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Type what your business puts on a card each month. See which of 5 popular business cards earns the most after its annual fee, with every cap shown. Below that: how business credit works and how to build it for free.
| Example | Best fit | After fees |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000 a month, the default mix | Blue Business Plus | $1,100 |
| $4,000 a month, $1,000 office supplies + $1,000 phone and internet | Ink Business Cash | $1,440 |
| $15,000 a month, mostly general spending | Spark Cash Plus | $3,600 |
| $8,000 a month, $3,000 travel and ads, points at 1.5¢ | Ink Business Preferred | $2,533 |
| $2,500 a month, counting year 1 bonuses | Ink Business Cash | $1,386 |
Hand check, row 1: $5,000 a month is $60,000 a year. Blue Business Plus: 2 points × $50,000 + 1 point × $10,000 = 110,000 points, $1,100 at 1¢. Spark Cash Plus: 2% × $60,000 = $1,200 − $150 fee = $1,050. Ink Business Cash: 5% × $7,200 (office + phone) + 2% × $4,800 (gas + restaurants) + 1% × $48,000 = $360 + $96 + $480 = $936. Ink Business Unlimited: 1.5% × $60,000 = $900. Ink Business Preferred: 3 × $9,600 + 1 × $50,400 = 79,200 points = $792 − $95 = $697.
Row 3: at $180,000 a year, Spark Cash Plus refunds its $150 fee, so it keeps the full 2% ($3,600). Blue Business Plus drops to 1 point after $50,000 ($1,000 + $1,300 = $2,300).
| Card | Annual fee | What you earn | Welcome offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Ink Business Unlimited (Chase) | $0 | 1.5% on everything | $750 after $6,000 in 3 months |
| Chase Ink Business Cash (Chase) | $0 | 5% office supplies + internet/phone, 2% gas + restaurants (each on the first $25,000 a year), 1% other | $750 after $6,000 in 3 months |
| Chase Ink Business Preferred (Chase) | $95 | 3 points on travel, shipping, ads, internet/phone (first $150,000 a year), 1 point other | 100,000 points after $8,000 in 3 months |
| Capital One Spark Cash Plus (Capital One) | $150, refunded at $150,000+ a year | 2% on everything | $2,000 after $30,000 in 3 months, + $2,000 per $500,000 in year 1 |
| Amex Blue Business Plus (Amex) | $0 | 2 points on the first $50,000 a year, then 1 | Varies: Amex says apply to find out, as high as 50,000 points after $5,000 in 3 months (not counted here) |
Read on each issuer's page on October 21, 2026. Chase says its $0-fee Ink bonuses may not be available if you've ever had any Chase business card without an annual fee. Rates you only get through a travel site or on Lyft rides aren't counted. See every business card we track, with APRs, on best business credit cards.
Your business can have its own credit reports and scores at Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax. They're separate from your personal credit, though lenders often look at both for a small business (Experian).
Dun & Bradstreet's PAYDEX runs from 1 to 100. A higher number means you're more likely to pay on time. It's built from payment records your suppliers send to D&B, so ask the ones you pay on time to report (D&B).
An EIN from the IRS is free, and the IRS warns about sites that charge for one (IRS). A D-U-N-S Number from Dun & Bradstreet is also free to sign up for (D&B).
Applying usually takes your Social Security number and personal credit (Capital One). Amex says accepting a card can affect both your personal and business credit scores (Amex). If you sign a personal guarantee, you owe the debt if the business can't pay.
Most consumer credit card rules don't cover business-purpose cards (Reg. Z § 1026.3). Two still do: no card can be sent unless you ask for it, and your loss from unauthorized charges is capped at $50 (Reg. Z § 1026.12).
Unlimited, Cash and Spark pay cash back. Preferred and Blue Business Plus pay points; we count 1¢ each. Cashing points in for a statement credit can be worth less, so check the issuer's options and change the value in More options.
Education only, not financial advice. Card terms change; confirm on the issuer's page before you apply. Nothing you type is sent or saved by us. No company pays to be on this page, and there are no partner links.
It depends on what you spend. At $5,000 a month in a typical mix, Amex Blue Business Plus earns about $1,100 a year after fees. Heavy office supply, internet and phone spending favors Chase Ink Business Cash; $150,000+ a year favors Capital One Spark Cash Plus because its fee is refunded.
Get a free EIN from the IRS, open a business bank account, get a free D-U-N-S Number from Dun & Bradstreet, pay suppliers on time and ask them to report, and pay a business card in full every month.
Dun & Bradstreet's business payment score, from 1 to 100. A higher number means the business is more likely to pay on time. It comes from payment records suppliers send to D&B.
It can. Applications usually use your Social Security number and personal credit, and American Express says accepting a card may affect both your personal and business credit scores.
Facts and math only, not tax, legal or financial advice. Rules, rates and fees come from the IRS, state agencies and providers' own pages with dates; confirm with a tax professional, your state or the provider before acting.
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