The miles and points we’ve collected from travel credit cards have easily saved us over $10,000+ in travel expenses, and they have enabled us to enjoy luxurious experiences like business class flights and luxury hotel stays that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford.
Most people know, the quickest way to earn miles and points and “hack” your way to free travel is by signing up for travel credit cards. But most people only apply for personal credit card offers, and they don’t realize that they could also be earning points with small business credit cards.
Getting approved for a business card may be easier than you think, just check out this post. If you’re not applying for business credit cards, you’re missing out on a lot of value because many of these cards offer big sign-up bonuses and unique perks not found with personal cards.
If you’re ready to apply for your first (or next) business credit card, we’d love to help guide you through best current offers on the market. We’ve taken into account the welcome bonus, the spending bonuses, the additional perks, and the annual fees in order to bring you the top 10 small business credit cards for travelers.
If you still need help choosing a card after reading this post, we’d be more than happy to recommend a card (or two) for you! All you need to do is fill out this form.
Nate’s Note: Due to advertising restrictions, I am not allowed to link directly to any of these cards from this blog post. However, if you’d like to support our work, you can find the best offering of travel credit cards in the menu bar at the top of every page on our site, or use the link below. If you use any of these links, we will receive a commission, and we’ll be super grateful for your support 🙂
1. Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card
Current offer: 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 within the first three months.
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s great: When you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards, your points are worth 1.25 cents each which means the 80,000 point welcome bonus alone is worth $1,000 in free travel. You could also transfer your points to United, and after meeting the minimum spending requirement, you’d have enough points for a free roundtrip award flight from the U.S. to Asia!
This card ranks #1 because of the awesome sign-up bonus, but it also has great spending bonuses that will earn you even more points moving forward. You’ll earn 3x points on travel and other business expenses (including shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines) up to $150,000 in spending each year.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Cell Phone Protection up to $600
- Points can be transferred to 5+ airlines at a 1:1 ratio
- Points are worth 25% more when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards
2. Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card
Current offer: $500 Cash Back (or 50,000 Ultimate Reward Points) after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months.
Annual fee: $0
Why it’s great: The sign up bonus on this card is advertised as $500 cash back, but if you have another card that earns Ultimate Reward points (such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or the Ink Business Preferred) you can turn your $500 cash back bonus into 50,000 Ultimate Reward points.
The 50,000 points you earn from the welcome bonus will be worth at least $500 in free travel, and if you have one of the cards mentioned above you can transfer the points to 8 airlines at a 1:1 ratio. The reason this card has earned the #2 spot is because it has an awesome sign-up bonus and a $0 annual fee. Plus, it earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase, which means it’s great for purchasing things that don’t fit into bonus categories on other credit cards.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- Purchase protection (covers new purchases up to 120 days)
- Rental car insurance
2.1 (tied for second) Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card
Current offer: $500 Cash Back (or 50,000 Ultimate Reward Points) after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months.
Annual fee: $0
Why it’s great: This card offers the exact same benefits as the Ink Business Unlimited (mentioned above). The only difference is the bonus points you’ll earn on certain spending categories. Instead of earning 1.5% on every purchase, you’ll earn bigger bonuses spending money in certain categories and 1% on everything else.
5% on purchases at office supply stores and online, plus cable and phone services (up to $25,000 per year)
2% on purchases at gas stations and restaurants (up to $25,000 per year)
1% on all other purchases
The reason this card is tied for second with the Ink Business Unlimited is because I can’t rank one higher than the other without knowing where you spend the majority of your money. If most of your spending fits into one of the bonus categories mentioned above, definitely sign up for this card. However, if most of your spending doesn’t fit into one of these specific categories, sign up for the Ink Business Unlimited to earn 1.5% on all of your purchases.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- Purchase protection (covers new purchases up to 120 days)
- Rental car insurance
3. Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
Current offer: 50,000 miles after spending $4,500 in the first 3 months.
Annual fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
Why it’s great: The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is grabbing the #3 spot for its generous early spend bonus and 2x bonus for every $1 spent. The reason I love this card is it keeps everything super simple. You earn 2x points on every purchase. There’s no need to keep track of spending categories. Plus, the points are super easy to use. There’s no need to search for award flights that may or may not be available. Instead, each point is worth $.01 of free travel on any airline!
If you don’t want to pick up the hobby of travel hacking, but you still want to get a ton of value from a new business credit card, this is the card for you.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
4. CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®
Current offer: 50,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $2,500 in the first four months.
