In this article I'd like to take a review what I consider as the most effective and most lucrative business credit cards for small businesses according to various parameters. I'll also provide some general guidelines for applying for business cards that are small in size. No particular order Here are nine of my top business cards:
For Business Ink Preferred Credit Card
- Why I love this card The most balanced business credit card, with the highest bonus
- The welcome bonus 100,000 bonus points upon having spent $15,000 within the first three months.
- Annual cost The cost is $95
- Reward structure 3x points are awarded on purchase of shipping and travel items Internet, cable and phone services, as well as purchase of advertising on social media websites as well as the search engine (on one of the very first $150,000 of cumulative purchases per anniversary year of the account)
Ink Preferred Ink Preferred is possibly the most comprehensive corporate credit card available. It has one of the largest welcome rewards that any card offers according to me. estimate the 100,000 points of Ultimate Rewards for $1,700 (1.7 cents for each). The card also comes with beneficial reward categories, excellent travel and car rental security and an excellent cell phone security plan as well as flexible points.
If I had to apply for one credit card, then the Ink Preferred would be it.
ink for business Cash Card
- Why I love this card Best no-annual fee bonus categories for fees
- The welcome bonus Bonus points of 75,000 after you spend $7,500 in three months
- Annual cost The cost is $0
- Structure of rewards 5x points per purchase at Internet stores, office supplies telephone, cable and services 2x points for restaurants and gas stations (on the first $25,000 of total purchases per account anniversary year)
The Ink Cash card has the most lucrative bonus categories for any no annual fees business card, because you are able to earn up to 5x points. It also offers its greatest welcome reward ever.
If you are using the Ink Cash on its own every point can be exchanged for one cent. If, however, you are using the Ink Cash along with one of the following cards: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review), Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (review) and/or Ink Corporate Preferred® Credit Card (review) You can pool points and they all could be given into Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel partners.
ink for business Unlimited Credit Card
- Why I love this card Best no-annual cost card for daily spending without caps
- The welcome bonus 75,000 bonus points after you spend $7,500 in three months
- Annual cost in the amount of $0
- Reward structure: 1.5x points on all purchases
If properly used If used correctly, when used properly, Ink Unlimited is Chase's best business credit card to use for every day, non-bonused expenditure. Ink Unlimited is a credit card that can be used for everyday, non-bonused Ink Unlimited offers unlimited 1.5x points for every dollar spent.
If you are using the card on its own, every point you earn can be exchanged at a cost of one dollar. But, if you use the Ink Unlimited when used in conjunction with one of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card as well as the Ink Corporate Preferred® Card, or Ink Business Preferred® Card You can combine points, and all points are transferable to Ultimate Rewards airlines as well as hotel partner.
If you own the Sapphire Reserve card, then points can be exchanged for 1.5 cents each to cover the cost of your travel purchase. That means this card is basically offering an amount of return equal to 2.25 percent (1.5x points per $1 per point, each point equivalent to 1.5 cents).
American Express Business Gold Card
- Why I love this card Great bonus categories
- The welcome bonus Bonus points of 70,000 when you spend $10,000 within three months
- Annual cost $295 ( Rates & Fees)
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Structure of rewards
The 4x points are awarded in the two categories you choose to be in where your business invests the most every month (the 4x points can be applied for the initial $150,000 worth of the two categories every calendar year) The bonus categories are:
- Airfare that is purchased directly from airlines
- U.S. purchases for advertising in selected media
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants
- U.S. purchases for shipping
- U.S. computer hardware, software and cloud computing purchase directly from select suppliers
This Amex Business Gold can make an excellent choice for certain companies, however it's not for other. It's one of the Amex business card that has the highest number of bonus categories. If you are spending a lot of money in two or more of these categories, that the Amex Gold is a good alternative. If not, I believe a different card is better considering the Amex Business Gold's costly annual fee
The Platinum Business Card® is a product of American Express
- Why I love this card the best business card benefits
- Bonus for new customers 120,000 bonus points after having spent $15,000 in the first three months.
