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I’ve been a small business owner for most of my career. In recent years, I’ve learned how to leverage various credit cards to maximize rewards. Below, you will find the best business credit cards that you can obtain by 2022, several of which offer generous welcome bonuses worth $750 to $1,000 or more.
You may be a small business owner like me. If you have a private practice or a partnership, that’s obviously a business. If you earn money with a blog or podcast, do freelance work, or sell products online, that’s a business. If you watch or walk dogs via Rover, that’s a business!
That’s all you need to apply for a business credit card. It doesn’t hurt to get an EIN (which takes all of 60 seconds), but some people apply using their social security numbers.
When I was a locum tenens physician, I had a business for that. Now that I’m a blogger, I’ve got a business that encompasses the website and all related activities.
A small business credit card is a great way to help keep track of expenses related to the business. Personally, I track business expenses on a spreadsheet and tend to commingle business and personal expenses on different cards depending on what I’m trying to achieve.
I’ve already shared my credit card rewards strategies and top tips in the freshly updated Credit Cards for People Who Love Travel and Money. If you haven’t yet, give that a read and return here to learn more specifically about business cards.
Jump to:
Note: I might earn money if you apply for a card via links on this page, and I will donate a significant percentage of my profits if that happens. Not many sites make that pledge, so please, do your research wherever the world wide web takes you, but consider coming back to this site for your credit card needs and support our charitable mission. Cheers!
What’s best for you and your business will depend on the answer to several questions.
How much do you spend in a year?
Are you more interested in welcome bonus offers? Or do the long-term benefits of the card matter more to you?
Do you prefer cash back or flexible rewards points?
Is there a particular airline or hotel chain that you use often for business or personal travel?
I’ve selected the best cards based on what I feel is the best combination of a valuable welcome bonus, solid ongoing rewards, and a reasonable annual fee. There are additional cards that offer more perks but come with annual fees of $450 or more. I’ve included one for the big ballers out there.
In the spreadsheet that accompanies this article, I did include a couple of cards with no welcome bonus for those that frequent Costco or want a no-annual-fee card, but the rest of the cards feature offer bonuses worth anywhere from $500 to $2,000 or more.
Best Cash Back Business Credit Cards
If you don’t plan on charging big bucks on a business card, there a couple of Chase Business Cards that are excellent choices. Both offer a $750 bonus cash back welcome bonus and ongoing cash back throughout the year.
I like to think of these cards as the Business equivalent of the personal cards Chase Freedom Unlimited (minimum 1.5% cash back on every purchase) and Chase Freedom Flex (5% cash back on rotating categories on up to $1,500 in purchases per quarter and 1% on everything else).
Like the personal cards, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited and Chase Ink Business Cash have no annual fees, ever.
Compared to the Capital One Spark cards, the minimum spends are much lower and the annual fee is non-existent. To earn the $750 welcome bonus, you must spend $6,000 on these Chase business cards.
Even if you plan to use another business card, I would recommend having one or both of these cards in your armamentarium.
Chase Ink Business Cash: $750 bonus cash back
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Chase Ink Business Unlimited: $750 bonus cash back
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Pro tip: Sign up for both the Ink Cash and the Ink Unlimited sequentially, collect both welcome bonuses, and then using each on its best rewards categories to maximize points with the highly transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards.
The next two cards from Capital One will give you cash back (or a miles equivalent) for life.
The Capital One Spark Cash Select – $500 Cash Bonus is a straightforward cash back card with no annual fee offering 1.5% back on all purchases except hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel; those pay out 5% back to you.
If travel is more your thing, you’ll get a similar value in travel credits with miles that also can also be transferred to valuable travel partners with the Capital One Spark Miles for Business. The card also has the benefit of a$100 global entry or TSA pre✓ reimbursement.
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Best Business Credit Cards with Flexible Points
Chase has a valuable third business card, the Chase Ink Business Preferred. There are a few key differences between the cash back cards and the Preferred card.
