The Best Business Credit Card

Best business credit cards for building credit

Starting a new business presents a unique set of financial hurdles. One of the biggest? Getting access to credit when you haven’t yet built a solid business credit profile. This can feel like a Catch-22: you need credit to grow, but you need to grow to get credit.

Many traditional lenders might turn away businesses without an established credit history or substantial collateral. But don’t despair! There are specific business credit cards designed to help startups and new ventures overcome this challenge.

Unlike conventional business credit cards and loans, these cards offer an accessible entry point for organisations to establish their credit profile while also providing vital working capital for daily operations. The right credit-building business credit card can help companies establish a credit history, forge relationships with major credit bureaus, and lay the groundwork for more favourable financing terms down the line.

For companies looking to establish or improve their credit, the right credit-building business credit card is an important first step. The cards we’ll explore here provide your business with access to working capital while simultaneously helping to build a credit profile that opens doors to better financing and more opportunities as your company grows.

 

Types of Business Credit Cards for Building Credit

 

Not all business credit cards are created equal when it comes to building credit, especially for companies without an established track record. Understanding the different types available can help you choose the option that best suits your company’s unique needs, as each offers distinct advantages and requirements.

 

Secured Business Credit Cards

 

Secured business credit cards require a cash deposit that typically dictates your credit limit. This deposit acts as collateral for any debt you accrue, significantly reducing the risk for card issuers. This makes these cards highly accessible to businesses with no credit history or even those working to improve poor credit scores.

While the deposit requirement might seem like a drawback, it’s precisely what makes secured cards effective for building credit. Since the issuer’s risk is minimised by your deposit, they’re more likely to approve applications from new businesses. Most secured business credit cards report your payment activity to major business credit bureaus, meaning responsible use directly contributes to building your credit profile.

Many secured cards also offer a clear path to an unsecured card. Once you demonstrate reliable payment habits, issuers may refund your deposit and transition your account to an unsecured business credit card. This makes them an excellent first step for organisations that need to establish credit quickly.

 

Corporate Credit Cards

 

Corporate credit cards are typically designed for growing and established businesses that have reliable revenue but may lack extensive established credit profiles. These cards often come packed with advanced features like expense management tools, employee card spend controls, and seamless integration with accounting and other software.

Corporate cards can be instrumental in building business credit because many providers consider business performance (like revenue and cash flow) when evaluating applicants, rather than solely relying on personal and business credit histories. And since corporate card programs generally report payments to the major credit bureaus, these cards can help you build business credit without relying on your personal credit, which offers countless benefits as your venture grows.

 

Traditional Business Credit Cards

 

Traditional business credit cards can have more stringent qualification requirements and often demand personal guarantees from the business owner. These unsecured cards do not require a deposit like secured cards but typically necessitate a combination of business revenue, time in business, as well as personal and business creditworthiness to qualify.

While traditional business credit cards often boast superior rewards programs and higher credit limits than secured cards, they can be challenging for new companies to obtain. However, some traditional cards are specifically designed for small businesses and startups, featuring more flexible qualification requirements and tools that support credit building. The key is to identify cards that report to business credit bureaus and have qualification criteria that your business can realistically meet.

 

The 4 Best Business Credit Cards for Building Credit

 

As your business seeks a credit card to establish or enhance its credit history, consider the following options to find the best fit for your organisation’s needs.

 

1. Brex

 

The Brex corporate card empowers startups and growing businesses with powerful spend controls and AI-powered expense management software that can significantly aid in building business credit. Brex evaluates applicants based on business performance, not personal credit, giving companies access to higher credit limits that truly reflect their business potential. Coupled with Brex’s sophisticated spend management tools and customisable card controls, businesses can confidently use Brex to spend smarter and move faster.

