Here are the best credit cards for nonprofits
Here are the best credit cards for nonprofits
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Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%
Intro offer
$350
Apply now
on Chase's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Best for 5% cash back on office supplies
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5%
Intro offer
$350
Apply now
on Chase's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period
- New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Best for Up to 3% cash back on gas
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3%
Intro offer
$750
Apply now
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Bonus cash back categories
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period on purchases
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Best for Up to 3% cash back on gas
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3%
Intro offer
$750
Apply now
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Bonus cash back categories
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period on purchases
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5%
Intro offer
$2,000
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Earns cash back on primary and employee cards
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full every month
- Has annual fee
- High spending requirement to hit full welcome bonus, annual bonus offers
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Best for No pre-set spending limit
Annual fee
$150
Rewards rate
2%-5%
Intro offer
$2,000
Apply now
on Capital One's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Earns cash back on primary and employee cards
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full every month
- Has annual fee
- High spending requirement to hit full welcome bonus, annual bonus offers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5%
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on Ramp's website
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- No personal guarantee or credit check
- Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
- Rewards rate varies and is determined for each customer by Ramp.
Ramp Card
Best for Corporate card for nonprofits
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-1.5%
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on Ramp's website
Pros
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- No personal guarantee or credit check
- Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts
Cons
- Balance must be paid in full each month
- Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses
- Rewards rate varies and is determined for each customer by Ramp.
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on BILL Spend & Expense's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Card-level spending controls
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure with limits on redemption
- Balance must be paid in full each billing cycle
- Not available to sole proprietors.
BILL Divvy Corporate Card
Best for Replacing employee reimbursements
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1x-7x
Intro offer
N/A
Apply now
on BILL Spend & Expense's website
Pros
- No annual fee
- Card-level spending controls
Cons
- Complicated rewards structure with limits on redemption
- Balance must be paid in full each billing cycle
- Not available to sole proprietors.
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%
Intro offer
$125
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- Bonus categories
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
Best for 5% cash back on Amazon brands
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%
Intro offer
$125
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- Bonus categories
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%
Intro offer
$250
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- Cash rewards
Cons
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Requires good/excellent credit
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Best for Small nonprofits
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-2%
Intro offer
$250
Apply now
on American Express' website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- No annual fee
- High rewards rate
- Intro APR period
- Cash rewards
Cons
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Requires good/excellent credit
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
1x-5x
Intro offer
60,000
Apply now
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Bonus categories
- Welcome offer
- Annual fee waived for the first year
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- No intro APR offer
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®
Best for Travel card for nonprofits
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
1x-5x
Intro offer
60,000
Apply now
on U.S. Bank's website
Rates & Fees
Pros
- Bonus categories
- Welcome offer
- Annual fee waived for the first year
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- No intro APR offer
Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card
Our pick for: Best cash-back business credit card for nonprofits
NerdWallet star rating: 5
The
Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card
is a no-brainer for nonprofits that want to earn cash back on spending that doesn’t always fall into the same categories. It doesn’t charge an annual fee, and you’ll get 2% cash back on all your spending. There’s also a 12-month intro APR period, which gives you some flexibility to finance large purchases and pay them off over time. Note, however, that only existing Wells Fargo customers can apply online; others have to visit a branch. Learn more and apply.U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect™ World Elite Mastercard®
Our pick for: Travel card for nonprofits
NerdWallet star rating:
5
If travel is a major spending category for your organization, the
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®
is hard to beat. It offers high rewards rates on lots of different types of spending: Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center. Earn 4X points on travel, gas and EV charging stations* on the first $150,000 in combined annual spend (*excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs). Earn 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery and cell service providers. Earn 1X points on all other eligible spend.
Plus, the annual fee is relatively low compared to other travel cards — $0
for the first year, then $95
. Learn more and apply.Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Our pick for: No pre-set spending limit
NerdWallet star rating:
5
The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
is an excellent option for business operators whose expenses don't fall into the bonus categories on other business credit cards. There's no preset spending limit and you get a high, flat rewards rate on every purchase. Plus, you can earn a welcome bonus if you hit certain spending requirements. Just make sure that you can pay off your spending in full each month, as this is a charge card that doesn't let you revolve a balance. (See rates and fees.) Learn more and apply.Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Our pick for: Cash back at office supply stores
NerdWallet star rating:
4.8
If your business's spending matches the bonus categories on the
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
, including 5% cash back on spending at office supply stores, you can rack up some serious cash back. (If not, then look elsewhere.) There's an excellent sign-up bonus for a no-annual-fee cash-back card, plus an introductory APR period for purchases. Learn more and apply.The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Our pick for: Small nonprofits
NerdWallet star rating:
4.7
This no-annual-fee card is a great choice for nonprofits expecting to spend less than $50,000 per year (about $4,150 per month) because of the way its rewards are structured:
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. Terms Apply.
(see rates and fees). If your expenses are higher than that, the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card is likely to be the more rewarding option. Learn more and apply. U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Our pick for: Up to 3% cash back on gas
NerdWallet star rating:
5
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 18.24%-27.24% Variable APR
— all with a $0
annual fee. Learn more and apply.Ramp Card
Our pick for: Corporate card for nonprofits
NerdWallet star rating:
2.8
You’ll need a bank balance of at least $25,000 to qualify for the
Ramp Card
. And since it’s a charge card, you’ll have to pay it off in full every month. Still, Ramp offers solid software features like automatic receipt matching and expense categorization, spending controls, automatic spending approval flows and expense forecasting tools. The Ramp Card
also integrates directly with multiple accounting providers, including QuickBooks. Learn more and apply.BILL Divvy Corporate Card
Our pick for: Replacing employee reimbursements
NerdWallet star rating:
2.7
The
BILL Divvy Corporate Card
has direct integrations with QuickBooks, Xero and Oracle NetSuite (among others), and boasts that it can work with any accounting software. Beyond that, its spend management platform lets you set and adjust budgets for each employee card, see top-level organization spending, attach receipts to individual purchases and automatically categorize certain transactions. But the BILL Divvy Corporate Card
requires you to pay your balance in full each month. And while it offers high rewards rates on restaurants and hotels, they’re pretty hard to earn and use. Learn more and apply.Devote Card
Our pick for: Spend management platform for nonprofits
This card has not been rated by NerdWallet.