- Annual cost 695 dollars (Rates and Fees)
- Structure of Rewards: 1.5x Membership Rewards points per dollar for eligible purchases within key business areas and on every purchase of $5,000 or more elsewhere for up to $2 million worth of the purchases in a calendar year. Then 1x points from Membership Rewards.
Personally personally, I think that the Amex Business Platinum is an option I'd consider getting to enjoy the benefits it provides rather than one I'd choose to earn a return on your expenditure.
Although the Amex Business Platinum has a annual cost of $695 It also comes with a variety of great benefits, including an annual $200 credit for airline fees (enrollment necessary) Access for Amex Centurion Lounges, entry to Delta SkyClubs on flights with Delta on the same day, Priority Pass membership (enrollment required), Hilton Honors and the Marriott Bonvoy Gold membership (enrollment is required) Access for American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts as well as membership to Amex International Airline Program (which can help you save money on airfares that are premium) as well as the TSA Credit for Global Entry or Pre-Check every four years and up to $179 back from your CLEAR membership every year and much more.
There are many wonderful benefits of the Amex Business Platinum, and when you travel frequently it is more than just the annual cost according to my experience.
Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
- Why I love this card Best rate of return on your spending of any annual fee-free business card
- The welcome bonus 15,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in three months
- Annual cost $0 (Rates and Fees)
- The structure of the rewards 2x points on the first $50,000 worth of purchases throughout the calendar year (1x thereafter)
Blue Business Plus Blue Business Plus offers an incredible return on your everyday purchases. I value my Membership Rewards point at 1.7 cents each. Additionally, you can earn up to 2 points per dollar through Amex Blue Business Plus. Amex Blue Business Plus, which is 3.4 percent, based on my estimate.
The problem is that the Blue Business Plus caps you at earning double points for the first $50,000 spent in a calendar year, meaning that when you go over that limit, you'll only earn one point for every dollar. If you're not yet carrying this card , now is the ideal opportunity to get it since it's finally giving a widely available Welcome bonus (which was not the case previously).
Blue Business Cash Card from American Express
- Why I love this card the best card with no annual cost cash back business card.
- The welcome bonus Credit on your statement of $250 after you spend $3,000 in three months
- Annual cost $0 (Rates and Fees)
- The structure of the rewards The structure is 2 cash back for the first $50,000 that you spend on purchases in a calendar year and thereafter 1 percent
Although 2% cash back may not sound like a lot but it's still a rare feature in business cards, and is especially beneficial as a no-annual fee card. It even comes with an amazing bonus that was not available prior to.
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
- Why I love this card Best cash back business card
- welcome bonus: up to $3000 cash bonus and $500 after you've spent $5,000 in the first three months, and $2,500 after you have spent $50,000 within the first 6 months of opening an account.
- Annual cost $150
- The structure of the rewards includes 2percent cash back on all purchases. Plus an annual cash reward of $200 for spending $200,000 in the year of your anniversary.
If you're trying to earn cashback you can do that with you should consider Spark Cash Plus is one of the top business cards available. It offers 2percent cash-back on all purchases. There's also an additional $200 in cash for spending $200,000 on the card during an anniversary year. It's also a credit card, meaning there's no limit on spending.
If you don't want to manage the hassle in terms of points, this card is a tough one to beat. Another plus is that, even if you're interested in points and miles The rewards you earn on these cards can easily be transformed in Capital One miles at an impressive rate when combined with other cards, for instance, this one. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
- Why I love this card the best card for business use without limits
- Bonus for new customers You will earn 50,000 points upon having spent $4,500 in the span of three months.
- Annual cost $95 waived in the first year.