Features:

  • APR: N/A (This is a Business Charge Card; the balance is due in full each month.)
  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Minimum Credit Score: No minimum required (no personal credit check)
  • Personal Guarantee: Not required
  • Typical Spending Limit: 10-20x higher than traditional business credit cards

Key Benefits:

  • Higher Credit Limits: Brex evaluates applications based on business performance metrics like revenue and funding, potentially granting some companies credit limits that are 10-20 times higher than those offered by traditional business credit cards. As one of the best high-limit business credit cards available, Brex enables companies to make crucial purchases while maintaining the financial controls necessary for responsible credit building.
  • Spend Controls: Custom expense policies can be embedded directly into each Brex card. This allows finance teams to restrict spending on nearly any parameter, including by employee, department, category, amount, and even specific merchants. These controls prevent policy violations before they happen and keep spending in check, ensuring businesses maintain the payment discipline essential for building strong credit.
  • Real-time Budgets: Set budgets across teams or departments and track spending as it happens. Custom spend limits allow certain expenses to be automatically approved while routing others through smart approval workflows. This streamlined approach ensures money is allocated properly and that you can comfortably pay your balance every month.
  • Unified Platform: Brex provides a comprehensive platform to manage all aspects of cash flow, from bills and expense reimbursements to managing cash reserves and accounts payable. Accounting teams gain a more accurate picture of cash flow and can make informed decisions that support consistent payment practices and credit-building goals.
  • Physical and Virtual Cards: Businesses can issue both physical business credit cards for employees and virtual cards, such as purchase cards or ghost cards for specific vendors. Each card type can have custom spend policies that limit spending to particular vendors or categories, providing granular control over business expenses while simultaneously building credit history.

Why It’s Great for Building Credit:

  • No Personal Guarantees: Brex does not require personal guarantees or personal credit checks, allowing founders to completely separate their personal finances from their business. This helps you establish business credit without being tied to personal credit scores, creating the clean financial separation that’s essential for building independent business credit.
  • Reports Payments to Business Credit Bureaus: Brex reports payment activity to all three major business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business), which is crucial for building a robust business credit profile. Unlike some card issuers that only report missed payments or don’t report at all, Brex ensures your positive payment history directly contributes to your business credit score.
  • Payments Due Each Month: As a business charge card, Brex requires full payment each month rather than allowing balances to carry over. This structure prevents your business from accumulating debt that becomes difficult to repay and helps establish the consistent payment habits that credit bureaus reward with higher scores.
  • Limit Spending: Granular spend controls and real-time visibility into cash flow give your business complete command over all spending. This comprehensive oversight helps you plan and budget properly, ensuring your business can consistently meet its payment obligations and maintain the financial discipline necessary for strong credit building.

Who It’s Best For:

The Brex corporate card is ideal for startups, high-growth companies, and scaling enterprises that need credit limits that truly match their growth trajectory. With Brex, businesses can access higher credit limits without sacrificing control, thanks to embedded expense policies and automated approval workflows. Brex’s unified expense management platform tracks every transaction, providing complete visibility into cash flow and real-time data to confidently make decisions as you scale.

 

2. Valley Bank Visa Secured Business Credit Card

 

The Valley Bank Visa Secured Business Credit Card is designed for businesses that need to establish or rebuild their business credit profile. As a secured card, it requires a cash deposit that serves as collateral and determines your credit limit, making it accessible to businesses with no credit history or those actively working to improve damaged credit. This card reports your payment activity to major business credit bureaus, allowing responsible use to directly contribute to your business credit score.

Features:

  • APR: 15.20% to 26.50%
  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Minimum Credit Score: No minimum disclosed
  • Personal Guarantee: Requires a security deposit
  • Typical Spending Limit: Up to $25,000 (determined by deposit)

Key Benefits:

  • 0% introductory APR for the first six months
  • No annual fee
  • High credit limits available (up to your deposit)
  • Fraud protection

Who It’s Best For:

The Valley Bank Visa Secured Business Credit Card is best for business owners looking to build credit while taking advantage of its 0% introductory APR period. This feature allows businesses to make necessary purchases and spread payments over time without interest charges, providing valuable breathing room for newer companies establishing their financial footing.

 

3. FNBO Business Edition Secured Mastercard Credit Card

 

The FNBO Business Edition Secured Mastercard Credit Card is intended for small businesses that need to build or rebuild their credit. Credit limits are determined by your security deposit, which can range from $2,000 to $10,000.

Features:

  • APR: 24.99%
  • Annual Fee: $39
  • Minimum Credit Score: Not disclosed (likely flexible due to secured nature)
  • Personal Guarantee: Requires a security deposit
  • Typical Spending Limit: Up to $10,000 (determined by deposit)

Key Benefits:

  • Earns interest on the security deposit
  • Automotive rental insurance
  • Fraud protection

Who It’s Best For:

The FNBO Business Edition Secured card is best for small businesses with no credit history or a damaged history that do not require exceptionally high credit limits. It’s a solid choice for business owners with a decent personal credit score who don’t mind paying a modest annual fee to access basic features and build their business credit.

