Best Small Business Owners Credit Cards 2025
Karl says: “For small business owners, the right card can boost cash flow and rewards. The Capital One Spark Cash Plus offers 2% unlimited cash back with no preset limit and a $150 annual fee refund if you spend $150K. The American Express® Business Gold Card earns 4X points on top spending categories and up to $240 in annual credits. The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card provides 1.5% unlimited cash back, no annual fee, and 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases.”
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Key offer
This card is ideal for local businesses, retail shops, restaurants, and service providers because it keeps things simple and profitable — everything earns high cashback, and there’s no preset limit to hold you back from business expenses.
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• You’ll earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, and your $150 annual fee is refunded if you spend $150,000 in a year
• It’s a true charge card with flexible spending power based on your payment and spending history — and best of all, it doesn’t report to personal credit bureaus as long as your account stays in good standing.
Welcome offer
• Earn $2,000 after spending $30,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn another $2,000 after spending $500,000 within the first year
Annual fee
• $150
• Earn $150 each year after spending $150,000, effectively offsetting the annual fee.
Best for High-Volume Spenders
Card Rewards
• 5% cashback on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• 2% cashback on all other purchases.
Premium Benefits
• You’ll earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars when you book through Capital One Travel
• There’s no preset spending limit — your buying power adjusts based on how you spend and pay
• It’s a pay-in-full card, you won’t pay interest — just pay your balance in full each month.
• You can issue free employee cards and set custom limits to stay in control
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• Virtual card numbers help you shop online more securely
• You can assign account managers to help oversee payments and day-to-day tracking
• Best of all, the card doesn’t report to personal credit bureaus as long as your account stays in good standing
• You’ll get primary rental car coverage when booking for business
• Eligible purchases are covered with extended warranty protection
• Roadside assistance is available if you ever need help on the road (fees may apply)
Minimum Qualifications
• A personal credit score of 740 or higher is generally needed for approval
• You must be a business owner, officer, or partner
• You may need to show proof of enough income (personal or business) to cover monthly payments
• Having a separate business bank account or financial records may higher your chance for an approval
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• Recent inquiries in the last 3–6 months may result in a denial even with massive credit scores
• Since Capital One pulls all 3 credit bureaus, you unofficially have an option to freeze either Experian or Equifax if they have too many inquiries — it will then pull from TransUnion and one other bureau. You must keep 2 bureaus unfrozen to be approved.
• You cannot simultaneously hold both the Spark Cash Plus and Venture X Business cards, as both are Capital One charge cards. You can close the Venture X Business, wait two days, then apply for the Spark Cash Plus card.
Key offer
This card is ideal for local businesses, retail shops, restaurants, and service providers because it keeps cash flow simple and earns solid rewards across the board, with no annual fee and no limit to how much you can earn.
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• You’ll earn a simple and unlimited 1.5% cash back on every business purchase
• Plus, you’ll enjoy this boost for your business with an intro of 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases — it’s a great option for managing large upfront expenses without paying interest.
Welcome offer
Earn $750 cash back in the form of 75,000 points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee
$0
Best No-Annual-Fee Option
Card Rewards
• 1.5% cash-back on all purchases
Premium Benefits
• 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases.
• View quarterly reports and up to 24 months of statements
• Receive personalized account alerts and year-end summaries
Travel and Shopping Protections:
• Primary rental car insurance for theft or collision when renting for business purposes
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• Baggage delay insurance reimburses essentials if your bags are delayed over 6 hours (up to $100/day for 3 days)
• Lost luggage reimbursement covers lost or stolen bags (up to $3,000 per traveler)
• Travel accident insurance covers up to $500,000 for accidental death or dismemberment
• Travel and emergency assistance for medical, legal, and travel emergencies while away from home
• Purchase protection for damage or theft within 120 days (up to $10,000 per item, $50,000 per account)
• Extended warranty adds 1 extra year to eligible warranties of 3 years or less
• Roadside dispatch service available 24/7 (fees apply)
Minimum Qualifications
• Good to excellent personal credit is typically required (usually 700+ FICO)
• You must be a business owner, sole proprietor, or partner; you may be asked for estimated business income or industry
• May be asked to provide additional business documentation like irs or tax documents.
