Best Business Credit Cards for Startups, New Businesses of March 2026
The best business credit cards for startups offer rewards, perks and flexible financing. You can apply as soon as you start your business.
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Best business cards for startups
Here are our complete picks, in alphabetical order:
- American Express® Business Gold Card: Best for advertising + software.
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card: Best for new business owners with bad credit.
- Brex Card: Best corporate card for startups.
- Capital One Spark Cash Plus: Best for no preset spending limit.
- Capital One Spark Cash Select: Best for cash-back rewards + no foreign transaction fees.
- Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business: Best for sole proprietors with fair credit.
- Capital on Tap Business Credit Card: Best for startups with fair credit.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Best for up to 5% back on office supplies, internet and phone.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best for travel rewards + big sign-up offer.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Best overall card for new businesses.
- Ramp Card: Best for spend management software.
- Rho Corporate Card: Best for corporate card with flexible qualification requirements.
- The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card: Best for 2% back on up to $50K annually.
- U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card: Best for travel, gas + EV charging (up to 4X points).
- U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card: Best for 0% APR period + 3% back on bonus categories.
- Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash® Card: Best for unlimited 2% cash back.
You can apply for the cards highlighted below via NerdWallet's partners. Those relationships do not influence our editorial team's selections. Our small-business writers and editors chose the best business credit cards for startups based on their independent research and ratings.
Nerdwallet best-of awards
2026 BEST CREDIT CARD SMALL BUSINESS
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Best for Overall card for new businesses
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
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Best for No preset spending limit
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$2,000
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
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Best for 2% back on up to $50K annually
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 Cash® Credit Card
Best for Up to 5% back on office supplies, internet and phone
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$750
on Chase's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High reward rate in bonus categories
Cons
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Capital One Spark Cash Select
Best for Cash-back rewards + no foreign transaction fees
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$750
on Capital One's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards rate
- No reward caps
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Reports all card activity to consumer credit bureaus
- No Intro APR period
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
Best for 0% APR period + 3% back on bonus categories
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$750
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High cash-back bonus rate
- No cap on bonus rewards
- Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers
- Reports to Dun & Bradstreet
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Activity on employee cards does not count toward bonus spending requirement
Ramp Card
Best for Spend management software
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$1,000
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
Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash® Card
Best for Unlimited 2% cash back
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
2%
Cashback
Intro offer
$500
on Wells Fargo's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards rate
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period
- No reward caps
Cons
- No bonus categories
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Best for Travel rewards + big sign-up offer
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
American Express® Business Gold Card
Best for Advertising + software
Annual fee
$375
Rewards rate
1x-4x
Points
Intro offer
100,000
Points
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Transfer partners
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High reward rate in bonus categories
Cons
- High annual fee
- Complicated rewards
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card
Best for Startups with fair credit
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
Rho Corporate Card
Best for Corporate card with flexible qualification requirements
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$500
on Rho's website
Pros
- Potential for 2% cash back
- Full suite of spend controls
- Direct integration with QuickBooks
Cons
- Must use Rho's checking account and make daily repayments to get the highest rewards rate
- Rewards expire if unused
U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
Best for Travel, gas + EV charging (up to 4X points)
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
1x-5x
Points
Intro offer
75,000
Points
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High bonus rewards rate
- Annual fee waived for the first year
- Reports to Dun & Bradstreet
Cons
- No intro APR offer
- Activity on employee cards does not count toward bonus spending requirement
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
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
Filter by:
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Cash Back - Points
- No Annual Fee
- 0% intro APR
- Excellent (720+)
- Good (690+)
- Fair (630+)
- Bad (<629)
- No credit check
Sort by:
- Default
- NerdWallet rating (high to low)
- Annual fee (low to high)
- Rewards rate (high to low)
Showing 0 out of 14 cards
Nerdwallet best-of awards
2026 BEST CREDIT CARD SMALL BUSINESS
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Best for Overall card for new businesses
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
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Best for No preset spending limit
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$2,000
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
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Best for 2% back on up to $50K annually
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 Cash® Credit Card
Best for Up to 5% back on office supplies, internet and phone
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$750
on Chase's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High reward rate in bonus categories
Cons
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Capital One Spark Cash Select
Best for Cash-back rewards + no foreign transaction fees
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$750
on Capital One's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards rate
- No reward caps
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Reports all card activity to consumer credit bureaus
- No Intro APR period
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
Best for 0% APR period + 3% back on bonus categories
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$750
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High cash-back bonus rate
- No cap on bonus rewards
- Intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers
- Reports to Dun & Bradstreet
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Activity on employee cards does not count toward bonus spending requirement
Ramp Card
Best for Spend management software
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$1,000
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
Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash® Card
Best for Unlimited 2% cash back
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
2%
Cashback
Intro offer
$500
on Wells Fargo's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- High rewards rate
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period
- No reward caps
Cons
- No bonus categories
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Best for Travel rewards + big sign-up offer
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
American Express® Business Gold Card
Best for Advertising + software
Annual fee
$375
Rewards rate
1x-4x
Points
Intro offer
100,000
Points
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Transfer partners
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High reward rate in bonus categories
Cons
- High annual fee
- Complicated rewards
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card
Best for Startups with fair credit
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
Rho Corporate Card
Best for Corporate card with flexible qualification requirements
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5%
Cashback
Intro offer
$500
on Rho's website
Pros
- Potential for 2% cash back
- Full suite of spend controls
- Direct integration with QuickBooks
Cons
- Must use Rho's checking account and make daily repayments to get the highest rewards rate
- Rewards expire if unused
U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
Best for Travel, gas + EV charging (up to 4X points)
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
1x-5x
Points
Intro offer
75,000
Points
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High bonus rewards rate
- Annual fee waived for the first year
- Reports to Dun & Bradstreet
Cons
- No intro APR offer
- Activity on employee cards does not count toward bonus spending requirement
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
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
Jump to
Other great credit cards for startups and new businesses
Can new businesses get business credit cards?
