If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, or even just a freelancer or gig worker, opening a credit card account for your business could offer a lot of benefits. First and foremost, it gives you the chance to easily separate your business and personal expenses, which will absolutely improve your life come tax time. And business credit cards also come with perks that you might have a harder time finding on personal credit cards.
Let’s take a closer look at a few of these features and discuss how the right small business credit card can make managing your business cheaper and easier.
Bonus earnings on business-specific spending
You’d be hard-pressed to find a personal credit card that pays you extra cash back or points on your trips to the office supply store. But business-specific bonus categories can be found on business credit cards (no surprise there!). You might see 5% back on spending for office supplies or internet service, for example.
Depending on the nature of your business, you might also benefit from categories also found on personal cards, like gas fill-ups. Let’s say you drive for a ride-hailing service or you’ve started a small local transport or delivery company in your area. A business credit card with bonus rewards for gas could really save you a lot of money — and good news, they are available.
Higher credit limits — or no preset limits at all
Your personal credit cards might not have super high limits, and this is for good reason — it’s not likely that you’ll be putting $25,000 or $50,000 worth of purchases at once on a personal credit card. For a big personal purchase, there are often better ways to pay, like a personal loan.
But small businesses might regularly spend this kind of money on a credit card, between paying for equipment and sourcing inventory and materials. So you’re likely to find a higher credit limit on a business credit card. And for some card options, you might not have any preset spending limit at all.
Business Credit Card Comparison
Consider these business credit cards that offer a convenient and efficient way to separate personal and business expenses, simplifying accounting and tax reporting.
Additionally, business cards can provide valuable perks such as rewards points, cashback, and expense tracking tools, enhancing financial management and the potential to help save money in the long run.
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card |
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Earn $750 bonus cash back Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business |
Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 12 months Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular: |
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
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Earn 100,000 bonus points Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
Earn 3 points per $1 in select business categories Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn. |
Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular: |
Additional cards for employees
If you have staff members who make purchases on behalf of your business, you can choose a business credit card that gives you free cards for employees. In some cases, you’ll be able to set a lower spending limit on employee cards, which will keep any staff member from maxing out the account (which would be terrible for your bottom line and could even impact your personal credit score).
International spending and travel perks
Finally, if your business has contacts (such as vendors) in other countries, you’ll be happy to know that a lot of the best options for business credit cards come without foreign transaction fees. These typically amount to 3% of transactions made in other countries or in currencies other than U.S. dollars. And if your business operates internationally, using a card that charges those fees will only serve to make everything you buy more expensive. Plus, if you travel abroad for business, you’ll be able to use the card to cover expenses while you’re out of the country without having those extra fees tacked on.
Speaking of travel, some business credit cards earn travel points or miles rather than straight cash back. Like with a consumer travel rewards card, you can then turn these rewards into free or lower-cost hotel stays and airline tickets. Plus, these travel-focused cards sometimes also include credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and airport lounge access. These features can make your business travel more relaxing and less stressful.
Top business credit cards have a lot of features that can make running your business smoother and more rewarding. So why not have a gander at our list of the best business credit cards and pick a winner?
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