How we compare business credit cards
We list 27 cards sold to US businesses, from banks and from corporate card companies. Each card has its own column. Every value comes from the issuer's own card page, rates and fees, application terms or help center.
The figure at the top of each column is the fees a card would cost each month at your inputs: the annual fee spread over the year, software per cardholder, foreign transaction fees on the foreign spend you enter, and any plan a NetSuite or multi-entity need requires. Cards are sorted by that figure, lowest first, and A to Z where it is the same.
Interest is not in the figure. It is charged daily on a balance that changes every day, at a rate the issuer sets from your credit, so any number we calculated would be a guess. Each card's published rate is shown on its row instead.
"Not published" means the issuer does not say. It never means no.
Business credit card types
The phrase "business credit card" covers several kinds of product. The Card type row shows which one each card is; the main types are:
| Type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Revolving credit | You can carry a balance and pay interest on it |
| Charge card | You pay the full balance every cycle, so there is no interest rate |
| Secured card | The limit is backed by cash you hold with the issuer |
| Debit or prepaid | The card spends money you already hold and gives no credit |
The "Credit or charge only" filter removes the debit and prepaid cards. The "Can carry a balance" filter keeps only the cards that let you borrow.
The personal guarantee on a business credit card
A personal guarantee makes the owner liable for the card debt, as well as the company. Bank cards usually require one. Corporate cards usually do not, and test the business on cash or revenue instead. Brex, for example, asks for $500K/yr or equity funding. The minimum each card asks for to apply:
| Card | Minimum to apply |
|---|---|
| Ramp | $25,000 cash |
| Brex | None |
| BILL | Typically over $20,000 cash, or revenue |
| Mercury IO | None |
| Rho | None |
| Relay Visa Credit Card | $50K/mo revenue, or $20K/mo plus $25K cash |
| Slash Platinum Card | Card limit is cash held |
| Airwallex Corporate Card | None |
The trade is simple. No guarantee means the card is sized on cash or revenue the business can show. The "No personal guarantee" filter shows only cards whose issuer states there is none.
Who can get a business credit card
Bank cards that publish their rules accept sole proprietors, who apply on a Social Security number. The corporate cards that publish a rule want a registered corporation, LLC or partnership with an EIN. The "Takes sole proprietors" filter hides cards whose issuer does not say.
Bank cards that say so check the owner's personal credit when you apply. Most corporate cards do not, or run a soft check only. Whether the account is later reported to your personal credit file is a separate question that few issuers answer: see the Reports to personal credit row.
An EIN is free from the IRS and issued online, so not having one should not narrow your shortlist.
Foreign transaction fees on business credit cards
A foreign transaction fee is a percentage added to each purchase made in another currency. Enter your monthly foreign spend and the estimate adds it.
| Card | Foreign transaction fee |
|---|---|
| Chase Ink Business Unlimited | 3% |
| Chase Ink Business Preferred | None |
| American Express Blue Business Cash | 2.7% |
| Capital One Spark Cash Select | None |
| Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash | 3% |
| Ramp | Up to 3% |
| Brex | Up to 3% |
| Mercury IO | Up to 3% |
| Airwallex Corporate Card | None |
| BILL | Not published at source |
Some corporate cards say "no foreign transaction fee" on one page and publish an exchange-rate markup on another. We show both and cost the markup at its ceiling. Where a card publishes no rate, the estimate says so instead of counting it as free.
Business credit card APR and intro rates
The purchase APR only matters if you carry a balance. It is a range, and the issuer places you in it from your credit.
| Card | Purchase APR | Intro APR |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Ink Business Unlimited | 16.74% to 24.74% | 0% for 12 months |
| American Express Blue Business Cash | 16.99% to 28.74% | 0% for 12 months |
| Capital One Spark Cash Select | 16.74%, 22.74% or 26.74% | 0% for 9 months |
| U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards | 17.49% to 26.49% | 0% for 12 cycles |
| Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash | 16.99% to 24.99% | 0% for 12 months |
| Grasshopper x Mercantile Business Card | 16.15% to 29.65% variable | Not published at source |
Charge cards have no purchase rate, because the balance is paid in full each cycle. To compare borrowing costs, sort by "Lowest APR on a carried balance", which uses the bottom of each range. That is the best case, not a quote.
Business credit card software and cardholder fees
Bank cards have no software plan. Corporate cards usually come with spend management software, and that is where a team's monthly cost comes from.
| Card | Software price |
|---|---|
| Ramp | Free, or from $15/user + platform fee (Plus) |
| Brex | Free (Essentials) or $12/user (Premium) |
| Airwallex Corporate Card | Free up to 10 users, then $12/user + platform fee (Grow) |
| Emburse | $8 or $12/user, min 15 |
| BILL | Free |
| Rho | Free |
| Mercury IO | Free; NetSuite from $35/mo |
A NetSuite sync or multi-entity setup moves several of these cards onto a paid plan; the two toggles above the table price that in. Enter your real number of cardholders. A free plan for three people may not be free for a team of twenty. Ramp's and Airwallex's paid plans add a platform fee they do not publish, so their estimate is where the bill starts, not where it ends.