First, the Preferred card gives you an industry-leading 100,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points (after a $8,000 spend in 3 months) instead of cash back. 100,000 points can be used to book $1,250 to $1,500 in travel via the Chase portal or can be transferred to one of several popular travel partners.
Those partners include United, Southwest, and Jetblue airlines and Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, or Ritz Carlton hotels. A good redemption of 100,000 points could easily carry a value of $2,000 or more.
This card also comes with an annual fee of $95 and adds the benefit of no foreign transaction fees.
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Another business card with flexible rewards points to consider is the American Express Blue Business Plus card (rates and fees). This card has no annual fee and the first $50,000 spent on the card are rewarded at a rate of 2 points per dollar spent. Terms apply.
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The American Express MembershipAward points for this card and other AmEx cards are quite flexible with airline partners Delta, Air France / KLM, JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines. You can also transfer points to the Hilton and Starwood / Marriott hotel chains.
To learn how to best use these points, see CardRatings’ Guide to American Express® Membership Rewards.
Note, there is also an excellent personal card from American Express called the Blue Cash Preferred (rates and fees) that gets you 6% cash back at U.S. grocery stores among other perks.
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Finally, if you prefer the finer things in life, American Express also offers the American Express® Business Gold (rates and fees) and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (rates and fees).
I have a hard time recommending the Gold card when comparing the card’s perks to its $295 annual fee, but the Platinum Card might be a good option, especially if you don’t carry a premium personal credit card.
The Business Platinum Card carries a hefty $695 annual fee but gives you some valuable perks including access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection, offering the widest range of airport lounges with free food and drink of any program.
Additionally, $200 of the annual fee can be offset with an airline credit for baggage fees, and over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases including tech, recruiting, and wireless.. Enrollment required. A CLEAR membership of $189 a year is also reimbursed(subject to renewal), allowing you to breeze through airport and select stadium security.
The welcome bonus is generous but requires a large initial outlay, with 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 in the first three months.
I would only recommend this card if you are a frequent business traveler and plan to spend enough to get the full welcome bonus in the first three months. Terms apply.
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bonus_miles_full read moreHow to Keep Track of Multiple Business Credit Cards
If you’re only going to get one card and use it for everything, there’s not much to do. Set up an online account, set up autopay (every time on every card!), and keep enough money in your checking or savings account to cover your monthly tab.
However, if you’re like me and you want to earn multiple welcome bonuses and use the right cards in the right situations (airline specific card for free checked bags, Chase Freedom for the 5 points per dollar at Costco this quarter for example), you’ll want to keep track of which cards you have.
That’s where my spreadsheet comes into play, and I’ll give you an opportunity to download it.
Business Credit Cards
The sheet shows each of the cards featured here and there’s a tab for personal cards, many of which are featured in my travel cards article. The welcome bonuses and spending required to reach them are all listed.
I’ve filled in the annual fees and whether or not they’re waived the first year. Most, but not all cards have no foreign transaction fees. The cash back cards are less likely to have this feature which is valuable if you spend time outside of the United States.
I created columns to mark if you’ve gotten the card(s) for you and your spouse. I highly recommend not adding a spouse as an authorized user, but rather applying for a new card in his or her name once you’ve reached the minimum spend on yours. That way, your household can earn the welcome bonus twice.
The key perks are also listed to the right of the spreadsheet. I truncated the sheet in the image below to make it better fit on your screen in this article.
The personal credit card portion is a little more robust. I’ve also created a third tab which is a blank slate where you can copy and past info from the first two as you add cards to your collection or enter information from other cards on your own.
Personal credit cards
The best way to send the spreadsheet to you (it’s an Excel file in .XLS format and can easily be converted to other formats after downloaded) is to ask for your email address in the box below. An email with a download link will be generated and sent to you immediately. You can opt out of future emails if you prefer, but if you remain subscribed, I’ll be able to send you updated versions of the sheet as the limited time offers and top cards change.
Best Business Cards for Frequent Fliers
United Business Card: 50,000 miles
United Airlines, one of the United States’ “Big Three Airlines” has a business card with a welcome offer of 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
Like many other airline cards, they offer a free checked bag when booking with United using the card. You’ll also get priority boarding for you and a companion, and two passes to use in any United Club. I used these at DFW for my wife and myself after FinCon17. It was a nice place to kick back for a few hours waiting for our flight!
