6 easiest business credit cards to get in June 026

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Business credit cards can streamline expenses, earn rewards and finance larger purchases. However, opening a new card is not always so easy. If you don't have a business credit report, issuers may rely on your personal credit score, which can make it hard to secure favorable terms.

CNBC Select reviewed dozens of popular business cards to see which are the easiest to get approved for in a variety of situations.

For more information on how we made this list, view our methodology.

Who's this for? The Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card is geared toward business owners with poor or bad credit. As a secured credit card, you'll need to put down a deposit of at least $1,000, which serves as your credit limit.

Standout benefits: Secured credit cards aren't very rewarding, but Business Advantage cardholders can earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. If you have a Bank of America Business Advantage 360 account, you can access your Dun & Bradstreet business credit score for free.

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Who's this for? If you're working on building (or rebuilding) your credit and want a 0% intro-APR, the Valley Visa® Secured Business Credit Card covers both of those needs.

Standout benefits: You'll get a 0% intro APR for six months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers. When the intro APR expires, a variable 16.20% to 27.75% APR applies. There is a 4% balance transfer fee with a $5 minimum.

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Pro tip: Pair it with a Bank of America business account

If you want to keep your business financial activity under one roof, open a Bank of America Business Advantage Fundamentals™ Banking account. Eligible customers who meet requirements can earn a tiered bonus: earn $400 bonus when you deposit $5,000+ in New Money within 30 days of account opening, and maintain that balance for the next 60 days or earn $750 bonus when you deposit $15,000+ in New Money within 30 days of account opening, and maintain that balance for the next 60 days. Offer expires 12/31/2026. Plus, deposits into Bank of America business accounts help you qualify for the Preferred Rewards for Business program, which can boost your credit card rewards and unlock lower fees and financing costs.

Who's this for? It's difficult to find an unsecured credit card that accepts applicants with less-than-ideal credit, but the *Capital One Spark 1% Classic is the rare exception.

Standout benefits: There are no annual or foreign transaction fees. and customers earn cash back while they're building their credit.

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Who's this for? Rather than your personal credit score, Brex evaluates your company's cash balances, revenue, and other business metrics. Unlike most cards, however, cardholders must pay off their balance in full either daily or monthly.

Standout benefits: Useful business features include expense management tools and discounts with various vendors.

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Who's this for? While the Discover it® Secured Credit Card is a personal credit card, it can still be useful for those who are preparing to apply for a business credit card in the future. Improving your personal credit now can help make it easier to get approved for business credit cards with more attractive offers down the line.

Standout benefits: Cardholders enjoy a unique welcome bonus: all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year is matched.

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Who's this for? The Ramp Business Card can help if your business is incorporated and you want to streamline your day-to-day processes. Plus, you'll earn cash back.

Standout benefits: Earn up to 1.5% cash back on every purchase and access deals and discounts through Ramp's partners, including QuickBooks, UPS and Amazon Web Services.

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The Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card is a secured credit card, geared toward applicants with poor or no credit scores. It requires a $1,000 minimum security deposit, which acts as your credit line, but Bank of America may eventually upgrade you to an unsecured card.

Rewards

• 1.5% cash back on all purchases

Welcome bonus

None

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

This card offers the ability to upgrade to an unsecured card after demonstrating positive credit habits for a certain amount of time. Cardholders also get access to cash flow management tools that let them schedule automatic payments and transfers as well as download transactions into QuickBooks.

Those with a Business Advantage 360 account can also access their Dun & Bradstreet business credit score for free.

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The Valley Visa® Secured Business Credit Card is a secured no annual fee business card that can save you interest on purchases and balances you transfer.

Rewards

• 1% cash back on all purchases 

Welcome bonus

None

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

You can take advantage of an intro 0% APR for the first six billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers, after that a variable 16.20% to 27.75% APR applies. The balance transfer fee is 4% of the amount you transfer, with a $5 minimum.

Your security deposit needs to cover 110% of the credit limit you want, up to $25,000.  

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The *Capital One Spark 1% Classic has lower credit score requirements than many cash-back business credit cards but still earns valuable rewards. Its other benefits are fairly limited, but the card has no annual fee, and once you build your credit, you'll be able to qualify for more valuable cards.

Rewards

• 5% back on hotels and rental cars you book through the Capital One Travel site
• 1% back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

None

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

The *Capital One Spark 1% Classic has no foreign transaction fees and offers roadside assistance and extended warranty protection. Account holders can request free employee cards and enjoy Capital One's business account management tools.

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The Brex Card is a charge card, so you won't be able to carry debt from one month to the next. All balances must be paid off in full either daily or monthly.

Rewards

Cardholders enrolled in Brex Exclusive Rewards who make daily payments earn the highest rewards:

• 7X points per dollar on rideshare
• 2X points per dollar on recurring software

Learn more about all reward multipliers and options here.

