Personal and small business cards issued by Bank of America are currently not available on CNBC Select and links have been redirected to our credit card marketplace where you can review offers from other issuers like American Express or Chase. You can also check out our list of best credit cards for alternative options.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
As a sole proprietor, there is no legal separation between you and your business. Still, it's beneficial to separate your business and personal expenses to simplify your bookkeeping and taxes.
Sole proprietors can use personal credit cards for business purposes, but it's generally easier to separate expenses with a business credit card. With the right business card, you can earn rewards, finance larger purchases, build your business credit history and take advantage of other business-related benefits.
You have many options if you're a sole proprietor seeking a small business credit card. To help you out, CNBC Select has narrowed down the best business credit cards for sole proprietors in a handful of practical categories. (See our methodology for information on how we chose the best sole proprietorship business credit cards.)
Best sole proprietorship business credit cards
- Best for cash back: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (see rates and fees)
- Best for travel rewards: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (See rates and fees)
- Best for premium perks: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Best for 0% intro APR: U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
- Best for bad credit: Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card
Best for cash back
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a flat-rate cash-back card with a strong intro-APR offer for purchases.
- Intro APR for purchases
- Valuable welcome bonus
- No annual fee
- You can't transfer rewards to travel partners without pairing it with another Chase card
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Earn 5% total cash back on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
Who's this for? The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is ideal for sole proprietors who value simplicity because it offers a generous flat cash-back rate on all purchases and has no annual fee.
Standout benefits: All purchases earn at least 1.5% cashback. This allows sole proprietors to focus on what matters to their business instead of spending time navigating a complicated rewards program.
Best for travel rewards
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is an excellent business card with useful benefits, valuable rewards and a generous welcome bonus.
- Earns flexible travel rewards you can transfer to airline and hotel loyalty programs such as World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Valuable welcome bonus worth $1,125 in travel when redeemed through Chase Travel
- Strong travel and shopping protections
- No intro APR offer
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Earn 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Go further when you book with Chase TravelSM. Enjoy competitive rates, seamless booking and premium benefits.
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Receive complimentary access to DashPass by DoorDash.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Who's this for? The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is ideal for sole proprietors who want to earn transferable travel rewards, with one of the most valuable welcome bonus offers and useful bonus business spending categories.
Standout benefits: This card has various built-in travel protections and earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be transferred to over a dozen airline and hotel travel loyalty programs. Points can also be redeemed for more toward travel through the Chase TravelSM portal.
Best for premium benefits
The Business Platinum Card from American Express is a premium business card loaded with statement credit offers for business services and travel that help justify its steep annual fee.
- Access to 1,550 airport lounges, including Priority Pass (Enrollment required) and Amex Centurion lounges
- Hotel and rental car elite status perks
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20+ airline and hotel loyalty programs (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned; Benefits may be subject to auto-renewal)
- High annual fee
- Limited bonus spending categories
- Some statement credit offers are earned in small increments or only apply to purchases from a single brand
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- As High As 300,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $20,000 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.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card company on the market as of 07/2025.
- See how you can unlock over $4,000 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
- Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- No Preset Spending Limit: The spending limit on the Business Platinum Card is flexible, so unlike a traditional credit card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.
- Make the Business Platinum Card® work even harder for you. Hilton for Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Gift cards are not an eligible purchase. Benefit enrollment required.
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- Use the Business Platinum Card and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
- Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
- Enroll and get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business* on the Business Platinum Card. *Subject to auto-renewal.
- Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
- Get up to $90 in statement credits quarterly for purchases with Indeed on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $360 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Get up to $10 in statement credits per month for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $120 back per year. Enrollment required.
- 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Who's this for? The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the best options for sole proprietors who value luxury travel benefits such as airport lounge access and automatic hotel elite status.
Standout benefits: This card offers a long list of travel benefits, including access to over 1,550 airport lounges through the Global Lounge Collection® (access is limited to eligible Card Members) and a $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals. Cardholders can enroll to receive Hilton Gold status, Marriott Gold status and premium rental car privileges with National, Avis and Hertz. Terms apply.
Best for 0% intro APR
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 good option for sole proprietors looking for a strong intro APR offer and still want to earn cash back. Typically, cards with longer intro-APR periods like this one offer fewer rewards and other benefits.
Standout benefits: The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card offers new cardmembers a 0% intro APR on both purchases and balance transfers for 12 billing cycles, after that, a variable 17.24% - 26.24% APR applies.
Best for bad credit
- Opportunity to transition to an unsecured card for qualified cardholders
- Flexible redemption options
- $1,000 minimum security deposit
- No welcome bonus
- No introductory 0% financing offers for purchases or balance transfers
Information about Bank of America cards has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.