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• Chase may limit you to 2 new cards every 30, depending on your profile.
• Chase’s “5/24 rule” typically limits approvals if you’ve opened 5 or more personal credit cards across all issuers in the past 24 months.
• You can apply again for this card under a different business, even though you have it already.
• You can get the card again under the same business if enough time has passed, usually 24 months, but statistics show that 12 months is also enough in many cases.
Key offer
This card is ideal for local businesses, retail shops, restaurants, and service providers because it rewards your top business spending categories automatically and provides valuable monthly business credits:
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards points on your top two business spending categories each billing cycle (up to $150,000 per year).
• Get up to $240 annually ($20 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and office supply stores.
Welcome offer
Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. + Get 0% on eligible purchases the first 6 months from date of account opening
Annual fee
• Primary card annual fee: $375
• Employee Gold Cards (1–5): $95 total annual fee (covers up to 5 cards)
• Each additional Employee Gold Card (6–99): $95 per card annually
• Business Expense Cards: $0 annual fee (up to 99 cards)
Disclosure: The Cards Guy partners with credit card issuers to provide information on their products. We may earn commissions from these issuers. The content on this page is independent and has not been provided, reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the companies mentioned. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author. American Express is a The Cards Guy advertiser.
Best Overall Small Business Card
Card Rewards
– 4X Membership Rewards® Points – Top 2 categories each billing cycle (up to $150,000/year): U.S. advertising (online, TV, radio), software & cloud providers, wireless phone services, U.S. gas stations, U.S. restaurants, transit (rideshare, tolls, parking, etc.)
– 3X Points – Flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com
– 1X Points – All other eligible purchases.
Premium Benefits
Annual Credits:
• $240 annual flexible business credit ($20 per month) at FedEx, Grubhub, and office supply stores (eg. staples) (enrollment required).
• $155 annual Walmart+ credit for monthly membership costs (up to $12.95 monthly, enrollment required).
Card Benefits:
• No preset spending limit; adjusts based on your spending and payment history.
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• Flexible “Pay Over Time” feature available for large purchases.
• Expense management integration with QuickBooks and Vendor Pay by Bill.com.
• Year-end spending summary provided for simpler budgeting and tax preparation.
• Access to exclusive savings and special events through Amex Offers.
Travel and Shopping Protections:
• Trip delay insurance covering delays of 12 hours or more.
• Baggage insurance covering up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage.
• Baggage insurance covering up to $500 for checked luggage.
• Car rental loss and damage insurance included when declining rental agency coverage.
• Cell phone protection covering damage or theft (up to $800 per claim, maximum 2 claims per year, $50 deductible).
• Purchase protection covering accidental damage or theft (up to $1,000 per incident, within 90 days of purchase).
• Extended warranty extends original warranties of 5 years or less by up to one extra year.
• Global Assist Hotline providing emergency assistance when traveling more than 100 miles from home.
• Special benefits through The Hotel Collection, including a $100 experience credit, room upgrades, and additional perks (requires minimum two-night stay, booked via Amex Travel).
Minimum Qualifications
• Typically requires a personal credit score of approximately 740 or higher.
• You must be a business owner, sole proprietor, or partner.
• American Express may request details about your business type and estimated annual revenue.
• You may need to demonstrate sufficient income (personal or business) to cover monthly balances.
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• Additional documents such as bank statements or tax returns might be requested.
• American Express typically limits approvals to no more than 2 new cards within a 90-day period.
Pro Tips
Tip 1
- Time your application with a major business purchase to easily meet the welcome bonus requirement
- Set up employee cards with individual spending limits to maximize category bonuses
- Link to QuickBooks for automated expense categorization
Tip 2
- Combine with a Chase Sapphire Reserve to increase point value by 50%
- Use for all telecommunication bills to maximize 5% category
- Set up autopay for recurring business services
Tip 3
- Time large purchases with welcome bonus periods
- Use for all non-bonus category spending
- Consider multiple cards for different employees to track spending