Compare small business credit cards for fair credit

Best business credit cards for fair credit

It’s not easy getting a business card with fair credit. However, you’re not out of luck. Capital One offers a good option, and you might qualify for secured business cards. You can also consider alternative business funding.

Best charge card with no personal guarantee

Brex 30 Card

Finder rating 4.9 / 5 ★★★★★

Apply now on Brex's secure site

Applying for the Brex 30 Card doesn't affect your credit score. And it doesn't require a personal guarantee as most business cards do. If you make it your exclusive corporate card, you'll earn 8x points on rideshare services, 5x points through Brex Travel, 4x points on restaurants, 3x points on recurring software and 1x points on all other purchases.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Other reasons to get the card: There's no annual fee. You'll get access to Brex partner offers, which offer discounts and credits at select business merchants. And if you're approved, you can start using your card through a virtual card right away.

  Cons

  • What to watch out for: Unlike the other cards on this list, the Brex 30 Card is a charge card. This means you must pay off your balance in full after each billing period, which could put a crimp on your cash flow.

• More details

  Annual fee	$0
  Purchase APR	N/A
  Balance transfer APR	N/A
  Welcome Offer	Up to $150,000 worth of credits and offers for business services like Amazon Web Services, Slack, Zoom, Google Ads and more
  Estimated welcome offer value	$150,000 based on Finder's valuation
  Rewards	8x points

Welcome Offer	Other points
Rewards	8x points
Annual Fee	$0
Minimum Credit Score	New to credit

Apply now on Brex's secure site

Best line of credit for business owners with fair credit

Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card

Finder rating 3.1 / 5 ★★★★★

Apply now on WebBank's secure siteTerms apply, see rates & fees

The Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card isn't a credit card. Rather, it's a card that lets you draw from a line of credit. If you're having trouble getting approved for other products on this list -- for which you'll have a better chance of approval with at least a fair credit score -- the Petal® 2 "Cash Back, No Fees" Visa® Credit Card may offer better chances. The company reportedly accepts applicants with credit scores as low as the 500s, although approval is never guaranteed.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Other reasons to get the card: There's no annual fee, and according to Kabbage, your credit won't be affected. If you're approved, you can access funds from your line of credit immediately.

  Cons

  • What to watch out for: You can apply only if your business has been in operation for at least a year. It must show annual revenues of at least $50,000 or $4,200 a month over the last three months. Kabbage charges a monthly fee of 1.5% to 10% that's higher during the first portion of your loan term and lower during the latter portion. Depending on when you decide to pay off your loan and what your rate is, your effective APR could be reasonable -- somewhere under 20% -- or it could easily shoot past 100%.

• More details

  Annual fee	$0
  Purchase APR	12.99% to 26.99% variable
  Balance transfer APR	N/A
  Welcome Offer	N/A
  Rewards	10% cash back

Welcome Offer	n/a
Rewards	10% cash back
Annual Fee	$0
Minimum Credit Score	New to credit

Apply now on WebBank's secure siteTerms apply, see rates & fees

Best business credit card for fair credit

Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business

Finder rating 3.6 / 5 ★★★★★

Read review

Providers prefer customers with good to excellent credit scores. That said, you may have difficulty getting a business card if your credit is average. The Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business might offer an opportunity. It's an unusual product because it's an unsecured business card specifically aimed at business owners with average credit. Typically, you may have trouble getting approved for an unsecured card with a FICO score below 580.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Other reasons to get the card: Not only will you pay a $0 annual fee, but you'll also earn unlimited 1 cash back on all purchases. While these aren't spectacular rewards, they're a good deal for a fair-credit card.

  Cons

  • What to watch out for: The card's main drawback is its 26.99% variable APR. That's a very high interest rate, so strongly consider paying off your balance in full each month.

• More details

  Annual fee	$0
  Purchase APR	26.99% variable
  Balance transfer APR	26.99% variable
  Welcome Offer	N/A
  Rewards	1% cash back

Welcome Offer	n/a
Rewards	1% cash back
Annual Fee	$0
Minimum Credit Score	580

Read review

Best secured credit card with flat-rate rewards

Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card

Finder rating 4.1 / 5 ★★★★★

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The Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card lets you choose between two reward structures. You can earn 1.5 cash back on net purchases. Or, you can earn 1x points on net purchases and receive bonus points each billing period your company spends at least . For the second option, you'll also get a 10% point credit when redeeming points online.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Other reasons to get the card: You can get a credit line up to $25,000 with the requisite deposit. There are no foreign transaction fees, so the card can be helpful on international business trips. And compared to other secured products, the card offers a reasonable purchase APR: 15.15% variable.