Who's this for? If your credit needs work, the Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card can help you build your score while still earning rewards.
Standout benefits: Secured credit cards are designed for people with no credit history or weak credit scores. They typically don't offer many benefits or rewards, but this card is an exception, earning a competitive 1.5% cash back on every purchase. This return matches some of the top unsecured cash-back credit cards.
More on our business credit cards for sole proprietors
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
The Ink Business Unlimited card is a rewarding cash-back business card with an unusually generous welcome bonus for a no-annual-fee card.
Rewards
- 5% cash back on Lyft rides (through September 2027)
- 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
New Ink Business Unlimited cardholders receive an intro 0% APR on purchases for 12 months (after that, a variable 16.74% - 24.74% APR applies). This is an excellent offer that makes financing important business purchases more affordable.
You can add employee cards for no additional fee and take advantage of benefits such as purchase protection, extended warranty protection, roadside dispatch and travel and emergency assistance services.
If you have an eligible Ultimate-Rewards-earning card, like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, the cashback earned with this card can be converted into transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a popular business rewards card with a reasonable annual fee, excellent rewards rates and useful insurance benefits.
Rewards
- 5X points on Lyft rides (through September 2027)
- 3X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases in these categories each account anniversary year: Shipping, advertising (with select social media sites and search engines), travel, internet, cable and phone services
- 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee
$95
Notable perks
This card has no foreign transaction fees and does not charge extra to add employee cards. It also offers many built-in insurance benefits that apply to certain purchases, including:
- Cell phone protection
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Roadside dispatch
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty protection
- Rental car insurance (primary)
- Baggage delay insurance
- Lost luggage coverage
- Travel accident insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Travel and emergency assistance services
This is a longer list of travel and purchase protections than many other sub-$100 annual fee cards.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a premium card with an array of benefits that can easily offset its high annual fee.
Rewards
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
- 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
- Terms apply
Welcome bonus
You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $20,000 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
$895 (see rates and fees)
Notable perks
The Amex Business Platinum card offers a long list of valuable statement credit offers, including:
- Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- Up to $120 back per year for U.S. wireless telephone service provider purchases. Enrollment required.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
- Use the Business Platinum Card® and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- $120 back for application fees every four years for Global Entry or every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck (up to $85)
Cardholders enjoy automatic hotel elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy and have access to more airport lounges than any other card, including Amex Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges, Plaza Premium lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Delta Sky Clubs and Lufthansa lounges. Access is limited to eligible Card Members.
The card also boasts no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees) and many insurance coverages including, *return protection, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage insurance, extended warranty coverage, rental car insurance, cell phone protection and purchase protection.
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card packs a lot into a no-annual-fee business card. Not only does it offer a competitive intro APR offer, but it also has a strong welcome bonus and great cash-back rates.
Rewards
- 5% back on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the U.S. Bank Travel Rewards Center
- 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas 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
Cardholders can earn a $100 annual statement credit for recurring software subscriptions. To qualify, you need to make 11 consecutive monthly payments for an eligible software service, such as QuickBooks or FreshBooks.
Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card
The Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card is a solid cash-back card in and of itself but shines in comparison to other secured cards.
Rewards
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases
Welcome bonus
None
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
The required minimum deposit to open this card is $1,000 and your credit line is equal to the amount you deposit. It also has a handful of travel insurance perks including, up to $100,000 in travel accident insurance, lost luggage assistance and emergency ticket replacement.
FAQs
Can a sole proprietor get a business credit card?
A small business owner who is a sole proprietor is eligible for business credit cards. Many business card applications allow you to use your social security number as your business tax ID and don't require you to have an LLC or other complicated business structure.
Can I use my EIN to get a business credit card?
You can use an Employer Identification Number (EIN) to apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor. However, most business cards for sole proprietors require a personal guarantee, so reviews of your personal credit history and income are part of the application process.
Do business credit card applications verify personal income?
Most small business card applications require you to provide your personal income and social security number. The card issuer can use this information to determine your credit limit and whether you can afford the card's monthly payments.
Bottom line
Sole proprietors are eligible for most types of small business credit cards, including cards that earn cash-back, travel rewards and offer no-interest intro periods. You'll usually need a good to excellent credit score to qualify for the most rewarding cards, but if you have a lower credit score, some of the easiest business credit cards to get only require an average or fair credit score.
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 business credit card article 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 credit cards for sole proprietors.
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Our methodology
To determine which business cards offer the best value for sole proprietors, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of major small business credit cards. We compared each card on a range of features, including the annual fee, rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR and foreign transaction fees. 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 Business Platinum® Card from American Express, click here.
*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
*The Business Platinum Card® from American Express 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 $20,000 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.
