Best Business Credit Cards for Travel

Earning a whole lot of points and miles isn’t only limited to regular consumer credit cards. Let’s talk about the specific cards that you should consider to reap the benefits of travel rewards—and keep your business running on all cylinders. 

In terms of this list of best business cards, we evaluated several key factors, including the overall sign-up bonus, annual fee, ongoing earning rates, the value of that card’s points, and perks offered.  Here's our current top picks:

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Best for: Overall bonus categories.

Earning points

• 3X points per dollar on travel
• 3X points per dollar on shipping purchases
• 3X points per dollar on internet, cable, and phone services
• 3X points per dollar on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
• 1X points per dollar on all other spending

Redeeming points

• Access to the full suite of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel transfer partners including Aer Lingus AerClub, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Flying Blue (Air France-KLM), Iberia Plus, JetBlue TrueBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt. 
• The ability to redeem for airfare, hotels, or rental cars directly on the Chase Travel portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point. (That means a $1,000 flight would require 80,000 points.) 

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card benefits

• Cell phone protection benefits: When you charge your cell phone bill to the card, you (and eligible employees) can receive up to $1,000 per claim for damage or theft. You're limited to three claims in a 12-month period and must pay a $100 deductible per claim.
• A wide array of trip protection and travel insurance perks: This includes trip cancellation and trip delay protection, primary car rental coverage, and much more. 
• Purchase protections: Get an extended warranty and purchase protection on items bought with the Ink Business Preferred. 
• No foreign transaction fees: Ideal for travel abroad, the card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees‍

American Express® Business Gold Card

Best for: Maximizing earnings automatically. 

The Amex Business Gold Card is unique in that it earns a powerful (and very business-friendly) 4X points per dollar automatically in your top two spending categories each month, meaning you don't have to pick a category and commit to it. On top of that, you get access to valuable Amex Membership Rewards points. However, do take note of the annual fee. 

Earning points

• 4X points per dollar on your top two spending categories each quarter (up to a $150,000 limit annually)
• 1X points per dollar on other eligible spending
• Terms apply.

Redeeming points

• One of the best ways to maximize your redemptions is to transfer points to one of Amex’s 21 airline and hotel partners: Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Delta SkyMiles, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Hawaiian HawaiianMiles, Iberia Plus, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Qatar Privilege Club, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
• Typically, you can make a flight booking via the Amex Travel portal at a rate of 1 cent per point. (That means a $1,000 flight would require 100,000 miles.) However, as an added bonus on the Amex Business Gold, you can get a 25% rebate when paying with points through your card (up to 250,000 points back per calendar year) for business- or first-class tickets on any airline or any fare class on one selected US airline each year. All of that means you’ll get a value of 1.33 cents per point on eligible tickets versus just 1 cent per point, but keep in mind the specific restrictions above. 

American Express Business Gold Card benefits

More card details 

Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card

Best for:  High-spend business owners who want premium travel perks. 

The Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card is one of the best business cards out there for a few reasons: its sheer simplicity, access to airport lounges, and the ability to transfer to Capital One’s (underrated) airline and hotel transfer partners. While its annual fee may be an initial deterrent, it’s pretty easy to recoup much of it through a $300 travel credit. 

Earning points

• 10X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5X miles per dollar on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases

Redeeming points

• In many instances, your most valuable redemption option is to transfer your miles to any of Capital One's 18 hotel and airline partners: Aeromexico Club Premier, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Accor Live Limitless, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Choice Privileges, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, Finnair Plus, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, TAP Miles&Go, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, Virgin Red, Wyndham Rewards
• The ability to redeem for airfare, hotels, or rental cars directly on the Capital One Travel portal at a rate of 1 cent per mile. (That means a $1,000 flight would require 100,000 miles.) 

Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card benefits

• Annual travel credit: A $300 credit annually for travel booked through Capital One Travel
• Annual mileage bonus: 10,000 bonus Capital One miles each year at your cardmember anniversary
• Airport lounge access: Unlimited access to Capital One Lounges as well as Priority Pass and Plaza Premium lounges for you and up to two guests
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry: A statement credit up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years

More card details 

‍Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Best for:  Smaller companies that want to earn on business-specific spending. 

Add in the fact you can level up and earn fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points (by pairing it with a card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and adding this to your wallet becomes a no-brainer. Remember, if you have another Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards(R) points, you can combine the points and redeem them with travel partners.

Earning points

For businesses that spend at office supply stores and on certain utilities, you can’t really beat the 5% cash-back rate. Add in 2% back at gas stations and restaurants, and this card becomes even more of a winner. 

• 5% cash back on up to $25,000 a year in spending at office supply stores and on cable, internet, and phone service
• 2% cash back on up to $25,000 a year in spending at gas stations and restaurants
• 1% cash back on all other spending

Redeeming points

• Alright, let’s start simple: The Chase Ink Business Cash Card is a cash-back card which means you can redeem rewards for travel at a rate of 1 cent per point on the Chase Travel portal. 
• Here’s how you can level up: If you have a card like the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you get an additional redemption option (that can be way more lucrative). The cash-back rewards on your Ink Business Cash Card can become Chase Ultimate Rewards points by combining your rewards together. 
• If you go this route, you’ll get access to the full suite of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel transfer partners, including Aer Lingus AerClub, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Flying Blue (Air France-KLM), Iberia Plus, JetBlue TrueBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt. 

Ink Business Cash Credit Card benefits

• Purchase protections: Get purchase and extended warranty protections when you use the card to make purchases. 
• Additional cards: Request cards for employees at no additional cost‍

Best for: No annual fee and everyday spending. 

Earning points

It doesn’t get much more straightforward than this in terms of earning points on a travel rewards business credit card. 

• Earn 2X points per dollar on the first $50,000  in purchases per year, then 1X point per dollar.

Redeeming points

• One of the best ways to maximize your redemptions is to transfer points to one of Amex’s 21 airline and hotel partners: Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Delta SkyMiles, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Hawaiian HawaiianMiles, Iberia Plus, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Qatar Privilege Club, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
• You can also make a flight booking via the Amex Travel portal at a flat rate of 1 cent per point. (That means a $1,000 flight would require 100,000 miles.) 

The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express benefits

• Purchase protections: Get purchase and extended warranty protections when you use the card to make purchases.
• Expanded buying power: This benefit allows you to spend beyond your credit limit to help pay for larger purchases.
• Business tools: Complimentary auto-expense categorization in Intuit QuickBooks and bill-pay services with Vendor Pay by Bill.com. 
• Additional users: Add up to 99 employee cards at no additional cost.

More card details

Why get a business credit card?

As a business owner, gig worker, independent contractor, or freelancer, you’re probably spending a good chunk of cash already—so why not get rewarded for it?

First off, all of the major credit card issuers offer business cards, specifically tailored to, well, small business expenses. Some reasons to use a business credit card include:

• Keeping your personal and business spending separate is prudent, especially when tax season comes around. 
• Having a distinct business account makes tracking goods and services purchased that much easier (you’ll thank yourself later). Some cards even come with an expense management tool.
• The bonus categories—in other words, the number of points earned per dollar spent—typically align with what businesses have to spend on. Think: advertising, shipping, office supply stores, etc. 
• The welcome offers can be stellar, and you can stack them on top of your personal credit cards.