Best Credit Cards for Startups: Top Picks for Entrepreneurs

Many small businesses may be overlooking the benefits of credit cards. Credit card companies have been focusing on how new types of rewards can help boost customer loyalty.

There are many credit cards that offer startups unique financial rewards. These rewards can help you improve and organize your finances.

This article will provide an overview of some of the best business credit cards for startups.

Top Business Credit Cards for Startups

Business credit cards can be a financial tool for small businesses that want to lower costs and earn rewards. Below¹ are some startup credit cards to consider. These card comparisons can help you decide which cards are the best fit for your business.

There are plenty of low-fee cards and companies that offer attractive credit card rewards. Some companies even have no fees or waive the fees during the first year. If you don’t have a business credit card, you could be missing out on up to 5% cash back rewards. Small businesses may also want to find low-fee cards to avoid excessive annual fees.

These cards are a great resource to use when you are paying for your business expenses. Many users have praised the low costs, intro APR, and ample benefits of these cards. Many of these cards received a 4.6 or higher rating on the Forbes Best Small Business Credit Cards list.⁹

Cards with Low Interest Rates

One solid strategy for small businesses is to find start-up credit cards with an initial offer of 0% APR.¹⁰ This is one method to reduce a company’s interest and pay off purchases over 12-18 months.

In some cases, using a card like this can be an alternative to applying for a loan. However, the APR after the initial promo period will often be extremely high. It is best to be cautious if you go this route.

Cards Offering Cash Back and Rewards

Many small business owners may be missing out on 2-5% cash back rewards on their business expenses.

Cards from banks like JP Morgan Chase, American Express, and Capital One offer 5% cash back on categories like travel or accommodation. These credit card rewards can be a huge boost for your small business.

Cards with Travel Benefits

Many small business cards offer special benefits for companies that use a credit card to pay for travel. You can earn up to 5% cash back with many of these cards. Many of these cards also offer special tools to plan your travel.

American Express cards allow you to use its travel booker to redeem points for flights and hotel bookings. These cards also offer favorable benefits for other spending categories. These include internet and office supplies.¹¹

There are plenty of credit card rewards out there, but many small businesses are not fully utilizing them. A Concur study found that many smaller businesses pay more for travel than larger companies because they can’t access discounts and rewards.¹² Applying for a start-up credit card could be a step in the right direction.

Benefits of Business Credit Cards for Startups

Our list of best business credit cards for startups can help your small business take advantage of many financial rewards. However, the rewards are not the only positive point. These startup credit cards can also have a strong impact on your company’s cash flow and financial planning.

Managing Cash Flow

The Wall Street prime rate has increased rapidly since 2022. This rise has been challenging for many small businesses that have to deal with the higher cost of capital. The small business loan approval rate from big banks is only around 27.7%, so many startups have had to turn to alternative solutions.¹³

One way to partially offset this change is to take advantage of the low APR rates that startup credit cards offer. Many of these credit cards offer 0% APR for 12 months or longer, allowing you to slowly pay off purchases. Other options, like Chase Pay Over Time, allow you to split purchases¹⁴ into smaller monthly payments.

Smaller businesses in this environment need to get creative to lower their cost of capital and access the funds they need. Some credit cards can be a useful tool to help businesses access the credit they need for smaller purchases.

Earning Rewards and Perks

Most startup credit cards offer at least 1-2% cash back on purchases. But there are many other credit card rewards. Most cards have special rewards for different categories, such as travel, office supplies, or even a custom category.

You can use one credit card for travel, and another for office supplies or other categories. This strategy can maximize the rewards gained from your business expenses.

How to Choose the Right Credit Card

There are many small business cards out there with special rewards. It is often best for small business owners to take advantage of multiple offers to maximize rewards and improve their credit.

Evaluating Annual Fees and APR

Many small business cards may attract you because of the excellent awards they offer. Before moving forward, it is important to check out the annual fees. These cards are only a good deal if the rewards greatly exceed the annual fee.

In some cases, companies may waive the annual fee for the first year. If so, this will give you time to see if the card is worth it. In any case, there are many low-fee cards out there with excellent credit card rewards.

Another important factor to consider is the APR. Many start-up credit cards offer an initial 0% APR for the first 12 months or longer. Small business owners should take advantage of this fact if they know they are going to make a lot of purchases. In the long term, it is also important to consider the normal APR of these cards. Failure to do so could leave you with a high interest rate.

Considering Business Needs and Spending Patterns

At the end of the day, there is not one best credit card for a small business. In most cases, small businesses should utilize the benefits of multiple cards to reduce their interest expense and maximize rewards. Moreover, certain cards may be more useful during certain phases of a business and less useful in the future.

Companies should first take a look at what they spend the most money on. If travel is your top expense, it would be a waste not to get a card with solid travel rewards. If you are planning to upgrade your office, you can find a card with 5% cash back rewards on office supplies. Being passive may mean you lose out on 2-3% rewards per transaction.

Some businesses may also take advantage of startup credit cards because of the low initial APRs. If you are doing this, it is crucial to make sure you can pay off the card during the 12-18 month period.

Before you make these large purchases, you can calculate how much you will need to pay each month to pay off the balance in 12 months or so. If it’s not feasible to quickly pay it off, you may be better off applying for a loan.

Save Money on International Business Payments with Wise

Hopefully, this article helped you find more information about some of the best start-up credit cards, including ones that have no transaction fees for international payments.

The Wise Business account can be a helpful tool if you plan to make and receive payments in multiple currencies. Wise is not a bank, but a Money Services Business (MSB) provider and a smart alternative to banks. The Wise Business account is designed with international business in mind, and makes it easy to send, hold, and manage business funds in 40+ currencies. You can send money to 140+ countries, and get major currency account details for a one-off fee to receive overseas payments.

You can also exchange currencies at the mid-market rate, ensuring you don’t lose out due to poor exchange rates.

Register with Wise Business 🚀

Wise allows you to send money through multiple methods, including credit cards. Check out Wise today to open an account and see how much money you can save on international transactions.

Sources

1. Best Business Credit Cards for Startups, New Businesses of March 2025 - NerdWallet
2. Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card: Cash Back | Chase
3. Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
4. Ink Business Cash Credit Card: Cash Back | Chase
5. Blue Business Cash Card from American Express
6. American Express Business Gold Card
7. Spark Cash Plus
8. Venture X Business
9. Best Business Credit Cards Of 2025 – Forbes Advisor
10. Best 0% APR Business Credit Cards For 2025 – Forbes Advisor
11. Amex Travel: Benefits of Booking with American Express Travel
12. 7 Warning Signs Your Company is Spending Too Much on Travel | Engine
13. Small Business Lending Statistics and Trends - Fundera Ledger
14. Chase Pay Over Time | Credit Cards
15. Average Credit Card Interest Rate for March 2025: 24.20% APR
    All sources checked March 2025