Business Credit Cards with Rewards

The best business credit cards for travel often have large initial bonuses and high rewards earning rates on travel purchases. Most also charge no foreign transaction fees, and some may even have no annual fee, too.

A lot depends on your unique preferences and needs. Perhaps you’re a big spender who wants the most benefits possible. Or, maybe you want to maximize your perks with a certain travel provider. Whatever type of business travel rewards card you’re after, you should be able to find a great deal. You can find some popular options below.

Best business credit cards for travel:

• [url https://wallethub.com/d/chase-ink-preferred-credit-card-2312c/]Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card[/url]
• [url https://wallethub.com/d/capital-one-spark-miles-326c/]Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business[/url]
• [url https://wallethub.com/d/delta-reserve-business-credit-card-550c/]Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card[/url]
• [url https://wallethub.com/d/citibusiness-aadvantage-card-1292c/]CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®[/url]
• [url https://wallethub.com/d/spark-miles-select-87c/]Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business[/url]
• [url https://wallethub.com/d/starwood-business-credit-card-60c/]Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card[/url]

Above all else, make sure you choose a business travel credit card that allows you to earn more benefits than you have to pay in fees. There’s no point in getting a card with a big bonus and a high annual fee if you won’t spend enough to earn the bonus.

There is no Chase Sapphire business credit card, but there are three Chase business credit cards that don’t bear the Sapphire name: Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash. The Chase Ink business credit cards are similar to Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve in that they offer big sign-up bonuses. For example, the Chase Ink Business Preferred card gives 80,000 points (worth up to $1,000 in travel) for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. But unlike the Sapphire cards, Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited both give 0% APRs on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months.

There are also two co-branded Chase business credit cards. The first is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card, which offers 60,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 6,000 points each account anniversary. The second is the Marriott Premier Plus Business credit card, which gives 75,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. And you get a free night’s stay every account anniversary.

It’s also good to note that you can still use the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards for business purchases. It’s legal to use a personal credit card for business purposes. Just don’t also put personal expenses on the card, as that will make keeping your finances in order much more difficult.

Best alternatives to a Chase Sapphire business credit card:

• Ink Business Preferred: 80,000 points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business purchases annually. 1 per $1 on all other purchases. $95 annual fee. Good credit needed.
• Ink Business Cash: $500 cash back when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. 5% back on the first $25,000 per year spent at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. 2% back on the first $25,000 per year spent at gas stations and restaurants and unlimited 1% back on everything else. $0 annual fee. Good credit needed.
• Ink Business Unlimited: $500 cash back when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. 1.5% cash back on all purchases. $0 annual fee. Good credit needed.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business: 60,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. 6,000 points each account anniversary. 2 points per $1 on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. 1 per $1 on all other purchases. $99 annual fee. Excellent credit needed.
• Marriott Premier Plus Business: 75,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. 6,000 points each account anniversary. 6 points per $1 on Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Starwood Preferred Guest purchases. 4 points per $1 on restaurant, gas station, shipping, internet, cable, and phone service purchases. 1 per $1 on all other purchases. Free night’s stay every account anniversary. $99 annual fee. Good credit needed.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred (personal card): 50,000 points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. 2 points per $1 on travel and dining and 1 on all other purchases. Points worth 1.25 cents each toward travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. 1:1 point transfer to 13 airline and hotel loyalty programs. $0 annual fee the first year, $95 after.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve (personal card): 50,000 points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. 3 points per $1 on travel and dining and 1 on all other purchases. Points worth 1.5 cents each toward travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. 1:1 point transfer to 13 airline and hotel loyalty programs. $300 annual travel credit. Complimentary Priority Pass Select lounge membership. $450 annual fee.

While there are no Chase Sapphire business cards, there are plenty of good Chase business options to choose from, along with the Sapphire personal cards. One thing to watch out for on the Ink Business cards is that only Ink Business Preferred has no foreign transaction fee. The other two Ink cards charge 3%.

The best Shell business credit card is the Shell Fleet Plus card because it has a $0 annual fee and works at 14,000 U.S. Shell and Jiffy Lube locations. Cardholders also get a rebate of up to 6 cents per gallon, depending on how much they spend each billing period.