 

4. Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured Card

 

The Bank of America Secured Business Credit Card is designed to help small businesses establish or rebuild credit scores. As a secured card, businesses are required to provide at least $1,000 as a security deposit, which then determines your credit limit.

Features:

  • APR: 27.49%
  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Minimum Credit Score: No minimum
  • Personal Guarantee: Requires a security deposit
  • Typical Spending Limit: Up to $10,000 (determined by deposit)

Key Benefits:

  • 1.5% cashback on all purchases
  • Can transition to an unsecured card as credit improves
  • Redeem cashback as a statement credit, check, or deposit

Who It’s Best For:

The Bank of America Secured Business Credit Card is best for businesses that want to establish positive credit while simultaneously earning 1.5% cashback on all purchases. Since Bank of America also offers unsecured business credit cards, your business could seamlessly transition from the secured card as you establish a positive credit history, which makes this card one of the best secured business credit cards for long-term credit building.

 

Will Applying for a Business Credit Card Affect My Personal Credit Score?

 

Applying for a business credit card doesn’t always impact your personal credit score, but it’s a critical point to understand before you apply. In some cases, there can even be an ongoing effect on your personal credit, depending on the card issuer and your business structure.

Most business credit card applications result in a hard inquiry on your personal credit report during the approval process. If an issuer requires a personal guarantee from business owners, they’ll need to check your personal credit to evaluate your application. This hard inquiry can temporarily lower your personal credit score by a few points, but the impact is usually minimal and short-lived.

Nonetheless, the ongoing impact on your personal credit depends on how the card issuer reports account activity. While many business credit cards don’t report regular account activity (like your payment history) to personal credit bureaus, some issuers do. Depending on the issuer, responsible use of your business credit card could positively affect your personal credit score. However, if you miss payments, carry high balances relative to your credit limit, or default on the account, most issuers will report this negative activity to personal credit bureaus if your personal credit is tied to your business.

Some of the top business credit card providers offer cards without personal guarantees or personal credit checks. These cards base approval decisions on business factors like revenue and cash flow rather than personal credit history. These options can help you build business credit without putting your personal credit at risk during the application or account management process.

Before you apply for any business credit card, it’s essential to understand the specific policies of each card. Review whether the issuer requires a personal guarantee, how they report account activity, and what protections exist to separate your business and personal credit profiles.

 

Can I Get a Business Credit Card with Only My EIN?

 

Yes, you can get a business credit card using only your Employer Identification Number (EIN) without providing your Social Security Number (SSN) or relying on your personal credit. EIN-only business credit cards are specifically designed for businesses that want to keep their business and personal finances completely separate.

Most traditional card issuers require both your EIN and SSN during the application process. They use your personal credit history and a personal guarantee as primary factors for approval decisions, especially for newer companies that haven’t established extensive business credit yet. This approach reduces the issuer’s risk but creates personal liability for business owners.

However, some card issuers, like Brex, do offer EIN-only applications, even for startups and other growing businesses. These applications typically require more extensive business documentation, including financial statements, bank statements, and proof of business revenue. The approval criteria focuses intently on your business’s creditworthiness rather than personal credit history.

To qualify for EIN-only business credit cards, your organisation generally needs to demonstrate a certain level of established operation, often at least two years in business, strong business credit scores, and consistent revenue. Some issuers may also require higher minimum revenue thresholds or specific business structures like corporations or LLCs.

EIN-only cards can also help build business credit more effectively since the account activity is tied directly to your company rather than your personal credit profile.

 

Typical Qualifications for a Credit-Building Business Credit Card

 

Understanding how card issuers evaluate applications can help you create a stronger application and qualify for cards that best suit your business’s financial needs. While requirements for a business credit card vary by issuer and card type, most evaluate applications based on several key criteria.

