5 Best Credit Cards for Business Travel in the UK - plus one debit card alternative

Paola Faben Oliveira

Published: 17.01.23

5 minute read

If you or your team need to travel for work, you may be looking for the best credit card for business travel available here in the UK.

Depending on which option you pick, you could snag a business travel credit card with better exchange rates compared to regular cards - or one which earns great rewards on overseas spending.

However, fees and interest rates do generally apply, so you’ll need to weigh up your options carefully before you dive in. Here’s a look at the best business travel credit cards from UK banks.

📝 Table of contents:
What is a business travel credit card? How to choose a business credit card for travel Alternative to business credit cards: Wise business debit cards Best business credit cards for travel in the UK Manage expenses with Wise Business

What is a business travel credit card?

Business travel credit cards usually offer better travel related perks and benefits - or lower fees - compared to regular business cards.

You may find a card which doesn’t charge a non-sterling transaction fee, which can bring down the costs of international spending. Or maybe you’re looking for a card which has options to earn rewards and cashback when you travel and spend on business expenses? Other business travel credit cards offer insurance or similar travel perks to make it a little bit easier to organise that work trip.

Whichever travel credit card you’re considering you’ll need to check out the features and fees available to make sure they meet your needs - and don’t eat into your business profits.

How to choose a business credit card for travel?

There’s no single best credit card for business travel expenses - the right one for you will depend on your personal preferences and requirements. Here a few things you’ll want to consider before you pick a card focussed on business travel:

What rewards are available?
What are the fees - including annual charges and penalty costs?
What exchange rate is used, and is there a non-sterling transaction fee?
What interest rates are available?
What are the card spending and withdrawal limits?
Can you get additional or employee cards?

Alternative to business credit cards: Wise Business Debit Cards

The right card for your business travel may not be a business travel credit card at all. Check out the Wise Business Card - a business debit card which has been built to cut the costs of transacting overseas.

Open your Wise Business account online or in the Wise app for a one time low fee. Then order Wise cards for yourself and your team to manage expenses and make sure everyone has the tools they need to do their job - at home or abroad.

Wise lets you hold and exchange 50+ currencies, with the Google exchange rate every time - driving down the costs of spending and withdrawing in foreign currencies.

There’s no non-sterling transaction fee to worry about, plus you can get 0,5% cashback on your business spending. No annual fees apply, and you can issue employee expense cards with limits and spending controls. Perfect for businesses with global aspirations.

Grow your business internationally
with Wise 🚀

Best UK business credit card for travel

There are plenty of different business travel credit cards available from UK banks. To help you pick one, let’s review 5 of the best travel credit cards out there, including features, fees and interest rates.

Barclays Premium Plus Business Credit Card¹

As a major UK bank, Barclays offers a good range of business products and services, including the Barclays Premium Plus Business Credit Card which is recommended for business travel. Here’s a walk through the most important features and fees:

Services and features	Barclays Premium Plus Business Credit Card
Annual percentage rate (APR)	49.4% (variable)
Interest rates	0% for 6 months (introductory rate) 14.9% annual interest rate
Withdrawals fees	27.9% annual interest rate 3% non-sterling cash fee + 0.99% non-sterling transaction fee also apply to overseas withdrawals
Currency exchange rates	0.99% non-sterling transaction fee 3% non-sterling cash fee + 0.99% non-sterling transaction fee also apply to overseas withdrawals
Cashback or rewards	Cashback and discounts on selected business and travel spending

Santander Business Cashback Credit Card²

Santander is a popular highstreet bank in the UK, with significant international operations around the world. If you’re looking for a cashback credit card which has no foreign transaction fee for most card spending, the Santander Business Cashback Credit Card may be the one for you. Here’s a closer look at the features and fees to expect:

Services and features	Santander Business Cashback Credit Card
Annual percentage rate (APR)	23.7% (variable)
Interest rates	18.9% annual interest rate
Withdrawals fees	27.9% annual interest rate 3% foreign cash fee for overseas withdrawals³
Currency exchange rates	No foreign transaction fees when spending abroad in the local currency
Cashback or rewards	1% on business spend

American Express Business Gold Card⁴

The American Express Business Gold Card is a little different to the previous cards we’ve featured, as there’s no interest applied to card spending. Instead you’ll need to repay the full bill amount every month, or face late payment fees. Here’s a rundown of the features available:

Services and features	American Express Business Gold Card
Annual percentage rate (APR)	Not applicable - all card spending must be paid off in full every month⁵
Interest rates	Not applicable - all card spending must be paid off in full every month
Withdrawals fees	Not specified
Currency exchange rates	American Express rates apply + 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee
Cashback or rewards	Membership rewards points are available on most spending

Lloyds Bank Credit Card⁶

Lloyds Bank offers a couple of good options for business cards - including a business credit card and a business charge card. We’ve picked the Lloyds Bank Business Credit Card as one to compare when you’re looking for the best credit cards for business travel in the UK.

Services and features	Lloyds Bank Business Credit Card
Annual percentage rate (APR)	22.4% (variable)⁷
Interest rates	16.3% annual interest
Withdrawals fees	16.3% annual interest 2.5% handling fee A 2.95% non-sterling transaction fee applies to international withdrawals
Currency exchange rates	2.95% non-sterling transaction fee
Cashback or rewards	Mastercard rewards available

HSBC Commercial Credit Card⁸

Our final pick in the search for the best business credit card for travel is the HSBC Commercial Credit Card. HSBC has a huge global operation, and offers cards to its business customers which can be used overseas. Here’s what you need to know:

Services and features	HSBC Commercial Card
Annual percentage rate (APR)	22%
Interest rates	15.9% annual interest rate
Withdrawals fees	15.9% annual interest rate 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee for overseas withdrawals
Currency exchange rates	2.99% non-sterling transaction fee
Cashback or rewards	None specified

Alternative: Wise Business Debit Card

A smart alternative to using a travel credit card for your business is to get a Wise Business Card - a debit card optimised for overseas spending and withdrawals.

Because it’s a debit card there’s no interest or penalty fees to worry about - and all currency exchange uses the real mid-market exchange rate with no foreign transaction fees or markups.

Wise serves over 13 million individual and business customers around the world - and has a solid 4.5/5 Excellent rating, from over 184,000 reviews on Trustpilot⁹.

Services and features	Wise Business
Annual percentage rate (APR)	Not applicable
Interest rates	Not applicable
Withdrawals fees	Up to 2 withdrawals, to the value of 200 GBP/month fee free 1.75% + 0.5 GBP fee after that
Currency exchange rates	Mid-market exchange rate with no non-sterling transaction fee
Cashback or rewards	0,5% cashback on eligible business spending

Pricing/fees: Please seeTerms of Use for your region or visit WiseFees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information

Manage expenses with Wise Business

See how your business can benefit from a Wise Account, with cost effective solutions for managing your business expenses day to day.

With the Wise Expense Card business owners can manage employee daily expenses simply, earning 0,5% cashback, while focusing their attention on the business performance and growth. That means more time for your colleagues and customers - and less time doing your paperwork.

Get started with Wise Business

Using a business credit card for travel is one way to manage your company’s cash flow - and can sometimes even earn you extra perks too. However, it’s not the only option out there. Take a look at how the Wise Business Card compares against these top UK business travel credit cards, to see which suits your needs best.

Sources:

Sources last checked January 16, 2023

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