12 Best Business Credit Cards for Startups With No Credit of January 2026

Corporate cards are generally best for nonprofits. But if your organization is small or its leaders travel often, a traditional business credit card might work. (If you’re OK with a personal guarantee.)

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Credit card Best for NerdWallet rating Annual fee Rewards rate Intro offer Learn more
Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Overall business card for startups with no credit

5.0 /5
$0

1.5%-5%

Cashback

$750

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

Pros

  • High rewards rate
  • Intro APR period
  • No reward caps
  • New cardholder bonus offer

Cons

  • No bonus categories
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Startups with annual spend below $50K

4.5 /5
$0

1%-2%

Cashback

$250

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
Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Travel rewards + sign-up bonus

4.7 /5
$95

1x-5x

Points

100,000

Points

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

Pros

  • New cardholder bonus offer
  • Transfer partners

Cons

  • Does not include lounge access or travel credits
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Intro APR + AmEx Membership Rewards

4.4 /5
$0

1x-2x

Points

15,000

Points

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
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card

Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card

Cash-back boost (up to 75%)

4.6 /5
$0

1.5%

Cashback

$300

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
Capital One Spark Miles Credit Card

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Travel rewards

4.4 /5
$0 intro for the first year, then $95

2x-5x

Miles

50,000

Miles

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
Ramp

Ramp Card

Corporate card (no personal guarantee)

4.7 /5
$0

1%-1.5%

Cashback

$500

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
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card

No annual fee travel card

4.2 /5
$0

1.5x

Points

30,000

Points

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
Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Secured card to build personal credit

5.0 /5
$0

1%-2%

Cashback

Cashback Match™

on Discover's website, or call

Rates & Fees

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • Reports to the three major credit bureaus
  • Apply with limited/bad credit
  • Earns rewards
  • New cardholder bonus offer

Cons

  • Requires minimum deposit
  • High APR
Capital on Tap Visa

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

Business credit card for fair, average credit

4.5 /5
$0

1.5%

N/A

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
BILL Divvy Corporate Card

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

Corporate card for fair credit

4.3 /5
$0

1x-7x

Points

N/A

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
Brex

Brex Card

Corporate card for venture-backed startups

5.0 /5
$0

1x-7x

Points

10,000

Points

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
Credit card
Credit card
Best for
Best for
NerdWallet rating
NerdWallet rating
Annual fee
Annual fee
Rewards rate
Rewards rate
Intro offer
Intro offer
Learn more
Learn more
Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Overall business card for startups with no credit

5.0 /5
$0

1.5%-5%

Cashback

$750

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Startups with annual spend below $50K

4.5 /5
$0

1%-2%

Cashback

$250

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Travel rewards + sign-up bonus

4.7 /5
$95

1x-5x

Points

100,000

Points

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Intro APR + AmEx Membership Rewards

4.4 /5
$0

1x-2x

Points

15,000

Points

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card

Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card

Cash-back boost (up to 75%)

4.6 /5
$0

1.5%

Cashback

$300

on Bank of America's website

Capital One Spark Miles Credit Card

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Travel rewards

4.4 /5
$0 intro for the first year, then $95

2x-5x

Miles

50,000

Miles

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

Ramp

Ramp Card

Corporate card (no personal guarantee)

4.7 /5
$0

1%-1.5%

Cashback

$500

on Ramp's website

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card

No annual fee travel card

4.2 /5
$0

1.5x

Points

30,000

Points

on Bank of America's website

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Secured card to build personal credit

5.0 /5
$0

1%-2%

Cashback

Cashback Match™

on Discover's website, or call

Rates & Fees

Capital on Tap Visa

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

Business credit card for fair, average credit

4.5 /5
$0

1.5%

N/A

on Capital on Tap's website

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

Corporate card for fair credit

4.3 /5
$0

1x-7x

Points

N/A

on BILL Spend & Expense's website

Brex

Brex Card

Corporate card for venture-backed startups

5.0 /5
$0

1x-7x

Points

10,000

Points

on Brex's website

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Best for Overall business card for startups with no credit

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1.5%-5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$750

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

Pros

  • High rewards rate
  • Intro APR period
  • No reward caps
  • New cardholder bonus offer

Cons

  • No bonus categories

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Best for Startups with annual spend below $50K

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1%-2%

Cashback

Intro offer
$250

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

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Best for Travel rewards + sign-up bonus

Close
Annual fee
$95

Rewards rate
1x-5x

Points

Intro offer
100,000

Points

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

Pros

  • New cardholder bonus offer
  • Transfer partners

Cons

  • Does not include lounge access or travel credits

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Best for Intro APR + AmEx Membership Rewards

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1x-2x

Points

Intro offer
15,000

Points

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

Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card

Best for Cash-back boost (up to 75%)

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1.5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$300

