The best business rewards credit cards give you the ability to earn higher-than-usual rewards/cash back, and they tend to come with sizable welcome bonus offers too. Because they tend to include valuable features and benefits, a number of these charge annual fees.
The best business credit cards for rewards offer higher reward earn rates on category-based spending or high flat rates across all spending. The top cards from this segment also come with spend-based welcome offers.
Some of the top business rewards credit cards charge no foreign transaction fees, making them ideal for use when your business takes you outside of the U.S. or when ordering from international vendors. Examples of such cards include the American Express Hilton Honors Business Card and the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Credit Card.
Getting a co-branded business rewards credit card might work well for you if your business favors using any particular airline or group of hotels. Other factors you’ll want to consider when making a selection include annual fees, APRs and added benefits.
MoneyGeek's Take: Top 5 Business Credit Cards for Rewards
Quick Summary
Not all business rewards credit cards offer the same rewards/cash back rates across different spending categories, which is why you’ll want to pay close attention to this when deciding which one is right for you. In addition, the top cards from this segment come with varied welcome offers. We’ve selected the top five cards based on these factors as well as APRs, annual fees, foreign transaction fees and added perks. You’ll find more options by scrolling further down the page.
American Express Hilton Honors Business Card
This business credit card is perfect for earning Hilton Honors points
Good-ExcellentCredit Needed
$95Annual Fee
3–12 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
12xRewards Rate at Hotels
6xRewards Rate on Gas
We love the American Express Hilton Honors Business Card not only because it offers a high reward rate for spending at Hilton properties, but for its reward rate that applies on other business-specific spending. It comes with a sizable welcome bonus too.
You get to earn 130,000 bonus points if you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months. An additional 50,000 bonus points come your way if you spend a total of $10,000 on purchases within the first six months.
Using this card at Hilton properties comes with 12x points. It offers 6x points for spending on wireless telephone service purchased directly from U.S. service providers, on flights booked with Amex Travel or directly with airlines, on car rentals booked directly through select companies, on U.S. purchases for shipping, at U.S. gas stations and at U.S. restaurants.
You qualify for a free reward night if you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year. If you spend $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, you earn a second free reward night.
All cardholders get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, which comes with added perks such as daily food & beverage credit (at U.S. hotels) or continental breakfast (at non-U.S. hotels) and availability-based room upgrades.
Your linked Priority Pass Select membership brings with it 10 complimentary airport lounge visits each year. Not having to pay foreign transaction fees may lead to savings when you travel overseas. Other travel benefits include complimentary baggage insurance plan and car rental loss and damage insurance.
Extended warranty and purchase protection are in place to safeguard your business purchases. You may choose to get additional employee cards, and you also get access to different expense management tools.
Pros
Ability to earn considerable bonus points
High reward rates across multiple categories
Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status
Spend-based free night rewards
No foreign transaction fees
Additional employee cards
Dedicated account manager
Integration with QuickBooks and year-end expense summaries
Cons
Annual fee of $95
Reward nights are spending-based
Reward nights expire after one year of issuance
Cash advance fee
Penalty APR may apply in case of late and returned payments
Earn 130,000 bonus points if you spend $2,000 on purchases within six months from account opening.
Earn 50,000 more bonus points if you spend $10,000 on purchases within six months from account opening.
Spending at properties within the Hilton portfolio comes with 12x points.
You get 6x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone service purchased directly from U.S. service providers, on U.S. purchases for shipping, on car rentals booked directly through select companies and on flights that you book through Amex Travel or directly with airlines.
You earn 3x points on all other purchases.
Any additional employee cards you get earn reward points as well.
If you spend $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year, you earn a free night reward.
If you spend a total of $60,000 on purchases in a calendar year, you earn an additional free night reward.
By enrolling into the Priority Pass Select program, you get 10 complimentary airport lounge visits each year.
Safeguard your travels and purchases through car rental loss and damage insurance, baggage insurance plan, purchase protection and extended warranty.
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Excellent card for maximizing the rewards you earn while traveling
Good-ExcellentCredit Needed
$125Annual Fee
2–6 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
6xRewards Rate at Hotels
4xRewards Rate on TV, Phone, Internet Services
We love the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card because of its generous reward points system. For instance, when you spend money at participating Marriott properties, you earn 6 points per $1 spent. For specific spending categories, such as at restaurants and gas stations, you earn 4 points. Purchases that don't qualify for special reward rates still earn 2 points.