  • Business Revenue and Cash Flow: Card issuers need to see that your business generates consistent income to be able to repay any debt. Most require consistent annual revenue, and for traditional business credit cards, minimum annual revenue requirements can range from $50,000 to $100,000. Keep in mind, some credit-building cards accept lower revenue thresholds or even companies with no revenue yet. Issuers also typically look beyond just revenue figures; they consider consistency and growth trends. They may request bank statements, tax returns, or financial statements to verify your reported revenue. Some modern card providers use open banking technology to analyse your business’s cash flow patterns directly from your bank accounts.
  • Time in Business: Many card issuers prefer businesses that have been operating for at least six months. This history demonstrates stability and provides a track record for them to evaluate. However, some cards designed specifically for startups and new businesses accept applications from companies that have been in business for just a few months or are still in the pre-revenue stage.
  • Personal Credit Score: Even for business credit cards, your personal credit score can play a significant role in approval decisions. Many issuers require a minimum personal credit score of 670 or higher, depending on the card type. Secured business credit cards typically have the most flexible credit score requirements, while some corporate credit card issuers offer startup business credit cards with no personal credit check.
  • Business Credit History: If your business already has an established credit history, issuers will review your business credit reports from agencies like Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. A strong business credit history can help you qualify for better cards and more favourable terms. However, many credit-building cards are specifically designed for businesses with limited or no prior business credit history.
  • Business Structure and Documentation: Card issuers require specific business documentation to verify your company’s legitimacy. This typically includes your EIN, business registration documents, and proof of your business address. Some issuers may only work with certain structures, such as corporations and LLCs, rather than sole proprietorships.
  • Personal Guarantee Requirements: Most business credit cards require a personal guarantee, making you personally liable for any debt. This requirement allows issuers to extend credit to newer businesses but creates personal liability for the founder. Founders who prefer not to entangle their personal financial reputation with their company’s can consider business credit cards that explicitly state they do not require a personal guarantee.

 

How to Effectively Build Credit with a Business Credit Card

 

Once you have a business credit card to build credit, how you use it is paramount to strengthening your credit profile. Strategic card use can accelerate your credit-building efforts, while poor habits can set back your progress or even damage your business credit score.

  • Keep Credit Utilization Low: Credit utilisation, or the percentage of your available credit that you’re currently using, significantly impacts your business credit score. Aiming to keep utilisation below 30% of your total credit limit can help establish a good credit score, but maintaining even lower utilisation rates can produce even better results for credit building. For example, if your business credit card has a $10,000 limit, try to keep your outstanding balance below $3,000 at any given time. This approach signals to credit bureaus that your business can access credit responsibly without becoming overly indebted.
  • Make On-Time Payments: Payment history is by far the most influential factor in determining business credit scoring models. Unlike personal credit, which typically allows a 30-day grace period before late payments affect scores, business credit can reflect even slight payment delays. Set up automatic payments to ensure you never miss a due date, and when possible, make payments before the due date.
  • Monitor Business Credit Scores: Regular monitoring ensures your responsible card usage is being properly reported to business credit bureaus and that there aren’t any mistakes. Check that your card issuer is reporting your account activity to major business credit bureaus like Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. Be sure to dispute any inaccuracies you find, as errors on your credit report can seriously undermine your credit-building efforts.

 

How Long Does It Take to Build a Business Credit Score?

 

While it’s possible to establish business credit relatively quickly, there’s no set rule for how long it takes to build a robust business credit score. In many cases, it can take two years or more to build strong business credit scores once your company has established the necessary groundwork.

To kickstart this process, establish the foundational elements like getting a business bank account, securing your first business credit card, and forging basic vendor relationships. Companies like office suppliers, shipping services, and wholesale suppliers often provide Net 30 payment terms with minimal qualification requirements, making them ideal starting points, provided they report payments to the major business credit bureaus. While this initial step can be time-consuming, don’t expect dramatic results during this phase.

Once you’ve laid the groundwork, you can begin the active process of building your credit. Again, this stage can take two years, but that can vary based on your organisation’s specific activity. Your consistent positive payment history during this time begins to generate meaningful credit scores. This intermediate stage typically opens doors to better credit products, higher limits with existing vendors, and qualification for business credit cards without personal guarantees.

After two years, businesses with consistent positive credit histories typically enter the established phase. At this point, credit scores can approach or exceed 80 on major bureau scales, signalling significantly reduced lending risk to potential creditors. This complete credit foundation brings tangible benefits, including improved approval odds for traditional bank loans, commercial real estate financing, and business lines of credit with more favourable terms.

The key to progressing successfully through these phases lies in consistent, on-time payments and strategic account management. Business credit scoring weighs payment history much more heavily than personal credit, meaning even one late payment can significantly impact your progress. Setting up automatic payments and maintaining low credit utilisation ratios can significantly accelerate each phase for your business.

