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Business charge cards come with many perks, such as no credit limits, reward points, and no personal guarantees, but be aware of annual fees and eligibility requirements.
Chelsea Krause is a writer who specializes in accounting, payroll, and small business loans. She has been helping small business owners manage their finances since 2016. She is a QuickBooks Certified User and former eCommerce store owner. Her accounting expertise has been quoted in Forbes and her work appears in Startup Nation, Small Business Bonfire, and Women on Business. Chelsea graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English & Creative Writing from George Fox University and studied abroad at the University of Oxford as well.
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Chelsea KrauseChelsea Krause is a writer who specializes in accounting, payroll, and small business loans. She has been helping small business owners manage their finances since 2016. She is a QuickBooks Certified User and former eCommerce store owner. Her accounting expertise has been quoted in Forbes and her work appears in Startup Nation, Small Business Bonfire, and Women on Business. Chelsea graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English & Creative Writing from George Fox University and studied abroad at the University of Oxford as well.
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Erica has been writing about small business finance and technology since 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and specializes in researching and reviewing business software, financial products, and other topics to help small businesses manage and grow their operations. Her expertise has been cited in MSN, Reader's Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, a graduate of Limestone University, and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
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Erica SeppalaErica has been writing about small business finance and technology since 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and specializes in researching and reviewing business software, financial products, and other topics to help small businesses manage and grow their operations. Her expertise has been cited in MSN, Reader's Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, a graduate of Limestone University, and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
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Business charge cards can be very useful in funding your small business. Typically featuring higher credit limits than ordinary credit cards, charge cards can help you make larger purchases while offering the sorts of rewards and benefits you’ve come to expect from credit cards.
So, which charge cards are worth looking into? Here are the best business charge cards based on rewards, fees, and features for businesses.
Business Charge Cards VS Credit Cards: A Quick Breakdown
You may have heard the terms used interchangeably, but charge cards and credit cards aren’t the same.
A credit card is a revolving line of credit. A bank extends you a credit line, and you can spend up to your limit, paying interest on any balance you carry beyond the first month. When you pay off your debt, you’ll regain access to your full line of credit.
A charge card, on the other hand, doesn’t come with a preset credit limit. Instead, it may have a limit that can vary monthly based on various factors ranging from your payment history to prevailing economic conditions. The catch? You’ll typically need to pay off your entire balance every month. If you don’t, you’ll be hit with fees and interest rates that exceed anything you’d see with a credit card. You may lose your reward points as well.
The 5 Best Charge Cards For Businesses
The best business charge cards have high spending limits, generous rewards, and competitive fees. Only five made the cut on our list of the best charge cards for businesses.
$0 for the standard package, $15/user/month for Ramp Plus
Business Size
Corporations, LLCs, and LPs with $25K+ in the bank
Pros
No credit checks or personal guarantees
No fees
Up to 1.5% cash back
Cons
Only for businesses with $25,000+ in the bank
Only US-based corporations, LLCs, and LLCs can apply
Why We Chose Ramp As The Best Business Charge Card For Corporations
Ramp is a corporate card that functions as a charge card but with the unique perks of a corporate card. Ramp offers partner discounts, cashback rewards, and automated savings insights which all work to save businesses up to 5% annually on average. Pair this with unlimited employee cards that include advanced spend controls and no monthly fees, and it's easy to see why Ramp is a top contender.
Ramp Rewards
Ramp offers a variety of rewards that include:
Partner discounts
Automated savings insights
Up to 1.5% cash-back
Ramp Features
Ramp offers a large amount of features designed specifically for businesses, including:
Employee cards
Spend controls
Savings insights
Fraud protection
Integrations
Ramp also has a new feature called Ramp Flex available to select users, which allows for 30, 60, or 90-day vendor payment financing.
Ramp Rates & Fees
There are no monthly or annual fees with the basic Ramp plan. There are also no late fees, foreign transaction fees, or ACH fees. The only cost you’ll encounter is if you opt to upgrade to the $15/month/user Ramp plus plan, which gives you more advanced features and integrations, as well as international capabilities.
When To Choose A Ramp Card
You want a corporate credit card to get the functionality of a charge card with the liability protection of a corporate card
You are an established business that can meet Ramp’s eligibility requirements
You want Ramp’s unique savings insights features paired with partner discounts and cashback
Earn 5x points on travel booked through Amex Travel
Get $200 in Uber credits annually
No foreign transaction fee
Cons
$695 annual fee
A low points-earning rate outside the main bonus categories
Why We Chose American Express Business Platinum As The Best Business Charge Card For Travel
Charge cards are in American Express's wheelhouse, and its Business Platinum Card is one of the most well-known and prestigious charge cards around. With extremely generous reward tiers and a laundry list of benefits, it's quite a powerful little piece of plastic for travelers. The trade-off is a significant annual fee of $695, but if your business does a lot of traveling, this travel charge card is still definitely worth looking into.