The Devote Card is a corporate card; however, it functions more like a debit card as your spending limit is tied to a deposit. Similar to Ramp and Divvy, Devote comes with a spend management platform — users can issue unlimited employee cards, set spending limits and control transactions related to certain categories or vendors. You can upload receipts, and the software integrates with QuickBooks. There are also features specific to nonprofits, like tracking sales tax so you can apply for exemptions. Devote offers rewards, but says they vary with each organization.
Charity Charge Nonprofit Business Card
Our pick for: Secured card designed for nonprofits
This card has not been rated by NerdWallet.
The Charity Charge Nonprofit Business Card was built for nonprofit organizations that have been in operation for at least two years and meet certain revenue thresholds. Don’t qualify? Charity Charge also offers a secured card with a minimum $5,000 deposit. With either option, your organization can save money with no annual fee, plus cash-back rebates at participating vendors and group purchasing discounts. Nonprofit organizations have real-time control over employee cards and can pause or cancel access online. Learn more.
Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
Our pick for: 5% cash back on Amazon brands
NerdWallet star rating:
4.2
The
Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
is available to Amazon Prime and Business Prime members. It lets you choose between 90 days of interest-free financing on Amazon Business, Amazon Web Services, Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases or an impressive 5% cash back on the first $120,000 spent within those categories (1% after that). All cardholders earn 2% Back at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers. 1% Back on other purchases. Terms Apply.
Learn more and apply.A nonprofit credit card is a financing option for charities and other tax-exempt organizations. There are only a handful of credit cards designed specifically with nonprofits in mind — but nonprofits also have access to general small-business credit cards, which offer a wide range of benefits.
Credit cards for nonprofits work the same way credit cards for individuals and other businesses do. You can use the card to pay for organizational expenses, up to your credit limit; you pay the credit card issuer back over time; and you’ll pay interest on whatever balance remains after the due date.
Yes, nonprofits can use credit cards in the same way for-profit businesses can. There are generally no revenue requirements for most business credit cards (although corporate cards are a notable exception). If you have good or excellent personal credit, you may be able to qualify for many different nonprofit credit cards.
Business credit cards offer flexible financing that can help your nonprofit keep up with expenses even when cash flow is uneven. Beyond that, many offer perks like cash back and travel rewards.
If you need to fund larger purchases, like equipment and real estate, nonprofit business loans can help. Unlike business credit cards, though, loan applications will require lots more detail about your nonprofit’s finances, which may make this financing tougher to obtain.
To qualify for nonprofit credit cards, you’ll generally need good to excellent personal credit (a FICO score of 670 or above). There are a handful of bad credit business credit cards, however.
Most business credit cards will require you to sign a personal guarantee. Corporate cards, like Ramp and BILL Divvy, are the exceptions.
Yes, nonprofits are generally subject to the same credit card fees as for-profit businesses.
Unlike nonprofit bank accounts — which may waive fees or offer other cost savings — major credit card issuers don't usually include perks for charities. Ultimately, it’s probably best to choose a card with rewards or features that match your organization's overall spending and needs instead of seeking one with specific features for nonprofits.
That said, some niche options do have nonprofit-targeted benefits. For example, the Charity Charge Nonprofit Business Card donates cash back to a nonprofit of your choice.
Your local bank or credit union may also offer credit cards with perks specific to nonprofits. For instance, Colorado’s Ent Credit Union gives nonprofits access to a business credit card with no personal guarantee. Talk to your local financial institutions about their options to see whether any meet your needs.
Consider the following factors when evaluating a business credit card for your charity or nonprofit organization.
- Your qualifications. Business credit card applicants typically need good or excellent credit to qualify for most cards. If you have bad or fair credit, your options are more limited. A secured business credit card may be a good start. Some corporate credit cards are available without a credit check and can be underwritten to your organization — eliminating the need for a personal guarantee. But you’ll likely need strong financials to qualify.
- Spending controls. Giving out employee credit cards means your staff won’t always have to cover expenses themselves, then file for reimbursement. And the person who manages your organization’s finances can typically limit how much they can spend at once or what they can use those credit cards for.
- Cash-back rewards. There are two types of cash-back business credit cards: those that pay a flat rewards rate on all your spending, and those that pay higher rates on certain types of spending, like gas. If your nonprofit’s spending is all over the place, a flat-rate card is likely the better fit. But if you consistently spend a lot on those higher-rate categories, look for a card that rewards that spending.
- Travel rewards. Earning miles or hotel points can help your business save money when it’s time to travel for conferences or speaking engagements. But travel business credit cards are more likely to charge annual fees.
- Speaking of which: annual fees. Many business credit cards — especially those with the most lucrative rewards rates — charge annual fees. If you use these cards enough, the rewards often cover the cost of the fees. But if you don’t want to incur additional expenses, avoid them.
To view rates and fees of
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.To view rates and fees of the
Amazon Business Prime American Express Card
, see this page.The information related to the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
Last updated on November 14, 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 about how we rate business credit cards.