8 Best Business Credit Cards for Startups With No Credit of May 2022
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Startups with no credit can still open a business credit card on the merits of the founder’s personal credit since most card issuers prioritize that over your business credit score. That means new companies can get a business card with perks like cash-back rewards, travel perks or a long intro APR period — whatever suits their new venture’s needs.
Keeping expenses low is especially important for startups, so we focused on cards that have a low or no annual fee; we did not include any premium cards, which offer serious perks but carry an annual fee of $500 or more. We also prioritized flat-rate cards that make it easy to earn rewards. Want to explore more options? Check out our best business credit cards for small businesses roundup.
Business owners with no personal credit can use a secured card to build their credit score before upgrading to a startup business credit card with better rewards. Secured cards require an upfront deposit, which determines your credit limit, and 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 cards will only help build business credit.
Some of our selections for the best no-credit business cards for startups 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.
Startups with no credit can still open a business credit card on the merits of the founder’s personal credit since most card issuers prioritize that over your business credit score. That means new companies can get a business card with perks like cash-back rewards, travel perks or a long intro APR period — whatever suits their new venture’s needs.
Keeping expenses low is especially important for startups, so we focused on cards that have a low or no annual fee; we did not include any premium cards, which offer serious perks but carry an annual fee of $500 or more. We also prioritized flat-rate cards that make it easy to earn rewards. Want to explore more options? Check out our best business credit cards for small businesses roundup.
Business owners with no personal credit can use a secured card to build their credit score before upgrading to a startup business credit card with better rewards. Secured cards require an upfront deposit, which determines your credit limit, and 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 cards will only help build business credit.
Some of our selections for the best no-credit business cards for startups 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.
Best Business Credit Cards for Startups With No Credit
Credit Card | NerdWallet Rating | Annual fee | Intro APR | Regular APR | Learn More |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | Best for Cash-back rewards | $0 | 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months | 13.49%- | Apply now on Chase's website |
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card Apply now on American Express's website | Best for Cash-back rewards + intro APR | $0 | 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening | 13.99%- | Apply now on American Express's website |
Capital One Spark Miles for Business Apply now on Capital One's website | Best for Travel rewards | $0 intro for the first year, then $95 | N/A | 21.24% Variable APR | Apply now on Capital One's website |
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | Best for Travel rewards + big welcome bonus | $95 | N/A | 16.24%- | Apply now on Chase's website |
Brex Card Apply now on Brex's website | Best for Business card with no personal credit check | $0 | N/A | N/A | Apply now on Brex's website |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Apply now on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 | Best for Secured card (personal) | $0 | 10.99% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 6 months | 23.24% Variable APR | Apply now on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 |
Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card Apply now on Chime's website | Best for Secured card (personal) with no security deposit | $0 | N/A | N/A | Apply now on Chime's website |
First National Bank Business Edition® Secured® Visa Card | Not yet rated Best for Secured card to build business credit history | $39 | N/A | 20.24% Variable | Learn more |
Our pick for
Cash-back rewards
on Chase's website
on Chase's website
$0
0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months
13.49%-19.49% Variable APR
Pros
No annual fee
Intro APR period
No reward caps
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
No bonus categories
Pros
No annual fee
Intro APR period
No reward caps
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
No bonus categories
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
No Annual Fee
Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
With Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.
With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
Our pick for
Cash-back rewards + intro APR
on American Express's website
on American Express's website
$0
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening
13.99%-21.99% Variable APR
Pros
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro APR period
Cash rewards
Cons
Spending caps on bonus rewards
Requires good/excellent credit
Pros
No annual fee
High rewards rate
Intro APR period
Cash rewards
Cons
Spending caps on bonus rewards
Requires good/excellent credit
Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
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.
From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That’s why you’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
Just remember, the amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express and other factors.
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.99% - 21.99%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening.
