The Citi Custom Cash® Card is another great card with a balance transfer offer and rewards for those with fair credit. Selecting the right business credit cards with rewards is akin to hiring a dedicated employee for your venture. Not only does it assist in managing finances, but with every business purchase, it also accumulates rewards, transforming your card into an indispensable asset for your company. The card offers a few additional benefits including automatic World of Hyatt Discoverist status and the ability to receive five tier qualifying nights for each $10,000 of spend on the card within a calendar year. The card also comes with select travel protections and doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. When you apply for a business credit card, the application looks similar to a personal credit card application, with some additional information requested.
Robin Saks Frankel is a former credit cards and personal finance writer and editor for Forbes Advisor. Previously, she covered credit cards and related content at other national web publications including NerdWallet, Bankrate and HerMoney. Most balance transfer cards will also charge you a balance transfer fee, typically ranging from 3% to 5% of the amount being transferred.
What you should know about business credit cards
If you’re putting pricey personal expenses on your business card, you might run up against your card limit sooner which can impact your personal credit. Another thing to consider is that using your business credit card for personal expenses likely violates your cardholder agreement. If an application for a business credit card is denied, it’s important to learn why. Sometimes the reason is administrative and can be easily fixed, such as a typo or an unrecognized address. When this occurs, it’s important to try to raise the business’ credit score prior to reapplying. For example, on-time bill payments can go a long way in improving a business – or personal – credit score.
- Tracy Stewart is a personal finance writer specializing in credit card loyalty programs, travel benefits, and consumer protections.
- Yes, in most cases, the card issuer will perform a hard inquiry on your personal credit report.
- Charge cards have no credit limits, but you’ll need to pay them off in full every month or face stiff penalties.
- For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
- Cardholders can choose where they can earn the most cash back in select categories for their spending, which is a rarity in business rewards cards.
- Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution.
The Amex Business Platinum card is certainly expensive, but plentiful credits and travel perks can make it worth it for the right kind of cardholder. Understand the debt-to-income ratio and its significance in personal finance. Answer a few questions and see if you’re likely to be approved in less than a minute—with no impact to your credit score.
How to Apply for a Business Credit Card
You are not required to use a business credit card for business expenses, but there are benefits to doing so. Small-business credit cards typically have higher credit limits and a wider variety of spending categories for rewards and bonuses. Using a separate credit card for business expenses also keeps things streamlined and makes it easier to find deductions come tax time. It’s also worth knowing that the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, which defines consumer credit protections, does not cover business credit cards. So, limits pertaining to how or when credit card companies can charge fees and raise interest rates don’t apply to business credit cards. However, many issuers extend these protections to business credit cards anyway, so it pays to ask about that and carefully review terms in the business credit card agreement.
The amount and type of rewards often depend on the card issuer and the specific program details. All of Chase’s business cards officially say that they require good to excellent credit. The Ink Business what is a business credit card Cash® Credit Card and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card have lower minimum credit lines, whereas the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card have higher credit lines.
Small Business Trends
Earn $500 cash back after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership and 3% cash back on every card swipe with no category restrictions. Using a business credit card for large purchases that can’t be fully paid for before the interest charges kick in can prove a very expensive proposition. For instance, a card that might be considered mediocre on a list of rewards cards could be the top card on a list of rewards cards with no annual fee. That’s because the card might offer limited features compared to other rewards cards, but after we remove cards that charge an annual fee, it’s the best card that remains. You’ll typically need a good to excellent credit score (670+) to qualify for a 0% APR business credit card. Earn 15,000 points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.
- We use the same numbers for cards in the same category to make sure we are comparing cards the same way.
- Use them for working capital, inventory or to cover your business travel costs.
- Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and the likelihood of applicants’ credit approval also impact how and where products appear on this site.
- There are enough perks with this card to help occasional and frequent United flyers offset the annual fee that kicks in after the first year.
- The best business credit cards provide a revolving line of credit you can use for any business-related need.
- If you want to check your business credit for free, CreditSignal® is a tool from Dun & Bradstreet that monitors your credit file for changes.
- Carriers typically earn billions by partnering with credit card companies to issue co-branded cards.
Business credit cards can be a helpful way to kickstart growth by providing access to credit. This credit may allow you to invest in the systems, equipment and people you https://www.bookstime.com/articles/how-an-accountant-can-help-your-business need to in order to reach your business goals. Business owners can apply with an EIN if they have one established, or they may use their personal Social Security number.
What is a business credit card?
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is an excellent no-annual-fee business credit card to consider if you prefer flat-rate cash-back credit cards. Regardless of the size or type of business you have, the best business credit cards can provide quick capital and ease the process of managing transactions. For business owners who max out the 50k annual spending on the bonus categories, the rewards are substantial for a no-annual-fee card. Preferred Rewards for Business members can make out like a bandit with the 25-75% rewards bonus. The foreign transaction fee means it’s best to keep this card at home when traveling overseas.
- Business credit cards for most small startups will require a personal guarantee.
- US airlines are attacking a new bill in Congress that seeks to lower credit card swipe fees, saying it would effectively end most flyer miles programs.
- This can help accelerate cash back and rewards points growth and allows for better monitoring of employees’ business spending.
- While you’ll typically pay a balance transfer fee, you won’t pay any interest on balances you carry during the introductory period.
- It may help to seek out business credit cards offered by banks you already have a relationship with—this can make the application process more comfortable, efficient and successful.
- A personal guarantee and a high personal income may also help you secure a business credit card.
There are enough perks with this card to help occasional and frequent United flyers offset the annual fee that kicks in after the first year. Cardholders can take advantage of first checked bag free for you and a companion, two annual United Club one-time passes and discounts on United inflight purchases. Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. A strong credit history increases your businesses’ credibility and reliability in the eyes of credit card companies, banks, vendors and investors. A business, like any individual, will also benefit from lower interest rates when a business credit bureau reports a clean record and a steady payment history.
Only a few cards offer the opportunity to apply without a personal guarantee. Business credit cards offer small and medium-sized businesses an opportunity to use regular revolving lines of credit to simplify and make business operations more convenient. Though in many respects business credit cards operate much the same as consumer credit cards, several differences set business credit cards apart from consumer cards. Business credit cards can provide many benefits for most companies, regardless of their size, industry, and age.
Most recently before joining Bankrate, Robert worked as an editor and writer at The Ascent by The Motley Fool, covering a number of personal finance topics, including credit cards, mortgages and loans. Since most cards have a preset credit limit, it may be more difficult to manage if your business’s monthly spending varies drastically. There are also charge cards which have no preset spending limit and instead adapt based on factors such as your spending and payment history. Depending on the business card, you may be able to set up restrictions that limit transactions to a certain dollar amount, spending category, and even certain days and times.
American Express® Business Gold Card
In addition, some may offer the ability to accelerate your reward earnings on common business categories of spending. If you love earning straightforward cash rewards on purchases and can stay under the yearly spending limit, you could earn more cash back with this card than the typical flat-rate business credit cards. A business credit card comes with many benefits, such as ease of use, easier to obtain than a loan, a financial cushion, and a way to separate business expenses from personal credit card expenses. Though there are benefits, a the card should be used with caution, as interest rates on cards are high, more so than a loan, and business credit cards have less security than personal credit cards. A personal guarantee promises the card issuer that if your business can’t pay back your balance, you — the individual — will.
