Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
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Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
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Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
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We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
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Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Senior writer | Small business banking and credit cards, Paycheck Protection Program, consumer spending, and household finances
Kelsey Sheehy is a NerdWallet authority on small business. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Nasdaq and MarketWatch, among other publications. Kelsey has appeared on the <a href="https://www.today.com/video/christmas-in-july-sales-to-take-advantage-of-now-64075333536">"Today"</a> show, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/tax-code-changes-leave-many-americans-with-unhappy-returns-1440385091860">NBC News</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/cost-smartphones-reaching-time-high-54166111">"ABC World News Tonight"</a> and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC and American Banker, among other publications. Email: <a href="mailto:ksheehy@nerdwallet.com">ksheehy@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Ryan Lane is an editor on the small-business team and a NerdWallet authority on student loans. He spent more than a decade as a writer and editor for student loan guarantor American Student Assistance and was a managing editor for publisher Cell Press. Ryan’s work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today and MarketWatch, and he previously co-authored the U.S. News & World Report Student Loan Ranger blog. Email: <a href="mailto:rlane@nerdwallet.com”">rlane@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
Overview
The bottom line:
A massive welcome offer and high rewards rate are selling points for this new business travel card. But the annual fee is hard to stomach given other stellar cards on the market.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$795
Regular APR
Flex for Business Variable APR: 18.49%-26.49%
Intro APR
N/A
Rewards rate
1x-8x
Earn 8x points on Chase Travel℠ for airline tickets, hotels, including The Edit℠, car rentals, cruises, activities and tours. Earn 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27. Earn 4x points on flights & hotels booked direct. Earn 3x points on social media & search engine advertising. Earn 1x points on all other purchases.
Points
Foreign transaction fee
$0
Intro offer
200,000
Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening.
Points
Pros & Cons
Pros
New cardholder bonus offer
Annual travel credit
Statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS
Airport lounge access for primary cardholder and guests
Cons
High annual fee
Complicated rewards
Requires excellent credit
Purchases that don't qualify for Flex for Business must be paid in full every month
More details from Chase
Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening and with more than $2,500 in annual value, there's no competition.
Earn 8x points on Chase Travel℠ for airline tickets, hotels, including The Edit℠, car rentals, cruises, activities and tours.
Earn 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
Earn 4x points on flights & hotels booked direct.
Earn 3x points on social media & search engine advertising.
Get the most flexible travel credit compared to any other card, with up to $300 in statement credits each anniversary year on travel purchases.
Enjoy complimentary access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club network and Priority Pass™ Select membership. Two guests may accompany the Primary Cardmember to the lounges free of charge.
Member FDIC
Chase launched the new Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ in June 2025 to a mix of cheers and jeers.
The card garnered praise for its dominant welcome offer and high rewards rate — particularly on flights and hotels. But it drew heat for its astronomical $795 annual fee. That’s higher than any of our picks for the best business credit cards.
Chase points to a long list of statement credits to justify the card’s cost. Business owners are skeptical, though. You need to use most of the card’s coupon-style discounts to cover its annual fee, especially after the first year.
Many business owners may not want to take on that much work. That’s especially true because there are comparable, cheaper business travel cards on the market.
Our take? If spending — and paying off — $30,000 over six months is realistic, pocket the sign-up bonus. Then, ditch or downgrade the card before you get hit with the next year’s annual fee.
This card is best for:
✔️ Rewards on flights, hotels and advertising.
✔️ Airport lounge access.
✔️ Perks and statement credits.
Not a fit? Consider these business credit cards
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is the OG of premium business travel cards. It shares many pros (airport lounge access, travel credits) and cons (coupon-style discounts) with the Sapphire Reserve for Business. Its annual fee is even higher ($895). If that doesn't bother you, compare the two (more here) to see which is the best fit for you (see
Chase’s flagship business travel card is basically the super flyweight version of the Sapphire Reserve for Business. It delivers a great welcome offer (90000 points) and excellent rewards, but doesn’t offer many perks beyond that. But with an annual fee of just $95, you don't need fancy perks to justify keeping the Chase Ink Business Preferred in your wallet.
💰 Sign-up bonus: Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening.
🎉 Rewards:
4X points on flights and hotels.
8X points on Chase Travel purchases.
3x points on social media and search engine advertising.
1X points on everything else.
📈 APR: The Sapphire Reserve for Business is a pay-in-full card. However, certain purchases may be eligible for Flex for Business financing. Flex for Business Variable APR: 18.49%-26.49%.
💷 Foreign transaction fee: None.
🎆 Other benefits:
$300 annual travel credit.
$120 statement credit on TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry or Nexus (every four years).
$500 credit for prepaid stays with The Edit by Chase Travel℠.
$400 annual credit for ZipRecruiter purchases.
$200 Google Workspace credit toward AI tools for business.
$300 in annual DoorDash statement credits (doled out monthly), plus a free DashPass membership.
$120 in annual Lyft in-app credits (up to $10 monthly).
$100 Giftcards.com credit.
IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status (through 12/31/2027).
Spend $120,000 in a calendar year to earn elite status through the following calendar year:
Southwest A-List status (must hit $120K spending requirements).
The Sapphire Reserve for Business’s initial welcome offer blows even the best business card sign-up bonuses out of the water. Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening.
