Best Business Credit Cards for Startups in 2023: Top 7 Picks & Reviews
Reviewed by Randolph Vialva, MBA
The article is checked by our editorial team, Which includes entrepreneurs who are painfully aware of how overwhelming and challenging it is to start a business for the first time.
All products recommended by Bizreport are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
If you’re looking for the best business credit card for startups, to build business credit or personal credit for your new business, these small business credit cards below are the best we can find. You won’t be disappointed with this roundup of business credit cards with low APRs, free employee cards, cash-back offers, and sign-up bonus. Save money on your combined purchases by getting the rewards that come with one of these cards from just continuing to purchase your scheduled business expenses. For most, you don’t even need an employer identification number, just a tax ID and business name.
What Are Credit Cards for Startups?
Every startup needs a good line of credit for general expenses, inventory if you need it, and peace of mind to cover costs that come up. You’ll need a high credit limit to keep up with operations, and if you’re running a startup you know that costs arise quickly and you need a credit card company you can count on to help you navigate the waters of starting a new business. For personal cards, you might be more familiar with names like chase ultimate rewards or bank of America cards, but we’ve found a few names in business lending that we find trustworthy to recommend and release you from a personal guarantee you might owe for a personal credit card.
Top 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Startups in 2023
- Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business: Best Overall
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Most Affordable
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best Sign-On Bonus
- American Express® Business Gold Card: Quickest Access
- U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card: Most Positive Reviews
- U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®: Best Reviews
- Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card: Most Flexible
Top 7 Best Business Credit Cards for Startups in June 2023
Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
Capital One’s Spark Classic card came out on top for us because it offers a consistent cash back stream, awesome customer service, a high credit line with no spending limit, and no annual fee. It’s awesome for any new business because it only requires a fair credit score, and provides a great starting point for a startup to build credit and manage to spend. The Capital One dashboard also offers a bird’s eye view of spending on each card, a Quickbooks integration, and the chance to pause cards for easy spending management on the part of any financial manager of a startup.
- Unlimited 1% cash back
- 5% cash back on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital one
- No annual fee
- No credit limit
- Only fair credit required
- Virtual card numbers available for online payments
- Integrations to Quickbook and Expensify
- 28.49% variable APR
The highlight of Spark Classic is its guaranteed cash back on eligible purchases and the lack of an annual fee. Cardholders love its flexible payment options and the support provided by Capital One for any fraud or issues they might encounter. The only issue we’ve come across with this card is its high APR, so if you go with the Spark Classic you’ll need to make sure you pay off your card in a timely manner to avoid a super high-interest rate.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Our main pull to Amex’s Blue Business Plus Credit Card is their welcome bonus offered at account opening. Their low APR is also a highlight, but they do limit cardholders’ spending which might prove to be an issue if you anticipate higher spending and multiple employee cards. If you already have an excellent credit score and are starting up a new business, this card might be the one for you.
- 15,000 bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- No annual fee
- 2X points on the first $50,000 in the first year
- 16.99% variable APR
- No fee for spending over the limit
- Spending limits based on individual factors
- Excellent credit scores required
The Blue Business Plus card’s welcome offer and 2X point offering are probably their best quality. They do require excellent credit and they give each cardholder a unique spending limit based on factors like credit record and spending habits. However, the lack of an annual fee and low variable APR is also mentionable features that could help startup managers keep on top of their expenses with no hidden fees.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred card requires an annual fee and a good credit score but it gives more than it takes in our opinion. The point-per-dollar guarantee offers a steady flow of ink business cash credit for cardholders, and the APR keeps backup payment penalties low. It’s different from the Chase Ink Business Cash card in that it has an annual fee.
- 100,000 bonus points for spending $15,000 in the first 3 months
- 3 points for 1$ on the first $150,000 on specified business expenses
- Unlimited 1 point for 1$ on other purchases
- 18.99% variable APR
- Good credit required
- 95$ annual fee
- Credit limit based on individual factors
The highlight of this card for us is the option for a great account opening reward for this business credit card. Not every card offers such an impressive bonus, and it seems to make up for the almost $100 annual fee to use this business credit card. Many customers are happy with Chase’s customer service and quick handling of any discrepancies, which is crucial when opening a business credit card for your startup. On top of their welcome bonus, you can also load up on ink business cash to get money for spending money.
