Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
The best credit cards for freelancers and the self-employed offer straightforward rewards, no annual fee and perks to help with cash flow, such as a long 0% APR period or a generous welcome bonus.
Business credit cards with bonus categories also warrant a look, depending on your spending. For example, a card that offers 3% on gas is a great fit for delivery and rideshare drivers.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Business credit cards typically come with bigger sign-up bonuses than personal cards. The difference can mean hundreds of dollars in rewards value.Freelancers and gig workers can qualify for a business credit card the same as any company, even if your business is your side hustle and not your main gig. Approval is based on your personal credit and business cards typically require a FICO score of 690 or higher.
All of our picks for the best business cards are chosen by our editorial team, who follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the business card for your company. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features. View our full methodology.
Note: Some of our selections can be applied for through NerdWallet, and some cannot. Below, you’ll find application links for the credit cards from our partners that are available through NerdWallet, followed by the full list of our picks.
Sponsored partner picks for
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
The best credit cards for freelancers and the self-employed offer straightforward rewards, no annual fee and perks to help with cash flow, such as a long 0% APR period or a generous welcome bonus.
Business credit cards with bonus categories also warrant a look, depending on your spending. For example, a card that offers 3% on gas is a great fit for delivery and rideshare drivers.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Business credit cards typically come with bigger sign-up bonuses than personal cards. The difference can mean hundreds of dollars in rewards value.Freelancers and gig workers can qualify for a business credit card the same as any company, even if your business is your side hustle and not your main gig. Approval is based on your personal credit and business cards typically require a FICO score of 690 or higher.
All of our picks for the best business cards are chosen by our editorial team, who follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage to help you choose the business card for your company. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features. View our full methodology.
Note: Some of our selections can be applied for through NerdWallet, and some cannot. Below, you’ll find application links for the credit cards from our partners that are available through NerdWallet, followed by the full list of our picks.
Sponsored partner picks for
Here are the best credit cards for freelancers
| Best for | NerdWallet rating▼ | Annual fee▼ | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lucrative welcome offer Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.9/5 | $0 | 1.5% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on Chase's website |
Business travel card for freelancers Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.8/5 | $95 | 1x-3x Points | 90,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
Cash back bonus categories + intro APR period U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees | 4.4/5 | $0 | 1%-3% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Intro APR period for purchases, balance transfers Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card Apply now on Bank of America's website | 4.6/5 | $0 | 1.5% Cashback | $300 | Apply now on Bank of America's website |
Business travel card with no annual fee Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card Apply now on Bank of America's website | 4.2/5 | $0 | 1.5x Points | 30,000 Points | Apply now on Bank of America's website |
Overall business card for freelancers The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees | 4.5/5 | $0 | 1%-2% Cashback | $250 | Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees |
| Best for | NerdWallet rating▼ | Annual fee▼ | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lucrative welcome offer Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.9/5 | $0 | 1.5% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on Chase's website |
Business travel card for freelancers Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.8/5 | $95 | 1x-3x Points | 90,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
Cash back bonus categories + intro APR period U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees | 4.4/5 | $0 | 1%-3% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Intro APR period for purchases, balance transfers Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card Apply now on Bank of America's website | 4.6/5 | $0 | 1.5% Cashback | $300 | Apply now on Bank of America's website |
Business travel card with no annual fee Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card Apply now on Bank of America's website | 4.2/5 | $0 | 1.5x Points | 30,000 Points | Apply now on Bank of America's website |
Overall business card for freelancers The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees | 4.5/5 | $0 | 1%-2% Cashback | $250 | Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees |
I'M INTERESTED IN:
Our pick for
Lucrative welcome offer
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Pros
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- No reward caps
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- No bonus categories
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Pros
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- No reward caps
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- No bonus categories
- 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 made for your business
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
Our pick for
Business travel card for freelancers
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
90,000 Points
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High reward redemption rate
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Does not include lounge access or travel credits
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
90,000 Points
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High reward redemption rate
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Does not include lounge access or travel credits
- Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Member FDIC
Our pick for
Cash back bonus categories + intro APR period
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Pros
- High cash-back bonus rate
- No cap on bonus rewards
- Intro APR period on purchases
- Reports to Dun & Bradstreet
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Activity on employee cards does not count toward bonus spending requirement
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Pros
- High cash-back bonus rate
- No cap on bonus rewards
- Intro APR period on purchases
- Reports to Dun & Bradstreet
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Activity on employee cards does not count toward bonus spending requirement
- Introducing the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® the card that gives back on all your eligible business needs.
- Earn $750 in cash back. Just spend $6000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days of opening your account.
- Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations (transactions of $200 or less)*, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants (*excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs).
- 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases.
- Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center.
- No limit on total cash back earned.
- Redeem Cash Rewards right away or save them for later. Cash Rewards do not expire as long as the account remains active.
- Earn an annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription expenses such as FreshBooks or QuickBooks.
- Terms and conditions apply.
View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Intro APR period for purchases, balance transfers
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Read Review
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
$300
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High rewards rate
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5% Cashback
Intro offer
$300
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- High rewards rate
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
- Get a $300 online statement credit after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, or join Preferred Rewards for Business for no fee, and earn up to an unlimited 2.62% cash back on all purchases if you have a Bank of America® business checking account and qualify for Preferred Rewards for Business Platinum Honors tier.
- No annual cap and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
- No annual fee.