Not only is that a colossal cache of points, but you get ample time to earn them — six months versus the standard three months.
Those points are worth at least $2,000 in travel booked via Chase Travel℠. But they could be worth twice that with Chase’s new Points Boost feature. This bumps your redemption value to 2 cents per point for select flights and hotels on the card’s travel portal.
Airport lounge access
Chase delivers on this fan-favorite perk for frequent fliers, making it one of the best business credit cards for airport lounge access. That's because primary cardholders and — more notably — up to two guests get free access to more than 1,300 Priority Pass Select lounges. Other premium business travel cards have rolled back guest access to lounges.
The Sapphire Reserve for Business also grants you access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club network of lounges, which are known to have top-tier food and amenities. The Sapphire Lounge network currently includes seven locations, with Chase noting that three more are “coming soon.”
See Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
New York City - John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
New York City - LaGuardia Airport (LGA).
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
San Diego International Airport (SAN).
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).
Coming soon: Dallas Forth Worth International Airport (DFW).
Coming soon: Las Vegas - Harry Reid International Airport (LAS).
Coming soon: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Few cards match the Sapphire Reserve for Business when it comes to rewards for flights and hotels. Cardholders earn 4X points on flights and hotels, and 8X points on Chase Travel℠ purchases. Other comparable business travel cards award 1X to 3X points on travel.
The Sapphire Reserve for Business is also an excellent option for companies with major advertising expenses. The card earns 3X points for every ad dollar spent on Google, Facebook, Instagram and other eligible platforms. And unlike other popular cards for advertising rewards, there’s no spending cap.
Spend $250,000 on Google ads with this card each year and you'll get 750,000 points. If you use those points for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal, they could be worth up to $15,000, thanks to the card’s Points Boost perk.
The card is a strong addition for business owners using the so-called "Chase trifecta." This strategic combination of multiple Chase business cards maximizes your point-earning potential.
Flexible annual travel credit
Most cards in this class offer some form of annual travel credit. But none are as flexible as the Sapphire Reserve for Business’s $300 yearly benefit. This perk automatically applies to any travel purchase — no work required.
Similar benefits from the Capital One Venture X Business Card and the AmEx Business Platinum stipulate the credit only applies in certain circumstances. For the Venture X Business, that’s on prepaid travel through the card’s portal. For the AmEx Business Platinum, it’s on purchases with a specific, pre-selected airline.
Drawbacks and alternatives
Massive annual fee
The Sapphire Reserve for Business made a splash with its annual fee — and not in a good way. The $795 yearly price tag makes it the most expensive mainstream business credit card. It also makes it a very difficult card to justify carrying long term.
You'll need to spend $20,000 on flights and hotels just to break even. Yes, you can cut that down if you cash in some of the cards perks and credits. But the card’s most useful perks are for business travelers. And they're also not novel.
For instance, the Capital One Venture X Business delivers comparable lounge access and a similar travel credit for a fraction of the annual fee.
Coupon-style discounts
Chase claims it stuffed the Sapphire Reserve for Business with over $2,500 in annual value. That may technically be true. But realizing that full amount requires cashing in on numerous statement credits. And those may be for services your business may not actually need — like DoorDash grocery orders, Lyft rides and ZipRecruiter purchases.
Other premium business travel cards have a clearer return on investment. The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card , for example, offers a companion pass, lounge access, complimentary upgrades and free checked bags. These are all easy perks to use for frequent fliers.
If you don’t mind tracking statement credits, weigh those offered by the Sapphire Reserve for Business against those available via The Business Platinum Card® from American Express . You may find the latter a better and (slightly) more affordable fit.
Sapphire Reserve for Business
AmEx Business Platinum
$300 annual travel credit.
$120 statement credit on TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry or Nexus (every four years).
$500 credit for prepaid stays with The Edit by Chase Travel.
$400 annual credit for ZipRecruiter purchases.
$200 Google Workspace credit toward AI tools for business.
$300 in annual DoorDash statement credits (doled out monthly), plus a free DashPass membership.
$120 in annual Lyft in-app credits (up to $10 monthly).
$100 Giftcards.com credit.
Up to $600 per year statement credit on stays at Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection properties.
When you spend $250,000 or more on your card in a calendar year: Up to $1,200 in flight credits plus $2,400 in credits to use on subscription fees to One AP®, American Express’s accounts payable tool, for use in the next calendar year.
Up to $200 statement credit annually for incidental fees on one airline (not including airfare or seat upgrades).
Up to $209 statement credit annually toward the cost of a CLEAR Plus membership when you pay for it with your Business Platinum Card.
Up to $120 statement credit on TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry application fee when it's charged to the card.
Up to $1,150 in Dell statement credits annually.
Up to $200 Hilton statement credit each year (up to $50 per quarter).
Up to $360 Indeed statement credit.
Up to $250 Adobe Creative Solutions statement credit.
Up to $120 statement credit for cell phone service paid for with your AmEx Business Platinum.
Enrollment required.
Terms and conditions apply.
How we evaluated the Sapphire Reserve for Business
NerdWallet's business credit card experts compared the Sapphire Reserve for Business to other travel business cards, evaluating how the card's rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its peers.