Business Credit Cards
Separate business expenses from personal finances and earn rewards on business spending.
Business cards: keep company spend separate and earn on it.
Who these cards fit
Sole proprietors, freelancers, and small business owners.
Overview
Business credit cards are issued to a legal business entity or sole proprietor and are designed to separate business spending from personal finances. Most business cards still require a personal guarantee — meaning the applicant is personally liable for the balance — and the application generally requires a Social Security Number in addition to (or instead of) an EIN. Reward structures often emphasize categories relevant to running a business: advertising, shipping, office supplies, telecom, and travel. Many business cards do not report to consumer credit bureaus in the normal course, which can help keep high business utilization from suppressing the owner's personal credit score, but late payments and defaults are frequently reported.
How to choose
- Match rewards categories to your actual business spending (ads, shipping, travel, software).
- Confirm whether the card reports to consumer bureaus, business bureaus, or both.
- Check employee card availability and whether employee spend counts toward rewards.
- Compare the annual fee against the concrete value of built-in credits and protections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an LLC or EIN to get a business credit card?
No. Sole proprietors can apply using their legal name as the business name and their SSN as the tax ID. An EIN is helpful but not required by most major issuers for a sole-proprietor application.
Does a business credit card affect my personal credit score?
Most major issuers do not report business card activity to consumer bureaus unless the account becomes seriously delinquent. The application itself typically triggers a hard inquiry on your personal credit, and you are usually personally liable for the balance under the personal guarantee.