Welcome bonus

10,000 points when you spend $3,000 on your Brex card within three months of your Brex business account being opened.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

Although a card like the Brex Card may function like a debit card, it offers the standard suite of benefits that you'd expect from a credit card. In addition to the generous reward structure, cardholders can take advantage of benefits associated with the World Elite Mastercard® for Business program, including:

• Discounts on popular software for businesses, such as TurboTax, Microsoft 365, QuickBooks® and Salesforce Essentials
• MasterRental Insurance, which covers damage or theft of a rental car if you use your card to pay for it
• Complimentary ShopRunner membership, worth a value of $79 per year for perks like free return shipping and unlimited free two-day shipping
• Mastercard's Easy Savings program, which lets you score rebates for hotel stays, dining, car rentals, gas and other business expenses throughout the U.S.

There's also no limit to the number of employee credit cards you can get from Brex.

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The Discover it® Secured Credit Card can help business owners build their personal credit and eventually qualify for top business credit cards. It offers many benefits that are typically found with unsecured cards, including no annual fee, cash-back rewards, a generous welcome bonus and no foreign transaction fees.

Rewards

• Earn rewards and cashback on everything you spend
• 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter
• 1% cash back on all other purchases 

Welcome bonus

• Discover will match the cash back you earn during the first year with no minimum spending requirement or cap on the match.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

The Discover it® Secured Credit Card charges $0 in foreign transaction fees, which can save your business money if you frequently make purchases abroad. Plus, after seven months from account opening, Discover automatically reviews your credit card account to see if you can upgrade to an unsecured line of credit.

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The Ramp Business Card has a wide range of features that will make managing your business easier. To qualify for Ramp, your company needs to have at least $25,000 in a U.S. business bank account, be registered in the U.S. and have the majority of its operations and spending be in the U.S.

Rewards

• Up to 1.5% cash back on all purchases 

Welcome bonus

Get a $1,000 Ramp card upon approval. Limit one per new customer. No minimum spend required. 

Annual fee

$0, with a free subscription, paid subscriptions available

Notable perks

The Ramp Business Card offers a range of features designed to save your business time and money. You can set card spending limits and streamline expense tracking with automatic receipt matching. In addition, dozens of accounting software services integrate with Ramp.

The 1.5% cash back feature is determined on a case-by-case basis for all Ramp cards based on factors such as the company's industry and number of employees.

You'll also have access to perks from a massive list of business service providers. You can take advantage of deals and discounts on travel management services, sales and marketing tools and collaboration software.

Other benefits include:

• Rental car collision insurance (primary coverage)
• Purchase security
• Extended warranty protection
• Travel and emergency assistance services

In addition to straight cash back or gift cards, you can transfer Ramp rewards to airline and hotel partners at a 1.5:1 ratio (except where noted), including:

• Air France/KLM Flying Blue
• Cathay Pacific Cathay
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards (2:1)
• Etihad Guest
• EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club
• TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
• Wyndham Rewards

Business owners and account administrators can transfer points to an employee's airline or hotel loyalty account, as long as they are a Ramp user with the business requesting the transfer.

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To qualify for a business credit card, you must operate a business. This can be a full-time venture or a side gig, however — even freelancers and independent contractors can qualify.

Completing a business card application is similar to applying for a consumer credit card, in that you'll need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and personal income.

You'll also have to share business details, including:

• Business name
• Address and contact information
• Industry
• Business tax ID
• Annual revenue
• Number of employees
• Years in business
• Estimated monthly credit card expenses

Some of the business details on your application can match your personal information. For example, you can use your personal address and phone number as your business address. If you're a freelancer or don't have a registered business name, you can use your name as your business name.

Sole proprietors may be able to use an SSN as their business tax ID, but if you have an Employer Identification Number, you'll want to use that.

Most business credit cards designed for small businesses require a personal guarantee, which means your personal credit score factors into your approval. As with consumer travel and rewards credit cards, the most valuable options usually require a good to excellent credit score.

However, secured business credit cards are available if you have no credit history or a low credit score. This type of credit card requires an upfront refundable security deposit which determines your credit limit.

Corporate credit cards are typically available without a personal guarantee or a personal credit check. They are easier to get in that regard, but you'll need a larger business to qualify. Corporate cards may have a minimum revenue requirement or require a certain number of employees. Many small businesses won't meet those standards.

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 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 easiest business credit cards.

To determine which business credit cards are the easiest to get approved for, CNBC Select analyzed the most popular credit cards available to U.S. business owners with poor or average credit.

We compared each card on a range of features, including minimum and maximum security deposit, rewards (e.g., cash back, points and miles), annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back). 

We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.  

The main criteria in our ranking were the rewards rates and accessibility to a small business owner without good credit. The fewer costs a card required, and the more rewards it offered to offset them, the higher it ranked on our list.

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For rates and fees of the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, click here.

*Information about the Capital One Spark 1% Classic Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.