Fortune Recommends the best business credit cards

To determine the best business cards, we analyzed more than 40 cards and evaluated them based on factors like the annual fee, the rewards rate, the annual percentage rate (APR), the perks, and the insurance and protections. See our full methodology here.

Best credit card for starting a business: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Why we like this card: If you’re just starting a business, the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card makes it easy for cardholders to both earn redeem rewards. You don’t have to figure out redemption values or find the most lucrative transfer partner because your rewards are automatically credited to your account as a statement credit. Add in a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening (after that, the variable APR will be 18.49%–26.49% variable) offer and the card is a terrific fit for a small business.

Of the business credit cards we ranked, the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card had the highest flat cash-back rate: Cardholders earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year (then 1%). This means you can earn $1,000 cash back annually by spending up to the $50,000 cap. Plus, the card has a $0 annual fee, so you won’t have to pay to get these stellar cash back rates.

You can even earn a welcome bonus with the Blue Business Cash. Though there are flat cash-back cards that offered larger welcome offers, you can still earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your card in your first 3 months.

Best Cash-Back Card: Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Why we like this card: The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card knocks it out of the park when it comes to the welcome bonus. Of the cash back business cards we analyzed, Ink Business Cash had one of the highest cash back rewards to spending requirement ratios. In other words, you can score a generous bonus without spending a lot. Cardholders 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. 

While the card offers minimal perks and charges a foreign transaction fee, it’s still a sound $0 annual fee card with lucrative rewards and a lavish welcome bonus.

Plus, since Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card cardholders earn Chase points, there are multiple redemption options, from using points to book flights through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal or to get a statement credit.

Best Travel Business Credit Card: Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Why we like this card: For only $95 a year, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers a plethora of travel-related benefits on top of a hefty welcome bonus and a solid rewards rate. 

When you sign up for the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can earn 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first three months of card opening. If you redeem rewards for cash back, you’ll get $1,000, but if you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠, your points are worth a whopping $1,250 because points are worth 25% more when booked through Chase Travel.

Of course, you’ll also be able to earn extra rewards on your essential business spending as cardholders earn 3x points per $1 (up to $150,000 combined) spent on shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone, and advertising with social media sites and search engines. This could be helpful for cardholders who frequently spend money in those categories. Plus, you get 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

And rest assured if a trip is canceled because of bad weather or there’s damage to your rental car, you could be eligible for reimbursement. You’ll receive an auto rental collision damage waiver, trip cancellation or interruption insurance, cell phone protection, and more.

Best premium travel business card: Capital One Venture X Business

Why we like this card: The Capital One Venture X Business is packed with perks at a fee that comes in hundreds below its competitors. But keep in mind that, unlike the personal Venture X card, the Venture X Business is a charge card meant to be paid off monthly.

The Venture X Business’ Card benefits include an up to $300 credit toward Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles each anniversary which offset the annual fee nicely. The card also comes with airport lounge access including Priority Pass, Plaza Premium and Capital One Lounges.

Capital One Miles are valuable due to their flexibility. Transfer partners include Air Canada Aeroplan (which you can use to fly United Airlines), British Airways Avios (American Airlines) and Air France/KLM (Delta Airlines). Add in a strong flat-rate unlimited earnings structure and the card is a winner.

Best business airline card: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

Why we like this card: Though Delta recently made changes to its SkyMiles program that make it more difficult for customers to earn Medallion Status—or elite status with Delta—loyal Delta fliers can still benefit from the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, which is well worth the $350 annual fee for some.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

See Rates and Fees

Intro Bonus

Earn 65,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership

Annual fee	$350
Regular APR	20.99%–29.99% variable

Rewards

Reward Rates

• • 3x Earn 3 miles per $1 spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and hotels
  • 1.5xEarn 1.5 miles per $1 on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 50,000 additional miles per calendar year).
  • 1xEarn 1 mile for each dollar of eligible purchases.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Benefits for Delta flyers, like first checked bag free, MQD Boost and MQD earned through spending
• Companion certificate good for a round trip domestic, Caribbean or Central American Main Cabin flight each year upon renewal of your card
• Credits for Resy dining, selected rideshare and Delta Stays

Cons

• High annual fee
• Credits are doled out in increments and are hard to redeem
• Base earnings rate is low compared to other cards

Card details

• 15% discount on Delta award flights
• Travel protections including accident insurance, rental car coverage, trip cancellation and delay insurance
• Consumer protections including cell phone insurance, extended warranty, purchase and return protection

Learn more

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, see this page.