American Express® Business Gold Card
The Business Gold Card from Amex is quite impressive and helpful for new businesses, and we love that you can choose 2 categories you anticipate spending the most financial resources on to earn 4X the points. This customized cash rewards option certainly makes this business credit card stand out from the rest.
- 70,000 bonus points for spending $10,000 in the first 3 months
- 17.99% variable APR
- Unlimited 1 point for 1$ on other everyday business purchases
- Choose 2 categories to earn 4X the points
- Get 25% of points back when you book travel with points
- $295 annual fee
This business credit card also offers a low variable APR starting point, but the annual fee is quite high compared to other cards. Good credit is generally required to get this card, and the benefits like the account opening points, 4X the points in 2 customized categories like marketing or office supplies, and travel benefits) are comparable to others in the industry.
U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card
If your business needs to make some large eligible purchases and pay them off with no penalty for a year, and a low APR after that, the Bank Platinum card might be perfect for you. You could also find benefits in the option to enact balance transfers from other credit cards to have more time to pay off your debt. Other than that, we can’t recommend its other features over other business credit cards since it doesn’t have much else to offer.
- Low 15.74% variable APR
- 0$ annual fee
- 0% APR for one year
- No rewards
- No welcome bonus
- Customer service is lacking
US Bank’s business credit card is recommended for those looking for a lenient payback plan for a large credit card balance, or balance transfers from another debt, but not much else. Users say that the customer service for this card is a little lacking, and they don’t offer any welcome bonus or ongoing point system to get any benefits. So if you’re looking to start some balance transfers to consolidate debt, this card might be for you.
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
The Triple Cash Rewards company card offers some awesome sign-on benefits, and customers love the benefit of $500 in cash back from the start. This bonus offer is awesome, but you can also get 3% cash back as you continue to make purchases with this business credit card.
- 3% cash back
- 100$ accounting software credit
- Welcome the offer of 500$ in cash back for spending $4,500 in the first 150 days
- 17.74% APR
- No annual fee
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- Limited customer service
The only con we found with this business credit card was the transaction fee for foreign purchases which might be a problem depending on where your startup purchases most inventory and services. In our opinion, the welcome bonuses and cash-back perks make up for this one flaw, although the customer service reviews for this card aren’t the best.
Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card
The Wyndham Rewards Earner business credit card is truly that – a rewards earner. It offers several different point-earning tiers, a welcome bonus of 45,000 points, and no limit on the points you can earn. As far as credit card perks go and card membership, this one has cash-back earning power and an awesome sign-on benefit.
- 45,000 bonus points for spending $2,000 in the first 90 days
- 5 points per 1$ on marketing materials
- 8 points per 1$ on hotel and gas-eligible purchases
- 1 point per 1$ on all other purchases
- 15,000 points each anniversary year
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 18.99% variable APR
Other qualities we liked include the fact that this card has no foreign transaction fee, and an anniversary year benefit. The only drawbacks were the high annual fee and the semi-high variable APR. This credit card is great if you have business in other countries, and you like sign-on features and cash-back rewards.
Why Use a Business Credit Card for Startups?
If you’re starting a new company, you might first consider separating your financial transactions from your personal expenses. This will enable you to start building a business credit score separate from your personal credit score. In an age where credit score matters immensely to the amount of debt you can accrue, you’ll need to have a great score to continue taking out lines of credit to make your business successful. Personal credit cards can only get you so far, but a company card can help you separate your finances to ensure that your personal credit doesn’t interfere with your professional debts, and vice versa. They can also help you build business credit for the future trust and abilities of your startup.
How To Choose Business Credit Cards for Startups?
The best company credit card for your startup is the one that best meets your needs. When choosing a startup business credit card, you’ll have to decide if you value sign-on benefits, ongoing benefits, low fees, low APRs, and no foreign transaction fees. If any of these things are more important than others, you can narrow down your options for your small business credit card.
How To Get a Business Credit Card for a Startup?
If you want to get a business credit card in the near future, you’ve come to the right place. You’ll want to do your research, check your credit history and personal credit scores to see if you’re eligible for the card, and apply to the credit card of your choice. Once you’re approved, you can move forward and start making payments with your physical card, or a virtual card number you’re given.