If you want to use your card at the most places possible, the best Shell business card is the Shell Fleet Navigator card. Not only is it accepted at Shell and Jiffy Lube, but the fact that it’s a Mastercard means 95% of U.S. fueling stations will take it. You can also get rebates of up to 5 cents per gallon. Shell says this card may have “limited fees” but does not disclose them.

There’s also the plain old Shell Small Business card, with no annual fee, monthly fee or setup fee. You can only use it at Shell and Jiffy Lube. And the only rewards it provides are discounts at participating Jiffy Lube locations. But it does offer the ability to carry a balance between months, something that the other two cards do not.

Here are the Shell business credit cards:

• Shell Fleet Plus card: No annual fees, monthly fees or setup fees. Works at 14,000 U.S. Shell and Jiffy Lube locations. Rebate of up to 6 cents per gallon of gas purchased each billing cycle, depending on the amount spent. Discounts at participating Jiffy Lube locations. Must pay in full each billing cycle. Requires good credit (score of 700+).
• Shell Fleet Navigator card: Limited fees (not disclosed). Works at 95% of U.S. filling stations, wherever Mastercard is accepted, including 14,000 Shell and Jiffy Lube locations. Rebate of up to 5 cents per gallon of gas purchased each billing cycle, depending on the amount spent. Discounts at participating Jiffy Lube locations. Must pay in full each billing cycle. Requires fair credit (score of 640+).
• Shell Fleet Plus card: No annual fees, monthly fees or setup fees. Works at 14,000 U.S. Shell and Jiffy Lube locations. Discounts at participating Jiffy Lube locations. Can carry a balance between billing cycles. Requires good credit (score of 700+).

All three Shell business credit cards provide a few other types of benefits, too. For example, you can control how much your employees are able to spend on the account, and employee cards don’t cost extra. You’ll also get detailed reports on your gas-related spending, including your mileage, fuel prices, non-fuel purchases at the stations and more.

The best cash back business credit card is the Capital One Spark Cash for Business Visa Card because it offers unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. Spark Cash for Business also has a $500 bonus for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months and a $1,500 bonus for spending $50,000 in the first 6 months. There is no annual fee the first year ($95 after that), and applicants need good personal credit or better for approval.

Some cash back business cards are best for certain spending categories. When it comes to phone service and office supplies, the SimplyCash Plus has the best deal. It offers 5% cash back on $50,000 spent per year in those categories, plus 3% back in a category of the cardholder’s choosing and 1% back on all other purchases. There’s also an intro APR of SimplyCash Plus on purchases, and the annual fee is $0. SimplyCash Plus requires good credit.

There are several other cards that deserve a spot on the list of best cash back business credit cards, too.

Here are the best cash back business credit cards:

• Capital One Spark Cash for Business – Best overall
  
• Chase Ink Business Cash – Best initial bonus
• SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card from American Express – Best bonus categories
• Chase Ink Business Unlimited – Best for new businesses
• Capital One Spark Classic for Business – Best for limited credit
• Plum Card from American Express – Best charge card

The Capital One Spark Classic card is great for business owners with limited or no credit, offering good approval odds along with 1% cash back on all purchases and a $0 annual fee.

The Plum Card from American Express is the best cash back business charge card because it gives a 1.5% discount on all purchases that get paid off early. And while each purchase has to be paid in full, Amex allows two billing cycles (60 days) to do it. You just need to make a minimum payment on time the first month. The Plum Card also offers $600 in statement credits for spending $30,000 in the first 3 months ($200 credit for each $10,000 spent). And its $0 1st yr, $250 after annual fee is waived the first year.

It’s also worth mentioning that you shouldn’t forget about cash back credit cards meant for personal use. There are some really great deals right now, especially if you don’t plan to spend enough to qualify for a business card’s initial bonus.

The Wells Fargo business card rewards program gives the choice of 1.5% cash back on all purchases or 1 point per $1 spent on all purchases (worth a little over 1 cent each). This choice applies to all three Wells Fargo business rewards cards: Business Platinum, Business Secured and Business Elite. Both the primary cardholder and authorized employees are eligible to earn rewards. Rewards are automatically credited to your account every quarter. If you choose the cash back option, you can redeem it as statement credit or bank deposit. If you choose points, they’re redeemable for travel, gift cards, merchandise, charitable donations and more. You get the highest value on points redeemed for travel and the least on merchandise. You must enroll in these rewards programs to take advantage of them, but doing so is free.

