Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Entertaining business clients, ordering catering for events and paying for employees' meals can add up. So it makes sense to find the best business credit card for your dining expenses.
With the right credit card, you can turn all that eating out into award flights, hotel nights or cold hard cash back. As you're considering which credit card is right for your business, pay attention to the types of rewards you'll earn, the card's fees and other card benefits.
CNBC Select reviewed dozens of the most popular business credit cards to determine the best options for dining purchases. (See our methodology for information on how we choose the top dining business credit cards).
Best business credit cards for dining
Best for travel rewards
The American Express Business Gold Card maximizes spending with flexible bonus reward categories based on where your business spends the most.
- Earn up to $545 in credits every year for eligible business purchases
- Generous bonus rewards categories with high spending caps
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs
- High annual fee
- Statement credit offers are earned on a monthly basis and only apply to specific purchases
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- As High As 200,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
- Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx (through 10/01/2026), Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
- Enroll and get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business* on the Business Gold Card. *Subject to auto-renewal.
- Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits per calendar year for U.S. purchases with Squarespace. Subscription purchases subject to auto-renewal.
- Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
- The Business Gold Card comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and White Gold. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
- Terms Apply
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Who's this for? The American Express® Business Gold Card is ideal for small business owners who want to earn valuable travel rewards. It earns 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
Standout benefits: This card offers baggage insurance, trip delay insurance, secondary rental car insurance*, no foreign transaction fees and up to 99 employee cards (see rates and fees).
* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Will the annual fee pay off?: The biggest selling point of this card is how easy it makes it to earn Amex points. Experts value Amex points at two cents each, which means you'd need to earn at least 14,750 points to effectively offset the annual fee — or just $3,688 in spending each year in the card's 4X bonus categories.
Best for cash back
The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card is a no-annual-fee business card that earns cash back rewards on a variety of business and everyday categories.
- Annual $100 software statement credit
- Valuable welcome bonus
- Has a foreign transaction fee
- Not very rewarding for purchases you make outside of the bonus categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $750 in cash back. Just spend $6,000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days of opening your account.
- Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas and EV charging stations (transactions of $200 or less)*, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants (*excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs).
- 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
- Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Center when using your card.
- Take control of your card spend with U.S. Bank Spend Management—a game-changing platform for monitoring and managing business expenses.
- No limit on total cash back earned.
- Redeem Cash Rewards right away or save them for later. Cash Rewards do not expire as long as the account remains active.
- Earn an annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription expenses such as FreshBooks or QuickBooks.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Balance transfer fee
Either 5% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater.
Who's this for? The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card is a perfect fit for business owners who value the simplicity of cash back. It earns 3% back at restaurants and a handful of other useful categories.
Standout benefits: Cardholders can earn an annual $100 software credit after making 11 consecutive monthly purchases with an eligible software provider.
Will the annual fee pay off?: This card has no annual fee, so all of the rewards, bonuses and benefits you earn are profit from day one.
Best for no annual fee
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a great option if you're starting a business because it's affordable, earns flexible travel rewards and offers an intro-APR on purchases for a year.
- Valuable intro-APR offer for purchases for 12 months
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20+ airline and hotel loyalty programs
- No annual fee
- Bonus rewards for purchases are capped
- Few useful travel insurance benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 16.74% - 28.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
- You've got the power to spend above your credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Who's this for? The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is ideal for small business owners who value simplicity. The card doesn't have confusing bonus categories to keep track of — it simply earns 2X American Express Membership Rewards points on all purchases up to $50,000 per year, then 1X. Terms and limitations apply.
Standout benefits: New card members receive a 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 12 months from account opening (after, 16.74% - 28.49% variable; APR will not exceed 29.99%; see rates and fees).
Will the annual fee pay off?: This card has no annual fee (see rates and fees).
Best for airline miles
Who's this for? The United℠ Business Card is useful if United is your preferred airline and you want to earn airline miles for your business dining expenses. It earns 2X United miles at restaurants and has perks that are useful for United frequent flyers.
Standout benefits: This card comes with two United Club lounge passes per year (Cardmember or authorized user must be present when redeemed for two free passes), the first checked bag free (for the cardholder and a companion), priority boarding and 25% back on inflight purchases and United Club premium drink purchases.
Will the annual fee pay off?: This card has an intro annual fee $0 for the first year, then $150 annual fee. If you travel with United Airlines even a few times a year, the benefits can easily outweigh the cost. For example, the two included United Club lounge passes alone are worth over $100. Plus, you can save up to $160 per roundtrip flight on checked bags if you're traveling with a companion, thanks to the free checked bag benefit.
More on our top business credit cards for dining
American Express® Business Gold Card
The American Express® Business Gold Card stands out for its flexible bonus reward categories based on where your business spends the most.
Rewards
- 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.*
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases thereafter
Eligible spending categories for the 4X bonus include:
- Purchases at US media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
Welcome bonus
You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Annual fee
$375 (see rates and fees)
Notable perks
The main appeal of the American Express Business Gold Card is its ability to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.* However, it also comes with access to various expense management tools and travel and purchase insurances. Eligible purchases automatically qualify for baggage insurance, trip delay coverage, purchase protection and extended warranty protection*.
* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card is a no annual fee card that earns cashback across multiple useful bonus categories.
