Best Business Credit Cards for Startups to Finance Your Dream

Finding a way to finance your billion-dollar idea is challenging, to say the least. And without one of the best business credit cards for startups to help you do it, you could end up throwing away money on poorly managed debt. 

In this list, you’ll find our pick for the top credit cards to help your startup reach its potential. Every card is different, so you’ll want to compare the offers carefully to find the one that suits your financial needs. 

So, without further ado, let’s take a sneak peek below!

Affiliate Disclosure

Overview — Brex is a unique kind of credit card designed specifically for startups. What we liked, in particular, was that it takes into account all the financial nuances of a startup and uses them to your advantage. Its creative underwriting method and all the tools it provides make it our choice for the best credit card for a startup business.

No credit check — With this card, you don’t require a personal credit check. Instead, the issuer evaluates your business based on performance markers like spending patterns, cash balance, and investing partners. 

This kind of approach is perfect for early startups with a lot of potential but little credit history. The only requirement is that your business has a minimum bank balance of around $50,000, which we think is more than fair. 

Brex cash app — Brex cards can be paired with the Brex cash application that helps track expenses, reconcile accounts, and much more. Moreover, it acts as a basic form of accounting software to help manage expenses from every issued card individually. 

Integrations — To our delight, you can integrate your Brex account with NetSuite, Xero, QuickBooks, and many other vital tools. It’s one of the most versatile credit cards for small business owners in terms of expense tracking and account management. 

Rewards — If you qualify as a cardmember, you get access to the Brex rewards program that earns bonus points on things like travel, entertainment, software expenses, and rideshares or taxis.

Pros:

• No annual fee
• Business tools integrations
• Excellent mobile app
• Sign-up bonus
• No personal credit check

Cons:

• No introductory APR period
• Not all cardholders are eligible for rewards

Overview — Chase is known for offering some of the best credit cards for small business owners in its Ink line. To be precise, Ink Cash is the set’s entry-level card and has excellent features that are perfect for small businesses (or startups) with a low entry barrier. 

Cashback rewards — Chase Inc’s main draw is the attractive cashback rewards system on small business essentials such as office supplies, cable and phone services, etc. Namely, the first $25,000 you spend each year on said purchases earn 5% cashback. 

Additionally, the first $25,000 each year spent on gas stations and restaurants earns 2% cashback, so it easily qualifies as one of the best gas credit card options. All other purchases earn 1% cashback with no limit, which is a real bargain. 

But wait, there’s more!

Big welcome bonus — When you spend $7,500 within the first three months of opening your Chase Ink account, you’ll receive a hefty $750 cashback bonus. 

Good rewards; low caps — In other words, this is the best credit card for a small business startup with modest expenses; mainly due to the mix of great rewards accessibility for most businesses.

In addition, small businesses will also enjoy a few additional perks, such as employee cards, purchase protection, account alerts, and travel coverage, all at no extra charge.

Pros:

• No annual fee
• Excellent cashback on some categories
• Superb welcome bonus
• Introductory purchase APR
• Employee cards at no extra charge

Cons:

• Spending limits on cashback categories
• Foreign transaction fees

Overview — This Discover business card is part of the It® line and stands out for its simplicity and straightforward rewards. What’s more, if your business has a wide variety of spending categories instead of spending large amounts on a few, this is the ideal card for you!

Apart from the neat rewards, third-party reports also suggest that Discover It Business credit limits can be pretty generous as well. 

Category-free cashback — Every dollar you spend on business expenses with this card earns 1.5% cashback with no limits or category restrictions. Better yet, the cashback rewards never expire, and you can redeem them in any form you want. 

Cashback match — What really caught our attention was that at the end of your first card anniversary, Discover will automatically match all the cashback rewards you’ve accumulated. Plus, there’s no limit to how much you can earn with a Cashback Match on this Discover business card and no purchase minimum to qualify. 

No penalty APR — Startups that have a hard time collecting overdue accounts need not worry. This card waives your first late payment and doesn’t apply penalty APR on delinquent accounts. 

Hence, if you don’t want to worry about getting bonus rewards for special categories, look no further than Discover. 

Also, when looking for business credit cards for startups, reviews point out that Discover offers a lot in terms of cashback to help grow your business, despite there being no significant business perks on top of the cashback.

