Business Credit Cards

The best Chase business credit card is the Chase Ink Business Preferred card because it offers a bonus worth $1,000 for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. Ink Business Preferred also gives 3 points per $1 spent on travel and select business purchases, plus 1 point per $1 on everything else. Preferred provides free employee cards, too. And it has a $0 foreign transaction fee. The annual fee is $95.

The Chase Ink Business Cash card offers the best ongoing cash back bonuses of any Chase business credit card. It has a $500 bonus for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. And it gives 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent per year at office supply stores and on internet/cable/phone services. Plus, it offers 2% back on the first $25,000 spent per year at gas stations and restaurants, along with 1% on everything else. There’s a $0 annual fee.

But if you want to earn rewards at a flat rate, Ink Business Unlimited comes out on top. It offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. And it has a $0 annual fee.

Just about all business credit cards allow instant approval, at least if you apply online. But even though an instant decision is likely, it’s not guaranteed. The credit card company may take more time to decide whether an applicant meets their requirements. Or they may have trouble verifying the information on the application right away if there’s something incorrect or outdated.

In order to get the best chances of instant approval for a business credit card, your personal credit score should exceed the minimum requirements of the card you apply for. The higher your income, the better your chances are, too. Secured business credit cards for bad credit will provide the highest odds of instant approval.

Here are the best instant approval business credit cards:

• Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card
• Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
• Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business
• Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card

Getting instant approval on business credit cards is not unusual if you apply online. But you shouldn’t expect to receive it, as in some cases approval might take a few weeks. After approval, delivery of a card usually takes 7-10 business days, but many issuers allow you to expedite either for free or for a fee.

The best prepaid business credit card is the Wells Fargo Business Secured credit card, thanks to its 1.5% cash back rewards rate and $25 annual fee. However, “prepaid business credit card” is actually a misleading term. Technically, there is no such thing. There are business credit cards, business debit cards, and business prepaid cards, but those are all separate and fulfill different needs. A secured business credit card is the closest thing you’ll find because your spending limit equals the amount of the refundable security deposit you have to place, which means you’re basically pre-paying for your purchases.

Business credit cards require a credit check when you apply, may allow you to borrow money, and will relay account information to your personal credit reports. As with credit cards for personal use, secured cards offer the highest approval odds for applicants with bad credit.

Business debit cards won’t help you build credit and can’t be used to finance purchases, but they do allow business owners and employees with the necessary permissions to access money in a business checking account. Business debit cards can be used to make purchases at the point of sale or for ATM withdrawals.

Business prepaid cards are like debit cards for business but without the checking account. On top of that, not all business prepaid cards can be used at ATMs, so they are primarily for employee purchases. Many of the best business prepaid cards allow you to add multiple cards on the same account without any extra fees.

If a business prepaid card sounds like what you need, you should check out the Bento for Business Visa. It has some of the lowest fees and a tiered pricing structure. So as you add more cards to the account, the cost-per-card goes down. The Bento for Business Visa also has special features, like the option to set spending restrictions by the day or by the category.

I feel American Express is, I got the card with a 2000. Line of credit with a credit score of 641. I revieved a letter in tge mail to apply.. The balance transfer is awesome 

A Barclays business credit card is best for frequent business travelers. That’s because all three Barclays business cards offered in the U.S. are co-branded with a specific airline. You can choose from American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue, as of February 2019.

Here are the best Barclays business credit cards:

• American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator™ Business Credit Card
• Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card
• JetBlue Business Credit Card

If you want maximum travel rewards but don’t want to be tied to a single airline, consider a general-purpose travel rewards card. Some allow you to redeem points or miles for statement credits toward any travel purchase, and you’ll have more choices when booking flights.

The best United Airlines business credit cards are the United Explorer Business card and the United Club Business card. They come with 50,000-point signup bonuses and benefits like free checked bags and United Club access. Cardholders also earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on United flights with both cards. The cards’ annual fees range from $95 (waived the first year) to $450.

There are a total of 3 United Airlines business credit card offers available right now, two from Chase Bank and one from First Hawaiian Bank.

Best United Airlines Business Credit Cards:

United Explorer Business Card

Cardholders can earn a signup bonus of See Terms once they spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Other benefits include the first checked bag free for the cardholder and one companion on United flights, 2 United Club Passes per year, and employee cards at no extra cost. Cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, dining, gas, and office supplies, and 1 mile on all other purchases. The card has a $0 annual fee the first year and $95 after that.

United Club Business Card

Cardholders can earn a signup bonus of 100,000 miles once they spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Other benefits include a United Club membership (worth $550 per year), 2 free checked bags for the cardholder and one companion on United flights, and employee cards at no extra cost. Cardholders earn double miles on United tickets and 1.5 miles on all other purchases. The card has an annual fee of $450.

First Hawaiian Bank United MileagePlus Business Credit Card

Cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar spent on United tickets and one mile per dollar on all other purchases. The card has an annual fee of $45.

All of the United Airlines business cards also let you set separate spending limits for each employee card. Even better, you’ll earn rewards on all of those purchases too.

If you want more flexibility when it comes to rewards, the best business credit card for United flights and other travel expenses is Chase Ink Business Preferred. It offers a signup bonus of 100,000 points once you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. You’ll also earn 3 points per dollar spent on travel and select business purchases. The points you earn can be transferred to the United MileagePlus program at a 1:1 rate.

The best Citizens Bank business credit card is the Citizens Bank Everyday Points Business Mastercard because it has a $0 annual fee. It also offers 2 points per $1 on all purchases and a bonus of 25,000 points for spending $5,000 in the first 90 days.