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Southwest
 Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Southwest Airlines is popular with frequent fliers for their low fares, “bags fly free” policy that is rare, and the transparent system with frequent flier miles. Theirs is the least complicated where a mile has a dollar value and you don’t have to search for the best dates to use your miles.
A savvy traveler will obtain a Southwest business card and one of their personal credit cards, the Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and/or the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card and meet the minimum spend to earn over 120,000 miles, qualifying for the coveted Companion Pass which gives you a free companion on every Southwest flight you take this year and next.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card: 80,000 PointsÂ
Chase and Southwest offer a premium card known as the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card offering 80,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first three months.
The Performance card has a higher annual fee as opposed to the premium-sounding Premier card ($199 vs. $99), but the Performance card has additional perks like 4x points on Southwest purchases, 3x points on rideshare plus hotel and car partners, wifi reimbursement, Global Entry / TSA Pre✓ reimbursement every four years, and up to four upgraded boardings per year.
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Delta Skymiles® Gold Business American Express Card (rates and fees): 50,000 Miles
Delta is one of the “big three” U.S. airlines and they’ve got a quality business card via their partnership with American Express. If you often fly Delta, the Gold Delta Skymiles Business Card may be a very good option for you.
You can early a welcome bonus of 50,000 miles Delta Skymiles after $2,000 spent in the first three months plus a $100 credit towards a future Delta flight made if you spend $10,000 in a calendar year. Your first checked bag flies free and you’ll qualify for priority boarding. The $99 annual fee is waived the first year. Terms apply.
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Finally, there’s another “big three” airline business card offered by the same bank that offers the Costco card. Their rules prohibit direct linking, but if you, like me, like accumulating AAdvantage miles, this business card will give you 70,000 AAdvantage Miles after spending $3,000 in four months.
That’s enough to get you to Asia, South America, or Europe and back. If your spouse or a friend gets one, as well, you can take a pretty swell trip together after meeting the minimum spend on each card.
Unfortunately, I cannot link directly to the card, but I can direct you to airline reward cards and you’ll find it, along with its personal card counterpart, on the Cardratings website.
Best Business Cards for Hotel Stays
I’ll highlight a couple of business cards from the popular chains Hilton and Marriott. Both have excellent reward programs and these cards will get you automatic upgraded status in those programs and enough points in the welcome bonus for at least a long weekend in one of their upscale hotels.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (rates and fees)
As a cardholder, you’ll enjoy Gold status and 12 points per dollar spent at Hilton Hotels. Spend $15,000 any year for a free weekend night with a second complimentary night after another $45,000 spent. Terms apply.
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Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (rates and fees)
Finally, after the 2019 Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) merger with Marriott, points earned on the Marriott Bonvoy Business card can be redeemed for stays at many hotels and resorts in the following families:
- Ritz-Carlton
- Marriott
- JW Marriott
- Gaylord Hotels
- Fairfield Inn & Suites
- Autograph Collection
- St. Regis
- W Hotels
- Westin
- Sheraton
- Four Points
- Luxury Collection
- Meridien
The card currently offers  Earn 125,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months, Offer ends November 1, 2023.
As with any hotel card, you’ll earn extra points (6 per dollar) when using the card within the hotel chain’s properties that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
In your renewal month, you’re gifted a free night’s stay. Spend $60,000 on the card in a year for a second complimentary night.
The card comes with complimentary Gold Elite Status. You’ll pay no foreign transaction fees, and there is a $125 annual fee. Terms apply.
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Start Earning Rewards with a Business Credit Card
If you’re a small business owner, you should be reaping the rewards of a good business credit card on every business purchase made by you and your employees. Most of the cards featured here offer additional cards for employees at no additional cost.
While it’s true that this site can turn a profit if you apply for a card after clicking on the links from this article, it’s also true that I donate much of my profits. Do the research you need to do, but please return here to follow my links to the cards if you’re so inclined. And of course, do not use credit cards if you cannot afford to pay them off completely every month!
