The right business credit card could save your company thousands each year. If travel is a big part of your business, a card that offers travel rewards will help you extract added value from your business expenses. Whether you are rewarded with miles or points, you should select a card that works well with the way you do business.
Our experts have identified the best business credit cards for travel rewards. While we name five cards as the overall best for business travel, they may not be the best for your company’s needs. You’ll notice some cards are co-branded with a particular airline, while others are more general, so read on for all the details.
Overall | Miles | Points | FAQs
Best Overall Business Cards for Travel
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is not only an excellent business travel card, it’s a good choice even if you and your employees don’t travel much. It offers points on all purchases without any limit on the amount you can earn.
4.6
- 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℠
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
20.49% - 26.49% Variable
|
$95
|
Good/Excellent
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The points you earn are transferable 1:1 to most airline frequent travel programs. You increase the value of the points by 25% when you redeem them through Chase Travel℠ for travel. Your points don’t expire, and you can redeem them for cash back, gifts, and more — not just travel.
4.4
If you or your employees often fly on United or any of the Star Alliance airlines, the United℠ Business Card may be your best bet. You can use your miles for booking flights, inflight WiFi, car rentals, and hotel stays. You can book a United flight at any time, with no blackout dates or other restrictions.
4.7
- Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
25.74% (Variable)
|
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
|
Excellent, Good
|
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business offers miles on every purchase that require no minimum to redeem, and have neither blackout dates nor seat restrictions. For business people with excellent credit, this is a top-tier travel card with good rewards, free mile transfers to 15+ travel partners, and plenty of other benefits.
Your accounting department will appreciate the ability to download your purchase records in several formats, including QuickBooks. You also get custom, itemized spending reports quarterly and annually to help manage your planning, budgeting, and taxes.
4.6
The The Business Platinum Card® has a steep annual fee, but the benefits are sensational. Hotel benefits include gold status from Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, plus an annual hotel credit and room upgrade at any member properties at The Hotel Collection.
The card also provides many shopping and entertainment benefits, including Entertainment Access and American Express Preferred Seating, as well as a bevy of business-oriented security and convenience features.
Best Business Cards for Travel Miles
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is our experts’ top-ranked business card offering travel miles. You can transfer those miles to more than 15 travel partners, including Air Canada, Finnair, and Qantas. The miles are also good for hotel stays, vacation excursions, and other rewards.
4.7
Business-friendly features of the Capital One Spark Miles for Business include fraud protection and interactive alerts to inform you of fraud attempts and protect you with a $0 fraud liability policy. Employee cards are free, and Capital One provides you periodic itemized reports and downloadable purchase records.
In addition, you can speak seven days a week to an experienced Spark Business Customer Service Representative who is trained to answer all your questions regarding the card.
4.4
The United℠ Business Card offers miles rewards, a generous signup bonus, and your first bag checked free on United flights. You’ll also receive priority boarding, an annual travel credit, in-flight discounts, and other perks that make this card ultra-valuable for any business owner who frequently travels with United.
Additional Disclosure: (The information related to CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® has been collected by CardRates.com and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.)4.4
For a surprisingly low annual fee (waived the first year), the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® offers many benefits that will appeal to business owners. For as few as 12,500 miles, you can travel for free one-way in the contiguous 48 U.S. states.
You can earn a discounted domestic travel American Airlines ticket (fees apply) for a companion for as little as $30,000 in purchases each membership year. Other benefits include a 24/7 personal business assistant to help make travel and dining arrangements, online access to your monthly account summaries and billing statements, and no foreign transaction fees on international purchases.
4.6
If you and your employees frequently fly with Delta, the many benefits offered by the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business Card is likely worth the annual fee. When you take advantage of the introductory bonus offer or simply travel on Delta, you get SkyMiles and Medallion Qualification Miles. The latter determine your Medallion Status and unlock benefits such as better seating, automatic upgrades, and waived baggage fees.
This card serves business owners with the Spend Manager mobile app to notate your transactions, as well as features like additional employee cards with spend tracking, Account Manager to administer your employee cards, and account alerts that help you avoid overdue payments and detect irregular activity.
Best Business Cards for Travel Points
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers one of the largest bonus point bonanzas through its introductory three-month promotion. The points don’t expire, and you earn them on every purchase, without limit. You earn 3X points for selected travel and business expenses on the first $150,000 in annual purchases.
4.6
- 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℠
|
Intro (Purchases)
|
Intro (Transfers)
|
Regular APR
|
Annual Fee
|
Credit Needed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
N/A
|
N/A
|
20.49% - 26.49% Variable
|
$95
|
Good/Excellent
|
You receive 125% of your point value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. You can also transfer the points to most airline rewards programs. The card charges no foreign transaction fees, provides up to $600 protection per claim for cellphone loss or damage, and offers additional employee cards at no cost.
4.6
The The Business Platinum Card®Business Platinum Card from American Express offers a cornucopia of rewards, albeit for a high annual fee. Cardmembers receive Gold Status from Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors without having to meet any stay requirements. You get higher point rewards for eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, for up to 1 million added points per year.
The card provides up to a two-year extension on qualified warranties, annual purchase protection of $10,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per account, and complimentary travel accident insurance for you and your family while traveling on a common carrier.
4.5
The Business Gold Card attracts business owners who don’t want to worry about where they use their card to maximize rewards earnings. That’s because they’ll earn the highest rate on the two categories they spend most in each billing cycle, up to $150,000 spent each year.
Of course, one of the eligible categories is airlines, so if you regularly book flights for business travel, this card may be an ideal choice. But note that it doesn’t include lounge access as its sibling Platinum Card does.
