How To Get Business Credit Cards With An EIN Only

Is it possible to get a business credit card with only your EIN (Employer Identification Number) without submitting your SSN (Social Security Number)? The answer is yes! In certain instances, you can obtain a business credit card with your EIN only.

Most business credit card issuers require your SSN when you apply, as this allows them to perform a hard inquiry on your personal credit report and to establish the personal guarantee required by most business credit cards. However, you may be able to avoid personal liability and a hard credit pull by using your EIN and not your SSN.

In other instances that we’ll detail, you can’t avoid personal liability by using only your EIN, but you can still obtain the business credit card in question with just your EIN if you don’t have an SSN.

In this article, we’ll detail the circumstances in which you can apply for business credit cards with an EIN only. We’ll also provide some examples of the types of business credit cards obtainable with just an EIN.

Just starting out? Learn how to get an EIN for your business. Not sure if you already have one? Find your EIN before you start looking into credit card applications.

Startup Business Credit Cards With An EIN Only

Some startup owners may be able to qualify for startup business credit cards with their EIN only. These cards are known as corporate credit cards (or corporate business credit cards).

The best corporate credit cards often don’t check your credit and instead rely on factors such as your business’s revenue, spending patterns, and cash balance to determine creditworthiness. However, as we’ll explain in the next section, corporate credit cards aren’t suitable for all startups.

What Types Of Business Credit Cards Can You Get With An EIN Only?

You can get a number of business credit products while only providing your EIN on the application. Let’s go through your EIN-only card options.

Corporate Business Credit Cards

Corporate business credit cards (commonly known as corporate cards) differ from traditional business credit cards in that legal responsibility for all charges falls to the corporation/business, not the business owner.

Additionally, corporate card accounts let you issue employee cards to your staff, typically for no extra cost. Their business-related spending will be covered, and all rewards/points/miles earned will go to the corporate account.

While corporate credit cards have many benefits, the downside is that they typically require your business to be a corporation/LLC and often have stringent requirements relating to your business cash flow, money in the bank, investor capital, etc. However, as you’ll see, some corporate credit card programs are available to corporations and unincorporated businesses alike.

Chase Ink Business Credit Cards

Chase’s popular line of Ink Business credit cards — one of which appears on our rundown of the best business credit cards — comprises some of the few bona fide business credit cards you can obtain by providing your EIN in place of your SSN.

While Chase’s Ink Business cards are some of the most highly-regarded business credit cards out there, keep in mind that Chase does require a personal guarantee from Ink Business card applicants and will perform a hard credit pull as part of the application process. Applicants must typically have good to excellent personal credit to get approved.

This means that if you’re trying to avoid personal liability and a hard credit check by using your EIN to apply for a business credit card, you won’t be able to do so by applying for an Ink Business card.

However, if the issue is that you don’t have an SSN — or if you’re trying to avoid disclosing your SSN for data security reasons — you can apply and qualify for one of Chase’s Ink Business cards without supplying your SSN.

Secured Business Credit Cards

With a secured credit card, you make a security deposit that establishes the amount of your credit line. With some secured business credit cards, you can apply with your EIN instead of your SSN and avoid personal liability.

Corporate Gas Cards

Corporate gas cards, also known as fleet fuel cards, can be handy payment instruments for trucking businesses. They’re also good for non-trucking businesses if you and your employees do a lot of business-related road travel.

Some of these cards can be applied for using just your EIN and do not require a personal guarantee. Of course, these cards can only be used for purchases at gas stations, so their utility is limited.

Our list of the best fuel cards for trucking companies covers some of the best fleet fuel cards currently on offer.

Corporate Store Credit Cards

A corporate store credit card may not be a true business credit card, but it can be a source of credit for stores where you make frequent business purchases.

Moreover, certain store-specific credit cards don’t require a personal guarantee and can be obtained with just your EIN. You may be able to earn discounts and/or cash back/points with your spending as well.

How To Build Business Credit With Your EIN

When you use your EIN to apply for a credit card in place of your SSN, your credit card issuer will typically report your credit card use to the business credit bureaus (though you should confirm this with the issuer) but not the personal credit bureaus.

This means that so long as you use your credit card responsibly, you can build your business credit and eventually become eligible for better credit products as your business credit score rises.

Read our guide to improving your business credit score for more helpful tips.

Will Applying For A Business Credit Card With An EIN Only Separate My Business & Personal Credit?

While using your EIN helps establish your business credit history, business credit card issuers — whether or not you use your SSN to apply — generally do not report your card activity to the personal credit bureaus, and your personal FICO score shouldn’t be impacted by your business credit card use unless you stop paying off your debt altogether.

One exception to this general rule is Discover, which reports your card activity to both the personal and business credit bureaus.

Final Thoughts: Should You Apply For A Business Credit Card With An EIN Only?

If you’re determined to apply for business credit cards with your EIN only, you’ll be narrowing your range of options significantly. That’s why you may not want to exclude business credit cards requiring an SSN from consideration (unless you don’t have an SSN).

If, out of necessity or preference, you decide an EIN-only business credit card is for you, many of the options presented here can both help you fund your business and build up your business credit, provided you make your payments and don’t carry an excessive balance.

I’ll note that if avoiding a personal guarantee is your primary concern, there are credit cards that won’t make you sign a personal guarantee but do require your SSN on the application. Our summary of the best business credit cards that don’t require a personal guarantee contains several such options.

Finally, our step-by-step guide to getting a business credit card is a must-read for a great overview of how to proceed.

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