Pros:

• No annual fee
• No penalty APR
• First late fee waived
• Cashback on all purchases
• Cashback Match the first year

Cons:

• Lackluster overall perks

Overview — This card, like most other AmEx cards, is among the best business credit cards for new business owners who want big rewards. In essence, the rewards are composed of membership points, which can be highly lucrative when redeemed in the right way. 

Double points — For starters, the first $50,000 you spend with this card on business expenses will earn you double points. Also, no category restrictions apply to the bonus points, and the card will continue to earn points at a rate of one point per dollar after that. 

Furthermore, AmEx points are valued at about a cent each, depending on how they’re redeemed. In general, travel is typically the best way to redeem them, and they can be transferred to AmEx partner loyalty programs. 

Designated account manager — A significant benefit that this has over some of the other best credit cards for a startup business is the option to designate a trusted account manager. That person can make decisions about the account in your absence, which can be important in a time-sensitive business situation. 

Flexible credit limit — We also liked the fact that you can spend above your credit limit with this card up to a pre-established amount that’s subject to change. Likewise, every cardholder’s amount is different and is based on how you use the card, as well as several other factors.

Pros:

• No annual fee
• Excellent rewards rate
• Extended credit limit
• Allows a trusted account manager
• No charge for employee cards

Cons:

• Limited points redemption options

Overview — This card provides a simple and approachable way to finance your short-term business needs. Not only that but it also has low credit requirements, albeit a slightly higher APR as a result.

Simple rewards — The rewards program on this Capital One business credit card is fairly straightforward yet modest. Namely, every purchase earns you 1% cashback with no category restrictions or spending limits, which is great. You can also redeem cashback in any amount and at any time. 

Business management tools — You can request additional employee cards at no extra cost and track spending on each individually. Additionally, all employee cards generate rewards and can have custom spending limits, too. 

You can also assign an account manager that can review and approve transactions and make decisions in place of the account owner. 

Like most of the best credit cards for small business owners, this one produces an itemized report as a year-end summary that makes tax preparation much more manageable. 

Overall, this is a good candidate for the first credit card you could get for your business. It will provide a substantial credit line and some minor rewards even if you have less-than-perfect credit.

Pros:

• No annual fee
• No-frills rewards
• No balance transfer fee
• Good account management tools
• Low credit requirement

Cons:

• High APR

Overview — Divvy is yet another great option in our series of small business credit cards for new businesses, albeit with a twist. For starters, it’s a corporate card, which implies that it’s for companies with a long list of suppliers and big spending requirements. 

Nevertheless, Divvy is designed to provide versatility and so falls somewhere in between corporate and business cards. In fact, it falls right around the space that many fast-growing startups inhabit. 

Custom underwriting — Divvy offers several underwriting methods to choose from. As a result, you won’t be limited to credit scores or debt ratios, which can help you decide on a method that provides the credit you need. 

Scaling credit — What we loved, in particular, about this card is that your Divvy credit line is also scalable. Meaning, you can apply for larger credit limits without requesting a new card as your business grows. 

Flexible rewards — In addition, Divvy rewards spending based on how often you choose to make payments. For instance, weekly payments provided the highest rewards (up to 7x the points on restaurants), whereas monthly payments offered the least. 

Best credit card for small business expense tracking — Cardmembers receive access to Divvy’s fully integrated expense tracking and management software. Simply put, you can review and track spending information from any mobile device or desktop.

Pros:

• Great potential for rewards
• Expense management made easy
• Various underwriting options
• Divvy provides small business loans
• Create unlimited virtual cards

Cons:

• Divvy has only been around since 2016

Overview — Wells Fargo has several business card offerings with accommodating fee structures and APR ranges. The only hurdle is the relatively high entry barrier, which makes it difficult for startups to access them. 

Still, secured business credit cards for bad credit such as this one are much more accessible, especially for newer ventures. 

Flexible rewards structure — Cardmembers can choose to receive cashback rewards or Wells Fargo rewards points when applying for this card. The cashback option earns 1.5% cashback per dollar spent with no category restrictions or spending limits. 

If you choose rewards points, you’ll receive a 1,000 point bonus for every billing period in which your company spends at least $1,000, which is extremely generous, to say the least. 

Relatively high credit line — As a secured card, the credit limit for this option will match the amount you put down as collateral; you can choose a credit line anywhere between $500 and $25,000. 