Final Thoughts
Startup business credit cards are a must for anyone starting a small business, in order to keep their finances organized, separate, and successful. These 7 business credit cards are all great options, depending on the qualities you’re looking for. Make sure you do your research and apply for the business credit card of your choice to set your business up for success. The next time you’re grabbing supplies from office supply stores for your company, we hope you use one of these awesome credit cards!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In our opinion, the Capital One Spark card is best for startups looking to get a business credit card. This card helps cardholders build a business credit history, earn rewards, and purchase business expenses as needed. They also include integration with accounting software, to ensure easy transfer to your expense systems.
Yes, most major credit cards include rental car insurance, up to a certain limit. This is another business advantage they offer.
Yes, from what we can tell all of these credit card companies offer over-the-phone services to assist their customers with any questions or problems.
If you’re making any business purchases for your company, you’ll definitely want to get a credit card to serve as your company card and employee cards from the same account. It gives your business an advantage over others to get one of these cards for your purchases, and it builds up good payment history for future debts. Having a separate business card also enables you to forgo the personal guarantee that comes with a personal credit card. You also have the option to just have company savings account to differentiate your assets as a business.
Some of these cards are still available even if you only have fair or good credit, making them accessible to most people. Having a dedicated card can give your business an advantage over competitors in the long run. If your credit history isn’t looking good, you might still be able to show other payment history and get approved for a card.
Cashback can be an awesome perk to opening one of these cards, and it can offset the cost of the annual fee for some cards. We recommend looking for a deal with cash back if you can.
Yes, any credit card can give you expanded buying power to make larger purchases and pay them off over time.
A secured credit card is a credit card backed by collateral, almost like a security deposit for credit. It indicates that the borrower has put down some cash to have a high line of credit. Unsecured business credit cards would not have this collateral (or security deposit) required for a secured credit card.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
+ 6 sources
Bizreport Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Bizreport, you can read more about the editorial process here.
-
Spark 1% Classic. Capital One. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.capitalone.com/small-business/credit-cards/spark-classic/?external_id=WWW_DESK1_ZZZ_SEM-COSB_CHECKME_T_COSB_ZZZZ_c_Zg_86bdcdbc-ebd5-4544-bcb0-8e06de454772_618132931593_91665&target_id=kwd-295949739800&gclid=CjwKCAjw8JKbBhBYEiwAs3sxN2feWuyMkSvHO52xQwY9UDFz_Q-4bjBd4zdjp2oNY03gbW9oYbxojRoCyG0QAvD_BwE
-
Compare Ink® business credit cards to choose which best fits your business. creditcards.chase.com. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://creditcards.chase.com/a1/DAO/ink-business/universal/preferred/900?CELL=6RRW&jp_cmp=cc/Ink+Preferred_Brand_Exact_Ink+Preferred_SEM_US_NA_Standard_NA/sea/p56083348171/Ink+-+Preferred&ds_rl=1238399&ds_rl=1238417&ds_rl=1268784&gclid=CjwKCAjw8JKbBhBYEiwAs3sxN9AHxrLcwUigawxWwnW0NI95T0DM4xpbgwPO9RqbAWT4Rmt4ldH3phoC9ocQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
-
American Express® Business Gold Card. creditcard.americanexpress.com. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://creditcard.americanexpress.com/d/business-gold-card/?utm_mcid=3541052&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=american%20express%20business%20gold&utm_cmpid=172342752&utm_adgid=13092427632&utm_tgtid=kwd-97024932&utm_mt=e&utm_adid=591602876331&utm_dvc=c&utm_ntwk=g&utm_adpos=&utm_plcmnt=&utm_locphysid=9007104&utm_locintid=&utm_feeditemid=&utm_devicemdl=&utm_plcmnttgt=&utm_programname=brandproductspecific&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk5ibBhDqARIsACzmgLQZKe6Hf7E_qsfurkR_Rt_fAKwEodX8lteTY8JuRCC_hMcgAl0FJn4aApiEEALw_wcB
-
Balance Transfer Business Credit Card | U.S. Bank. bizcards.usbank.com. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://bizcards.usbank.com/credit/business-edge-platinum.do
-
Business Cash Back Credit Cards | U.S. Bank. bizcards.usbank.com. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://bizcards.usbank.com/credit/business-triple-cash-back-credit-card.do
-
Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card. www.wyndhamrewardscreditcard.com. Accessed November 11, 2022. https://www.wyndhamrewardscreditcard.com/earner-business-card/