This card brings with it a host of Marriott-specific benefits. In addition to free rewards nights, for example, cardholders receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status and premium on-property internet access.
You may also benefit by using this card outside of the U.S., as it does not come with any overseas transaction fees.
Pros
Earn up to 6 points per $1
Redeem points for free Marriott nights, air travel or cab rentals
No blackout dates when you redeem points for free nights
No foreign transaction fees
No over-limit fees
Employee cards
Free night awards
Marriott-specific benefits
Travel and purchase covers
Cons
High annual fees
Penalty APR applies if you make a late payment
Mandatory service and resort charges might apply at some Marriott hotels when you redeem points for free nights
Become a Marriott Bonvoy Business member automatically.
Earn 6 points per $1 on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
Earn 4 points per $1 on eligible purchases in the U.S. at gas stations, at restaurants, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from service providers and on shipping purchases.
Earn 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
Redeem points for free Marriott nights as well as for air travel and cab rentals through different travel partners.
Get a one free night award every year and qualify for another if your annual spending exceeds $60,000.
Get complimentary premium in-room internet access when you stay at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
Earn Elite night credits to get closer to the next level of your Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.
Pay no international transaction fees.
Benefit through intro offers for new cardholders.
Get baggage insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty.
Get employee cards and set individual spending limits.
Get access to a range of Amex offers.
Simplify accounting by designating account managers and getting year-end summaries.
Use Vendor Pay to improve cash flow.
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Excellent card for earning unlimited rewards through employee spending
ExcellentCredit Needed
$150Annual Fee
2% Cash BackRewards Rate
2xRewards Rate on Gas
2xRewards Rate on Groceries
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card is ideal for businesses that wish to earn unlimited cash back as it offers 2% cash back on all purchases. It also comes with a sizeable early spend bonus offer through which you can earn up to a $1,000 cash bonus - $500 once you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, and $500 once you spend $50,000 in the first 6 months.
$500 if you spend $5,000 in the first three months, and an additional $500 once you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, and $2,500 once you spend $50,000 in the first 6 months of account opening.
Employee cards come at no extra cost. Setting up automatic payments and recurring transactions is possible. You get access to different expense management tools. This card comes with no foreign transaction fees. It charges an annual fee of $150.
Pros
Early spend bonus offer
2% cash back for each purchase with no restrictions on categories or spending limits
No monthly APR
Reward points have no expiration date
No fees for foreign transactions and over-limit spending
AutoPay available to pre-schedule payments
Cons
Annual fee of $150
APR penalty of 2.99% if you’re unable to pay your entire balance at the end of each month
Requires you to spend at least $200,000 to avail of the $200 annual cash bonus
The early spend bonus is paid in two tiers: $500 after spending $5,000 within the first three months and an additional $500 when you spend $50,000 within the first six months.
The annual fee is $150.
If employee cards are linked, all earn unlimited 2% reward points.
You can use reward points to buy gift cards or to pay for previous purchases.
You can get an emergency card replacement and a cash advance if your card is lost or stolen.
You can download purchase records in various formats such as Excel, QuickBooks and Quicken.
You can download year-end summaries for budgeting and tax-related purposes.
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
We recommend the Capital One Spark Miles Card to businesses that want to earn unlimited cash back on their spending. You also get to earn a 50,000 miles early-spend bonus by spending $4,500 on purchases in the first three months.
Booking hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel comes with 5x miles per dollar. All other purchases earn 2x miles per dollar.
Using this card outside of the U.S. is ideal as it charges no foreign transaction fees. Cardholders get two free visits to Capital One Lounges each year as well as credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fees.
There is no annual fee to pay for the first year, but you need to pay $95 per year thereafter. Employee cards come at no additional cost.
Pros
Flat-rate rewards of 2x bonus miles
No foreign transaction fees
New cardholder offers
Free employee cards
Flexible payments
Cons
No special reward categories
High regular and penalty APR
Limited travel partners for rewards redemption
Spend $4,500 in the first three months and earn 50,000 bonus miles
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 per year thereafter
2x unlimited miles per dollar
Employee cards
Set up automatic payments.
