Compare the best business credit cards for travel

Earn powerful and flexible rewards through normal business spending.

For many people, travel rewards are the most lucrative rewards there are. That could be the case if you’re a business owner who spends countless hours working hard on trips across the country or across the world. Pick up a travel business credit card if you travel for business often, or simply want to save rewards for an occasional trip.

Our pick for business travel rewards

Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card

• Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• 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 - with no limit to the amount you can earn
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Redeem points for travel, cash back, gift cards and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
• No foreign transaction fees
• Employee cards at no additional cost
• $95 annual fee

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Compare business cards for travel

What do you want to know?

• 
  Compare other travel business cards
• 
  Best travel business credit cards
• 
  How to compare travel business cards
• 
  Why choose a business card for travel?

Best business credit cards for travel

Business credit cards that offer travel rewards are competitive, because jet-setting business owners are desirable customers. These cards are designed for businesses on the move, offering solid perks like cash back or rewards in tiered categories that include hotels, airfare and upgrades. Welcome bonuses can help your rewards take flight faster.

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• Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Best card for airfare and premium travel.
• Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card: Best for signup bonus and overall points.
• Spark® Miles for Business: Best for flat rewards across the board.
• Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card: Best for intro APR.

Best card for airfare and premium travel: Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® bonus points by spending $10,000 on purchases for the first 50,000 points and then another $10,000 for the next 25,000 points on their new card in the first 3 months.

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If you travel constantly — and like doing so in style — put the Business Platinum Card® from American Express on your shortlist.

The card offers accelerated rewards only on eligible flights and hotels through American Express Travel, so it’s much easier to earn meaningful rewards if you’re always on the go. Even if you can’t take advantage of these rewards, you might like the card’s suite of benefits.

• The perks

  • Welcome offer: Up to 50,000 Membership Rewards points.

    Spend $10,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of card membership to earn your first 50,000 points. When you spend an additional $15,000 on qualifying purchases within that period, you’ll earn another 50,000 points.

  • Rewards: 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels on American Express Travel.

    These are excellent rewards, and they’re most useful if you’re a frequent traveler.

  • American Express Global Lounge Collection.

    Access over 1,100 airport lounges around the world, including the best-in-class Centurion Lounge.

  • Fee credits.

    Receive a $200 airline fee credit and statement credit every four years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

  • Hotel status upgrades.

    Upgrade to Gold status in Starwood Preferred Guest and Hilton Honors without meeting stay requirements.

• What to watch out for

  • Annual fee.

    The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a $450 annual fee.

  • Not a normal credit card.

    It’s a charge card, so you need to pay off your balance each month.

Best for signup bonus and overall points: Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card

• Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• 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 - with no limit to the amount you can earn
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Redeem points for travel, cash back, gift cards and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
• No foreign transaction fees
• Employee cards at no additional cost
• $95 annual fee

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The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card is a powerful product, in part because it offers up to 3x points in common business categories. If your business has a high volume of spending in the card’s accelerated-rewards categories, take a serious look. You’ll like the points you’ll earn, and you’ll love that they’re worth 25% more when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

• The perks

  • Signup bonus: 80,000 bonus points.

    Spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months or card membership to earn the bonus. These points are worth $1,000 when you redeem them through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

  • Rewards: Up to 3x points in business categories.

    Earn 3x points on the first $150,000 you spend in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and eligible advertising purchases. Earn 1x points on all other purchases.

  • Point transfers to airline and hotel partners.

    Transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to nine airline programs and four hotel programs.

• What to watch out for

  • Annual fee.

    The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card has a $95 annual fee.

Best for flat rewards: Spark® Miles for Business

Spark® Miles for Business

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase for your business, with no blackouts or seat restrictions, and no minimum to redeem.

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Keeping track of accelerated-reward categories can take time. If you want to keep your rewards simple, check out the Spark® Miles for Business. It offers 2x miles on all purchases, with no cap on your earnings. This is a good rate for flat rewards, and it offers steady earnings on your everyday business expenses.

• The perks

  • Annual fee: Waived for the first year, then $95.

  • Signup bonus: 50,000 bonus miles.

    Spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of card membership to earn this bonus. These miles are worth $500 in travel rewards.

  • Rewards: 2x miles on all purchases.