Download the spreadsheet and start earning that cash back, those flexible points, airline or hotel points today!
Please exercise caution with the language in the comments. The card issuers don’t like terms that rhyme with “travel snacking” or “travel packing.” Also, please avoid the yearning to use any word that starts like “church” and ends like “burning.” Thank you for your discretion.
Have you been earning cash back or travel rewards with small business credit cards? What are your favorite reward cards, business or otherwise?
To see rates and fees for featured cards from American Express: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (rates and fees) , Blue Cash Preferred (rates and fees), American Express Business Gold (rates and fees), American Express Business Platinum card (rates and fees), Gold Delta Skymiles Business Card (rates and fees), Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card (rates and fees), and the Hilton Honors Business Card (rates and fees)
Physician on FIRE has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Physician on FIRE and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
18 thoughts on “The Best Business Credit Cards for 2023”
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Having a small business line of credit is good for any side hustle millionaire because in my personal opinion, it helps you to effectively itemize on your taxes and can be an avenue for you to save money in the long run. Agree? 🙂
Very nice list of cards. I just started as a business owner myself so this is some good info.
A small disclaimer: If you’re a beginner in the credit card rewards realm, always start with Chase cards. They usually have amazing sign on bonuses as you have just read but if they see you have signed up for as little as 5 cards from ANY OTHER COMPANY in the past 2 years, they will deny every application. The only way to get back in their good graces is by going on a credit card fast for 2 years. Not fun.
Other than that, good luck to all!
Yup — “Chase Cards First” is a heading on my personal cards post.
Fortunately, Citi and AmEx business cards do not count towards 5 / 24.
And you wouldn’t have to wait 2 full years, either if you had gotten a number of other cards. If you had gotten five cards a year, you’d be able to apply for Chase cards after about a one-year hiatus.
Cheers!
-PoF
Great roundup.
A few thoughts…
There best available current offer for the Chase Southwest Plus card is a tiered 60,000 bonus points offer (40,000 after $1,000 in spending in the first 3 months and an additional 20,000 after spending $12,000 in the first year). Just wanted PoF readers know so that they miss out on additional points.
Also important to note is that the Amex Business Platinum annual fee will go up to a whopping $595 in a few months on February 2019. That’s crazy high!
And finally, I’m pretty sure the current offer for Chase Southwest Premier Business is 60,000 points, not 80,000 points (as stated on your post).
Good catch — I’m not sure if that was a typo or a “copy and paste” error, but either way, I’ve fixed it. I do have that offer on the Southwest Plus Card — in the perks section of the spreadsheet, I list the additional 20,0000 bonus points with the extra $12,000 spent.
Reader Toby opened my eyes to the benefit of the more expensive Southwest Priority Card. The annual fee of $149 is about half offset with a $75 Southwest credit, making it effectively $6 more than the $69 fee on the Plus, but with the added benefit of 7,500 points on your cardmember anniversary (versus 3,000 on the Plus),20% in-flight purchases, and four upgraded boardings per year.
Cheers!
-PoF
Man, this is a comprehensive list, POF. My buddy and I were just talking about this yesterday. He scored a first class ticket to Japan ($23,000) by using around 100,000 points on his American Express card through one of the Japanese airlines (ANA, I think).
This stuff can really work.
TPP
That’s a sweet redemption. I’m usually happy getting 2 cents per point /mile. That’s 23 cents per point, which is incredible!
You’re right, though. There are some really valuable opportunities out there, particularly when looking at business class and first class overseas fares.
Cheers!
-PoF
Yup! It definitely works. I’m proof of concept 🙂
I have probably redeemed the equivalent of $60-80k in points over the past few years (depending on how you truly value those points).
It’s definitely doable. But like PoF said in his reply,… the only way to get truly outsized value is by redeeming for international first class seats/suites. Much easier to do without kids. But I might consider redeeming first class tickets for the baby. I’m not sure if the other first class passengers will appreciate it though ;P