The only other Citizens Bank business credit card is the Business Platinum Mastercard, which has no rewards. However, it also has a $0 annual fee and the potential for a lower APR than the Everyday Points card. Its APR range is 8.24% - 19.24% (V), compared to 11.24% - 21.24% (V) for the Everyday Points card.

While both of the Citizens Bank business credit cards have decent terms, they’re not the best offers on the market. There are lots of really rewarding business credit cards available right now. For example, the Capital One Spark Cash for Business card offers unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases and a $500 initial bonus.

A business credit card with no personal credit check is hard to come by. Secured business credit cards are much easier to get than regular unsecured business credit cards, but there’s still a personal credit check involved, and you’ll have to pay a security deposit. A personal credit check allows lenders to measure a business owner’s ability to pay back any debts when there’s little or no business credit history to review.

In addition to the personal credit check, lenders require business owners to provide a personal guarantee. This states that the business owner is personally responsible for paying off any balance if the business is unable to do so. Very few business cards don’t require a personal guarantee.

If you don’t have good credit, there are personal credit cards that do not require a credit check at all. You can use them for business purposes, but they usually require a security deposit and don’t let you borrow money.

If you decide that you’re comfortable applying for a business credit card despite the personal credit check, check out our editors' top picks for the best business credit cards for each credit level. You might also be interested in WalletHub's credit building guide. This will help you on your road to excellent credit.

To get a business line of credit, you must be the owner of a business that’s been operating for at least 2 years, with a personal credit score of 500 or higher. Eleven of the 15 largest banks and credit unions offer business lines of credit, as do several online lenders. Although the exact requirements vary by lender, getting a business line of credit can be a simple process if you’re qualified and prepared.

Business credit lines can be as short as six months or as long as five years. Generally, you’ll have the best luck getting a long-term business credit line at a traditional bank, whereas online lenders will have a plethora of short-term options.

You should compare different offers and find the one that best matches your financing needs. Once you’ve done that, gather any necessary documents including tax returns, balance statements, and other relevant paperwork described in the terms and conditions for your line of credit. Then you’re ready to apply.

5 Tips for How to Get a Business Line of Credit:

1. Check your credit score. Lenders may not release minimum credit score requirements for business lines of credit. However, your personal credit score is what lenders will primarily look at, since personal credit typically goes back farther and can give a better picture of how you’ve handled your finances.
2. Be in business for two years. You may find lenders willing to extend a business line of credit to companies that have been in business for less than two years, but you’ll need at least six months to be considered, and two years for your best chance at approval.
3. Decide what type of credit line you need. Your options are either a long-term business line of credit (up to 5 years) or a short-term business credit line (6+ months). Short-term business lines of credit are usually faster and more accessible, but also more expensive.
4. Gather all of your paperwork. You’ll need your personal tax returns, business tax returns, bank statements for the business, business registration documents, and all revenue documents.
5. Apply online. Most lenders with business lines of credit have easily accessible online applications. Some smaller banks and credit unions may require you to apply at a branch, however.

Business credit cards, or credit cards in general, can either be an alternative to a business line of credit or a tool to use in addition to one. In fact, unsecured credit cards technically do provide a line a credit.

With both business lines of credit and credit cards, a lender extends you a certain amount of money that you can use whenever needed. You don’t have to use the full amount, and you’ll only pay back what you take from the line of credit. So if you’re extended a business line of credit for $30,000, and need to use $10,000 of it to pay for sudden repairs, you’ll only have to pay back that $10,000 plus interest.

One of the main differences between a business credit card and a business line of credit is the rewards potential. Many business credit cards offer rewards that cardholders earn every time they make a purchase. These rewards can be applied as statement credits to cover purchases, or redeemed for gift cards, travel expenses, etc. This is a very valuable benefit of business credit cards, since you’re essentially getting a discount on every purchase. Business lines of credit do not usually offer any kind of rewards.

Still, business lines of credit may be a better option than business credit cards if you need to make large purchases. Business lines of credit typically have higher credit limits than business credit cards.

The best high limit business credit cards are Chase Ink Business Preferred, Chase Ink Business Cash and Capital One Spark Cash for Business. They offer minimum credit limits of $2,000 - $5,000, but allow some users to start with higher limits based on their credit, income and debt. The better your credit situation (both personal and business), the more responsible you’ll seem to lenders and the more likely they’ll be to give you a higher credit line.

Best high limit business credit cards:

• Chase Ink Business Preferred: Minimum credit limit of $5,000, but could start at more than $25,000. 3 points per $1 spent in categories that rotate every year and 1 on everything else. $95 annual fee. Good credit required.
• Chase Ink Business Cash: Minimum credit limit of $3,000, but could start at more than $25,000. 1% - 5% cash back, depending on the purchase category. $0 annual fee. Good credit required.
• Capital One Spark Cash for Business: Minimum credit limit of $2,000, but could start as high as $30,000. Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. $95 annual fee, waived the first year. Good credit required.

Although there’s no way to know a card’s maximum limit for sure (as the issuers don’t disclose that), you can find out the minimum credit limit on many cards. And depending on how good your credit is, you may receive a lot more than the minimum.

Just look at Ink Business Cash. You’re guaranteed $3,000, but if they think you’re especially creditworthy, you can have $25,000+ as your starting limit. Your credit will have to be pretty flawless to get that, though, and you’ll need to show that your income and assets allow you to spend that much.

In any case, like most credit cards, business cards will often give you credit limit increases automatically if you consistently pay on time. So don’t be late and keep your credit in good shape and you’ll usually see your credit limit go up over time.