Business credit cards can offer some important benefits for a new or growing business. Not only do you have the convenience of being able to charge expenses, but you could also earn rewards while building your business credit score.
When applying for a business credit card, both your personal and business credit score, credit age, revenue and personal income can come under scrutiny. Getting approved for some cards may be easier than others, though of course it’ll be more difficult if you have a lower credit score or haven’t been in business that long.
If you’re interested in using a credit card to fund your entrepreneurial efforts, it pays to know which business credit cards have the fewest hurdles to approval.
Easiest business credit cards to get
The easiest business credit card to get is ultimately the one that you’re able to qualify for, based on your credit scores, income and any other factors the card issuer considers. With that in mind, here are some of the top picks to consider when applying for business credit cards.
American Express Blue Business Cash Card: Best for simplicity
Why we picked it: The The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is designed for small-business owners who want to earn cash back on purchases without paying an annual fee. This card offers 2 percent cash back on eligible purchases of up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1 percent cash back.
Getting approved for the Amex Blue Business Cash Card could be easy if you have good to excellent credit. You don’t necessarily need to be a big spender, though the more you charge, the more cash back you could earn. And Amex claims you can apply and get a decision in as little as 30 seconds.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Zero percent introductory APR on new purchases for 12 months (17.99 percent to 25.99 percent variable thereafter)
- $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in three months
- Buy above your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power
Cons
- 2 percent cash back capped at $50,000 in purchases per year
- Best geared towards small businesses
Who should apply: Small businesses that spend not much more than $50,000 a year will enjoy the flat 2 percent cash back on this card. Plus, if you’re still in the early days of your business and busy setting up your business, you may appreciate the card’s simplicity.
Who should skip: Business owners who know their business spends over the spending cap year after year may not enjoy this card very much.
Capital One Spark 1% Classic: Best for fair credit
Why we picked it: The Capital One Spark 1% Classic* is designed with business owners who are trying to build or rebuild credit. This card offers unlimited 1 percent cash back on every purchase and 5 percent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, with no rotating bonus categories to worry about.
There’s no annual fee or foreign transaction fees. The card also comes with some handy perks like free employee cards, auto rental insurance and year-end summaries.
Pros
- No balance transfer fee
- Build credit while earning cash back
- Meant for business owners with fair credit
- Get approval decision in seconds
Cons
- 26.99 percent variable APR
Who should apply: Even if your personal credit score isn’t the best, you may qualify for the Capital One Spark 1% Classic since it’s meant for those with fair credit. If you’re looking for a no-annual-fee business card that gives some rewards while you focus on rebuilding your credit, whether its your personal or business score, this card is a good choice.
Who should skip: Business cardholders with scores above 670 (a good credit score or higher) can easily get approved for cards offering better rewards.
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card: Best for no credit check
Why we picked it: The Capital on Tap Business Credit Card is a great fit for small-business owners who want to keep things simple. You’ll earn unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases without paying an annual fee or tracking spending, and you can get a credit limit as high as $50,000 depending on your creditworthiness. The card may even make sense for carrying a balance short term if you qualify for the low end of its variable APR range (9.99 percent).Capita
While you’ll need good to excellent credit to be approved for the Capital on Tap Business card, it’s one of the only business rewards cards you can get with just a soft pull of your credit report. While many cards offer soft pull preapproval, they almost always require a hard pull when you actually submit an application, which temporarily lowers your credit score. With the Capital on Tap Business card, you can go through the entire application process without a hard pull, making it an ideal choice if you’re trying to keep your score stable. Even if your application is denied, your score won’t be hurt.
Pros
- No annual or foreign transaction fees
- High credit limit potential — up to $50,000 based on your credit history
- Sign-up bonus offer of $200 after you spend $15,000 in your first three months
- Application only requires a soft pull of your credit
Cons
- High-end APR is extremely high (34.99 percent variable), rivaling the rate you’ll find on some cards designed for people with bad credit
- Its 1.5 percent flat cash back rate just average for a no-annual-fee rewards card
- Does not include a 0 percent introductory APR offer, so it won’t make sense for financing new purchases unless you qualify for the low-end APR
Who should apply: Small-business owners who value simplicity and would rather avoid an annual fee or the temporary credit score ding that typically comes with applying for a new card.
Who should skip: Small-business owners looking for a card with a 0 percent intro APR offer they can use to finance large purchases or free up cash flow.
Brex 30 Card: Best for startups
Why we picked it: First and foremost, the Brex 30 Card is designed for corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs) and limited liability partnerships (LLC). Rather than basing your approval on your personal credit score, Brex judges your application and possible credit limit on your company’s cash flow, spending habits and credit history. The Brex Card also doesn’t require a personal guarantee. Applying for the card won’t affect your personal credit score, whether you’re approved or not.
There are two card options you can choose from: Brex card paid daily or Brex card paid monthly. Both versions offer rewards, though you’ll get a slightly better rewards ratio with the daily one. The monthly pay card, on the other hand, can offer credit limits that are 10 to 20 times higher than traditional corporate cards.
Pros
- 7X points on rideshare, 4X points on Brex travel, 3X points on restaurants, 2X points on software (monthly pay card)
- Unlimited employee cards with custom limits
- No annual fee
- Track and manage spending with Brex app
Cons
- Not worth it for small businesses
- Card fluctuates based on cash flow for daily pay card
Who should apply: The Brex 30 Card, with its rewards and business tools, is good for startup business owners. If you’re spending a lot on rideshare services, travel, dining and software and would like to streamline your expense management, you should apply.
Who should skip: Small-business owners or businesses that don’t have great cash flow should avoid this card.
How can you speed up approval for a business card?
The best way to speed up approval for a business credit card is to work on improving your credit score. The better your credit history, the easier it may be to get approved for business and personal credit cards alike. A longer time in business or higher annual revenues can also work in your favor for faster credit approval.
Raising your credit score can take time, however, so you may need to consider other methods for speeding up business credit card approval. With a secured credit card, offering a larger deposit could help your application to be processed and approved faster. With unsecured business credit cards, pre-qualification may help.
If you’ve received an offer in the mail, for instance, that could be an indicator that a credit card company considers you to be a good candidate for a business credit card. You’d need to complete the full application to find out whether you’re approved, but a prequalification or preapproval could be a positive sign.
You could also ask for reconsideration if you’re denied a business credit card. Reconsideration simply means asking the credit card company to take a second look at your application. If you can make a strong enough argument as to why your application should be approved, the credit card company may be willing to grant you a business credit card.
Bottom line
Building positive business credit history can make it easier to get approved for credit cards, loans and lines of credit. Applying for an easy approval business credit card is a good place to start if you’re trying to establish or rebuild business credit. Using your card responsibly — in terms of paying on time and maintaining a low balance — can help you to improve your business credit scores over time.
*All information about the Capital One Spark 1% Classic card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
Editorial Disclaimer
The editorial content on this page is based solely on the objective assessment of our writers and is not driven by advertising dollars. It has not been provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners.
Rebecca Lake is a freelance writer and blogger specializing in personal finance. Her areas of expertise include credit cards, debt management and personal money management. She began writing for CreditCards.com in 2018, where she authors articles on topics ranging from credit score management to travel rewards to small business credit. She's been quoted in Fatherly, Consolidated Credit, Grow from Acorns and the Haven Life blog, among others.