What’s the difference between business and corporate cards for startups?
Can new businesses use personal credit cards?
Should you use a credit card to finance your startup?
Do businesses need to provide a personal guarantee?
How to choose the best card for your new business
How do new small businesses establish credit?
Table of contents
- Other great credit cards for startups and new businesses
- Can new businesses get business credit cards?
- What’s the difference between business and corporate cards for startups?
- Can new businesses use personal credit cards?
- Should you use a credit card to finance your startup?
- Do businesses need to provide a personal guarantee?
- How to choose the best card for your new business
- How do new small businesses establish credit?
Other great credit cards for startups and new businesses
The following business credit cards are not available through NerdWallet. However, they may be a good fit for your startup's specific needs. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
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, who don't have a lot of options in business credit cards.
This is our pick for the best secured business credit card. You’ll have to put down a security deposit of at least $1,000, and your available credit line will be equal to your deposit. But using the card and making on-time payments can help build your business credit over time — plus, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back rewards. Bank of America automatically reviews secured accounts and you can upgrade to an unsecured card if your credit history improves.
🤓
Your startup needs a business bank account, too. It can help organize your company finances, streamline taxes and make it easier to apply for business loans. See NerdWallet's best banks for startups. Nerdy Tip
Can new businesses get business credit cards?
Yes. New businesses can get credit cards without any revenue or business credit history. In general, all you need is a good to excellent personal credit score. Most business cards require a FICO score of 690 or higher.
If your startup has cash in the bank, you may qualify for a corporate credit card like Ramp or Brex. Corporate cards base approval on company finances and business credit score, not personal credit.
What if you have bad credit?
If you have no personal credit history or bad credit, you'll probably need to start with a secured business credit card. Those cards require a deposit that the card issuer can pull from if you don’t pay your bill. They usually have limited spending power, but can help you build credit in your new business’s name.
The majority of secured business credit cards won’t improve your personal credit. We recommend doing that too. Good personal credit will help your business qualify for unsecured credit in the future. Getting and using a secured personal credit card responsibly is a great first step.
Do new businesses need an EIN to get a credit card?
No, you don’t need an EIN to get a business credit card. You will need to provide your Social Security number or ITIN, though. That’s so the issuer can check your personal credit and verify your identity.
That said, you should get an EIN for your new business. Applying online is free and only takes a few minutes. It’s an important step toward building business credit.
What’s the difference between business and corporate cards for startups?
You can use both business credit cards and corporate cards for business spending. But their primary benefits for startups differ.
Business credit cards add to your spending power. They let new businesses tap into extra capital. Corporate cards are better for managing expenses. Their built-in software makes it easy to track employee purchases and startup costs.
Here are additional key differences:
| Corporate credit cards | Business credit cards | |
|---|---|---|
| Who they're for | Incorporated or registered businesses, such as corporations and LLCs. | All business owners, including freelancers and sole proprietors. |
| How repayment works | Typically must be paid in full every month; users can’t carry a balance over time. | You can carry a balance, allowing you to pay off purchases over time with interest. |
| Qualification requirements | Strong revenue history and bank balance, but no personal guarantee. | Good or excellent personal credit; personal guarantee required. |
| Primary benefits | Employee cards with spend controls and simplified expense reporting. | Rewards, including cash back, points and sign-up bonuses. |
Can new businesses use personal credit cards?
Card issuers don’t generally have rules against using consumer cards for business purchases. But you should use a business credit card for the following reasons:
- Separating business and personal finances. All business owners, even freelancers and sole proprietors, should avoid using the same credit card for personal and business spending. You could choose a personal credit card and dedicate it solely to business expenses, or you could start using a business credit card right away.
- Protecting your personal credit. Most business credit cards only affect your personal credit if you miss payments. Personal cards affect your score regardless of what you use them for. If you use a personal card to front a lot of business costs, the increased utilization could weigh down your credit score.
