There's a lot to consider when embarking on a new business venture. What credit card to get might not be your top priority, but it's also not something you want to ignore. The right small business credit card can help you streamline bookkeeping, earn rewards and may even offer no-interest financing.
If you're stuck on which business rewards credit card is right for your startup, we've got you covered. CNBC Select reviewed dozens of options and selected the best business credit cards for startups in a variety of categories. (See our methodology for information on how we chose the best startup business credit cards).
Best business credit cards for startups
- Best for no annual fee: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (see rates and fees)
- Best for 0% intro APR: U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
- Best for travel perks: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Best for advertising:Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Best for cash back: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- Best for startups without a credit score: Brex Business Card
Best for no annual fee
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
On the American Express secure site
Rewards
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases up to $50,000 per year, then 1X point per dollar
Welcome bonus
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening
Regular APR
18.49% - 26.49% variable; APRs will not exceed 29.99%
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
2.7%
Credit needed
Excellent
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Straightforward rewards program
Cons
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee
Who's this for? The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has a little bit of everything a startup founder could want including, no annual fee (see rates and fees), a promotional intro APR offer and straightforward, yet valuable rewards.
Standout benefit for startups: The Blue Business Plus Card earns 2X Membership Rewards® points on up to $50,000 in eligible purchases each calendar year, then 1X points. That's a higher-than-normal return for everyday business purchases and the American Express Membership Rewards points you earn with this card can be transferred to over 20 airline and hotel partner loyalty programs.
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Best for 0% intro APR
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
Learn More
Rewards
Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center, 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants, 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn $500 in cash back. Just spend $4,500 on the account owner's card in the first 150 days of opening your account.
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers
Regular APR
19.24% - 28.24% (Variable)
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Pros
- No annual fee
- $500 welcome bonus offer
- No limit on cash back earned
- Interest-free period for the first 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers
- Annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription services
Cons
- 3% foreign transaction fee
Learn More
Who's this for? The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card is a good fit for startups that may need more time to pay off their balances. It offers an above-average intro APR offer, a sizable welcome bonus and generous rewards rates.
Standout benefit for startups: Upon approval, you'll receive an intro 0% APR on eligible balance transfers and purchases for the first 15 billing cycles, then a variable 19.24% to 28.24% APR applies. There's a balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. This offer is longer than many of the top 0% intro APR deals. Keep in mind, for balance transfers to qualify for the intro APR, you'll need to complete the transfer within 30 days of opening the account.
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Best for travel perks
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
On the American Express secure site
Rewards
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Also, earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchases at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Welcome bonus
Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership
Annual fee
$695
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
19.49% - 27.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Pros
- Enroll to receive up to $400 in annual statement credits on Dell purchases (up to $200 semi-annually), up to $360 with Indeed, up to $150 with Adobe and up to $120 on wireless telephone purchases
- Get 35% points back when you use points to purchase all or part of an airline fare, up to 500,000 bonus points back per calendar year
- American Express Global Lounge Collection
- Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus where available and get up to $189 back per year on your membership when you use your card. (subject to auto-renewal)
- Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by your one selected, qualifying airline to your card
Cons
- $695 annual fee
- No introductory 0% financing offers
Who's this for? The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is geared toward business owners who are frequent travelers and value luxury benefits.
Standout benefit for startups: Cardholders enjoy a long list of travel perks, includingairport lounge access, a statement credit forGlobal EntryorTSA PreCheck®, comprehensive travel insurance, automatic hotel loyalty program status, rental car benefits and more.
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Best for advertising
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
On Chase's secure site
Rewards
Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.24% - 26.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Good/Excellent
Terms apply.
Read our Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review.
Pros
- Free employee cards
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase TravelSM
- 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs
- No fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S.
- Generous welcome bonus worth up to $1,000
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- No introductory 0% financing offers for purchases or balance transfers
Who's this for? The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers valuable rewards for all sorts of business purchases, including advertising. And you'll be hard-pressed to find a more valuable welcome bonus offer.
Standout benefit for startups: The Ink Business Preferred earns triple rewards where businesses tend to spend heavily. You'll earn 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards® points per $1 on the first $150,000 in combined spending in these select categories (then you'll earn 1X points per $1 on all other purchases) each account anniversary year: Shipping purchases; advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines; travel; and internet, cable and phone services.
The points you earn are worth 1.25 cents apiece when you use them to pay for travel booked through Chase TravelSM (or more when transferred to a partner travel program). So you're effectively earning at least 3.75% back in travel rewards on bonus spending.
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Best for cash back
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
On Chase's secure site
Rewards
Earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
Welcome bonus
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% for the first 12 months from account opening on purchases; N/A for balance transfers
Regular APR
18.49% - 24.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Credit needed
Good/Excellent
Terms apply.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Free employee cards
- Simple cash-back program
- Special financing offer for purchases
Cons
- 3% fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S.
Who's this for? The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is ideal for earning strong cashback rewards on everyday business spending without paying an annual fee.
