Best Business Charge Cards
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.
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WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY
Senior Staff Writer
UPDATED
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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. Some charge cards even offer the ability to carry a balance month-to-month.
In this post, we’ll be detailing your best options regarding charge cards for business.
But first, let’s detail the key differences between charge cards and regular credit cards.
Learn More About Our Top Picks
| Company | Highlights | Next StepsHighlights |
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Ramp
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Brex
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American Express Platinum Card
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American Express Business Gold Card
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American Express Plum Card
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American Express Business Green Rewards
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| Show Fewer Options |
Read more below to learn why we chose these options.
Table of Contents [hide][show]
- Business Charge Cards VS Credit Cards: What's The Difference?
- When Are Business Charge Cards Better Than Credit Cards?
- Best Charge Cards For Small Businesses
- Ramp Corporate Card: Best Business Charge Card For No Fees
- Brex Card: Best Business Charge Card For Corporations & Tech Startups
- American Express Platinum: Best Business Charge Card For Travel
- American Express Business Gold Card: Best Business Charge Card For Customizable Rewards
- American Express Plum Card: Best Business Charge Card For Cash Flow Management
- American Express Business Green Rewards Card: Best Business Charge Card For Low Annual Fees
- Choosing The Best Business Charge Card For Your Business
- Business Charge Cards: FAQs
Table of Contents
- Business Charge Cards VS Credit Cards: What's The Difference?
- When Are Business Charge Cards Better Than Credit Cards?
- Best Charge Cards For Small Businesses
- Ramp Corporate Card: Best Business Charge Card For No Fees
- Ramp
- Brex Card: Best Business Charge Card For Corporations & Tech Startups
- Brex
- American Express Platinum: Best Business Charge Card For Travel
- American Express Business Gold Card: Best Business Charge Card For Customizable Rewards
- American Express Plum Card: Best Business Charge Card For Cash Flow Management
- American Express Business Green Rewards Card: Best Business Charge Card For Low Annual Fees
- American Express Business Green Rewards
- Corporate Card Review Methodology
- Choosing The Best Business Charge Card For Your Business
- Business Charge Cards: FAQs
Business Charge Cards VS Credit Cards: What's The Difference?
You may have heard the terms used interchangeably, but charge and credit cards aren’t the same.
While small businesses can use both types of cards, charge cards come with a unique set of risks and rewards.
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.
Having said that, with some charge cards, you may be able to carry a balance month-to-month through programs such as American Express’s Pay Over Time option. However, in some cases, only some of your purchases will be eligible for Pay Over Time, and you’ll likely pay a relatively high APR on your monthly balance.
Because they’re less likely to earn money on carried balances, charge card companies tend to have higher annual fees. What’s more, charge cards aren’t quite as widely accepted as credit cards, so it’s best to have another payment method as a backup.
Does a charge card make sense for your business? Let’s look at some of our favorite options.
When Are Business Charge Cards Better Than Credit Cards?
Here’s when you might prefer a business charge card to a regular business credit card.
- You want to take advantage of a charge card’s higher credit limit to make costlier purchases
- You like the idea of paying your balance in full each month as it helps keep you from running up an excessive balance
- You’re attracted to the benefits offered by Amex’s top-tier rewards cards, most of which are charge cards
On the other hand, you might prefer a traditional business credit card to a charge card for the following reasons.
- You want a card with the widest possible acceptance — credit cards are much more widely accepted than charge cards
- If you’re seeking a regular business credit card, you’ll have far more variety in terms of your options
- You want the option of carrying a monthly balance on any and all purchases
Best Charge Cards For Small Businesses
Business charge cards can confer many of the same perks and rewards to your business as traditional credit cards. Let’s examine some of the best charge card options available for small businesses.
Ramp Corporate Card: Best Business Charge Card For No Fees
Rewards Rate
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchasesAnnual Fee
$0 for the standard package, $12/user/month for Ramp PlusBusiness Size
Corporations and LLCs with $75K+ in the bankPros
- No credit checks or personal guarantees
- No fees of any kind
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
Cons
- Only for businesses with $75,000+ in the bank
- Only US-based, non-individual limited liability companies are eligible to apply
- Rewards: 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- Annual Fee: $0
- Eligibility Requirements: $75K+ in the bank; no sole proprietors
- Personal Guarantee Required: No
The Ramp corporate card not only doesn't check your credit score when you apply or require a personal guarantee, but Ramp also charges no fees of any kind. Combine that with unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases and a spend management platform that automatically identifies ways your business can cut costs, and you have a corporate charge card with remarkable value.
The main catch here is that only a select segment of the business community is eligible to apply. Ramp only accepts US-based, non-individual limited liability companies with at least $75,000 in the bank.
Brex Card: Best Business Charge Card For Corporations & Tech Startups
Pros
- No credit check
- No personal guarantee
- 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
- Rewards: 3x-8x points on common business expenses when you make automatic daily repayments
- Annual Fee: $0
- Eligibility Requirements: Must either have received an equity investment, earn over $1 million/year in revenue, have 50+ employees, have $500K+ cash on hand, or be a tech startup referred by a current Brex user or partner
- Personal Guarantee Required: No
The Brex Card is a charge card that defies the credit card industry's conventions in a number of ways. For one thing, Brex doesn't even check your credit score 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.
