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.
Sole proprietors and freelancers can use a business credit card to earn rewards, bridge cash flow gaps and finance larger purchases. Could a personal credit card check those boxes? Sure. But business credit cards often offer bigger signup bonuses and reward categories more relevant to business owners, including shipping, advertising and office supplies. Plus, they can help you establish and build your business credit history — a must if you'll need a business loan down the line.
Best business cards for sole proprietors
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card: Best for secured card to build business credit.
- Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card: Best for secured card to build your personal credit.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Best for cash back on office spending.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best for travel rewards + sign-up offer.
- Ink Business Premier® Credit Card: Best for up to 2.5% cash back and no preset spending limit.
- U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®: Best for travel rewards.
- U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®: Best for intro APR period + cash back of gas.
- Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card: Best for flat-rate cash back (2%).
While all of our picks for high-limit business gas cards are chosen by our editorial team without outside input, the cards highlighted below are those available from our partners. You can see a full list of our editorial picks below, including options not currently available through NerdWallet.
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined experience covering small-business and personal finance.
Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
» Resources for sole proprietors: Bank accounts for sole proprietors | Do sole proprietors need EINs? | Insurance for sole proprietors
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.
Sole proprietors and freelancers can use a business credit card to earn rewards, bridge cash flow gaps and finance larger purchases. Could a personal credit card check those boxes? Sure. But business credit cards often offer bigger signup bonuses and reward categories more relevant to business owners, including shipping, advertising and office supplies. Plus, they can help you establish and build your business credit history — a must if you'll need a business loan down the line.
Best business cards for sole proprietors
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card: Best for secured card to build business credit.
- Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card: Best for secured card to build your personal credit.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Best for cash back on office spending.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best for travel rewards + sign-up offer.
- Ink Business Premier® Credit Card: Best for up to 2.5% cash back and no preset spending limit.
- U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®: Best for travel rewards.
- U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®: Best for intro APR period + cash back of gas.
- Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card: Best for flat-rate cash back (2%).
While all of our picks for high-limit business gas cards are chosen by our editorial team without outside input, the cards highlighted below are those available from our partners. You can see a full list of our editorial picks below, including options not currently available through NerdWallet.
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined experience covering small-business and personal finance.
Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
» Resources for sole proprietors: Bank accounts for sole proprietors | Do sole proprietors need EINs? | Insurance for sole proprietors
Here are the best sole proprietorship business credit card
| Best for | NerdWallet rating▼ | Annual fee▼ | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign-up bonus Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.7/5 | $95 | 1x-3x Points | 90,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
Cash back on office spending Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.8/5 | $0 | 1%-5% Cashback | $350 | Apply now on Chase's website |
Intro APR + cash back on gas U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees | 5.0/5 | $0 | 1%-3% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Travel rewards U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees | 5.0/5 | $0 intro for the first year, then $95 | 1x-5x Points | 60,000 Points | Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Secured card to build your personal credit Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's website Rates & Fees | 4.8/5 | $0 | N/A | N/A | Apply now on Capital One's website Rates & Fees |
| Best for | NerdWallet rating▼ | Annual fee▼ | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign-up bonus Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.7/5 | $95 | 1x-3x Points | 90,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
Cash back on office spending Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.8/5 | $0 | 1%-5% Cashback | $350 | Apply now on Chase's website |
Intro APR + cash back on gas U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees | 5.0/5 | $0 | 1%-3% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Travel rewards U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees | 5.0/5 | $0 intro for the first year, then $95 | 1x-5x Points | 60,000 Points | Apply now on U.S. Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Secured card to build your personal credit Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's website Rates & Fees | 4.8/5 | $0 | N/A | N/A | Apply now on Capital One's website Rates & Fees |
I'M INTERESTED IN:
Our pick for
Sign-up bonus
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
- Bonus categories
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Has annual fee
- No intro APR offer
Annual fee
$95
Rewards rate
1x-3x Points
Intro offer
90,000 Points
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Bonus categories
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Has annual fee
- No intro APR offer
- 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 on office spending
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Read Review
Apply now
on Chase's website
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$350
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
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-5% Cashback
Intro offer
$350
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
- 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
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
Our pick for
Intro APR + cash back on gas
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-3% Cashback
Intro offer
$750
Pros
- Bonus cash back categories
- No annual fee
- Intro APR period on purchases
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Low rate outside bonus categories
- 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
Travel rewards
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Rewards rate
1x-5x Points
Intro offer
60,000 Points
Pros
- Bonus categories
- Welcome offer
- Annual fee waived for the first year
Cons
- Requires good/excellent credit
- No intro APR offer
- Introducing the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect™ World Elite Mastercard®, the business travel card that's 5X more rewarding.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points, worth $600 if you spend $6,000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days from account opening.
- 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.
- Earn a $25 statement credit for every three consecutive monthly taxi or rideshare trips.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 per year thereafter.
- Points transfer between business and consumer U.S. Bank Altitude products (excluding Reserve).