Cardholders get their first checked bag free on Delta flights, a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, an annual companion certificate, and trip delay and baggage insurance. With the annual companion certificate, you can receive a domestic Main Cabin round-trip ticket, so you’re essentially receiving a free airline ticket every year. 

On top of these generous perks, cardholders earn 3 miles per $1 spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and hotels and 1.5 miles per $1 on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 50,000 additional miles per calendar year). 

This card may not offer lounge access, but you will get a status boost which makes it easier to attain Medallion Status. With Medallion status, you may be eligible to receive unlimited complimentary upgrades, travel vouchers, and more.

Cardholders can earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM) when they spend $25,000 on eligible purchases through 12/31/2023. While this benefit will no longer be effective starting 1/1/2024, beginning in February 2024, cardholders will still get a headstart of $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars toward Medallion status. 

Though this boost is helpful, cardholders only earn $1 MQD when they spend $20. To achieve the lowest elite status Silver Medallion, which requires $5,000 MQDs, you would need to spend an additional $50,000 on your card, a steep amount for some. 

Best hotel business card: IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

Why we like this card: With an affordable $99 annual fee, IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card cardholders get a host of useful perks they can use to subsidize their stays at IHG hotels.

Cardholders automatically receive Platinum Elite status, so cardholders can earn bonus points on their stay and check-in early, among other benefits. IHG Hotels has locations across the country, so whether you’re staying at a Holiday Inn or Kimpton Hotel, you can earn extra rewards on your stay: Cardholders can earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels and Resorts.

Of course, you’ll get more than just a high rewards rate with this card, they also get free hotel stays. Every account anniversary, cardholders receive a free night worth up to 40,000 points (if the stay is worth more than 40,000 points, you can use your points to cover the cost). Plus, if you book a four-night IHG hotel stay, you can get the fourth night free.

And the benefits of the card aren’t just IHG-specific. Cardholders can score travel-related protections and perks: You get a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Nexus, trip cancellation, and interruption insurance.

Our methodology

The Fortune Recommends^TM team analyzed more than 40 business credit cards across various issuers to come up with the top picks.

Here are some of the key elements we ranked each card by:

• Annual fee: Some card issuers require cardholders to pay an annual fee for cards with rewards and extra features or benefits. For most of our rankings, we rated cards with lower or zero-dollar annual fees higher.  
• Annual percentage rate (APR) on purchases: The APR for a credit card is the yearly cost of borrowing money from your card issuer. The APR is typically represented as a range with creditworthy customers charged a rate closer to the minimum APR. We scored cards with lower minimum and maximum APRs more favorably. 
• Rewards: Cards may provide rewards in the form of cash-back, points, or miles. For some rankings, we ranked cards with better rewards rates higher.
• Insurance and protections: When you use your card to make purchases, you may be eligible for different types of protections on those purchases. Some cards offer insurance on travel-related expenses, like trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, and more. Some cards also provide non-travel-related reimbursements like cell phone protection. For some rankings, we rated cards higher based on the number of protections they offered.
• Welcome bonus: When you sign up for a new credit card, you may be eligible for a one-time welcome bonus in the form of cash-back, points, or miles. You’ll need to spend a certain amount within a few months of card opening to earn the bonus. We ranked cards with higher bonuses and lower spending requirements higher on our list. 
• Perks: Business credit cards may offer a variety of perks—like statement credits for TSA PreCheck, airport lounge access, and more. We rated cards with more perks higher for some of our rankings. 
• Foreign transaction fees: Some cards charge a flat rate on purchases when you use your card abroad. We rated cards with no foreign transaction fees higher.  
• 0% introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers: With a 0% intro APR credit card on purchases, you can revolve your balance without interest accruing for a period of time—usually a few months. Some cards also provide a 0% intro APR period on balance transfers, so you won’t have to pay interest on your balance if you transfer debt from another card. Depending on the card category, we rated cards based on whether they had a 0% intro APR period on purchases or balance transfers and the length of the APR period.

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.