The best BB&T business rewards card is the BB&T Spectrum Travel Rewards card because it offers 20,000 bonus miles for spending $2,000 in the first 90 days. The Spectrum Travel Rewards card also gives 2 miles per $1 spent on air travel, hotels and car rentals. The card has a $45 annual fee, waived the first year.

The Spectrum Travel Rewards card is one of four BB&T business credit cards. Which is best for you will come down to whether you want cash back, travel rewards or a side of 0% financing. But you should have little difficulty finding one that fits.

Here are the best BB&T business rewards credit cards:

• Best for travel rewards: BB&T Spectrum Travel Rewards card. $0 annual fee for the first year, $45 after. 20,000 bonus miles for spending $2,000 in the first 90 days. 2 miles per $1 on air travel, hotels and car rentals and 1 on all other purchases. $0 foreign transaction fee. Good credit required.
• Best for cash back: BB&T Spectrum Cash Rewards card. $0 annual fee. 3% cash back on gas, 2% at restaurants and office supply stores and 1% on all other purchases. 0% APR for 9 months on purchases. 3% foreign transaction fee. Good credit required.
• Best for excellent credit: BB&T Visa Signature Business card. $0 annual fee. 6,500 bonus points for making a purchase in the first 90 days. 1 point per $1 spent on all purchases. 0% APR for 6 months on purchases and balance transfers (4% transfer fee). 3% foreign transaction fee.
• Best for new business financing: BB&T Bright for Business card. $0 annual fee. 0% APR for 12 months on purchases. 3% foreign transaction fee. Good credit required.

The best BB&T business rewards cards each offer something unique. But there are alternatives for business owners looking for longer 0% introductory APRs and more lucrative rewards.

The SimplyCash Plus Business card from Amex offers a 0% APR on purchases for 15 months. It also offers 5% cash back on office supply stores and wireless phone services, and 3% on purchases in one of eight spending categories, including advertising, dining and gas. The Capital One Spark Cash for Business card offers 2% cash back on all purchases and a $500 bonus for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months.

There is no Chase Sapphire Reserve business credit card. But small business owners can use the standard Sapphire Reserve card for business spending .Just try to avoid putting business and personal expenses on the same credit card, or else your finances might get too confusing. Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best credit cards on the market. Many of its features, such as 3 points per $1 spent on travel and dining and a $300 annual travel credit, are ideal for business. But all of Sapphire Reserve’s perks come with a hefty $450 annual fee.

Even if you were to use Sapphire Reserve strictly for business spending, you’d still likely get better value from a regular business credit card. Chase offers a host of business credit cards with rewards and benefits that are similar to, and in some cases better than, what Sapphire Reserve brings to the party.

The Ink Business Preferred card offers a more valuable initial bonus: (80,000 points vs. Reserve’s 50,000 points). Ink Business Cash gives 5% back on office supplies. Ink Business Unlimited and Business Cash have an introductory 0% APR on purchases and no annual fee. The Business Preferred card comes with a $95 annual fee.

There are also viable options outside of Chase. The Capital One Spark Miles for Business card and the Amex Business Gold card are both good choices. Spark Miles offers 2 miles per $1 spent on all purchases and an initial bonus of 50,000 miles. The Amex Business Gold card gives up to 4 points per $1 spent up to $150,000 in select categories every year. There’s also an initial bonus of $500 for spending $5,000 in the first three months of card membership. Business Gold is a charge card, which means you’ll have to pay off the entire balance each month.

While there is no Chase Sapphire Reserve business credit card, if you decide you would like to use the personal Sapphire Reserve card for business purchases, you will need excellent credit for approval. Most Chase business credit cards require good personal credit history. That’s also the case with many business cards from other issuers. Keep in mind that business cards hold you personally liable for any unpaid balances. So, just like with a personal card, don’t spend outside the business’s means.

The best 2% cash back business credit card is Capital One Spark Cash for Business because it offers unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases and waives its $95 annual fee for the first year. It also offers a $500 cash bonus for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months and another $1,500 bonus for spending $50,000 in the first 6 months.

