Best small business credit cards of December 2024

Welcome Bonus: Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees; add employee cards at no additional cost

The Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account year at office supply stores (including big ticket items such as computers or hardware) and on internet, cable and phone services. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each year at gas stations and restaurants; and earn 1% cash back on all other purchases with no limits on the amount of cash back you can earn.

More Details: With the CardName, users will also enjoy fraud protection, travel and emergency assistance services, zero liability protection, purchase protection, extended warranty protection and auto rental collision damage insurance.

PROS:

• This card is routinely among our top picks for small business credit cards without an annual fee thanks in large part to its rewards of as much as 5% cash back in popular small business spending categories.
• Capitalize on a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months (then,RegAPR). It's a nice feature for a business owner with some start-up costs or a major purchase on the horizon.

CONS:

• There is a foreign transaction fee, which will cost you if you need to use the card for business outside of the U.S.
• There is a fairly low cap on the highest earning categories (5% and 2%) of $25,000. If your business spends more in any of those categories each year, those purchases will only earn 1% cash back.
• There is no annual fee, but if your rewards earning is limited by either the categories or the cap on the categories, you might earn more with a card that charges an annual fee.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Welcome Offer: Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first three months, plus earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500,000 spent during the first year.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees; add employee cards at no additional cost. Plus, you can get your annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000 with the card.

The Rewards: Earn an unlimited 2% cash back on every eligible purchase made with the card, and an unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

More Details: CardName cardholders will also enjoy extended warranty protection, travel and emergency assistance services, no foreign transaction fees, and more.

PROS:

• You can get your annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000 with the card.
• Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase you make with the card, which means you don't have to keep up with categories or caps in order to earn maximum rewards for your business.
• There are no foreign transaction fees, so this is a good card should your business take you overseas or require purchases in foreign currency.

CONS:

• Although you get 2% cash back on all of your purchases, you might earn more with another card if your purchases fall primarily in a few particular categories such as travel or office supply store purchases.
• This is a charge card, so you'll need to pay your balance in full every billing cycle. That's not a bad thing but could be inconvenient should you be in a situation where you need to carry a balance for a time.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual Fee: AnnualFees; add employee cards at no additional cost.

The Rewards: Earn three points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year in the following categories: travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines. Earn one point per $1 on all other purchases (and once you reach the cap in the bonus categories) with no limits to the amount you can earn. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 90,000 points are worth $1,125 towards travel.

More Details: With the CardName, users will also enjoy fraud protection; trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance; zero liability protection; purchase protection; extended warranty protection; auto rental collision damage insurance; no foreign transaction fees; and cell phone protection, which includes coverage of up to $600 per claim for the primary user and all the employees listed on the monthly cell phone bill when you pay your cellular bill with your card.

PROS:

• This card offers plenty of bang for a modest annual fee, including cell phone insurance for the primary phone number as well as employee phones on the same account.
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel through Chase Travel.

CONS:

• The bonus categories are capped at a combined $150,000 each anniversary year. If you spend more in these categories, you need to use a card that awards more than one point per dollar after $150,000.
• The bonus categories are somewhat limited. If your business spending is in other categories, you would likely earn more with a card that awards those categories.
• Although the annual fee of AnnualFees is reasonable and in line with other business rewards cards, you still need to be sure you use and earn enough with the card to more than offset it.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Bonus: Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles after you spend $4,500 in the first three months.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees; add employee cards at no additional cost.

The Rewards: Earn an unlimited two miles per $1 on every purchase, plus earn five miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

More Details: CardName cardholders also enjoy purchase security and extended warranty protection, travel and emergency assistance services, MasterRental Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, quarterly and year-end summaries and more. Receive up to a $120 credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.

PROS:

• Enjoy the flexibility to redeem miles directly for travel or redeem miles for statement credit to cover a previously made travel purchase, or transfer your miles to one of numerous travel loyalty partner programs.
• There's a ton of flexibility when it comes to redeeming miles in that your miles don't expire for the life of the account and there are no blackout dates, airline restrictions or seat restrictions to worry about.

CONS:

• The annual fee is AnnualFees, so you need to be sure to earn enough rewards to make the annual fee worthwhile.
• This card is primarily for travelers and not for those who prefer to earn cash back or rewards that aren't travel-focused.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases within your first three months of card membership.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees; add employee cards at no additional cost.

The Rewards: Earn five points per $1 spent on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com; an extra half-point (or 1.5 points total) per $1 on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to a cap) and 1.5 points on eligible purchases in select business categories, including those with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and with U.S. shipping providers; and one point for each $1 you spend on other eligible purchases. Plus, use your Membership Rewards to Pay with Points for a first class or business class flight with any airline available through American Express Travel and you receive 35% of the points back. Or get 35% of the points back when you book a flight in any class with your pre-selected qualifying airline. With the 35% Airline Bonus benefit, you can get up to 1 million points back per calendar year.

More Details: Cardholders of CardName receive access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting; a $200 airline fee credit with a pre-selected airline to use for things like checked bag fees and in-flight refreshments; a fee credit every four years to cover your Global Entry or every 4.5 years for your TSA PreCheck application fees; complimentary travel benefits like room upgrades, daily breakfast for two people, late check-out, complimentary WiFi, and a unique amenity such as a food and beverage credit or a one-way private sedan transfer when you book your travel through Fine Hotels & Resorts as well as a number of other elite shopping and travel benefits. Enrollment required for select benefits

PROS:

• New cardholders can earn 150,000 Membership Rewards bonus points by spending $20,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months.
• This card includes tons of valuable benefits such as access to airport lounges, a $200 airline fee credit, and a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees. Enrollment required for select benefits

CONS:

• The annual fee is AnnualFees, which is among the highest you find with any business card. This can be expensive if you aren’t able to use the extra benefits that come with the card.
• The best earning is only on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. If your business purchases are regularly outside these categories, you likely aren't maximizing your rewards and could do better with a different card.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Welcome Bonus: Earn $750 in bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 in the first three months from account opening. Plus, take advantage of an introductory 12 months no interest on purchases (then, RegAPR).