No Annual Fee
Terms Apply
- View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Travel rewards
on Capital One's website
on Capital One's website
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
N/A
21.24% Variable APR
Pros
High rewards rate
No minimum redemption amount
Cons
Has annual fee
No Intro APR period
High APR
Pros
High rewards rate
No minimum redemption amount
Cons
Has annual fee
No Intro APR period
High APR
Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
Fly through security with one statement credit for either the $85 TSA PreCheck® application fee or the $100 Global Entry application fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
Our pick for
Travel rewards + big welcome bonus
on Chase's website
on Chase's website
$95
N/A
16.24%-21.24% Variable APR
Pros
New cardholder bonus offer
Bonus categories
Transfer partners
Cons
Has annual fee
No intro APR offer
Pros
New cardholder bonus offer
Bonus categories
Transfer partners
Cons
Has annual fee
No intro APR offer
Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
With Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.
With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Our pick for
Business card with no personal credit check
on Brex's website
on Brex's website
$0
N/A
N/A
Pros
No annual fee
New cardholder bonus offer
Qualify with limited/bad credit
Bonus categories
No foreign transaction fees
No personal guarantee
Cons
Complicated rewards
No Intro APR
No revolving balances
Pros
No annual fee
New cardholder bonus offer
Qualify with limited/bad credit
Bonus categories
No foreign transaction fees
No personal guarantee
Cons
Complicated rewards
No Intro APR
No revolving balances
Get 10,000 points when you spend your first $1,000 on your Brex card, another 10,000 when you spend $3,000 in 3 months on your card, and 20,000 more when you link payroll to your Brex account.
No personal guarantee needed – Brex does not ask for a personal credit check or security deposit during the application.
Credit limits 10-20x higher than traditional small business corporate cards.
Minimum bank balance of $50,000 from professional investors may be required to qualify for Brex.
Exclusive signup offers from the best products and tools for your business (e.g. AWS, Google Ads, WeWork, Salesforce) worth up to $150,000 in value.
Earn points on every dollar spent with industry-leading multipliers: 7x on rideshare, 4x on Brex Travel, 3x on restaurants, 2x on software subscriptions and 1x on all other transactions.
Earn 3x Brex Rewards points on all eligible Apple purchases through the link or your Brex dashboard.
Miles transfer program to 7 airlines (including Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Air France, and more) and their loyalty programs, giving Brex customers access to book travel across all of the major global airline alliances - Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam.
30-day charge card running on the Mastercard network. Enjoy global acceptance with no foreign transaction fees.
Build business credit: Brex partners with Dun & Bradstreet and Experian to report your on-time payments.
Make employee expenses seamless - automated receipt-capture and expense matching and reconciliation via text, email, and mobile app. Instantly add new users and set spending limits.
Contactless pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Simplify reconciliation with built-in integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and more.
Our pick for
Secured card (personal)
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264
$0
10.99% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 6 months
23.24% Variable APR
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
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
No credit score required to apply.*
No Annual Fee, earn cash back, and build your credit with responsible use.
Using your secured credit card helps build a credit history with the three major credit bureaus. Generally, prepaid and debit cards can’t do that.
Establish your credit line with your tax return by providing a refundable security deposit of at least $200. That means a $200 deposit for a $200 credit line. Or a $500 deposit for a $500 credit line. Bank information must be provided when submitting your deposit, and the security deposit equals your credit limit.
Automatic reviews starting at 7 months to see if we can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.*
Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.* Activate for free.
Click "APPLY NOW" to see rewards, FICO® Credit Score terms, Cashback Match™ details & other information.
- View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Secured card (personal) with no security deposit
on Chime's website
on Chime's website
$0
N/A
N/A
Pros
No annual fee
No credit check
No APR
Adjustable credit limit
Cons
Must open a Chime account
No rewards
No upgrade path
Pros
No annual fee
No credit check
No APR
Adjustable credit limit
Cons
Must open a Chime account
No rewards
No upgrade path
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by, and debit card issued by, The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC. Credit Builder card issued by Stride Bank, N.A.
No credit check to apply, no annual fees or interest, and no minimum security deposit required. No stress! Additional terms apply.
Use your secured Credit Builder card everywhere VISA is accepted, including on everyday purchases, such as gas and groceries.
Help build your credit history with your own money. The money you move into the Credit Builder secured account is the amount you can spend on your card (no minimum deposit required!). Turn on Safer Credit Building and have your monthly balance automatically paid on time. Chime will report your activities to Transunion®, Experian®, and Equifax®.
