focus on what you value most — whether that’s cash back, travel points or something else — and whether the issuer caps those rewards. Remember: More employees spending on your card may mean you’ll hit those limits faster.
All of our picks for the best business cards are chosen by our editorial team, who follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the business card for your company. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features. View our full methodology.
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 employee credit cards
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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 Sign-up bonus with no annual fee
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
$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 New businesses and small teams
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
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 Travel rewards
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
Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Best for Cash back on gas
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3%
Cashback
Intro offer
$300
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate in bonus categories
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Complicated rewards
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Best for Cash back on gas
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3%
Cashback
Intro offer
$300
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate in bonus categories
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Complicated rewards
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
Annual fee
$695
Rewards rate
1x-5x
Points
Intro offer
150,000
Points
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Lounge membership
- Transfer partners
- Automatic elite status
- Annual statement credit for travel, business expenses
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- High annual fee
- Low ongoing rewards rate
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for Luxury travel rewards
Annual fee
$695
Rewards rate
1x-5x
Points
Intro offer
150,000
Points
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Lounge membership
- Transfer partners
- Automatic elite status
- Annual statement credit for travel, business expenses
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- High annual fee
- Low ongoing rewards rate
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on Capital on Tap's website
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
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card
Best for Business owners with fair credit
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on Capital on Tap's website
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
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$2,000
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Rates & Fees
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
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Best for Flexible cash back with no rewards cap
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$2,000
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Rates & Fees
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
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Have a lot of employees who need your business credit card? Consider a corporate credit card. These cards are issued to your company, eliminating your personal liability. But they typically require several million dollars in annual revenue to qualify.Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Our pick for: Sign-up bonus + no annual fees
NerdWallet star rating:
4.9
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.American Express Blue Business Cash
Our pick for: New businesses + small teams
NerdWallet star rating:
4.4
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
boasts one of the better introductory APR offers among business credit cards, which makes it a good financing option for new businesses. Beyond that, there are solid rewards: Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. Terms Apply.
It's less likely to be a fit for businesses with larger staffs who may hit that spending limit sooner. Learn more and apply.Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Our pick for: Travel rewards
NerdWallet star rating:
4.8
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.The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Our pick for: Luxury travel rewards
NerdWallet star rating:
4.5
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
comes with a big annual fee. But business travelers who prefer to go in style will find plenty that appeals to them: high rewards on certain travel purchases, bonus rewards on larger nontravel purchases, a superb newcomer welcome offer, extensive airport lounge access, elite hotel status, hundreds of dollars a year in available credits and a list of perks as long as your arm. It's not cheap, but luxury never is. Terms apply. Learn more and apply.Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Our pick for: Flexible cash back with no rewards cap
NerdWallet star rating:
4.9
The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
is an excellent option for business operators whose expenses don't fall into the bonus categories on other business credit cards. There's no preset spending limit and you get a high, flat rewards rate on every purchase. Plus, you can earn a welcome bonus if you hit certain spending requirements. Just make sure that you can pay off your spending in full each month, as this is a charge card that doesn't let you revolve a balance. (See rates and fees.) Learn more and apply.Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard®
Our pick for: Cash back on gas
NerdWallet star rating:
3.9
The
Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
gives entrepreneurs a little control over their credit card rewards by letting them choose which category earns the highest cash-back rate. Options include gas (EV charging stations qualify as well), office supplies, travel, computer services and more. There are also bonus rewards on dining and no annual fee. Learn more and apply.Capital On Tap
Our pick for: Business owners with fair credit
NerdWallet star rating:
4.6
Capital on Tap says applicants with a FICO score of 670 or higher have the best chance of approval, but the card is available to business owners with fair credit (typically considered a score from 630 to 689). The
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card
issued by WebBank offers 1.5%
cash back on all purchases, no annual fee and the potential for a low APR. (But you'll need excellent credit to snag that low APR.) One important note: This card is not available to sole proprietors, which excludes most businesses. Learn more and apply.An employee credit card is a business credit card that employees can use on the owner’s behalf. You can add specific employees as authorized users, and each gets their own physical credit card.
Employee credit cards extend the benefits of business credit cards to your team. If your business credit card offers cash back rewards, for instance, adding employee cards means that your team’s purchases will generate rewards too.
But the risks of using credit cards are extended, too. If an employee spends more than you expect, you’ll be on the hook for paying off that debt.
You can request employee credit cards from your business credit card issuer. There’s generally no charge for employee cards, and you may be able to have an unlimited number.
Here’s what happens if you want an employee credit card:
- Add the employee as an authorized user and order them a card. Most issues allow a large or unlimited number of additional cards, and they tend to be free.
- Set up your employee’s constraints. You may be able to cap how much an employee can spend on their card or get notified when they make a purchase outside a designated category. This can help you react quickly in case of potential fraud.
- Set up alerts. Your credit card issuer may be able to ping you whenever an employee makes a purchase, when they go over their spending limit or when a purchase looks fraudulent. You can lock employee cards and report fraud as needed.
- Earn rewards — but watch out for caps. Let’s say you’re usingThe American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, which offers 2% cash back on your first $50,000 in eligible spending, then 1% after that. Terms apply. As employees put more purchases on your credit card, you may hit that spending cap faster — which may mean it’s time to shop for a card without them.
- Beware credit limits, too. While you can set spending caps for each employee, every card will count toward the same credit limit. Keep a close eye on your spending and pay down your balance regularly if needed to avoid reaching the limit.
- Designate another account manager, if needed. If someone else manages your day-to-day business finances, you may want to add them as an account manager so they can add additional authorized users and approve spending.
If you have multiple employees responsible for making purchases, it may make sense to give each person their own credit card.
Some advantages of employee credit cards for small and midsize teams include:
- Limit reimbursements and combine statements. When employees use your business credit card, you’ll be able to see more of your business’s spending on one monthly statement or in one online account. Plus, you may be able to limit the number of reimbursements you have to process.
- Earn more rewards on your business spending. If your workers are making purchases on your business’s behalf, they can use an employee credit card to help you earn cash back, points or other rewards. They may appreciate not having to tap into their own cash or credit as well.
- Monitor and limit each employee’s spending. Many cards allow you to cap how much individual employees can spend and get alerts if they go over those limits. Some issuers offer category-specific spending notifications, too.
- Easily track expenses. Instead of having to categorize each reimbursement expense, most business credit cards will sync automatically with your accounting software.
But be wary of these potential drawbacks:
- You may reach rewards caps sooner. It’s fairly common for cash-back cards to offer rewards only up to a certain amount of spending. If you and your employees’ combined spending results in you hitting those caps, you may want to shop around for cards that offer unlimited cash back or other rewards, likeCapital One Spark Cash PlusorInk Business Unlimited® Credit Card.
- Employees might misuse their cards. Employee cards get the same fraud protection as the main business credit card, and you can lock or freeze users’ cards at any time if you think they’ve been lost or stolen. But if your employee purchases something they shouldn’t have and your credit card issuer does not think it was fraudulent, you’ll still be on the hook for paying off that purchase.
To view rates and fees of
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
, see this page.To view rates and fees of
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.Last updated on April 17, 2025
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. Learn more about how we rate business credit cards.