There aren’t any more business cards that offer 2% cash back on every purchase. But there are a few that offer 2% or more cash back on select purchases. For example, the Ink Business Cash credit card offers 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent on combined gas station and restaurant purchases each year. It also gives 5% back on the first $25,000 spent on combined office supply, internet, cable and phone service purchases per year. And there’s unlimited 1% back on everything else.

Some cards offer 2% back in miles too. But you should choose a card based on more than whether it gives 2% back in rewards. Don’t forget about fees, rates, business benefits, etc.

There are several different ways to earn Amex Business Platinum points. You can spend $10,000 in the first three months for 50,000 bonus points, or $20,000 for 75,000 points. You’ll get 5 points per dollar for flights and hotels, and 1.5 points per $1 for any purchase of $5,000 or more. Plus, when you use points to play for flights, you’ll get 35% of them back.

Your points will show up in your account somewhere between 6-12 weeks after you earn them, depending on the type of bonus. I’ll walk you through the specifics below.

Here’s how you earn Amex Business Platinum Points:

• You get 50,000 points for spending $10,000 in the first three months your account is open. You also get 25,000 more points for spending another $10,000 within that period. You’ll get your points 8-12 weeks after you meet the spending requirements.
• You earn 5 points per $1 on flights and eligible hotels booked at amextravel.com. They’ll post to your account 10-12 weeks after you make such a purchase.
• You get 1.5 points per $1 on purchases of $5,000 or more. You can earn up to a million points per year this way. They’ll be credited to your account 8-12 weeks after you make this type of purchase.
• You get 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. They’ll appear in your account 8-12 weeks after you make a charge.
• You get a 35% rebate on points used to pay for first class or business class flights on amextravel.com. You can earn up to 500,000 points a year with this bonus. They’ll show up in your account 6-10 weeks after you book a flight.

If you don’t make your minimum payment on time, you forfeit your points for that month. You can get those points back, but you have to pay a $35 fee. Since Amex points are worth up to one cent each, paying the fee is only worth it if you have 3,500 points or more.

The American Express Business Platinum travel benefits start with 5 points per dollar on flights and hotels at the Amex travel site. You also get a 35% points bonus when you use points to pay for flights. Plus, you get access to airport lounges around the globe.

Those are the some of the most notable benefits, but since American Express Business Platinum was built for frequent travelers, there are several more.

Here are the top 10 American Express Business Platinum travel perks:

1. Points earning: You get 5 points per dollar on flights and eligible hotels booked through amextravel.com. And you get 75,000 points for spending $20,000 in your first three months.
2. 35% airline bonus: When you use you points to book first class or business class flights at amextravel.com, you get 35% of them back. The limit is 500,000 points refunded per year.
3. Airport lounges: Amex Business Platinum card members get free entry to 1,000+ airport lounges all over the world.
4. Travel accident insurance: You are insured up to $3.5 million for death or serious injury aboard planes, ships, trains, and taxis when you book your reservation with Amex Business Platinum. Your spouse, dependent children, and additional card members are included. They just have to be on your reservation.
5. Rental car insurance: You’re covered for theft or damage (up to the value of the car), as long as you pay with your Amex Business Platinum card and decline the rental company’s insurance.
6. Baggage insurance: You’re covered up to $3,000 per person per trip if your baggage gets lost, stolen, or damaged. Your spouse and any dependent children on your reservation are also covered.
7. $200 airline fee credit: Amex will reimburse you up to $200 a year for charges like baggage fees and in-flight food and drink. This benefit can only be applied to one airline per year.
8. TSA Pre-check or Global Entry credit: If you’re accepted, Amex will cover your membership in TSA Pre ($85) or Global Entry ($100).
9. Hotel perks: You can get free upgrades, late checkouts, and other benefits when use your Business Platinum card to book a stay in one of the 900+ Amex partner hotels.
10. No foreign transaction fees: You won’t pay any extra fees when you make purchases in another country.

American Express Business Platinum travel benefits offer you peace of mind and comfort while traveling. And they pay you extra for booking if you do it right. So the card’s a contender if you spend a lot of time in airport lounges, the friendly skies and hotels.