- Structure of Rewards 2x miles per any purchase
It is worth it. Spark Miles offers a phenomenal return on investment as well as lots of flexibility, which I enjoy. You have two methods to redeem your miles:
- You can use them to pay for the cost of your travel purchase for 1 cent for every mile. This means you get two cents of travel credit per dollar spent. You can redeem them after the actual purchase by using the Purchase Eraser option or make a reservation via Capital One Travel's portal. Capital One Travel portal.
- You can transfer your Spark miles to more than dozen hotels and airlines in a ratio of 1:1.
That means that every dollar you spend through the Spark Miles earns either two cents toward traveling or 2 airline miles when you use selected partners. Personally I appreciate the Capital One points to be 1.7 cents each, which means for me, that's the equivalent of a 3.4 percent return on daily spending, which is awe-inspiring.
Other business cards for business travel that you should think about
These are what I consider to be the most comprehensive business cards, which offer lots of choice regardless of whether you're seeking cash-back or travel rewards. It's important to note that there are many co-branded travel rewards cards which may provide value, based on the travel habits you've established.
Here are seven of my personal favorites (you can read the reviews for more information):
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card gives Hilton Honors Gold status for the duration you own the card which can be very valuable.
- The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card provides a wealth of perks when you travel with Southwest such as anniversary bonus points along with upgraded boardings, the possibility of 365 Southwest Wi-Fi credits per year, and much more.
- The United SM Business Card gives you a number of benefits for travelers with United and includes a complimentary checked bag as well as the use of two United Club passes annually, an annual $100 United Travel credit and much more.
- The Marriott Bonvoy Businesstm American Express® Card gives 15 nights of elite status every year and an annual reward of a free night and much more.
- The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card offers valuable advantages including up to $100 worth of Hyatt credit annually and can assist you in earning the status of an elite through spending on credit cards
- The Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card offers numerous benefits throughout the year that include one annually renewed companion card
- The CitiBusiness® or AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® could aid you in earning the status of elite AAdvantage by using the new Loyalty points system.
As I've said I don't think these cards to be at the same level as my top choices, but when you're a faithful customer of one of those brands, you could discover that these cards are able to pay for themselves time and time again.
Are you eligible to get an official business card?
Being eligible for a small business credit card is a lot easier than you think. It doesn't require an enormous company or to incorporate. A small side-business that has low business income can qualify to apply for a business credit card that could be used to sell items on eBay and renting out a property, and freelance work.
It's a given that you must answer credit card inquiries with honesty. You may be surprised by the ease at which you'll get accepted.
Business card applications must be filled out.
It's a bit daunting when you first apply for a commercial credit line, however, even if you're a tiny company or sole proprietorship you're likely to be qualified. I'd like to provide a brief outline of the process to complete a business credit application for a credit card. In general, you'll be asked the following questions in addition to your personal details (your income or Social Security Number and so on. ):
- Legal name of the business
- Address for business mailing and telephone number
- What kind of business
- Tax identification number
- Employees number
- Annual revenue from business or sales
- Years of business experience
If you're sole proprietor How should you approach an application for a business credit card? The first thing to do is first, and foremost, be honest about everything. I believe that the issue many people face is that they believe that they need a separate business and a separate office and so on. to be thought of as a candidate as a potential business card. It's not true.
- You are able to use your name to be the legally-enforceable name for your company
- The address for your business and telephone number may be identical to your personal address and telephone number.
- If you're a sole proprietorship you could select this kind of business
- For your Tax Identification Number, use in your Social Security Number
- For the number of employees, that one employee is acceptable
- For your annual earnings it's fine declaring zero (if you're just beginning) or whatever amount is.
- For a long time in the business There's no shame in declaring that something is new, it's been one or two years, etc.
Bottom line
Over the last couple of years the credit card issuers have focused largely on business cards and consequently, we're seeing some lucrative offers such as welcome bonus, the returns on your spending, and many more.
There's never been more perfect time to apply for an enterprise credit card, regardless of whether you're an established business or have just recently launched a new company, these are some excellent cards to think about, based on the kind of reward you're hoping to earn.