Most business credit cards can affect your personal credit score in two ways:
- Applying for a business credit card. This triggers a hard inquiry, which will lower your personal credit score slightly. But scores usually rebound quickly.
- Late payments. Most business card issuers report consecutive late payments to consumer credit bureaus. This can have a lasting negative impact on your personal credit.
There are some exceptions. Capital One reports to personal and business credit bureaus for many of its cards. Your balance on those cards will affect your personal credit score. Keep reading to learn more.
Annual Fee
$0 Which business credit cards report to personal credit bureaus?
| Reports to personal credit bureaus? | What they report | |
|---|---|---|
| American Express | Yes. | Negative information only. |
| Bank of America | Yes. | Negative information only (if account not in good standing). |
| Capital One | Yes. | Full activity (with some exceptions). |
| Chase | Yes. | Negative information only (seriously delinquent accounts). |
| U.S. Bank | Yes. | Negative information only (seriously delinquent accounts). |
| Wells Fargo | Yes. | Negative information only. |
Do Capital One Spark Cards affect your personal credit?
Yes. Most Capital One Spark business cards report to both business and personal credit bureaus, so how you use the card matters.
Charge a big inventory order to your Spark card, for example, and your credit utilization will spike — taking your FICO score down with it. Paying in full each month won't protect you from that.
There are a few exceptions: The Capital One Spark Cash Plus and the Capital One Venture X Business only show up on your personal credit report if you don’t pay your bill. The same is true for the Venture Business card (formerly known as the Spark Miles for Business), a Capital One spokesperson told NerdWallet.
Business cards that don't affect your personal credit
Corporate cards, like Ramp and Brex, don't affect your personal credit.
These cards don't require a personal credit check. And they don't report to personal credit bureaus — even if you don't pay your bill.
Most corporate cards are only available to registered businesses, like corporations and LLCs. These cards typically require strong revenue and cash reserves of $25,000 or more.
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