Build or rebuild credit — This card offers a great alternative to unsecured business credit cards for startups since it has a lenient credit requirement. It’s best for startups that want to earn some rewards while building enough of a credit history to qualify for an unsecured card.

Pros:

• Requires security deposit
• Increase credit limit as needed
• Low credit requirements
• Points or cashback rewards
• Up to $25,000 of secured credit

Cons:

• Only supports up to 10 employee cards

Overview — When it comes to the best business credit cards for startups, an extensive travel budget can receive huge rewards with the right travel card. In general, a travel card will yield the best rewards when used on American Airlines travel expenses; far greater than that of a card with general travel rewards. 

In addition to that, it has very generous sign-up rewards and many benefits that make up for the restriction (it’s specifically a travel card). 

Travel benefits — As one of the best credit cards for startups with high travel needs, this card offers a ton of travel perks. The rewards include preferred boarding on AA flights, 25% savings on in-flight food and Wi-Fi purchases, and the first checked bag is free for you and up to four companions. 

Bonus miles — Excellent news for all you travel-goers: this card earns double miles on most travel-related categories. Likewise, you’ll also earn double miles when spending on cable or satellite services, phone and internet, and gasoline. All other purchases earn a mile per dollar spent.

Business perks — Employee cards enjoy the same miles bonuses, and cardmembers receive 24/7 access to a personal travel assistant. Also, enjoy special business offers from Microsoft, Salesforce, Intuit, and other partners.

Overall, this is one of the best business credit cards for a small business whose employees do a lot of domestic traveling. 

Pros:

• Double miles on many categories
• Excellent travel benefits
• Business perks and savings
• World Elite Mastercard additional benefits
• No foreign transaction fee

Cons:

• Annual fee after the first year
• High credit requirement

Overview — If you’re looking for startup business credit cards with bad credit, First Progress offers three options that fit the bill. Of the three, one card, in particular, stood out — Platinum Prestige.

In short, we picked Platinum Prestige as it’s an excellent way to fund your initial startup costs until you start generating revenue; in large part thanks to its relatively low APR (9.99%). And albeit not exclusively a business card, Platinum Prestige is perfect if you’re looking to rebuild your credit and need a reliable way to fund recurring purchases.

Secured card — Like most other business credit cards for bad credit, this is a secured card. Meaning, you’ll need to deposit a minimum of $200 as part of your application. 

What’s more, you don’t have to worry about losing money as you’ll get your deposit back when you close the account. In essence, the money you deposit simply acts as your credit limit, nothing more. 

Lastly, the deposit will go to a Synovus Bank account, which you’re under no obligation to keep when you don’t need the card anymore. 

Accessible interest rate — This First Progress card has a relatively tame APR of 9.99%, which is among the lower APRs you’ll find. 

Annual fee — The annual fee ($49) will come out of your monthly credit limit, so it’s a good idea to deposit as much as you think you’ll need every month plus $49.  

If that works for you, Platinum Prestige is definitely among the best business credit cards for a small startup company.

Pros:

• Low APR
• No minimum credit score
• No credit history required
• No penalty APR

Cons:

• Annual fee
• Not available in Arkansas, Iowa, New York, or Wisconsin

Overview — What made us choose Ramp in the first place was the fact that it’s actually a charge card, not a standard credit card. As a result, you don’t have to worry about the APR — you just have to pay off the full amount every month. 

This makes Ramp one of the best credit cards for startup businesses with only a few employees if you’re not looking to finance large purchases.

Overall, an outstanding card to control your spending or when you’re on a tight budget.

Cashback rewards — You’ll earn a flat 1.5% cashback on all purchases you make with the Ramp card. To redeem your rewards, you only need to log into your Ramp account and request a statement credit; it’s that simple. 

Software integrations — Recently, some of the best credit cards for startups have begun integrating with popular management software, and Ramp is no different. 

For instance, your Ramp account integrates with Slack to deliver notifications. Likewise, it can also work with Sage, QuickBooks, and many other online bookkeeping services. 

Finance forecasts — Ramp comes with straightforward accounting software that can automate most processes, such as receipt matching. It can also provide future spending estimates based on current subscriptions and upcoming due dates.

Not to mention, Ramp software provides you with basic accounting features like instant reconciliation and allows you to navigate real-time data for every employee, merchant, or department.