Zero fraud liability
Year-end itemized summaries for tax and budgeting purposes
Purchase records in multiple formats
Virtual card numbers for making safer payments online
Tracking and monitoring of all cards
Purchase alerts for all cards
Lock and unlock cards using mobile app or online banking
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Great no preset spending limit card with flexible payback methods
Good-ExcellentCredit Needed
$250Annual Fee
1.5% Cash BackRewards Rate
1.5xRewards Rate on Groceries
1.5xRewards Rate on Gas
We recommend the Plum Card from American Express to businesses that are looking for no preset spending limits and wish to earn cash back. Cardholders get unlimited 1.5% cash back on the portion of the balances they pay within 10 days of their statement closing dates. Alternatively, you get up to 60 days to pay your balances off without interest.
This business card comes with a sizable welcome bonus, allowing you to earn $500 as statement credit if you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months.
Employee cards come at no extra cost. Using this card outside of the country is ideal as it charges no foreign transaction fees. Various expense management tools aim to simplify how you carry out your business accounting.
This card comes with an annual fee of $250.
Pros
No preset spending limit
Good welcome offer
1.5% cash back on balances paid within 10 days of statement closing dates
Up to 60 interest-free days
No foreign transaction fees
Option to choose billing cycle
Cons
Annual fee of $250
Late payment and returned payment fees
Limited complimentary insurance coverage
No preset spending limit
$250 annual fee
No foreign transaction fee
Past due amount-based late payment fees
Option to change billing date
$500 statement credit if you spend $15,000 on purchases in three months from account opening
1.5% cash back on balances you pay within 10 days of statement closing date
Up to 60 days without interest, provided you make the minimum payment due in time
Car rental loss and damage insurance
No additional fees for employee cards
Integration with QuickBooks and year-end summaries
Extended warranty and purchase protection
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Take a quick look at how all the top cards from this category fare across parameters such as APRs, welcome offers and rewards rates by going through this business rewards card comparison table.
A simple cash back rewards card that helps you avoid hassles
1–2% Cash Back*
$0
Good-Excellent
American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card
Great no-annual-fee card for earning rewards on business spending
2 Miles per $1*
$0
Good-Excellent
MONEYGEEK PRO TIP
Many business credit cards allow you to add employee cards at no additional charge. These cards help you track employee spending, make accounting simpler and allow you to earn additional rewards on their purchases. -- Lee Huffman, credit card expert at BaldThoughts.com.
About Our Rankings
Our credit card experts go through the entire MoneyGeek database each month and select all the new and existing business cards that offer rewards/cash back. Then, they select the best based on factors such as rewards/cash back rates, welcome offers, APRs, annual fees, foreign transaction fees, and added benefits.
Top Rating Criteria for Business Cards
Welcome Offer
Rewards Rates
APR
How to Compare Business Credit Cards & Intro Offers
Since you have a significant number of business rewards cards to choose from, paying attention to your spending patterns and other factors remains crucial if you hope to find a card that works well for you.
1
Rewards/cash back rate
Determine if you might benefit more from getting a card that offers a high flat rewards rate or one that offers higher earn rates when you spend across specific categories. For example, the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business Card offers up to 6x points on category-based spending. The Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card, on the other hand, offers 2% cash back on all business purchases.
2
Welcome offer
Just how rewarding a welcome offer you get depends on the card you select. For instance, the Amex Plum Card comes with a welcome offer that lets you earn a $500 statement credit by spending $15,000 on purchases in the first three months. With the Capital One Spark Miles Card, you get to earn a one-time early spend bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $4,500 on purchases in the first three months.
3
APR
It’s common for business rewards credit cards to come with higher APRs than business cards with no rewards/cash back. As a result, if you expect to maintain revolving balances on your card from one month to the next, you might be better off looking at what low APR business cards have to offer. You may also benefit by checking our selection of the top business cards with 0% APR offers on purchases.
If you get a business rewards card that charges foreign transaction fees, expect to pay up to 3% extra on every international transaction. Some of the cards from this segment that waive this fee include the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, the Capital One Spark Miles Card, the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card and the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard.
The best business credit cards for rewards give you access to various expense management tools and let you get employee cards at no extra cost. Other card-specific perks might come in the form of complimentary loyalty program status upgrades, priority passes, purchase protection, travel insurance and no preset spending limits.
Rajiv Baniwal has been writing about different financial topics for over 15 years. Meticulous in his research, he makes sure he provides accurate and up-to-date information. His areas of expertise include mortgages, personal loans, credit cards, insurance and international money transfers.
*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.