Standout benefit for startups: All purchases earn at least 1.5% cash back. It's hard to beat that type of return on a cash-back business card for spending that falls outside of a limited bonus category. Although some cards may offer a slightly higher return, they generally have caps on how much cashback you can earn or charge high annual fees, which eat into your rewards.
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Best for startups without a credit score
Brex Card
Rewards
Earn rewards and cash back on everything you spend, like 7x on rideshare, 2x on recurring software, and access exclusive events and over $400K in software discounts.
Welcome bonus
30,000 points after spending $3,500, or 50,000 points after spending $9,000 in the first 30 days.
Annual fee
No annual fee
Intro APR
Brex does not charge interest
Regular APR
Brex does not charge interest
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
No foreign transaction fees, free ACH and wires worldwide, global acceptance on the Mastercard network
Credit needed
No personal guarantee or credit check. Only companies organized and registered in the United States may apply for a Brex account. See Platform Agreement for business criteria.
Pros
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fee
Cons
- You'll have to pay off the balance daily or monthly
*Offer available to new Brex Card customers only.
Brex Mastercard® issued by Emigrant Bank, Member FDIC. Brex Cash provided by Brex Treasury LLC, member FINRA and SIPC. Brex Treasury is not a bank; Brex Cash is not a bank account. Testimonials may not represent experiences of all clients. Terms apply, visit brex.com.
Who's this for? The Brex Card is a charge card that may be easier to get as it doesn't require a personal guarantee or credit check for the business owner. Instead, Brex takes the company's size, revenue and funding into account.
Standout benefit for startups: Brex isn't just a rewards card, it's a financial services company and you'll get a Brex card only if you open a Brex business account. If your business is approved, you'll be able to earn generous rewards in useful bonus categories like rideshare, Brex travel, restaurants, eligible Apple purchases through the Brex rewards portal and recurring software. You can opt for monthly or daily card payments, with the daily payment option offering more rewards.
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More on our top business credit cards for startups
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a no-annual-fee business card with a useful intro0% APR offerfor new card members (see rates and fees) and no confusing bonus categories to keep track of.
Rewards
- 2X points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent per year on everyday business purchases (then 1X point per dollar thereafter)
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 15,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within your first three months of card membership.
Annual fee
$0 (see rates and fees)
Notable perks
New cardholders receive an intro 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months from account opening, then a variable 18.49% - 26.49% APR applies (see rates and fees). If your startup needs to finance any purchases, this benefit alone can easily save your business hundreds of dollars in interest during the first year.
You may add employee cards for no additional fee (up to 99 employee cards; see rates and fees). The card provides a little extra peace of mind with extended warranty and purchase protection for eligible purchases. Other useful benefits for startups include access toexpanded buying powe and the ability to link with Quickbooks for simplified accounting.
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U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card is a surprisingly valuable no-annual-fee card with generous returns and an annual statement credit.
Rewards
- 5% back on prepaid car rentals and hotels booked through the U.S. Bank travel center
- 3% back atgas stationsand EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers andrestaurants
- 1% back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn $500 cash back after spending $4,500 on the account owner's card in the first 150 days of account opening.
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
It's uncommon for a no-annual-fee credit card to also have a statement credit benefit. However, with this card, you can earn a $100 statement credit every 12 months. To qualify for this perk, you need to make 11 consecutive months of eligible purchases directly with a software provider.
You can also add employee cards to this account for no extra fee, though spending on employee cards doesn't count toward earning this card's welcome bonus.
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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a premium rewards card with an extremely long list of potentially valuable benefits.
Rewards
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amextravel.com
- 1.5X points on up to $2 million in eligible purchases per calendar year at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, shipping providers and on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else
- 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.
Annual fee
$695 (see rates and fees)
Notable perks
Amex Business Platinum cardholders can earn over $1,000 in statement credits every year. These credits apply to useful business services, such as:
- Up to $400 back annually on U.S. purchases with Dell ($200 semi-annually; enrollment required)
- Up to $360 back annually for purchases with Indeed (up to $90 quarterly through Dec. 31, 2024; enrollment required)
- Up to $150 back annually for select auto-renewing subscriptions with Adobe (through Dec. 31, 2024)
- Up to $120 back annually for purchases with U.S. wireless telephone providers (enrollment required)
- Up to $200 back each year for qualifying airline fees with your selected airline
- Up to $189 in CLEAR Plus credit each calendar year
- Up to $100 in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit every 4.5 years
The card also has some of the most comprehensive airport lounge access that's available with a credit card. Cardholders receive access to the full Amex Global Lounge Collection, which includes Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges, Delta Sky Club locations, Priority Pass lounges, Lufthansa lounges and Plaza Premium locations.
Frequent travelers will also appreciate the card's automatic elite status and elite-like benefits for hotels and rental cars. Card members can enroll to receive Marriott Bonvoy Gold status and Hilton Honors Gold status and they can receive perks such as late check-out (when available), room upgrades (when available) and a $100 amenity credit when you book through the Fine Hotels & Resorts Program. Complimentary rental car status is available for Avis, Hertz and National.