- Airport lounge access - Priority Pass™ Digital annual membership with access to more than 1,300 VIP lounges worldwide, plus four complimentary visits per membership year.
- Terms and conditions apply.
View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Secured card to build your personal credit
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
N/A
Intro offer
N/A
Pros
- No annual fee
- Qualify with limited/bad credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- Report to three major credit bureaus
Cons
- Requires minimum deposit
- No rewards
- High APR
- No annual or hidden fees. See if you're approved in seconds
- Building your credit? Using the Capital One Platinum Secured card responsibly could help
- Put down a refundable security deposit starting at $49 to get a $200 initial credit line
- You could earn back your security deposit as a statement credit when you use your card responsibly, like making payments on time
- Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months with no additional deposit needed
- Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won't be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It's free for everyone
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking to access your account from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One's mobile app
View Rates & Fees
NerdWallet's editorial picks: Best business credit cards from sole proprietors
Select the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.
Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card
Our pick for: Flat-rate cash back
NerdWallet star rating: 5
If you're looking for a cash-back business card, the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card checks virtually every box. High rewards rate? Check. No annual fee? Check. Intro APR period? Check. Welcome offer? Check. In fact, it's hard to find something not to like about the Signify Business Cash, which is the only business credit card on our list to offer unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases with no annual fee.
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
Our pick for: Intro APR + 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.Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Our pick for: Cash back on office spending
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.U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®
Our pick for: Travel rewards
NerdWallet star rating:
5
The
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®
delivers impressive rewards on travel, no matter where you book it. You'll earn 4x points on your first $150,000 in combined annual travel spend each year — plus, 5x points on hotels and rental cars booked directly with U.S. Bank's Rewards Portal. There's also a solid welcome offer and no annual fee for the first year ($95
after that). Learn more and apply.Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Our pick for: Sign-up bonus
NerdWallet star rating:
4.7
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.Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
Our pick for: Secured card to build your personal credit
NerdWallet star rating:
4.8
The
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
requires a security deposit, as do all secured credit cards. But while most cards require you to put down a deposit equal to your credit line, this one allows some qualifying applicants to get a $200 credit line with a deposit starting at $49. Further, you can be automatically considered for a higher credit line with no additional deposit in as little as six months (see rates and fees). Read our review.Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card
Our pick for: Secured card to build business credit
This card has not been rated by NerdWallet.
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no cap or expiration date on the rewards you earn. The card has a minimum security deposit of $1,000, which is equal to your credit limit and subject to credit approval. Bank of America® will periodically review your secured card and may upgrade you to an unsecured card if and when you qualify. This card has no annual fee.
How to apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor
Here’s what you’ll need to apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor:
- Business name: Use your own name if you don’t have a formal business name.
- Business contact information: Use your personal address and phone number if you don’t have a dedicated office or business phone.
- Federal Taxpayer Identification Number: Use your Employer Identification Number. Don’t have one? Your Social Security number will also work.
- Industry type: Note what field you work in, whether it’s retail, professional services or deliveries.
- Annual revenue: Your total business income for the previous year before taxes and expenses. New businesses with no prior revenue can put $0.
Do sole proprietors need business credit cards?
Not necessarily. There’s no rule against using a personal credit card for business purposes. However, if you do so, keep one card dedicated for your sole prop’s use and a separate one for personal spending. Mixing the two can cause accounting and tax headaches.
There are additional drawbacks to be aware of if you go that route as well:
- A personal credit card will not build your business credit history. Business and personal credit are two separate things. A sole proprietor can have excellent personal credit but no business credit history. Opening a business credit card is one way to establish and build your business credit history — which may make it easier to get a business loan or line of credit in the future — as a sole proprietor.
- But a personal card will definitely affect your personal credit. When you use a personal credit card, issuers report lots of information to the three personal credit bureaus. If you put a bunch of business expenses on this card, that could affect your personal debt-to-income and credit utilization ratios — which in turn could affect your credit score. With business credit cards, on the other hand, credit card companies typically only report late payments to consumer credit bureaus.
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 12, 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 how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, sole proprietors can open business credit cards. Approval depends largely on your personal credit history rather than factors like your time in business or annual revenue. You need a personal FICO score of at least 690 to qualify for most business credit cards.
Sole proprietors can get lines of credit in the form of business credit cards. They can also apply for business lines of credit, which may offer higher credit limits and longer payback periods than business credit cards. However, business lines of credit also have more stringent qualification requirements — they’ll consider your time in business and annual revenue alongside your personal credit score, whereas business credit cards may only consider your credit score.
Yes, you can apply for a business credit card without any business income. You’ll just need to provide your business name (sole proprietors can use their own names), federal tax ID (sole proprietors can use their Social Security numbers) and a description of your business.
If you use your business credit card only for your business expenses, then the annual fee will generally be tax-deductible — along with late fees, balance transfer fees, and potentially interest and credit card processing fees. Learn more about which business credit card fees are tax-deductible.
