Best Business Credit Cards for Startups to Finance Your Dream

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 — 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.

Overview — Chase is known for offering excellent 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 most practical gas credit cards. All other purchases earn 1% cashback with no limit, which is a real bargain. 

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 credit card for a small business startup with modest expenses; mainly due to the mix of great rewards and accessibility for most businesses.

Another advantage is that 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.

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, this is the ideal credit card for small business in your case!

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.

Overview — This card, like most other AmEx cards, is among the most wanted business credit cards for new business owners who are keen on 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 similar 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.

Overview — This credit card for small business entrepreneurs 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 good 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 very 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.

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 appreciated, 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. 

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.

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 you a 1.5% cashback per dollar spent (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. That 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 — Wells Fargo card offers a great alternative to unsecured cards since it has a lenient credit requirement. We’d say it’s best for startups that want to earn some rewards while building enough of a credit history to qualify for an unsecured card.

Overview — An extensive travel budget can receive huge rewards with the right travel card. In general, World Elite Mastercard will yield the best rewards when used on American Airlines travel expenses. Far greater than that of a card with general travel rewards, that is. 

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

Travel benefits — World Elite Mastercard 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, World Elite Mastercard is one of the top business credit cards for a small business whose employees do a lot of domestic traveling.

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 lowest 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, then First Progress Platinum Prestige Mastercard definitely belongs to the most widely used business credit cards for a small startup company.

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, reputable 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 other popular 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.