- Establishing your business credit. Business credit cards do report card usage to business credit bureaus. That can help build your business credit score, which can help you unlock financing and business deals in the future. Personal cards won’t do that.
- Issuing employee cards. Business credit card holders can create cards for employees and restrict how they’re used. That’s generally more secure than giving an employee a debit card, since they don’t actually have access to your cash.
- Earning rewards. Business credit cards usually have rewards tailored to business spending, like software costs and office supplies. Personal cards are more likely to reward spending at places like grocery stores and restaurants.
Should you use a credit card to finance your startup?
You shouldn’t finance a business solely with credit cards. They’re one of the most expensive forms of financing due to their high interest rates.
But new businesses generally don’t qualify for business loans due to their lack of a track record.
Business cards offer an alternative way to access some financing. Use them to smooth out cash flow gaps or help stock up on inventory. A business credit card with a 0% intro APR period can be especially useful for paying off startup expenses over time.
Do businesses need to provide a personal guarantee?
You’ll have to sign a personal guarantee when you apply for a business credit card. That’s a promise that you will personally pay back the debt if your business can’t.
Pay attention to how much your startup is relying on credit cards. On average, about 20% of new businesses close after a year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If yours does, your personal assets may be at risk.
How to choose the best card for your new business
Follow these steps to find the right business credit card for your startup.
- Figure out what you can qualify for. The better your personal credit, the more business credit card options you’ll have. If your FICO score is below 690, focus on business credit cards for fair credit (FICO scores typically from 630 to 689) or business credit cards for bad credit (FICO scores below 630).
- Weigh the annual fee against potential rewards. Some credit cards charge annual fees, but those cards also tend to offer more generous rewards on travel or other types of spending. If the rewards outweigh that cost, paying a fee may be worth it (plus, the annual fee may be tax deductible). But you can also choose from a number of business credit cards with no annual fee so your new business has one less expense.
- Look for a long intro APR period. A business credit card with a 0% APR introductory offer can help you pay off startup expenses over time — 12 or more billing cycles, in some cases — without owing interest on the balance you roll over.
- Find rewards that match your spending. Some cash-back business credit cards offer a flat rewards rate on all your company’s spending, regardless of what you’re buying. Others offer higher rewards rates in categories like travel or gas — or on spending with specific companies, like Amazon or Lowe’s. Choose a card that’s likely to align with your purchasing patterns.
- Consider the cards already in your wallet. Many business credit cards let you combine rewards from the same issuer — including points earned on personal cards — and potentially increase the redemption value. If you already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, for instance, you can combine points with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card to maximize your rewards.
Credit cards with software discounts for startups
Many business cards include “coupon books” as part of their rewards. These credits and discounts can help startups save on software, advertising and equipment expenses.
In general, here’s how they work:
- Identify brands that your card will reward.
- If necessary, you may need to manually add a coupon to your card.
- Make a purchase at the brand specified.
- On your next statement, you should see extra cash back or points because of that purchase.
Here are a few examples.
| Card | Brand-specific discounts or credits include: |
|---|---|
| Ramp Card | QuickBooks, Gusto, 1Password, UPS, Amazon Web Services, Indeed, Hubspot, Notion, Stripe. |
| Brex Card | Amazon Web Services, Github, Gusto, Notion, Slack, Google Cloud, QuickBooks, 1Password, DoorDash. |
| Rho Corporate Card | Amazon Web Services, Zoom, Slack, QuickBooks, Notion, Hubspot, 1Password, Gusto, Airtable. |
| American Express® Business Gold Card | FedEx, Grubhub, office supply stores, Walmart+, Squarespace. |
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express | CLEAR, Dell, Adobe, Indeed. |
| Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ | DoorDash, Google Workspace, ZipRecruiter, Lyft. |
How do new small businesses establish credit?
New businesses need to open and use tradelines to establish credit. A business credit card is a great option for doing this.
In general, card issuers report the use of a business credit card (and the payment of your bill — whether on time or late) to business credit bureaus. This helps to create a credit profile specific to your business.
Making on-time payments and keeping your spending low (20% to 30% of your credit limit) can help you strengthen your business credit score over time.
Why does that matter? A strong business credit score can help you get more favorable terms with suppliers, lower business insurance rates and, eventually, get a business loan for your startup.
To view rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, see this page.
View of Capital One Spark Cash Select.
View of Capital One Spark Cash Plus.
The information related to the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
Frequently Asked Questions
New LLCs can get a business credit card as long as the owner applying for the card has strong personal credit. Most business card issuers require a personal guarantee, so LLC owners are still on the hook if the business can’t pay its credit card bill. See our picks for the best business cards for LLCs.
You probably can’t get a business credit card with only your EIN — unless you’re applying for a corporate card, which are only available to incorporated businesses generating large amounts of revenue. For most business credit cards, you’ll need to provide your Social Security number.
Applicants with excellent credit may be instantly approved for some business credit cards. You may even get a virtual credit card number and access to your line of credit right away, which should let you make online purchases. You’ll have to wait for your physical card in the mail, though.
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.