  Cons

  • What to watch out for: The card has a $0 annual fee. That's lower than you'll find with other secured business cards, but it can still be a pesky cost you'd rather not pay. And if you choose the cashback option, you'll receive your rewards quarterly, that is, in March, June, September and December.

• More details

  Annual fee	$0
  Purchase APR	15.15% variable
  Balance transfer APR	N/A
  Welcome Offer	N/A
  Rewards	1.5% cash back

Welcome Offer	n/a
Rewards	1.5% cash back
Annual Fee	$0
Minimum Credit Score	300

Read review

Best secured credit card with tiered rewards

BBVA Secured Visa® Business Credit Card

The BBVA Secured Visa® Business Credit Card offers 3x points at office supply stores and 2x points at restaurants and gas stations, which are especially strong rewards for a secured card. It offers 1x points on other purchases. Furthermore, you can get discounts at select merchants by enrolling your card in Visa SavingsEdge.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Other reasons to get the card: The card has no annual fee for the first year, then an ongoing $40 annual fee. Adding employee cards to your account is free, unlike with the Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card. And the card has a 16.24% variable purchase and balance transfer APR, which is reasonable for a secured product.

  Cons

  • What to watch out for: You'll pay a $40 annual fee starting your second card year. Your available credit will be only 90% of your deposit. And you can apply for this card only if you're in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, California or New Mexico.

• More details

  Annual fee	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($40 thereafter)
  Purchase APR	16.24% variable
  Balance transfer APR	16.24% variable
  Rewards	3x points

Welcome Offer
Rewards	3x points
Annual Fee	$40 ongoing
Minimum Credit Score	580

Best for improving personal credit score with potentially low deposit

Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card

Finder rating 4.4 / 5 ★★★★★

Apply now on Capital One Bank®'s secure site

The Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card isn't a business product, but it's one of the best secured cards for personal use. It can be a good pick if you want to steadily improve your credit score before applying for a business card. And it differentiates itself with its security-deposit promotion: You can get a $200 credit line with a $49, $99 or $200 deposit depending on your creditworthiness.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Other reasons to get the card: You'll pay no annual fee or balance transfer fees. You may also get a higher credit line with no additional deposit after 6 months of responsible use.

  Cons

  • What to watch out for: The card comes with a very high 26.99% variable APR on all balances.

• More details

  Annual fee	$0
  Purchase APR	26.99% variable
  Balance transfer APR	26.99% variable
  Welcome Offer	N/A
  Rewards	None

Welcome Offer	n/a
Rewards	None
Annual Fee	$0
Minimum Credit Score	New to credit

Apply now on Capital One Bank®'s secure site

How to improve your credit

You’ll likely have your pick of business credit cards if your credit score is good. The application process could be frustrating, however, if you don’t have the best score.

One way to get around this problem is to apply with a card provider that doesn’t check your credit. The OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card is a good option. If you’re approved, simply make card payments on time and keep your credit utilization low. In time, you can see a steady improvement in your credit score.

Another method is to take out a credit-builder loan. A bank will deposit a small amount of funds into a savings account — typically $500 to $1,500 — that you can access only once you’ve paid off the entire loan. Because your payments are reported to the credit bureaus, you’ll see an uptick in your credit score if you keep up with your loan.

How to build business credit

It’s also a good idea to build your business credit, which can help you get approved for financing more easily and negotiate better terms with vendors.

To start building business credit, establish tradelines with vendors and suppliers. Also, borrow from lenders that report your payment history to credit bureaus. With consistency, you’ll eventually build strong business credit.

Bottom line

It’s more difficult to get a business credit card if you have average credit. However, there’s a card that may fit: the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business. If you’re not sure that’s right for you, check other business financing options before applying.

Frequently asked questions

• Am I personally liable for debt I've accrued with a business credit card?

  With most providers, the answer is yes. To stay on the safe side, it’s often best to spend only as much as you can personally pay off.

• Why is Capital One willing to accept business owners with average credit?

  Capital One may have decided it’s worth the risk to approve fair-credit business owners. The company may believe it’s profitable or a good way to acquire new customers.

• Why do credit cards for fair credit tend to have higher APRs?

  Providers typically offer attractive interest rates to cardholders with good or excellent credit. That’s because these customers are generally seen as less likely to default on their debt. A consumer with average credit is assigned a higher likelihood of default, so providers charge higher interest rates to account for the risk.