Increase your credit score by an average of 30 points, with regular, on-time payments.¹
Turn on transaction notifications to receive real-time transaction alerts. Then, use Chime’s instant in-app disable card feature to help prevent unauthorized activities.
Live support 24/7 to assist you around the clock.
Now you can use your Credit Builder card fee-free at over 60K+ in-network ATMs at retailers like Walgreens, CVS, and more! Out-of-network ATM withdrawal fees may apply except at Moneypass ATMs in 7-Eleven locations, or any Allpoint or Visa Plus Alliance ATMs.
Apply for a secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card once you sign up for a Chime Spending Account and receive a qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more. See www.chime.com to learn more.
Our pick for
Secured card to build business credit history
$39
N/A
20.24% Variable
Pros
Qualify with limited / bad credit
Cons
Has annual fee
No rewards
High APR
Pros
Qualify with limited / bad credit
Cons
Has annual fee
No rewards
High APR
Request your own credit limit between $2,000 and $100,000 (multiples of $50), when you apply, subject to credit approval.
Earn interest on your security deposit.
Variable 20.24% APR on purchases and balance transfers based on the Prime Rate.
FULL LIST OF EDITORIAL PICKS:
BEST BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS FOR STARTUPS WITH NO CREDIT
Click the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Our pick for: Cash-back rewards
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. Read our review.
Our pick for: Cash-back rewards + intro APR
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 no annual fee. Read our review.
Our pick for: Travel rewards
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is basically a business version of the popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. You earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, and miles can be redeemed at a value of 1 cent apiece for any travel purchase, without the blackout dates and other restrictions of branded hotel and airline cards. The card offers a great sign-up bonus, too. Read our review.
Our pick for: Travel rewards + big welcome bonus
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card starts you off with one of the biggest sign-up bonuses of any credit card anywhere (assuming you spend enough to earn it), then gives you bonus rewards in common business spending categories. 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. Read our review.
Our pick for: Business card with no personal credit check
Unlike most cards designed for entrepreneurs, the Brex Card doesn't require the cardholder to personally guarantee the debt on the card. Instead, Brex determines creditworthiness by evaluating a company's cash balance, spending patterns and investors. It's a good option when a business owner has a thin credit file but is well capitalized. The card earns rewards, too. Read our review.
Our pick for: Fair credit
The rewards rate on the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business isn't going to wow anyone; there's no sign-up bonus and the APR is high. What makes this card valuable is that it's available to business operators with fair credit (a FICO score between 630-689), who don't have a lot of options in business credit cards — and it has no annual fee. Read our review.
Our pick for: Secured card to build personal credit
Like other secured credit cards for people building or rebuilding credit, the Discover it® Secured Credit Card requires a cash security deposit. Unlike most others, it offers rewards. But what really makes it stand out from the competition is its upgrade possibilities. The issuer has a process in place for automatically reviewing accounts for possible transition to an unsecured card. Read our review.
Our pick for: Secured card (personal) with no security deposit
You'll need a Chime Spending Account — a free bank account that allows you to receive direct deposits — and at least $200 in direct deposits to it within the past 365 days to get this card. The money you move from the Chime Spending Account to the Credit Builder secured account determines your credit limit. There's no option to carry a balance from month to month, but this card doesn't require an upfront security deposit as many secured credit cards do. Read our review.
Our pick for: Secured card to build business credit history
If you can afford to put a lot of money down, the First National Bank Business Edition® Secured® Visa Card may be a good choice for bad-credit borrowers. Your security deposit will earn interest, and First National Bank lets you choose your own credit limit between $2,000 and $100,000 (in multiples of $50) when you apply. Card activity is reported to Dun & Bradstreet, one of the three main business credit bureaus, so on-time payments will help build your business credit score. This card charges a $39 annual fee. Read our review.
How startups can build business credit
Your business credit score tells potential suppliers and lenders how likely your company is to repay its debts. A better score equals more favorable terms and improves your chances of securing a small-business loan.
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.
Do business credit cards check personal credit?
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.
Can you get a business credit card with bad personal credit?
Business owners with bad credit or no personal credit will have a hard time qualifying for most business credit cards. You can, however, get a secured card to 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 cards will only help build business credit.
Last updated on May 17, 2022