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.
Like other business owners, sole proprietors can use a business credit card to earn rewards on daily business spending and finance larger purchases.
While a personal credit card can check those boxes, business credit cards offer rewards more relevant to business owners, including bonus cash back on purchases like shipping, advertising and office supplies. Plus, they can help you establish and build your business credit history — a must if you need a business loan down the line.
Look at your spending needs and habits to choose the right card for your sole proprietorship. Planning to make a big purchase? Choose a card with a long 0% introductory APR offer. Always on the road? Consider an option that earns extra cash back at gas or EV charging stations. No time to worry about bonus categories? A flat-rate rewards card may be a good fit.
» Resources for sole proprietors: Bank accounts for sole proprietors | Do sole proprietors need EINs? | Insurance for sole proprietors
Yes, sole proprietors can open business credit cards. Approval for most small-business credit cards largely depends on your personal credit history, not factors like your time in business or annual revenue.
You typically need a personal FICO score of at least 690, though there are some fair-credit business credit cards (630-689) that have fewer bells and whistles. Business owners with bad credit (a FICO score between 300-629) can use a secured credit card to build credit history. These cards require a deposit, typically equal to your requested credit limit.
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.
Some of our selections for the best business credit cards for sole proprietors 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.
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.
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.
Like other business owners, sole proprietors can use a business credit card to earn rewards on daily business spending and finance larger purchases.
While a personal credit card can check those boxes, business credit cards offer rewards more relevant to business owners, including bonus cash back on purchases like shipping, advertising and office supplies. Plus, they can help you establish and build your business credit history — a must if you need a business loan down the line.
Look at your spending needs and habits to choose the right card for your sole proprietorship. Planning to make a big purchase? Choose a card with a long 0% introductory APR offer. Always on the road? Consider an option that earns extra cash back at gas or EV charging stations. No time to worry about bonus categories? A flat-rate rewards card may be a good fit.
» Resources for sole proprietors: Bank accounts for sole proprietors | Do sole proprietors need EINs? | Insurance for sole proprietors
Yes, sole proprietors can open business credit cards. Approval for most small-business credit cards largely depends on your personal credit history, not factors like your time in business or annual revenue.
You typically need a personal FICO score of at least 690, though there are some fair-credit business credit cards (630-689) that have fewer bells and whistles. Business owners with bad credit (a FICO score between 300-629) can use a secured credit card to build credit history. These cards require a deposit, typically equal to your requested credit limit.
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.
Some of our selections for the best business credit cards for sole proprietors 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.
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.
Here are the best sole proprietorship business credit card from our partners
| Credit card▼ | NerdWallet rating▼ | Annual fee▼ | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.9/5 Best for Sign-up bonus | $95 | 1x-3x Points | 100,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.8/5 Best for Cash back on office spending | $0 | 1%-5% Cashback | $350 | Apply now on Chase's website |
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees | 4.6/5 Best for Intro APR + cash back rewards + Intro APR + cash back on gas | $0 | 1%-3% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees |
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees | 4.8/5 Best for Premium travel perks and rewards | $695 | 1x-5x Points | 150,000 Points | Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees |
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees | 5.0/5 Best for Travel rewards | $0 intro for the first year, then $95 | 1x-5x Points | 60,000 Points | Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's website Rates & Fees | 4.8/5 Best for Secured card to build your personal credit | $0 | N/A | N/A | Apply now on Capital One's website Rates & Fees |
| Credit card▼ | NerdWallet rating▼ | Annual fee▼ | Rewards rate | Intro offer | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.9/5 Best for Sign-up bonus | $95 | 1x-3x Points | 100,000 Points | Apply now on Chase's website |
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Apply now on Chase's website | 4.8/5 Best for Cash back on office spending | $0 | 1%-5% Cashback | $350 | Apply now on Chase's website |
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees | 4.6/5 Best for Intro APR + cash back rewards + Intro APR + cash back on gas | $0 | 1%-3% Cashback | $750 | Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees |
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees | 4.8/5 Best for Premium travel perks and rewards | $695 | 1x-5x Points | 150,000 Points | Apply now on American Express' website Rates & Fees |
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees | 5.0/5 Best for Travel rewards | $0 intro for the first year, then $95 | 1x-5x Points | 60,000 Points | Apply now on US Bank's website Rates & Fees |
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's website Rates & Fees | 4.8/5 Best for Secured card to build your personal credit | $0 | N/A | N/A | Apply now on Capital One's website Rates & Fees |
Discover business products tailored to your needs
Monitor your business credit score, manage your cash flow, and get curated recommendations to drive your business’s growth.
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
100,000 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
100,000 Points
Pros
- New cardholder bonus offer
- Bonus categories
- Transfer partners
Cons
- Has annual fee
- No intro APR offer
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 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
- 10% Business Relationship Bonus If you have the Ink Business Cash card plus a Chase Business Checking account on your first card anniversary
- 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 rewards
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
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
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, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants.
- 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.
- Rewards never expire.
- Earn an annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription expenses such as FreshBooks or quickbooks.
- Great Offer from U.S. Bank, a 2022 World's Most Ethical Company® - Ethisphere Institute, February 2022.
- Terms and conditions apply.
View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Intro APR + cash back on gas
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
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
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, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants.
- 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.
- Rewards never expire.
- Earn an annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription expenses such as FreshBooks or quickbooks.
- Great Offer from U.S. Bank, a 2022 World's Most Ethical Company® - Ethisphere Institute, February 2022.
- Terms and conditions apply.
View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Premium travel perks and rewards
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual fee
$695
Rewards rate
1x-5x Points
Intro offer
150,000 Points
Pros
- Lounge membership
- Transfer partners
- Bonus categories
- Automatic elite status
- Premium travel protections
Cons
- High annual fee
- Complicated rewards
- Requires good/excellent credit
Annual fee
$695
Rewards rate
1x-5x Points
Intro offer
150,000 Points
Pros
- Lounge membership
- Transfer partners
- Bonus categories
- Automatic elite status
- Premium travel protections
Cons
- High annual fee
- Complicated rewards
- Requires good/excellent credit
- Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card®, here.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card®.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Travel rewards
U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard®
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
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.
- Earn 2X points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery and cell service providers.
- Earn 1X points on all other eligible spend.
- Rewards never expire.
- 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.
- Great Offer from U.S. Bank, a 2022 World's Most Ethical Company® - Ethisphere Institute, February 2022.
- Terms and conditions apply.
View Rates & Fees
Our pick for
Secured card to build your personal credit
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card
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
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
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:
4.6
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, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants. Earn 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases
. Plus, the card offers a competitive welcome bonus and 0% intro APR for 12 billing cycles on purchases, and then the ongoing APR of 19.24%-28.24% 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 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.The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Our pick for: Premium travel perks and rewards
NerdWallet rating:
4.8
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
comes with a big annual fee. But business travelers who prefer to go in style will find plenty that appeals to them: high rewards on certain travel purchases, bonus rewards on larger nontravel purchases, a superb newcomer welcome offer, extensive airport lounge access, elite hotel status, hundreds of dollars a year in available credits and a list of perks as long as your arm. It's not cheap, but luxury never is. Terms apply. Learn more and apply.Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Our pick for: Sign-up bonus
NerdWallet star rating:
4.9
The
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
starts you off with one of the biggest sign-up bonuses of any credit card anywhere: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
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.
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.
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 July 1, 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
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.
In most cases, you do not need a DBA, or doing business as, certificate to open a business credit card. Sole proprietors often don’t have a formal business name. In that case, simply use your name when applying for a business credit card.
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.