Pros:

• Business software integrations
• Flat 1.5% cashback
• No annual fee under 50 employees
• No foreign transaction fees no penalties

Cons:

• Charge card

Business credit cards can serve many purposes. Still, there’s no single credit card that’s great at absolutely everything. In all likelihood, you’ll need to compromise on some features to gain advantages in others. 

Finding the right balance isn’t impossible; it just takes a little work and knowing what to look for. 

In the guide below, we’ll break down the features you should look for based on what you need and then look at a few features individually. 

Let’s start with the most common reason your business needs a card. 

Flexible Spending Power

Aside from the apparent need to have a convenient payment method, most businesses get credit cards to manage expenses more freely. The best business cards for a new small business that wants spending power will offer:

• Relatively low base APR rates — If you think you’ll need to carry a balance on your account, make sure you don’t overpay for it. 
• Long grace periods — You can’t always rely on making timely payments, so choose the card that gives you the most extended grace period and preferably low or no late fees.

Small Business Credit Cards for Bad Credit

A lot of businesses need credit cards to rebuild their credit or build it up from scratch, as is the case with most startups. If that’s your main concern, you don’t have to worry too much about getting great features and terms. 

In fact, most credit cards for a small business with no credit will only offer basic benefits. 

Instead, try to get a card that:

• Has low entry barriers — secured cards are ideal in this respect since they don’t usually require much prior credit history.
• Reports to credit bureaus — there’s not much point in trying to build credit with a card that doesn’t report your activity to the three major business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Small Business).

But that doesn’t mean business credit cards for bad credit never have perks. If you have at least some credit history, try applying for cards with a rewards program of some kind. 

Balance Transfers

A business credit card can be a significant boon. On the other hand, it can also be a drain on your finances if you rack up a large balance. In that case, finding a business card for balance transfers is the best solution. 

For that purpose, you’ll want the following features:

• A long introductory APR for transfers — an uncommon feature on business cards, but not impossible to find. 
• Low or no transfer fees — transfer fees can make a balance transfer much less beneficial than it otherwise would be. A good option from the list above is the Capital One Spark Classic, which charges no balance transfer fee. 

Financing Big Purchases

A credit card can be a great way to finance crucial business needs without having to go through the process of applying for business or personal installment loans. You’ll usually want to avoid this scenario if you’re looking for business credit cards for bad credit history since they tend to come with high interest rates. 

The main feature you should look for if you want to finance a big purchase is a generous introductory APR rate. Ideally, you can find a card that charges 0% interest over a period long enough to allow you to pay off the balance entirely. 

Business Credit Card Rewards

An incidental benefit for most businesses, credit card rewards can be a significant draw for startups who need to make every penny count. 

Cashback programs are typically the simplest way to earn rewards. Likewise, they’re also the least lucrative in most cases. If you don’t mind a bit of extra work looking for the best deals, travel cards such as the Delta SkyMiles card can be among the most profitable for your business. 

In terms of rewards, the best business cards for a small startup company will be the ones that reward your spending category. 

Whether you spend the most on office supplies, entertaining clients, traveling, or software services, there’s probably a card tailor-made to reward your spending. 

A Note on Charge Cards

Charge cards are a special type of card that works like a credit card but requires the balance to be paid off every month. They can be a great alternative to startup business credit cards with no credit like the Brex card since they tend to have unique underwriting requirements. 

Recently, cards such as the Brex card have started making waves in the financial community; these are usually charge cards aimed at business customers that offer highly focused services for a particular company. 

Additional Business Features

Lastly, there are many features you can look for from business cards that will let you manage your finances. The best business credit cards for startups may even offer comprehensive accounting capabilities at no additional charge. 

Some of the features these credit cards can offer:

• Expense management tools — these include accounting services and ways to manage employee spending easier, such as employee credit cards.
• Software integrations — some newer credit cards even allow you to integrate your account with popular business software, such as Salesforce or QuickBooks. 

Virtual cards — some credit cards allow you to generate virtual cards that you can use for one-off payments or use a different credit card number for every supplier, etc.

When you’re trying to get your startup off the ground, financial woes are almost inevitable and can be a serious roadblock for your small business. An excellent way to overcome this is by picking the right business credit card. 

In sum, more features aren’t necessarily better — look for the features that you actually need instead. Next, rewards and perks should always be secondary to approval requirements and interest rates. 

Finally, the type of the best credit card for startups you choose should always depend on what you aim to do with it. Apply your vital requirements to the reviews above and you should be left with an extremely useful asset to your business.