Annual fee: $99 (waived the first year)
Why it’s great: 50,000 American Airlines miles is enough for two round-trip tickets to the Caribbean or more than enough for a round-trip ticket to Europe. The main thing this card has going for it is this sign-up bonus. This probably isn’t the card you want to use for your everyday business spending unless you’re spending a lot of money with American Airlines (in which case you’ll earn 2x the points).
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Your first checked bag is free on domestic AA flights
- You get preferred boarding on AA flights
5. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Current offer: 60,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Annual fee: $90
Why it’s great: 60,000 is a very generous welcome bonus. Southwest points are worth roughly 1.4 cents each, which means the sign-up bonus alone is worth $840 in free Southwest flights. If you spend most of your time flying in or around the U.S.A., you’ll be able to get a ton of value out of this card. Plus, it’s a great way to earn 60,000 points towards the Southwest Companion Pass!
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- 6,000 points every year after your cardmember anniversary (aka 6,000 points every year your keep the card and pay the annual fee)
6. United℠ MileagePlus Explorer Business Card
Current offer: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Why it’s great: United is currently my favorite frequent flyer program because I’ve found they have the best award space availability. This means the points are easier to use, and you usually have more options. This card is a great way to earn 50,000 United miles quickly.
50,000 points is enough for 2 round trip flights within North America, and if you spend $10,000 on the card and rack up 60,000 total points, you’ll have enough points for a round-trip flight to Europe.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- 2 one-time use United Club passes that entitle you to United Club lounge access
- Priority Boarding on United flights
- Your first checked bag is free on United flights when you use your card to pay for the flight
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $25,000 each year
- No foreign transaction fee
7. Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express
Current offer: 100,000 after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.
Annual fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
Why it’s great: 100,000 bonus points can be redeemed for a great stay at many Marriott or SPG properties, but what’s even more exciting to me is that the points can be transferred to 20+ airlines at a 3 to 1 ratio. Plus, you’ll get a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer. This means if you wait until you have 120,000 points saved up, you could turn those 120,000 points into 50,000 miles on 20+ airlines!
In addition, every year you renew your card membership, you’ll be rewarded with a free night at any Marriott or SPG property (up to 35,000 points).
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Earn 6x points per $1 spent at Marriott and SPG properties
- Complimentary Silver Elite Status
- Or spend $35,000 on the card in a calendar year and earn Gold Elite status
8. The Business Gold Card from American Express
Current offer: 70,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months. Terms Apply.
Annual fee: $375
Why it’s great: The 70,000 point welcome bonus is worth $700 in free travel. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to transfer these points to a number of airline and hotel programs to potentially get even more value.
Additionally, if you value Membership Reward points, it’s not a bad card to use for everyday spending.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
9. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Current offer: 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months.
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s great: This card packs in a ton of benefits, especially if you’re loyal to Hilton. To start, 130,000 points is a very generous welcome bonus. Plus, if you do spend money staying at Hilton properties, this will be the card you want to use because you’ll earn 12x points for every $1 spent with Hilton.
Just by signing up for the card you’ll get complimentary Hilton Gold Status. If you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, you’ll get a free weekend night. And if you spend an additional $45,000, you’ll get a second free weekend night.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- Priority Pass membership that is good for 10 free airport lounge visits
10. Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card
Current offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 in the first 6 months. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 Bonus Miles after you make an eligible Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 6 months. Offer Expires 10/25/2023.
Annual fee: $650
Why it’s great: Although I don’t love Delta, this card does offer a great welcome bonus of 100,000 Delta SkyMiles, and it would rank higher if it wasn’t for the $550 annual fee.
Other benefits worth mentioning:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Priority Boarding
- 20% off in-flight purchases
That wraps up our review of the top 10 small business credit cards for travelers. If you’re ready to start saving big on travel by strategically utilizing a small business credit card, click the button below to find the right travel credit card for you.
Henry says
Nate, not a fan of Amex Blue Business Plus? This card is perfect if you want a perfect Amex trifecta with Platinum and the new Gold.
Brittany & Jason says
Hi guys! Thanks for the info! We’re looking into business credit cards right now, so the recommendations are much appreciated. Question: Because you are a couple, how do you handle authorized users and such given the 5/24 rule? Is it possible for both of us to have access to every card/credit line when pursuing travel hacking? And do you both apply for each type of card? Thanks for your guidance!
nbuchan1 says
You can add your spouse as an authorized user on a business credit card and it definitely won’t count towards their 5/24. Add them as an authorized user COULD count towards the 5/24, but that’s a grey area. Check out the post below about how couples can maximize thier points with credit cards.
How Married Couples Can Maximize Credit Card Rewards