 

Financial Management Tools to Build Business Credit

 

Successfully building and maintaining strong business credit requires the right financial management tools. From monitoring services that alert you to changes in your credit profile to software that helps automate payments, these resources can simplify your credit management process and help you avoid costly mistakes.

 

Expense Management

 

  • Brex: Brex integrates a powerful corporate card with AI-powered expense management software, helping businesses track and control spending while ensuring timely payments. Each card can be embedded with custom spend controls, while real-time budgets allow accounting teams to monitor expenses as they happen, ensuring payments don’t exceed your financial limits. Brex’s automated bill pay software streamlines accounts payable by automatically extracting data from invoices and routing payments through predetermined approval flows. This ensures payments arrive before due dates, which is essential to maintain the consistent payment history needed for building strong business credit.

 

Credit Monitoring Services

 

  • Dun & Bradstreet: Dun & Bradstreet offers monitoring of your D&B credit file, including alerts for changes to your scores and reports. Their CreditMonitor service provides unlimited access to your credit file and PAYDEX scores, along with industry benchmarking data to see how your credit compares to similar businesses. D&B also allows you to add positive payment history that might not otherwise be reported, potentially boosting your credit profile.
  • Equifax: Equifax’s Business Risk Monitor provides oversight of your Equifax business credit file with alerts for any changes or inquiries. The service offers access to your Business Credit Report and Business Credit Risk Score, along with tools to help you understand factors affecting your creditworthiness. Equifax also includes identity monitoring features to protect against business identity theft and fraud.
  • Experian: Experian’s Business Credit Advantage monitors your Experian business credit report with real-time alerts when changes occur. The platform includes score tracking, credit report disputes, and recommendations for improving your credit profile. Experian’s premium tiers offer additional features like competitor monitoring and industry risk assessments.

 

Accounting Tools

 

  • QuickBooks: QuickBooks offers extensive payment management features within its accounting software that support credit-building efforts. Beyond basic bookkeeping, it provides cash flow forecasting, payment reminders, and the ability to pay bills directly through the platform. QuickBooks Capital also offers financing options based on your business’s cash flow data.
  • Xero: Xero’s accounting software can help your business establish its business credit score through robust cash flow management tools and insights into your financial standing. With Xero, your business can efficiently send and receive invoices, ensuring that your business is making and receiving payments on time. Beyond that, Xero’s real-time financial reporting data gives you valuable insights into your overall business health, which can streamline the credit application process.

 

What’s the Best Business Credit Card for Building Credit?

 

The Brex card is unequivocally the best business credit card for building credit, thanks to its streamlined qualification requirements and powerful expense management software. Brex evaluates businesses based on revenue and other key business performance metrics, not personal credit scores or personal guarantees, making it accessible even for businesses that are just starting to build their credit.

As your business works to build credit, it’s essential that spending doesn’t outpace revenue. With Brex, the comprehensive spend management platform underpinning the Brex card provides your business with the precise tools it needs to build credit effectively, including accounts payable automation, real-time budgets, and complete visibility into all your cash flow. Crucially, Brex also reports payments to all three major business credit bureaus.

Brex enables businesses to monitor all cash flow from a unified platform, from cash reserves in business bank accounts to bill payments and credit card transactions. This comprehensive oversight ensures you can maintain the consistent payment history that drives strong business credit scores while simultaneously accessing the working capital your company needs to grow.

Made by Nacho, a successful e-commerce cat food brand, exemplifies this. Like many new businesses, they needed a corporate credit card solution that could genuinely grow with them. Their previous card solution, American Express, didn’t offer the flexibility the startup needed to move faster, so they made the switch to Brex.

“With Brex, we knew our employees wouldn’t have to wait for their manager to greenlight business-critical spending like rental cars and basic ad buys,” said Yasmin Siddiqui, Senior VP of Finance at Made by Nacho. “Also, they can now request credit limit increases as needed directly through the dashboard, enabling our finance team to approve in-policy spend within minutes. As long as the spend is approved in a department’s budget, it’s available on a team member’s Brex card.”

With Brex, Made by Nacho has been able to spend smarter and move faster. “Now we can have card access across the organization, keep everyone on budget, surface cost-saving opportunities, and allow our teams to focus on what really matters rather than stressing over expense reports or complex approvals for spend increases,” Yasmin added.

Ready to empower your business for growth? Sign up for Brex today to get a corporate card and expense platform that helps you build business credit and scales seamlessly with you as your business expands.