American Express Platinum Rewards
Amex Business Platinum offers top-tier travel rewards, including:
5x on flights and hotels booked through Amex Travel
1.5x on certain business purchases
1x on everything else
Access to Amex’s 1,400+ airport lounges
Options to upgrade to luxury hotels
Partner discounts
Global dining access
American Express Platinum Features
In addition to competitive travel rewards, the Amex Express Platinum card offers the following features:
Pay Over Time option
No spending limits
Car rental loss or damage insurance
Baggage insurance coverage
Premium Global Assist Hotline
Employee cards
Employee spend controls
Integrations
American Express Platinum Rates & Fees
The American Express Platinum comes with its fair share of fees including a hefty annual fee of $695. The good news is there are no foreign transaction fees, which is important for a travel card.
While Amex Business Platinum is generally a charge card, some businesses may be able to carry a balance based on their creditworthiness. If you choose the Pay Over Time balance option, the APR for this card is 19.49%-28.49%.
When To Choose An American Express Platinum Card
Your business requires a lot of travel
You don’t mind a large annual fee in exchange for top-tier travel rewards
Earn 8x points on rideshare purchases when you make automatic daily payments
Cons
Only for businesses with high growth potential and lots of cash in the bank
Why We Chose The Brex Card As The Best Business Charge Card For Corporations & Tech Startups
The Brex Card is another corporate credit card that functions as a charge card . Brex is ideal for startups because there's no credit check when you apply. Instead, the company considers factors such as your cash balance, spending patterns, and investors when assessing your worthiness, making the card a good option for startups with plenty of cash but little or no credit history. The Brex Card offers an exceptional rewards package geared toward common startup business needs, including up 8x points on popular business spending categories.
Brex Card Rewards
Brex offers an array of rewards, including:
8x on rideshare purchases
5x on Brex travel purchases
3x on Apple purchases
1x points on all other purchases
Over $150k+ in partner discounts
To earn the highest rates, you’ll have to make Brex your only corporate credit card.
Brex Card Features
Brex offers strong features, particularly for startups, including:
Spend controls
Fraud coverage
Flexible spending limits
Travel perks
Bill pay
Integrations & e-commerce connections
Brex Card Rates & Fees
Brex has no monthly or annual fees, no wire transfer fees, no foreign transaction fees, and no fees for additional cards. If you’re looking for a low-fee charge card option, Brex is a good option.
The only fee you’ll encounter is if you upgrade to Brex Plus which costs $12/month/user and includes advanced and customer features.
When To Choose A Brex Card
You want a corporate credit card to get the functionality of a charge card with the liability protection of a corporate card
You are a startup of fast-growing small business that can meet Brex’s eligibility requirements
You are okay with making Brex your only corporate card to maximize rewards
Your business spending matches Brex’s spending categories
The foreign transaction fee makes the card a poor fit for international travel
Other charge cards offer more lucrative rewards
Why We Chose American Express Business Green Rewards Card As The Overall Best Business Charge Card
The American Express Business Green Rewards card earns our overall best charge card tilt because it has a good mix of benefits. This card has unlimited 1x points on all purchases, 2x points on travel, a generous welcome bonus, and the unique ability to carry a balance if you want to. The Amex Business Green Rewards card also has a low annual fee and no spending limits, making it a solid all-around business charge card. The main downside is a hefty foreign transaction fee.
American Express Business Green Rewards Card Rewards
The American Express Business Green Rewards card offers:
2x points on travel purchases
1x on all other purchases
Amex’s Membership Rewards Program which includes hotel and flight upgrades
American Express Business Green Rewards Card Features
You’ll find the following features with the American Express Business Green Rewards card:
Employee cards
Employee spend controls
No spending limits
Dispute resolution
Rental loss or damage insurance
Premium Global Assist Hotline
American Express Business Green Rewards Card Rates & Fees
The American Express Business Green Rewards card has a low annual fee of $95/year. The trade-off is a high foreign transaction fee of 2.7%.
While Amex Business Green Rewards card is generally a charge card, some businesses may be able to carry a balance based on their creditworthiness. If you choose the Pay Over Time balance option, the APR for this card is 19.49%-28.49%.