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

The Rewards: Earn a flat and unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase. Those rewards accumulate as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, a common currency among numerous Chase rewards cards. If you have other Chase rewards cards in your wallet, you can combine Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned on those other cards into a single bucket as needed in order to redeem your points more quickly or, in some cases, for more value.

More Details: Cardholders are also covered with fraud protection, travel and emergency assistance services, zero liability protection, purchase protection, extended warranty protection and auto rental collision damage insurance.

PROS:

• There is no annual fee for this card so you won’t have to worry about earning enough rewards with the card to offset the fee.
• This card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months (then, RegAPR) which can help you save money on interest if you need to make a large purchase.
• You can earn a flat rate of 1.5% cash back on all your purchases. New cardholders can earn a $750 cash back bonus after you spend $6,000 in the first three months of opening the account.

CONS:

• Although there is no annual fee, there is a foreign transaction fee, which is not ideal if you need to use the card for purchases outside the U.S.
• Although it’s convenient to not have to worry about purchase categories for rewards, you might earn more with a card that awards specific purchases.
• There is a 0% introductory APR on purchases but not on balance transfers. If you need to transfer a balance to save money on interest, you need a card that offers the 0% intro APR on balance transfers.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Welcome Offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your card in your first three months. Plus, you can take advantage of an introductory 0% interest on purchases for 12 months (then RegAPR), which could save you a ton of money if you have some big expenses coming up.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

The Rewards: Rake in 2% cash back on the first $50,000 spent each calendar year on eligible purchases, then 1%. Your cash-back rewards are automatically credited to your statement.

More Details: Earn rewards on spending above your credit limit (amount over limit is due in full each billing cycle in addition to your minimum amount due and in not unlimited – it adjusts based on your card use, payment history and more).

PROS:

• This card offers 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months (then RegAPR).
• This is one of only a handful of business credit cards that do not charge an annual fee and offer a rewards program.
• You can earn 2% cash back on the first $50,000 spent each calendar year on eligible purchases, then 1%. There are no categories to keep up with, so you can just do your regular business spending and know you're earning solid rewards.

CONS:

• There is no annual fee but there is a foreign transaction fee, which will cost you more if you have to use your card for purchases outside of the U.S.
• There is a cap of $50,000 in eligible purchases on which you earn 2% cash back. If your business spends more annually on any category, you can earn more rewards from those purchases with other cards.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

The Welcome Offer: Spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of opening the account to earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees

The Rewards: Earn 4x Membership Rewards points on the two eligible categories where your business spends the most (each billing cycle) from six eligible categories. While your top two categories may change, you will earn 4x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1x thereafter). Only the top two categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap. Additionally, earn 3x Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold card.

Additional Airline Perks: This card isn't specifically an airline rewards card, but the benefits related to flights are hard to overlook. In particular, receive 25% of your points back (up to 250,000 points per calendar year) when you pay with points for all or part of your eligible flight booked through the Amex travel portal.

PROS:

• If your business travel takes you overseas, rest easy knowing you won't be charged foreign transaction fees when you use your card while abroad or if your business requires you to make purchases from foreign merchants.
• Membership Rewards points are highly valued in the travel rewards world; combine the points earned with this small business card with the points you earn on your personal cards to rack up rewards more quickly.
• This card isn't specifically an airline rewards card, but the benefits related to flights are hard to overlook. In particular, receive 25% of your points back (up to 250,000 points per calendar year) when you pay with points for all or part of your eligible flight booked through the Amex travel portal.

CONS:

• This card is most rewarding if your spending generally occurs in predictable categories. If you tend to spend a little bit in many different categories, you may not max out the 4x points earning each year and that would be leaving rewards on the table.
• Annual fees aren't fun. This card comes with one, so you'll want to ensure your business needs and expenses will more than offset that fee each year.

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

Limited Time Offer: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the card within the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.

The Annual Fee: AnnualFees; add employee cards at no additional cost.

The Rewards: Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases; 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year; and 3X points thereafter.

More Details: Cardholders of CardName also receive complimentary room upgrades; the chance to earn free reward nights; no foreign transaction fees; year-end summaries; the American Express Business App, a feature which helps you to manage your card expenses by allowing you to add receipts and notes to your transactions; extended warranty coverage; purchase protection; and a number of other travel and shopping perks and business management tools. Enrollment required for select benefits

PROS:

• There are no foreign transaction fees, which can save your business money if you need to travel abroad or make foreign purchases.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors^TM Gold Status with your card, that gives you benefits at hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio and allows you to earn an 80% bonus on all base points you earn on every stay getting you to free nights faster.
• Get up to $60 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.

CONS:

• The annual fee for this card is AnnualFees. If you won’t earn enough points or use the benefits offered with the card, you should instead use a card with no annual fee.
• This card covers a lot of different purchase categories, but the best redemption will be for Hilton hotel stays. If you prefer other hotel brands or earning cash back, this card is not your best option.
• This card is primarily for travel. If this is not for your business, there are other cards that offer rewards in the non-hotel categories offered by this card but aren't specifically travel-related.

We have not polled this card yet, but would love to hear your thoughts on it if you are a cardholder. Comment below or email us at [email protected] to share more about your experience.