On top of all of that, this card is loaded with a long list of travel and purchase protections, including:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Rental car insurance
- Baggage insurance
- Trip delay Insurance
- Extended warranty
- Purchase protection
- Return protection
- Cell phone protection
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Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns valuable travel rewards and has a strong list of purchase and travel protections, which can save your startup money in a variety of ways.
Rewards
- 5X points per dollar on Lyft purchases (through Mar. 31, 2025)
- 3X points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in these categories each account anniversary year: Travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines.
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.
Annual fee
$95
Notable perks
This card comes with many built-in insurance coverages that automatically applies to eligible purchases, including:
- Cell phone protection
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty coverage
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Roadside dispatch
- Rental car insurance (primary)
- Travel and emergency assistance services
- Baggage delay insurance
- Lost luggage coverage
- Travel accident insurance
- Trip delay reimbursem*nt
Cardholders can add employee cards for no additional fee and there are no foreign transaction fees.
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Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a straightforward no-annual-fee cash-back card that's a good fit when you're just getting your business off the ground.
Rewards
- 5X points on Lyft rides (through Mar. 31, 2025)
- 1.5X on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn $750 in bonus cash after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
New Ink Business Unlimited card members receive a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, after that, a variable 18.49% to 24.49% APR applies. Having the option to finance investments in your startup can be helpful, just be sure you have a plan for taking care of your credit card balance before the intro APR expires.
Eligible items bought with this card receive automatic purchase protection and extended warranty protection. Other perks include roadside dispatch, rental car insurance and travel and emergency assistance services.
There is no fee for adding employee cards to this account.
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Brex Business Card
The Brex Business Card earns transferrable rewards and can be exceptionally rewarding if your business qualifies for an account.
Rewards
Brex Exclusive rewards:
- 7X points on rideshare
- 4X points on Brex travel rewards
- 3X points on restaurants
- 3X points on eligible Apple purchases through the Brex rewards portal
- 2X points on recurring software
- 1X points on all other purchases
By opting for daily payments (instead of monthly) you can earn an additional 1X points in select categories. Life sciences companies don't earn bonus rewards on software, rideshare or restaurant purchases. Instead, they earn additional points on lab supplies and life sciences conference tickets.
Brex also has a custom rewards program that's available to companies with 50 or more Brex users who also will meet minimum spending requirements. You'll have to speak with Brex to see if your company qualifies.
Learn more about all reward multipliers and options here.
Welcome bonus
Earn 30,000 points after spending $3,500, or 50,000 points after spending $9,000 in the first 30 days.
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
Brex rewards can be redeemed in a handful of ways, but the most valuable will generally be transferring points to one of its partner airline loyalty programs. Brex partners with several useful frequent flyer programs, including Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Emirates Skywards.
This card also has severalWorld Elite Mastercard®for Business benefits, including:
- Discounts on popular software for businesses, such as TurboTax, Microsoft 365, QuickBooks® and Salesforce Essentials
- MasterRental Insurance, which covers damage or theft of a rental car if you use your card to pay for it
- Complimentary ShopRunner membership, worth a value of $79 per year for perks like free return shipping and unlimited free two-day shipping
- Mastercard's Easy Savings program, which lets you score rebates for hotel stays, dining, car rentals, gas and other business expenses throughout the U.S.
There's also no limit to the number of employee credit cards you can get from Brex.
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FAQs
Does a business credit card affect my personal credit?
When you apply for most small business credit cards, there usually is a hard pull on your personal credit. However, many (but not all) small business cards won't appear on your personal credit reports because there are separate credit scores for businesses.
How do I choose the right credit card for my business?
Choosing the right card for your business largely comes down to understanding what your business needs and where you spend the most. If you or your employees frequently travel for business, then a card with robust travel insurance is a good fit. Or if you spend heavily on shipping, look for a card that offers bonus rewards for shipping expenses.
Can you get a business credit card with no revenue?
If you're just starting a business and don't have any revenue yet, it is possible to get a business credit card. Many small business cards require a personal guarantee from the owner, so your personal income also factors into your approval odds.
Bottom line
Finding the right business card for your startup largely depends on your needs, wants and the type of business you have. Some cards offer no-interest on purchases or balance transfers and others come with bonus rewards for specific purchases. You can also choose between cash-back rewards or valuable travel points or miles. So no matter what you're looking for, there should be a good fit for your startup.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every business credit cardarticle is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit cardproducts.While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. Seeour methodologyfor more information on how we choose the best business credit cards for LLCs.
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Our methodology
To determine which business cards offer the best value for startups, CNBC Select analyzed the most popular credit cards available to U.S. business owners. We compared each card on a range of features, including the annual fee, employee card fee, rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is to redeem points.
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For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, clickhere.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum® Card from American Express, click here.
*Information about the Capital One Spark Cash Plus has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