    Earn 2 miles per dollar you spend on everything. There are no blackouts or seat restrictions for redemption, and there’s no minimum to redeem.

• What to watch out for

  • Annual fee starting the second year.

    The Spark® Miles for Business has a $95 annual fee starting the second year.

  • Apply with excellent credit.

    Capital One recommends this card only to business owners with excellent credit.

Best for intro APR: Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express

Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card

Earn 2x Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases on up to $50,000 with no category restrictions.

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When you anticipate heavy spending, an intro APR can be a lifesaver. If that’s what you’re after, look into the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express. Not only does it offer a market-leading intro APR promotion, it also offers impressive flat travel rewards.

• The perks

  • Annual fee: None.

    You might be surprised by the strength of the card’s rewards given the $0 annual fee.

  • Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months following your account opening.

    After that, your APR reverts to 13.49%, 17.49% or 21.49% variable depending on your creditworthiness. This leads the market in intro APRs among business credit cards.

  • Rewards: 2x points on all purchases.

    Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent in all categories, on up to $50,000 in purchases each year, then 1x points after that.

• What to watch out for

  • No welcome offer.

    You’ll find generous welcome offers with annual-fee business cards.

  • Cap on accelerated rewards.

    You’ll earn 2x points on only your first $50,000 in purchases each year. After that, you’ll earn 1x points.

How to compare business credit cards for travel

There’s no such thing as a perfect card. Rather, there’s a card that works well specifically for your business. While comparing different products, consider these factors.

• Annual fee. A good starting consideration for any credit card is what it’ll cost you out of pocket. Typically, you’ll pay either $0 or around $95 a year for a business credit card. For high-end cards, expect to pay upwards of $450 a year.
• Rewards. In considering an annual fee, think about how your business could benefit from the card’s rewards. Certain cards offer accelerated points or miles for specific categories. If you accumulate those rewards, you may find your card effectively pays for itself. If you don’t want to keep track of different reward tiers, go for a flat-rewards card that has offers like 2x miles on all spending. You’ll earn strong rewards, and you won’t wonder whether you’re optimizing your spending for the most points or miles.
• Card type. You’ll choose between a general, airline or hotel credit card. A general card is typically a good choice if your spending is dispersed throughout several categories or if you don’t travel much. You’ll earn points or miles you can spend on a variety of travel rewards, such as airfare, hotels, cruises and car rentals. Consider an airline or hotel card if you’re a loyal customer of a certain travel brand. For example, there’s a perfect card for you if you’re a power Delta flyer. And if you simply must stay at Marriott properties wherever you go, there’s a card with your name on it.
• Signup bonus. Business credit cards often come with lucrative signup bonuses. Before applying for one, consider whether you can reach its bonus spending requirement. You get one chance to fulfill the requirement — if you don’t meet it within a specified time, you won’t get another shot.
• Intro APR. A purchase or balance transfer intro APR is helpful especially when you have existing business debt or anticipate large business purchases. Any intro APR period 12 months or over is a good deal for a business card. Promotions generally top out at around 15 months.

Why choose a business credit card for travel?

• Separate personal and business expenses. There can be many benefits to getting a business card, such as establishing business credit history, keeping your personal credit utilization low and acquiring employee cards.
• You travel a lot. If travel is a big business expense, you might have a great reason to get a business credit card for travel. Most notably, you can earn significant rewards for activities like flying and staying in hotels.
• You want travel rewards. Even if you don’t travel much, a business credit card for travel might be useful. You can earn rewards throughout the year from normal business spending, then use your points or miles for an occasional getaway.

Can a business card affect my personal credit?

Bottom line

A business credit card for travel can be a good choice if you travel often or want to save rewards for occasional trips. To find the right card for you, evaluate products by weighing out the cost and rewards of each. Consider the cards we listed as our best picks.

If you’re not sure that a business credit card for travel is right for you, compare other business credit cards.

Frequently asked questions

• Do I need a tax ID number when I apply for a business credit card?

  You’ll need your tax ID number if your business is a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation. If you’re a sole proprietor, you may use your Social Security number.

• Can I add employees to my credit card account?

  With most business credit cards, you can add your employees to your account as authorized users. Most card providers will let you set employee spending limits and track spending.

• My business card application was denied. Why?

  There are many possible reasons a provider may deny your application. For example, you may have limited income, no business credit score or a lack of collateral.