- Choose how to redeem your cash rewards – as a deposit into your Bank of America® checking or savings account, as a card statement credit or as a check mailed to you.
- 0% Introductory APR on purchases for your first 9 billing cycles. After the intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that's currently 17.74% to 27.74% will apply.
- Contactless Cards - the security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This offer may not be available if you leave this page or visit our website. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Our pick for
Business travel card with no annual fee
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Read Review
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x Points
Intro offer
30,000 Points
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR offer
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
- Does not include lounge access or travel credits
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Apply now
on Bank of America's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1.5x Points
Intro offer
30,000 Points
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR offer
- New cardholder bonus offer
- No reward caps
- Bonus rewards for qualifying Preferred Rewards for Business members
Cons
- Requires excellent credit
- Multiple accounts, high combined balance required to get Preferred Rewards bonus
- Does not include lounge access or travel credits
- Earn 30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening which can be redeemed for a $300 statement credit towards travel or dining purchases.
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent, or join Preferred Rewards for Business for no fee, and earn up to an unlimited 2.62 points for every $1 spent on all purchases if you have a Bank of America® business checking account and qualify for Preferred Rewards for Business Platinum Honors tier.
- No limit to the amount of points you can earn and points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- No annual fee and no international transaction fees.
- Choose how to redeem points for a statement credit to offset travel and dining purchases, travel with no blackout dates at the Bank of America® Travel Center, for cash back or gift cards.
- 0% Introductory APR on purchases for your first 9 billing cycles. After the intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that's currently 17.74% to 27.74% will apply.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This offer may not be available if you leave this page or visit our website. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
Our pick for
Overall business card for freelancers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2% Cashback
Intro offer
$250
Pros
- High cash-back bonus rate
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Low rate after you hit bonus cap
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 17.49% – 25.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. APRs will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
- From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That’s why you’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
- The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply
View Rates & Fees
NerdWallet's editorial picks: Best business credit cards for freelancers, self-employed
Click the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Our pick for: Overall business card for freelancers
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
boasts one of the better introductory APR offers among business credit cards. Beyond that, you earn a solid cash-back rate (at least for a while — the rate drops after you hit a spending threshold). There's also a $0
annual fee. Terms apply. Learn more and apply.Our pick for: Lucrative welcome offer
The
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
earns a simple, flat cash-back rate on every purchase, with no limit on how much you can earn. The sign-up bonus is outstanding for a cash-back card, particularly one with no annual fee, and there's an intro APR period for purchases. Learn more and apply.U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Our pick for: Cash back bonus categories + intro APR period
The
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
is a solid cash-back card for business owners. Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations (transactions of $200 or less)*, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants (*excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs). Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases. Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center.
Plus, the card offers a competitive welcome bonus and 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 billing cycles, and then the ongoing APR of 17.99%-26.99% Variable APR
— all with a $0
annual fee. Learn more and apply. Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Our pick for: Intro APR period for purchases, balance transfers
If your spending doesn't align with typical bonus categories, consider the
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
. This card offers 1.5%
cash back on all purchases with no annual cap. Rewards can climb even higher for Bank of America® customers who qualify for the bank's Preferred Rewards for Business program — up to 2.62%, depending on the tier — which is tough to beat among flat-rate cash-back business credit cards. Learn more and apply. Our pick for: Business travel card for freelancers
The
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
starts you off with one of the biggest sign-up bonuses of any credit card anywhere: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
You also get bonus rewards on travel expenses and common business spending categories, like advertising, shipping and internet, cable and phone service. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. Learn more and apply.Our pick for: Business travel card with no annual fee
The
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
pays solid rewards on every purchase and gives you wide flexibility in redeeming your points for any travel purchase, without the restrictions of branded airline and hotel cards. Learn more and apply.Can freelancers get business credit cards?
If you drive a rideshare part time, regularly resell on eBay or do any other kind of freelance work, you may qualify for a business credit card. You don’t need to have a storefront, employees or an LLC. In fact, your business doesn’t even need to make a profit, and you can say so on the application. If you don’t have a separate tax ID for your business — many self-employed sole proprietors don’t — you can use your Social Security number to apply.
Approval for a small-business credit card is typically based on your personal credit history. Credit scores of 690 or above are generally eligible, although issuers have their own approval criteria, which can vary by type of card.
Should freelancers get a personal or business credit card?
A separate credit card for business spending can help freelancers with expense tracking, running financial reports and gathering tax-return information. There's no rule that this has to be a business credit card, but they do have some distinct advantages over personal cards in these regards, including:
- Larger sign-up bonuses — though you'll also have to spend more to get them.
- Free employee cards, if more than one person will purchase items on behalf of your business.
- Reward categories tailored to self-employed business owners, such as extra cash back on things like office supplies and telecommunications services.
- Higher spending limits.
- Establishing and building your business credit score.
Whatever card you choose, make sure it fits your needs and spending patterns as a freelancer.
To view rates and fees of
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.Last updated on December 20, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet's Credit Cards team selects the best credit cards for small business based on overall consumer value, as evidenced by star ratings, as well as their suitability for specific kinds of small-business operators. Factors in our evaluation include annual and other fees, rewards rates, the earning structure (for example, flat-rate rewards versus bonus categories), redemption options, bonus offers for new cardholders, introductory and ongoing APRs, and other noteworthy features such as special financing arrangements, free cards for employees or tools for managing business expenses. Learn more how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