Another cool and unusual feature is that the card does not require a personal guarantee, so you won’t be held personally liable for your business debt. Furthermore, the Brex Card offers an exceptional rewards package geared toward common startup business needs, including a whopping 8x points on rideshare purchases if you make automatic daily card payments. For a charge card with no annual fee, the Brex Card packs quite the value punch.
American Express Platinum: Best Business Charge Card For Travel
American Express Platinum Card |
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Pros
- 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
- Rewards: 5x points on flights & prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com
- Annual Fee: $695
- Eligibility Requirements: Good/excellent credit
- Personal Guarantee Required: Yes
Charge cards are in American Express's wheelhouse, and its 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. Of course, with an annual fee of $695, it had better be!
The Amex Platinum's rewards program is weighted toward people on the go. The 5x reward tier offers an insane return on travel expenses as long as you can make them through Amex's first-party system. You'll also be able to earn statement credits through spending on hotels, airline fees, Walmart, Uber/Uber Eats, and more.
Points can be transferred to participating reward programs at variable rates. They can also be redeemed for statement credit as long as you have at least 1,000 points.
Get Started With American Express Platinum Card
American Express Business Gold Card: Best Business Charge Card For Customizable Rewards
American Express Business Gold Card |
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Annual Fee
$295Minimum Recommended Credit
GoodRewards Rate
4 or 1 points per $1 spentPros
- 4x rewards that fit your business spending profile
- No foreign transaction fee
- Book your flight with Amex Travel and get a 25% point refund
Cons
- $295 annual fee
- Lots of spending required to recoup the value of the annual fee
- Rewards: 4x points on two business spending categories of your choosing
- Annual Fee: $295
- Eligibility Requirements: Good/excellent credit
- Personal Guarantee Required: Yes
If the Platinum Card sounds too expensive and travel-focused, Amex also offers more general-purpose charge cards. The American Express Business Gold card may not quite come with the Platinum Card's 5x reward tier, but it's cheaper and extends a 4x reward tier that fits your business spending profile. The 4x rewards apply to the two categories from the list below where your business spends the most each billing cycle:
- Airfare purchases made directly with airlines
- US advertising purchases made online, on TV, and on the radio
- US computer hardware, software, and cloud system purchases from select tech providers
- US gas station purchases
- US restaurant purchases
- US shipping purchases
Of course, the $295 annual price tag is still rather steep, so you'll need to do quite a bit of business spending to realize the true value of the card.
Get Started With American Express Business Gold Card
American Express Plum Card: Best Business Charge Card For Cash Flow Management
American Express Plum Card |
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Annual Fee
$250 ($0 the first year)Minimum Recommended Credit
GoodRewards Rate
1.5% early pay discountPros
- Carry a balance for 60 days with no interest
- Earn 1.5% cash back on the portion of your balance you pay off within 10 days of your statement closing date
Cons
- $250 annual fee
- Low rewards rate compared to other Amex charge cards
- Rewards: 1.5% cash back on the portion of your balance you pay within 10 days of your statement closing date
- Annual Fee: $250
- Eligibility Requirements: Good/excellent credit
- Personal Guarantee Required: Yes
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. You'll also earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on the portion of your balance that you pay within 10 days of your statement closing date.
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.
Get Started With American Express Plum Card
American Express Business Green Rewards Card: Best Business Charge Card For Low Annual Fees
Annual Fee
$95Minimum Recommended Credit
ExcellentRewards Rate
2 or 1 point for $1 spentPros
- $95 annual fee
- 2x points on travel booked through amextravel.com
Cons
- The foreign transaction fee makes the card a poor fit for international travel
- Other charge cards offer more lucrative rewards
- Rewards: 2x points on travel purchases made through AmexTravel.com
- Annual Fee: $95
- Eligibility Requirements: Good/excellent credit
- Personal Guarantee Required: Yes
With a comparatively low $95 annual fee, the American Express Business Green Rewards card is Amex's low-cost business charge card. The Business Green Rewards card offers a simple rewards scheme: You'll earn an unlimited 2x points on travel purchases made through Amex's travel portal and 1x points on everything else.
The Business Green Rewards card is a decent option for business owners who make frequent domestic trips. However, the card's 2.7% foreign transaction fee makes the card a poor fit for international travelers. And even though the card sports a competitive APR on purchases if you use the Pay Over Time program (making the card more of a traditional credit card than a charge card), most businesses should be able to find a charge card that has a better rewards program.
Get Started With American Express Business Green Rewards
Corporate Card Review Methodology
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.
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.
Read more about our corporate card rating methodology.
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.
- If you’re still mulling your options and are also considering traditional business credit cards, check out our list of the top 11 business credit cards.
- If you’re specifically seeking a corporate credit card, see our rundown of the 8 best corporate cards for businesses.
- If you’re looking for additional types of business funding, have a look at our top business loans and lenders.
Business Charge Cards: FAQs
Jason Vissers
Senior Staff Writer at Merchant Maverick
Jason has been writing about small business software platforms, services, and financing since 2015. Jason’s expertise has been featured in Yahoo Finance, Time/NextAdvisor, Home Business Magazine, CreditCards.com, GoBankingRates, TheLadders.com, and other publications. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from San Diego State University and currently lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
View Jason Vissers's professional experience on LinkedIn.
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