4.3
Fans of Southwest Airlines will appreciate the rewards available through the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card. You can redeem the card’s non-expiring points for Reward seats at more than 100 destinations with no blackout dates. Reward travel includes free first and second checked bags and no hidden fees.
The card’s built-in benefits include lost luggage reimbursement of up to $3,000 per passenger and baggage delay insurance of up to $100 a day for three days. You also receive an additional year of warranty protection on eligible U.S. manufacturer’s warranties of three years or less. Goods purchased with the card are covered for 120 days against theft or damage up to $50,000 per account and $10,000 per claim.
How Do I Get a Business Credit Card?
Big corporations routinely use business credit cards. But it’s fairly easy for even the smallest businesses to qualify.
Perhaps you are a self-employed contractor or a part-time Uber driver. If you are doing anything for a profit (or plan to shortly), you are a small business and you can get a business credit card.
The application process is straightforward. You’ll be asked to provide the following data:
- A legal name: If you have a separate business name, for instance through a corporation, partnership or LLC, use it on the card application. Otherwise, just use your own legal name.
- Business description: The application may ask what kind of business you operate, how it is structured, information about beneficial owners (i.e., someone owning at least 25% of the business), and the industry in which you operate.
- Personal identification: You’ll describe your role in the business (using terms like president, CEO or owner) and provide either your Social Security number or Employee Identification Number. Include your business address, which can be your home address. You’ll also be asked for other personal information such as your household income, birthdate, email address and so forth.
- Business factoids: You’ll be asked how long you’ve been in business (if you are a startup, enter zero) and the number of people you employ. If you are self-employed, enter “1.” Other important data points will include your annual business revenue (if you are just starting, it’s OK to enter zero) and how much you spend each month on business expenses.
To expedite the application, you’ll have to sign a personal guarantee to repay any credit card debt. It helps to demonstrate a business relationship with a bank. Your personal credit history will have a major impact on the issuer’s decision, but some cards are pickier than others.
What’s the Easiest Business Credit Card to Get?
The key to getting a business credit card is to convince the issuer of your creditworthiness. You should be able to do so easily if you can demonstrate your revenues exceed expenses over a period of at least two years.
If you don’t fall into this group, the card issuer will look to your personal credit history. Your application for a business card will likely be accepted if you have an average or better score and a clean credit report.
Suppose your business hasn’t started earning profits, and/or your personal credit score is lacking. In that case, you’ll have a hard time being approved for many of the business travel cards we’ve discussed. However, you do have a couple of options, one of which is to apply for a secured business credit card.
You put cash into a special account that acts as collateral if you should miss a credit card payment. If you use the card sensibly, you may be able to graduate to an unsecured card within a year.
Which Business Credit Card Gives the Highest Limit?
The winner for highest credit limit among the cards in our group goes to the The Business Platinum Card®. It has no credit limit – it is a charge card and does not extend credit.
Charge cards generally require you to pay the full balance each month, though American Express does offer a Pay Over Time feature. Failure to do so will result in heavy late fees, and if you make late payments often, your account could be suspended.
This doesn’t mean you can spend endlessly with a charge card. A particularly large balance will doubtlessly raise red flags. However, charge cards generally have no preset spending limits. If you demonstrate that you can pay off a large balance each month, the issuer will let you continue to charge substantial amounts on its card.
Many business owners will find the The Business Platinum Card® perfect for their needs if their businesses generate enough cash flow to pay the card balance each month and consider the card’s generous perks well worth the high annual fee.
The card acts as a short-term loan (up to one month) with no interest charges. Furthermore, American Express does much of the recordkeeping, including a year-end summary, making it easier to manage your expenses and prepare your taxes.
Which Credit Cards Get You into Airport Lounges?
Seasoned travelers love airport lounges, but not necessarily the entry fee of $50 or more per person. Lounges allow weary business owners and employees to freshen up between connecting flights and offer many business-friendly features, including internet access, workstations, meeting rooms, fax and photocopy machines, personalized message services, and telephone access.
If you consider airport lounges important to your business, you may prefer a business travel card that offers complimentary or discounted lounge access and/or lets you pay for access with travel rewards.
From our recommended business travel cards, we find the following best for lounge access:
- The Business Platinum Card®: Considered the leader among cards offering lounge access, it provides entree to the American Global Lounge Collection of 1,400+ lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge, Delta SkyClub, and Priority Pass Select networks. Up to three authorized users can receive lounge access for a fee of $175 per year.
- United℠ Business Card: You receive two complimentary one-time United Club passes each year, a value worth more than $100.
Even if you don’t carry one of the cards that offer free access to airport lounges, remember that almost all travel cards will let you cash in points or miles for lounge admittance. Check the fine print of the cards you’re considering for details on the number of miles/points required.
Earn Travel Rewards for Your Small Business Expenses
Every business owner knows that it makes sense to get the most value from every dollar you spend. The best business travel cards do that in spades, and the variety of desirable cards lets you select one that best fits your business goals and your budget.
The business travel cards selected by our experts come with annual fees from $0 to almost $700. Most offer generous sign-up bonuses and let you rack up extra rewards for travel-related expenses. Not surprisingly, the cards with the highest fees offer the most generous rewards. But, if you don’t need some of the perks, such as hotel discounts or airport lounge access, you can choose a card with a low or no annual fee and still receive high value.
Pay attention to the card basics, such as the APR, fees, bonus rewards, and the business-friendly benefits that should figure heavily into the mix of features that work best for your company.
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