When To Choose An American Express Business Green Rewards Card
You want a combination of credit card rewards including rewards points and a welcome bonus
You want the option to pay over time if needed
You value no spending limits over higher rewards rates found with traditional credit cards
Low rewards rate compared to other Amex charge cards
Why We Chose American Express Plum Card As The Best Business Charge Card For Cash Flow Management
The American Express Plum Card is a business charge card devoted to helping your business manage its cash flow rather than lavish rewards. The card's pitch is simple: You get 60 days to pay off your balance with no interest, plus an early payoff discount. With a $250 annual fee and a relatively low rewards rate, this Amex charge card isn't for most businesses. However, a business that spends a lot and has to deal with an irregular cash flow may find the Plum Card to be a good tool for smoothing out its cash flow issues.
American Express Plum Card Rewards
The American Express Plum card doesn’t offer many rewards. The main benefit is that if you pay your balance off 10 days before your statement closing date, you can get unlimited 1.5% cashback on certain charges.
You’ll also get Amex’s car rental loss and damage insurance and access to the Global Assist Hotline.
American Express Plum Card Features
The American Express Plum card does not have as many features as other charge cards on this list, but the biggest standout features you’ll find are no spending limits and an extended payoff window of 60 days.
You’ll also find:
Employee cards
Employee spend controls
Account alerts
Integrations
American Express Plum Card Fees
The American Express Plum card comes with a $250/year annual fee. There are no foreign transaction fees which is a huge plus. The most common fees you’ll find are a $39 returned payment fee and a late fee of the greater of $39 or 1.5% of the past due amount.
When To Choose An American Express Plum Card
Your business has unpredictable cash flow and needs a longer repayment window than most charge cards
You value no spending limits over credit cards rewards
We spend hours researching and evaluating each corporate card that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on key characteristics to generate our ratings.
Weighted Rating Breakdown
Rewards & Perks 40%
Rates & Fees 25%
Features 20%
Eligibility Requirements 5%
Customer Service 5%
User Reviews 5%
When rating corporate cards, we use a 15-point rubric that looks at rewards and perks, rates and fees, features, eligibility requirements, customer service, and user reviews. We weigh each section differently to calculate the total star rating.
Rewards & Perks: 40% of the total star rating
Rates & Fees: 25% of the total star rating
Features: 20% of the total star rating
Eligibility Requirements: 5% of the total star rating
Customer Support: 5% of the total star rating
User Reviews: 5% of the total star rating
Note: We use a different credit card rating methodology to evaluate traditional business credit cards, as they often differ from corporate cards in benefits, qualifications, and use cases.
Each section is further broken down into granular, weighted subsections, in which we examine specific attributes like cash back and spending rewards, reward redemption options, annual fees, employee card access, extra perks and features, credit score and revenue requirements, customer support options, and the overall reputation of the corporate card issuer.
Choosing The Best Business Charge Card For Your Business
A look at our favorite business charge cards tells you that the best choice is the one that fits your industry and your business priorities.
Are you looking for the business charge card with the best flat rewards rate? The best travel rewards rate? The lowest fees? Is avoiding a credit check and/or a personal guarantee a must?
Knowing why you’re seeking a charge card and what you want from it will help you find the card that meets your business needs.
Once you’ve found a charge card that fits your business needs and borrowing requirements, check out our best tips on how to get a business credit card to secure the charge card you want.
If you’re able to pay off your card’s balance in full each month, your small business may benefit from the relaxed credit limits that are generally attached to business charge cards.
How do I pick a business charge card?
Before choosing a business charge card, analyze your business’s spending patterns so that you can pick the charge card with the rewards program that best fits your business. Make sure you spend enough money in the high points/cash back earning categories to more than offset the annual fee that most charge cards carry.
What qualifications do I have to meet to get a business charge card?
The credit qualifications you’ll have to meet to get a business charge card are similar to those of most business credit cards. You’ll need a credit score of at least 690 to qualify for most of them. One exception is the Brex Card, a business charge card with no credit score requirements whatsoever.
Chelsea Krause is a writer who specializes in accounting, payroll, and small business loans. She has been helping small business owners manage their finances since 2016. She is a QuickBooks Certified User and former eCommerce store owner. Her accounting expertise has been quoted in Forbes and her work appears in Startup Nation, Small Business Bonfire, and Women on Business. Chelsea graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English & Creative Writing from George Fox University and studied abroad at the University of Oxford as well.
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The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation.
Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.
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