Overview
The bottom line:
Bank of America’s secured business credit card can be a lifeline for entrepreneurs with bad personal credit who want to build their business’s credit profile.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
27.49% Variable APR
Intro APR
None
Rewards rate
1.5%
Earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every time. No annual cap and rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each transaction made in a foreign currency.
Intro offer
N/A
Pros & Cons
Pros
Qualify with limited/bad personal credit
Earns rewards
No annual fee
Builds business credit history
Cons
Requires minimum deposit
Does not help personal credit
High APR
More details from Bank of America
- Help strengthen your business credit while earning unlimited cash back: Earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every time. No annual cap and rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- Open your account with a security deposit (minimum $1,000). Upon approval your credit line will be equal to your deposit account.
- Bank of America will periodically review your account and if your overall credit history improves, you could transition to an unsecured card. Not all customers will qualify.
- Choose how to redeem your cash rewards — as a deposit into your Bank of America® checking or savings account, as a card statement credit or as a check mailed to you.
In a secured business card landscape slim on options, the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card easily rises to the top.
Not only is it widely available, but it has no annual fee and earns cash-back rewards — a combo of features you just won’t find elsewhere. Plus, Bank of America will automatically consider you for an upgrade to an unsecured business card if your overall credit history improves.
That makes it an excellent choice for business owners who want to build business credit history but can’t qualify for a business credit card
This card is best for:
✔️ Bad personal credit.
✔️ Earning cash-back rewards.
✔️ Building business credit.
Not a fit? Consider these other cards
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
IN THIS REVIEW
At a glance: Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card
💳 Card type: Secured business credit card
💲 Annual fee: $0.
💰 Sign-up bonus: None.
🎉 Rewards: 1.5% cash back on every purchase.
📈 APR: 27.24% variable APR.
📍 Security deposit: $1,000 (minimum).
💷 Foreign transaction fee: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each transaction made in a foreign currency.
🎆 Other benefits:
- Automatically considered for upgrade to an unsecured card (subject to credit history).
- Free access to Dun & Bradstreet business credit scores.
Benefits and perks
Earns rewards
Most secured cards are bare bones with no rewards. But Bank of America’s secured business card earns 1.5% cash back — a respectable rate that matches some of the best cash-back business cards
Upgrade potential
If your overall credit profile improves, Bank of America may refund your security deposit and/or upgrade you to an unsecured Bank of America business credit card. While applying for an unsecured business card is always an option as your credit improves, Bank of America takes the work out of it for you, automatically reviewing secured accounts for upgrade.
Widely available
The universe of secured business credit cards is tiny. Only a handful of cards exist for business owners with bad credit (typically considered a FICO score below 630). Most of those are offered by smaller banks and only available to business owners in a select service area.
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card is the exception. It is available to business owners nationwide, and you can apply for the card online.
🤓
Most secured business cards still require a personal credit check, which will result in a small, temporary hit to your personal credit score. Approval for secured cards is rarely based on your credit score, though. Nerdy Tip
Drawbacks and alternatives
Security deposit needed
All secured cards require a security deposit. While the $1,000 minimum deposit required by Bank of America falls in the mid-range for secured business cards — deposits typically range from $500 to $2,000 — it may still be a hurdle for some businesses. And your security deposit does not earn interest.
If you have fair-to-bad credit (a FICO score below 690) and want to avoid a security deposit, there are a few options:
Capital on Tap Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
Doesn’t help personal credit
If you have a low personal credit score, the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card won’t help change that. No secured business card will. That’s because they report to commercial credit bureaus, not consumer bureaus.
To work on your personal credit score, you’ll need a personal secured or credit builder card. Two excellent options are the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card Discover it® Secured Credit Card
How we evaluated the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card
NerdWallet's business credit card experts compared the Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card to other cash-back and secured business cards, evaluating how the card's rewards, fees and features stack up to its peers. For secured business cards, we also consider deposit requirements, upgrade potential and whether your security deposit earns interest.
Notes from card issuers