9 Best Business Credit Cards for Startups With No Credit of June 2023
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
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.
All of our picks for the best business cards for startups with no credit are chosen by our editorial team, which independently evaluates and rates cards based on fees, rewards rates and redemption options, among numerous other factors.
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.
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.
All of our picks for the best business cards for startups with no credit are chosen by our editorial team, which independently evaluates and rates cards based on fees, rewards rates and redemption options, among numerous other factors.
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.
Best Business Credit Cards for Startups With No Credit
Credit card | NerdWallet rating | Annual fee | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | Best for Cash-back rewards | $0 | 1.5% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on Chase'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 | 2x- Points | 50,000 Points | 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 | 1x- Points | 100,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
Brex Card Apply now on Brex's website | Best for Startups with strong financials (no credit check) | $0 | 1x- Points | 10,000 Points | 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 | 1%- Cashback | Cashback Match™ | Apply now on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 |
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card Apply now on American Express' website | Best for Cash-back rewards + intro APR | $0 | 1%- Cashback | $250 | Apply now on American Express' website |
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 Mastercard® Credit Card | Not yet rated Best for Secured card to build business credit history | $39 | N/A | N/A | Learn more |
Ramp Card Apply now on Ramp's website | Best for Corporate card (no personal credit check) | $0 | 1.5% Cashback | N/A | Apply now on Ramp's website |
Our pick for
Cash-back rewards
on Chase's website
on Chase's website
$0
1.5%
Cashback
$750
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 $6,000 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.
Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
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
Member FDIC
Our pick for
Travel rewards
on Capital One's website
on Capital One's website
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
2x-5x
Points
50,000
Points
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
Unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
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
1x-3x
Points
100,000
Points
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
Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
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.
Member FDIC
Our pick for
Startups with strong financials (no credit check)
on Brex's website
on Brex's website
$0
1x-7x
Points
10,000
Points
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 structure
High capital requirement for approval
Daily repayment may be required
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 structure
High capital requirement for approval
Daily repayment may be required
Get 10,000 points when you spend $3,000 on a Brex Card within your first 3 months.
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
1%-2%
Cashback
Cashback Match™
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 history
Your secured credit card requires a refundable security deposit, and your credit line will equal your deposit amount, starting at $200. Bank information must be provided when submitting your deposit.
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.
Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. Activate for free.
Click through to Discover’s website to see terms and conditions.
- View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Cash-back rewards + intro APR
on American Express' website
on American Express' website
$0
1%-2%
Cashback
$250
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 us and other factors.
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.24%-26.24%, 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
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
The Chime Credit Builder Visa® Card is issued by Stride Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted.
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
N/A
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 25.49% APR on purchases and balance transfers based on the Prime Rate.
Our pick for
Corporate card (no personal credit check)
on Ramp's website
on Ramp's website
$0
1.5%
Cashback
N/A
Pros
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
Simple, straightforward rewards
No personal guarantee or credit check
Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
Balance must be paid in full each month
Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
Pros
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
Simple, straightforward rewards
No personal guarantee or credit check
Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
Balance must be paid in full each month
Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, no minimum spend required.
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees.
No personal credit check or personal guarantee required.
Issue unlimited virtual cards and physical cards for each employee.
Prevent out-of-policy spending with built-in controls, including spend restrictions by category or merchant.
Ramp is a corporate charge card powered by Visa. Businesses are required to pay the monthly balance in full by each statement period.
Must have at least $75,000 in cash in any U.S. business bank account to qualify.
Must have most of your operations and corporate spend in the US (although Ramp does support international transactions and will waive all related transaction fees).
Ramp is only available to corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships. Individuals, sole proprietorships and unregistered businesses are not eligible.
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
Our pick for: Cash-back rewards + intro APR
Our pick for: Travel rewards
Our pick for: Travel rewards + big welcome bonus
Our pick for: Startups with strong financials (no credit check)
Our pick for: Fair credit
Our pick for: Secured card to build personal credit
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. Learn more and apply.
First National Bank Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card
Our pick for: Secured card to build business credit history
Our pick for: Corporate card for startups (no personal credit check)
The Ramp Card's main selling point: It does not require a credit check or personal guarantee. You just need strong revenue and a healthy bank balance. The corporate charge card also offers unlimited cash-back rewards and card-level spending controls with no annual fee. Learn more and apply.
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 31, 2023
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.