2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP BEST SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT CARD

Choosing the Best Small Business Credit Card

Finding and choosing the best credit cards for small business owners is a very important business move. For many, small business credit cards are a necessary way for business owners to separate business expenses from personal ones.

Choosing the best credit cards for small business owners can be a challenge in itself as there are many options to pick from.

best small business credit cards

Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Small Business Credit Cards for Small Business Owners

Each of the best credit cards for small business owners will come with its own benefits, rewards, and fees.

With so many options for credit cards for small business owners, we, at AdvisoryHQ, have taken it upon ourselves to create a list of the best small business credit cards which highlights the features of each of our top picks.

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Why Use a Small Business Credit Card?

Whether you’re a first-time business owner or not, you may not be familiar with why business cash back credit cards can be beneficial.

For starters, the best credit cards for small business owners can help build up credit history for your business. Utilizing one of the best credit cards for a small business to strengthen your credit history can help you in the future if you ever plan to finance.

best small business credit cardImage Source: Pixabay

Another important feature of a best small business credit card is the higher credit limits. Businesses often come with a lot of expenses, and having the best small business credit card in your pocket will help you cover a lot of these costs.

Outside of the higher credit limits, these cards will also offer a better rewards system than personal credit cards. As you can see, there are many benefits to having one of the best credit cards for small businesses.



A Quick Precaution About Business Credit Cards for Small Businesses

While there happens to be many upsides to utilizing the best credit cards for small businesses, there are also some cautionary aspects that you should be aware of.

Unlike personal credit cards, a small business credit card does not offer as much protection under the Credit CARD Act. With even the best credit card for small business owners, rates are subject to change. This means that card rates can go up without issuing you any fair warning.

Along with this, top small business credit cards can also change their payment due date at any time and are not required to have limits on fees. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge both the benefits and disadvantages of the best credit cards for small business owners.

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AdvisoryHQ’s List of Top 6 Best Credit Cards for Small Business Owners

List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the credit card names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that credit card):


Top 6 Best Small Business Credit Cards | Brief Comparison

Credit Card Names

% or Low Intro APR Offer

Intro Duration

Cash Back Bonus 

Cash Back
Bonus

(spend this
amount to
gain bonus):

American Express SimplyCash® Plus Business Card

0%

9 Months

Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Business MasterCard®

0%

9 Months

$200

$500

Capital One Spark® Miles

None Offered

None Offered

Chase Ink Cash®

0%

12 Months

$300

$3,000

Chase Ink Plus®

None Offered

None Offered

Citibank CitiBusiness®/ AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard®

None Offered

None Offered

Table: Top 6 Best Credit Cards for Small Business Owners| Above list is sorted alphabetically



FAQ Section

  • What information will I need to provide when applying for business cash back credit cards?

To apply for the best small business credit cards, you’ll need to provide all of your basic personal information. You will also need to provide your business’s annual revenue and business tax ID number. 

  • What is the biggest difference between business credit cards for small businesses and personal credit cards?

Unlike personal credit cards, credit cards for small businesses offers higher credit limits, rewards that can be used for travel, and office supplies. Many of the best small business credit cards also offer year-end summaries and reports to help you with your business expenses.

  • Will my personal credit be affected by small business credit cards?

Depending on the small business credit card that you choose to opt for, your personal credit may be affected. However, some of the best credit cards for small business owners only report to business credit bureaus.

  • What rewards can I redeem with my best small business credit card?

With the best credit card for small business, you may be offered cashback rewards that can be used toward travel, gift cards, and cash.

  • Can I apply for multiple employee credit cards for small businesses?

If you’ve been approved for a card, preferably one of the best credit cards for a new small business, you can then typically add employee small business credit cards onto your account.



Selection Methodology

What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top rated lists?

Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.


Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Credit Cards for Small Business Owners

Below, please find a detailed review of each card on our list of the best credit cards for a small business. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these top small business credit cards to score so high in our selection ranking.

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American Express SimplyCash® Plus Business Card Review


The American Express SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card has been noted as one of the best credit cards for new small business owners.

best credit card for new small business

Image Source: American Express

The SimplyCash® Plus may be the best credit card for small business owners that are looking to build up their credit while racking in rewards.

This small business credit card has a $0 annual fee, helping you to save money all while accumulating rewards.

What to Like About the American Express SimplyCash® Plus Business Card:

Why the American Express SimplyCash® Plus Business Card is one of the Top Small Business Credit Cards

Great Signup Deal

What makes the SimplyCash® Plus Business Card one of the best credit cards for small business owners is the fantastic signup cash bonus.

New owners stand to gain a $250 statement credit after spending $5,000 on qualifying purchases in the first 6 months with this best small business credit card.

With the SimplyCash® Plus Business Card as your choice among the best small business credit cards out there, you are also eligible for another $250 statement credit after spending an additional $10,000 within the first year of membership.

Rewarding Cashback Programs

The SimplyCash® Plus Business Card is one of the best business cash back credit cards. For starters, you can receive 5% cash back on wireless telephone services and office supplies with this small business credit card.

Along with that, this is the best credit card for small business owners as you can choose your 3% cashback category from 8 different choices, including airline miles, hotels, gas stations, and restaurants.




Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Business MasterCard® Review


The Bank of America Cash Rewards for Business MasterCard® may be the best credit card for small business owners that spend most of their budget on office supplies and gas.

Overview of What Makes the Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Business MasterCard® One of the Best Credit Cards for Small Businesses

More Rewards with High Annual Cap

One of the features that make the Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Business MasterCard® an option as a best small business credit card is its incredibly high annual cap.

At first glance, the card may not seem like one of the greatest business cash back credit cards as it only offers 3% cash back on office supplies and gas compared to the usual 5%.

However, the card really shines as one of the best small business credit cards when you take the $250,000 annual cap into account.

If you happen to have very high expenses, this small business credit card will actually help you accumulate more reward credits as many 5% cards cap their bonus at $25,000 to $50,000.

No Annual Fee

As one of the top small business credit cards, The Bank of America® Cash Rewards for Business MasterCard® comes with no annual fee.

This is important to note as it can, oftentimes, be incredibly difficult to find a best small business credit card that doesn’t normally charge a fee.

Introductory APR

The 0% intro APR makes the Cash Rewards for Business MasterCard® one of the best credit cards for a new small business.

If you need to make some big purchases to kickstart your business, you can do so with this small business credit card without worrying about dealing with interest fees.

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Capital One Spark® Miles Review


The Capital One Spark® Miles business card is one of the best credit cards for small business owners with excellent credit and who travel frequently for their business.

Standout Features of the Capital One Spark® Miles:

  • Unlimited rewards
  • $0 intro annual fee
  • Free employee cards
  • Fraud coverage & alerts
  • 17.24% variable APR

Main Benefits of the Capital One Spark®​ Miles Small Business Credit Card

Unlimited Rewards

You’ll earn unlimited 2x miles on any and all business purchases with this amazing small business credit card. 

This may be one of the best credit cards for small business owners that spend a lot of money and prefer not to be capped with their rewards.

Redeem Your Rewards However You Wish

The card also stands out as possibly the best small business credit card when it comes to redeeming your rewards.

Capital One gives you the option to book your travel through its platform run by Orbitz, or you can book elsewhere and use the Capital One Purchase Eraser to get full or partial reimbursement.


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Chase Ink Cash® Review


best credit cards for small businesses

Image Source: Chase Credit Cards

Out of all of the top small business credit cards, the Chase Ink Cash® business credit card may be the overall best small business credit card.

The Best Features of the Chase Ink Cash®

Fantastic Rewards System

The Chase Ink Cash® is one of the best business cash back credit cards. This small business credit card features 5% cash back on up to $25,000 spent on office supplies and telephone and cable services.

You’ll also receive 2% cash back on gas and restaurants as well as 1% unlimited cash back everywhere else.

Signup Bonus

Another great feature that makes the Chase Ink Cash® one of the best credit cards for small business owners is the signup bonus offered. 

You’ll receive $300 in bonus cash back if you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.


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Chase Ink Plus® Review


The Chase Ink Plus® business credit card is similar to the Chase Ink Cash®, with a few extra benefits.

Features That Make the Chase Ink Plus® One of the Best Small Business Credit Cards:

Annual Fee

Unlike its counterpart, the Chase Ink Plus® has a $95 annual fee.

However, along with that fee comes a greater signup bonus, a higher rewards cap, and travel benefits, all indicating the card as one of the best small business credit cards to choose from.

Signup Bonus

As one of the best credit cards for small business owners, the Chase Ink Plus® offers 60,000 bonus points if you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months.

If you redeem the points through the Chase rewards system, the total comes up to $750, making the card one of the top business cash back credit cards.

Travel Benefits

For those that travel frequently, the Chase Ink Plus® will prove to be a great small business credit card as you are offered 2 complimentary Lounge Club passes per year. 

*** During our research for this article, Chase Ink Plus® business credit card was still a part of Chase’s offer. However, it has recently been replaced with Chase Ink Business Preferred card. Chase Ink Plus® business card will remain the same for current Ink Plus® cardholders, but it will no longer be offered to prospective customers. *** 

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Citibank CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard® Review


For business owners that frequently fly themselves or employees out on American Airline flights, the Citibank CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard would prove to be the best small business credit card.

Top Benefits of the Citibank CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard®:

  • Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
  • First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines
  • Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on American Airline purchases
  • Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases

With the Citibank CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard, you’ll be getting the best credit card for small business owners that travel a lot.

The card offers a wide variety of benefits for flyers, making it the best small business credit card for owners and employees that travel frequently.


Conclusion—Top 6 Best Credit Cards for Small Business Owners

As you can see, there are lots of different small business credit cards to choose from.

Our hope is that this detailed overview can help guide you toward the best small business credit card for your business needs.

For many, the best credit card for small business owners will be one that has an amazing rewards system, requires little or no annual fees, and offers lower APR rates.

With this guide as your reference, you can begin to confidently look into the best credit cards for small businesses and find your perfect small business credit card.



AdvisoryHQ (AHQ) Disclaimer:

Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info.

Note: Firms and products, including the one(s) reviewed above, may be AdvisoryHQ's affiliates. Click to view AdvisoryHQ's advertiser disclosures.