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

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Best for Travel rewards

Close
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95

Rewards rate
2x-5x

Miles

Intro offer
50,000

Miles

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

Ramp Card

Best for Corporate card (no personal guarantee)

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1%-1.5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$500

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

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card

Best for No annual fee travel card

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1.5x

Points

Intro offer
30,000

Points

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

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Best for Secured card to build personal credit

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1%-2%

Cashback

Intro offer
Cashback Match™

on Discover's website, or call

Rates & Fees

Pros

  • No annual fee
  • Reports to the three major credit bureaus
  • Apply with limited/bad credit
  • Earns rewards
  • New cardholder bonus offer

Cons

  • Requires minimum deposit
  • High APR

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

Best for Business credit card for fair, average credit

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1.5%

Intro offer
N/A

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

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

Best for Corporate card for fair credit

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1x-7x

Points

Intro offer
N/A

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

Brex Card

Best for Corporate card for venture-backed startups

Close
Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1x-7x

Points

Intro offer
10,000

Points

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
Sort by:

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Best for Overall business card for startups with no credit

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1.5%-5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$750

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Best for Overall business card for startups with no credit

Best for Overall business card for startups with no credit

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1.5%-5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$750

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

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

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Best for Startups with annual spend below $50K

Best for Startups with annual spend below $50K

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1%-2%

Cashback

Intro offer
$250

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Best for Travel rewards + sign-up bonus

Annual fee
$95

Rewards rate
1x-5x

Points

Intro offer
100,000

Points

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Best for Travel rewards + sign-up bonus

Best for Travel rewards + sign-up bonus

Annual fee
$95

Rewards rate
1x-5x

Points

Intro offer
100,000

Points

on Chase's website

Rates & Fees

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

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Best for Intro APR + AmEx Membership Rewards

Best for Intro APR + AmEx Membership Rewards

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1x-2x

Points

Intro offer
15,000

Points

on American Express' website

Rates & Fees

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

on Bank of America's website

Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card

Best for Cash-back boost (up to 75%)

Best for Cash-back boost (up to 75%)

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1.5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$300

on Bank of America's website

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

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Best for Travel rewards

Best for Travel rewards

Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95

Rewards rate
2x-5x

Miles

Intro offer
50,000

Miles

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

Ramp Card

Best for Corporate card (no personal guarantee)

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1%-1.5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$500

on Ramp's website

Ramp Card

Best for Corporate card (no personal guarantee)

Best for Corporate card (no personal guarantee)

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1%-1.5%

Cashback

Intro offer
$500

on Ramp's website

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

on Bank of America's website

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card

Best for No annual fee travel card

Best for No annual fee travel card

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1.5x

Points

Intro offer
30,000

Points

on Bank of America's website

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™

on Discover's website, or call

Rates & Fees

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Best for Secured card to build personal credit

Best for Secured card to build personal credit

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1%-2%

Cashback

Intro offer
Cashback Match™

on Discover's website, or call

Rates & Fees

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

on Capital on Tap's website

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

Best for Business credit card for fair, average credit

Best for Business credit card for fair, average credit

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1.5%

Intro offer
N/A

on Capital on Tap's website

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

Best for Corporate card for fair credit

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1x-7x

Points

Intro offer
N/A

on BILL Spend & Expense's website

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

Best for Corporate card for fair credit

Best for Corporate card for fair credit

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1x-7x

Points

Intro offer
N/A

on BILL Spend & Expense's website

Brex Card

Best for Corporate card for venture-backed startups

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1x-7x

Points

Intro offer
10,000

Points

on Brex's website

Brex Card

Best for Corporate card for venture-backed startups

Best for Corporate card for venture-backed startups

Annual fee
$0

Rewards rate
1x-7x

Points

Intro offer
10,000

Points

on Brex's website

Logo iconJump to

Other picks: Business credit cards for startups with no credit
How startups can build business credit
Do business credit cards check personal credit?
Can you get a business credit card with bad personal credit?

Other picks: Business credit cards for startups with no credit

The following business credit cards aren't available through NerdWallet. 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.

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 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.

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.
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.

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. 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 January 6, 2026

Methodology

NerdWallet's writers and editors monitor more than 70 business credit cards to select the best options 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).
We consider more than 20 data points for each card we score, including detailed information about rewards, credits and fees. We gather this information from rates and fees documents, deposit account agreements, financial institution websites and company representatives.
Our editorial team regularly reviews and updates our data to ensure consistency and accuracy. We also update our scoring on an ongoing basis to reflect changing industry norms and business owner needs. For instance, in 2026, we added a small deduction for cards that don’t allow users to issue virtual cards and removed the small increase for cards with no preset spending limit.
Final star ratings range from one to five stars. A five-star score represents the best available product for the largest number of business owners. Learn how NerdWallet rates small-business credit cards.