Rewards
- 5% cash back on prepaid car rentals and hotels booked through the U.S. Bank travel center
- 3% cash back at gas stations and EV charging stations (transactions of $200 or less; excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs), office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants
- 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Welcome bonus
Earn $750 in cash back. Just spend $6,000 on the Account Owner's card in the first 180 days of opening your account.
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card has a generous 0% intro APR offer. For purchases and balance transfers, you'll get 0% intro APR for the first 12 months, then the regular APR of 17.24% - 26.24% applies.
Card members can also earn an annual $100 statement credit for eligible software purchases. To qualify for this credit, you'll need to make 11 consecutive eligible monthly software purchases directly with the software provider.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a stand-out no-annual-fee business card (see rates and fees) due to its generous returns on everyday business expenses.
Rewards
- 2X points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent per year on everyday business purchases (then 1X point per dollar thereafter). Terms and limitations apply.
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months of card membership.
Annual fee
$0 (see rates and fees)
Notable perks
The Amex Blue Business Plus is useful if you're looking to finance a business purchase. It offers an introductory 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months from account opening (then, 16.74% - 28.49% variable; APR will not exceed 29.99%; see rates and fees). It also provides access to Expanded Buying Power*, extended warranty coverage, purchase protection, rental car insurance and the ability to link with Quickbooks for simplified accounting.
The American Express points you earn with this card transfer to 19 airline and hotel loyalty programs, so there are lots of possibilities for maximizing your Amex points.
*The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.
United℠ Business Card
The United℠ Business Card card is an airline business card with a reasonable annual fee and money-saving perks for frequent United flyers.
Rewards
- 2X miles per dollar on United purchases, gas stations, dining, office supply stores and local transit (rideshares, tolls, mass transit, taxis, trains)
- 1X mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 100,000 United MileagePlus bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after spending $5,000 on qualifying purchases in the first three months of opening an account.
Annual fee
$0 Intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 Annual Fee
Notable perks
The United Business Card's priority boarding, 25% off inflight purchases and free checked bag benefits can save you money and time. Frequent flyers can qualify for a $125 in United travel credits (i.e., TravelBank cash) after making five United flight purchases of $100 or more each calendar year. And when you're traveling on all those United flights you've purchased, you can relax at a United Club lounge with the two free passes you get each year (normally $59 per day pass). Cardmember or authorized user must be present when redeemed for two free passes.
Just by having this card, you'll have expanded access to low-priced, saver award flights. Plus, United elite members who have this card get access to upgrades on award flights. To complement these benefits, the card helps you earn elite status more quickly by providing 1 PQP for every $20 spent on purchases with your Business Card, up to 4,000 PQP per year.
If you pair this business card with a personal Chase United® credit card and this business card, you'll receive a 5,000-mile "better together" anniversary bonus. Card members are also eligible for one year of complimentary DashPass membership, allowing you to save on food deliveries.
Other kinds of business credit cards to consider
The best business cards to consider are the ones that best align with your business needs. Having a separate business card for dining expenses can make sense if that is a big part of your budget. But if not, you'll want a card that rewards you for more than just eating out.
Aside from where the card earns rewards, also pay attention to the type of rewards the card earns. Cash-back business cards are useful because it's money you can add to your bottom line. But if travel is an essential part of your business, then travel rewards may be more valuable.
Some business cards have no annual fee and others come with large annual fees. Usually, if a business card has a higher annual fee, it'll have more valuable benefits. These perks can make the annual fee worth paying, but only if you'll take advantage of the benefits. So before you pay a big fee just to have a card, make sure you'll get more in return than what you're paying.
FAQs
Does it make sense to get a business credit card just for dining?
Whether you should get a business credit card just for dining depends on how much you spend on eating out. If dining is not your main business expense then you might want to consider a card that offers other benefits as well.
What Amex business card is best for restaurants?
The best American Express business card for restaurants is the American Express Business Gold Card. It earns 4X Membership Rewards points on purchases in the top two categories you spend the most in each billing cycle (including U.S. restaurants) on up to $150,000 in combined purchases a year, then 1X points.
Which Citi business card is best for dining?
The Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi is the best Citi business credit card for dining. It earns 3% back on restaurant and travel, 4% on gas and EV charging, 2% on Costco purchases and 1% on everything else. see
Is it better to use a business debit card or credit card to buy dinner at a restaurant?
It's usually better to use a credit card for business dining expenses than a debit card or cash. Most debit cards don't offer rewards or other benefits. A typical business rewards credit card or business cash-back card will be far more lucrative than just about any debit card.
Bottom line
Food can be a significant business expense, and with the best business credit cards for dining, you'll be rewarded for those purchases. You can earn everything from cash back you can use to offset your bills to flexible travel rewards that transfer to airline and hotel loyalty programs. On top of that, many of these cards offer additional money-saving benefits such as travel and purchase protections and statement credits.
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Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit business card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best business dining credit cards.
Our methodology
To determine which business cards offer the best value for dining, CNBC Select analyzed the most popular credit cards available to U.S. business owners. We compared each card on a range of features, including the annual fee, employee card fee, rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is to redeem points.
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Read more
For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
American Express® Business Gold Card Welcome Offer: To view your personalized offer, you must first submit an application. If approved, you will: (1) receive your Welcome Offer details, (2) have the option to accept the Card with that offer, (3) be required to spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership, and (4) earn Membership Rewards® points. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. If you're approved and accept your offer, a credit check may be conducted, which could impact your credit score. Terms apply.
