Startups with no credit can still open a business credit card. Most card issuers prioritize your personal credit score over factors like business credit score or revenue. That means new companies can get a business credit card right away.
Lacking personal credit? Consider a personal or business secured card. A secured personal card will help build your personal credit score, positioning you to eventually upgrade to an unsecured startup business credit card. But if you simply want to establish your startup's credit, a secured business card is the better choice. The best option is the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured card.
Best business cards for startups with no credit
- BILL Divvy Corporate Card: Best corporate card for fair credit.
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card: Best for no annual fee travel card.
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card: Best for cash back boost (up to 75%).
- Brex Card: Best corporate card for venture-backed startups.
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Best for travel rewards.
- Capital on Tap Business Credit Card: Best business credit card for fair, average credit.
- Discover it® Secured Credit Card: Best for secured card to build personal credit.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best for travel rewards + sign-up bonus.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Best overall business card for startups with no credit.
- Ramp Card: Best for corporate card (no personal guarantee).
- The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card: Best for startups with annual spend below $50K.
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Best for intro APR + AmEx Membership Rewards.
While all of our picks for business cards for startups with no credit are chosen by our editorial team without outside input, the cards highlighted below are those available from our partners. You can jump to our "other picks" section for additional options not currently available through NerdWallet.
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.
Startups with no credit can still open a business credit card. Most card issuers prioritize your personal credit score over factors like business credit score or revenue. That means new companies can get a business credit card right away.
Lacking personal credit? Consider a personal or business secured card. A secured personal card will help build your personal credit score, positioning you to eventually upgrade to an unsecured startup business credit card. But if you simply want to establish your startup's credit, a secured business card is the better choice. The best option is the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured card.
Best business cards for startups with no credit
- BILL Divvy Corporate Card: Best corporate card for fair credit.
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card: Best for no annual fee travel card.
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card: Best for cash back boost (up to 75%).
- Brex Card: Best corporate card for venture-backed startups.
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Best for travel rewards.
- Capital on Tap Business Credit Card: Best business credit card for fair, average credit.
- Discover it® Secured Credit Card: Best for secured card to build personal credit.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best for travel rewards + sign-up bonus.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Best overall business card for startups with no credit.
- Ramp Card: Best for corporate card (no personal guarantee).
- The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card: Best for startups with annual spend below $50K.
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Best for intro APR + AmEx Membership Rewards.
While all of our picks for business cards for startups with no credit are chosen by our editorial team without outside input, the cards highlighted below are those available from our partners. You can jump to our "other picks" section for additional options not currently available through NerdWallet.
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.
Find the right credit card for your business
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Here are the best business credit cards for startups with no credit
Here are the best business credit cards for startups with no credit
Sort By
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 Overall business card for startups with no credit
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 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
2x-5x
Miles
Intro offer
50,000
Miles
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards rate
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- Statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®
- Annual fee waived for first year
Cons
- Reports all card activity to consumer credit bureaus
- Does not include lounge access or automatic elite status
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Best for Travel rewards
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
2x-5x
Miles
Intro offer
50,000
Miles
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards rate
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- Statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®
- Annual fee waived for first year
Cons
- Reports all card activity to consumer credit bureaus
- Does not include lounge access or automatic elite status
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 + sign-up bonus
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 Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Best for No annual fee travel card
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 No annual fee travel card
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%-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 Corporate card (no personal guarantee)
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 Corporate card for venture-backed startups
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
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%
Cashback
Intro offer
Cashback Match™
Apply now
on Discover's website, or call
Rates & Fees
Pros
- No annual fee
- Reports to the three major credit bureaus
- Qualify with limited/bad credit
- Earns rewards
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Requires minimum deposit
- High APR
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Best for Secured card to build personal credit
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%
Cashback
Intro offer
Cashback Match™
Apply now
on Discover's website, or call
Rates & Fees
Pros
- No annual fee
- Reports to the three major credit bureaus
- Qualify with limited/bad credit
- Earns rewards
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Requires minimum deposit
- High APR
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 Startups with annual spend below $50K
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
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Best for Cash-back boost (up to 75%)
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 Cash-back boost (up to 75%)
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
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Best for Intro APR + AmEx Membership Rewards
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-2x
Points
Intro offer
15,000
Points
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Low rate after you hit bonus cap
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Best for Intro APR + AmEx Membership Rewards
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-2x
Points
Intro offer
15,000
Points
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards 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
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 Corporate card for fair credit
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
$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 credit card for fair, average 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
Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card
Best for: Secured business credit card
NerdWallet rating:
4.4
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no cap or expiration date on the rewards you earn. The card has a minimum security deposit of $1,000, which is equal to your credit limit and subject to credit approval. Bank of America® will periodically review your secured card and may upgrade you to an unsecured card if and when you qualify. This card has no annual fee. Read our full review.
Your business credit score tells potential suppliers and lenders how likely your company is to repay its debts. A better score may improve your chances of securing a small-business loan or getting more favorable terms.
Startups with no credit can establish and build their business credit history by establishing lines of credit via business credit cards and trade lines with suppliers, and making payments on time (or early).
Late payments, high balances on credit cards, tax liens and legal judgments against your business can all hurt your business credit score. Delinquencies and late payments on your business credit cards can affect your personal credit score, too.
Yes, nearly all business credit cards check your personal credit when you apply. Why? Because most business cards require a personal guarantee, which means you’re personally liable for the debt if your business fails to pay.
One notable exception: corporate cards. These cards do not require a personal guarantee since they're issued to a company, rather than an individual. Incorporated startups may be able to qualify for a corporate card if they have hefty cash reserves and a history of strong revenue.
Business owners with bad credit or no personal credit will have a hard time qualifying for most business credit cards. The easiest business credit card to get is often a secured card. These cards let you build your credit score before upgrading to a business credit card with better rewards.
Secured cards require an upfront deposit, which determines your credit limit, and a few even offer rewards. Most secured cards still require a personal credit check, though some are available with no credit check.
A secured personal card will help build your personal credit score, but not your business score. Likewise, most secured business credit cards will only help build business credit.
To view rates and fees of
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.To view rates and fees of
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
, see this page.Last updated on April 25, 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.
