The 16 Greatest Small-Business Credit Cards of 2025 (Curated, Battle-Tested Picks)
If you run a small business, the right credit card can be a quiet profit center. It can smooth your cash flow, earn outsized rewards on your real expenses, and bundle in protections you’d otherwise pay for. Below is a practical, category-aware shortlist of 16 excellent business cards for 2025. They are grouped by what they do best, with their key earning structures highlighted. Offers and terms change, so always verify details with the issuer before you apply.
Quick Picks: Who Should Get What
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For simple, everyday cash back: The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® offers a flat 1.5% cash back on every purchase with a $0 annual fee and a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months.
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For big spenders wanting high cash back without juggling categories: The Chase Ink Business Premier® is a pay-in-full card that earns 2.5% on purchases of $5,000 or more and 2% on everything else, with a $195 annual fee.
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For office, internet, and phone bills: The Chase Ink Business Cash® gives 5% cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services (up to a cap), plus 2% at gas stations and restaurants. It has a $0 annual fee and an introductory APR offer.
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For low-maintenance points on everything: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express provides 2X Membership Rewards® points on the first $50,000 in purchases each year (then 1X) for a $0 annual fee.
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For a cash-back twin to the Blue Business Plus: The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card earns 2% cash back on the first $50,000 spent annually (then 1%), with a $0 annual fee.
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For ad spend, shipping, and travel: The American Express® Business Gold Card automatically gives you 4X points on your top two eligible spending categories each billing cycle, up to $150,000 per year.
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For travel power perks and lounge access: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is the go-to for premium travel benefits, offering 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel, though it comes with a high annual fee.
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For a no-annual-fee, pick-your-category card: The Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards card lets you earn 3% in a category of your choice and 2% on dining for a $0 annual fee. The Preferred Rewards for Business program can boost earnings by 25%–75%.
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For restaurants, gas/EV charging, and office supplies: The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card earns 3% in these key categories, has a $0 annual fee, includes a $100 annual software subscription credit, and offers a 0% introductory APR window.
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For simple, travel-centric points: The Capital One Spark Miles for Business card earns 2X miles on everything and includes a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year.
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For unlimited 2% cash back: The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a pay-in-full charge card with unlimited 2% cash back. Its $150 annual fee is refunded if you spend $150,000 annually.
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For loyal American Airlines travelers: The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® offers a first checked bag free and preferred boarding on AA flights. The $99 annual fee is often waived for the first year.
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For warehouse club runs and fuel: The Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi gives 4% back at gas stations/EV chargers (up to a cap), 3% on dining and eligible travel, and 2% at Costco. There's no card annual fee with a paid Costco membership.
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For Amazon-first businesses: The Amazon Business Prime American Express Card delivers 5% back at Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership (or you can choose flexible payment terms), all for a $0 annual fee.
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For general travel points with a rich hotel ecosystem: The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card earns 6X points at participating Marriott properties, provides Gold elite status, and includes an annual free-night certificate for a $125 annual fee.
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For ads, shipping, and travel spending: The Chase Ink Business Preferred® is a category workhorse, earning 3X points on shipping, online ads, travel, and internet/cable/phone services on the first $150,000 spent per year.
How to Choose Your Card
To get more value than you pay in an annual fee, focus on these key areas.
Match rewards to your top expense lines. Look at your ledger. If you spend heavily on office supplies, internet, and phone bills, the Ink Business Cash® is unusually efficient. If your spending is concentrated in a few shifting categories like ads, shipping, or travel, the American Express® Business Gold Card automatically targets your top two categories each cycle without any manual switching.
If you prefer simplicity, go for a flat-rate card. Options like the Ink Business Unlimited® (1.5% cash back) and the Blue Business® Plus (2X points up to $50K) minimize the mental load without sacrificing value.
Fund growth with introductory APR windows. Several cards offer 0% introductory APR on purchases, which can help smooth out inventory or equipment buys if you pay them down on schedule. Look to the Ink Cash, Ink Unlimited, and U.S. Bank Triple Cash for these offers.
If you travel often, decide between perks and earning power. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express layers on lounges and statement credits, while the Capital One Spark Miles for Business keeps it simple with 2X miles everywhere and the option to transfer to airline and hotel partners.
Leverage existing banking relationships. If you already bank with Bank of America, their Preferred Rewards for Business status can boost earnings by 25%–75% on eligible BofA business cards, turning decent earn rates into standout ones.
For large, lumpy purchases, do the math. The Ink Business Premier® pays 2.5% on single transactions of $5,000 or more. If you regularly cut big checks for freight, equipment, or media buys, that math wins fast. Just remember it’s a pay-in-full card.
At-a-Glance Cheat Sheet
No Annual Fee & Simple
- Ink Business Unlimited®: 1.5% back on everything; intro APR.
- Blue Business® Plus: 2X points on the first $50K/year.
- Blue Business Cash™: 2% back on the first $50K/year.
- BofA Customized Cash Rewards: 3% in a category of your choice; 2% on dining; relationship boosts available.
- U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business: 3% in key business categories; software credit.
Cash-Back Maximizers
- Ink Business Premier®: 2.5% on ≥$5K purchases; 2% otherwise; pay-in-full; $195 AF.
- Capital One Spark Cash Plus: Unlimited 2% back; AF refunded with $150K annual spend.
Travel-Forward
- Ink Business Preferred®: 3X on ads, shipping, travel & more (up to $150K).
- Business Gold (Amex): 4X on your top 2 eligible categories (cap applies).
- Business Platinum (Amex): Premium travel perks & lounges; 5X via AmexTravel on flights/prepaid hotels.
- Spark Miles for Business: 2X miles on everything; transfer partners; Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.
- CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select: AA bag & boarding perks; $99 AF (often waived year one).
- Marriott Bonvoy Business (Amex): Gold status + annual free night; $125 AF.
Category-Specific
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Business by Citi: 4% gas/EV (to a cap), 3% dining/travel, 2% at Costco; requires Costco membership.
- Amazon Business Prime Amex: Up to 5% back at Amazon.com with eligible Prime (or flexible terms); $0 AF.
Smart Stacking Ideas
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One-Card Simplicity: The Blue Business® Plus (2X up to $50K) or Ink Unlimited® (1.5% back) covers miscellaneous spending with minimal effort.
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Two-Card Combo: Pair the Ink Business Cash® (for its 5%/2% categories) with the Ink Business Unlimited® (for 1.5% everywhere else). If you prefer not to have two Chase cards, swap in the Blue Business® Plus for the "everywhere" role.
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Travel Optimizer: Use a high-multiplier card like the American Express® Business Gold Card (4X on top categories) or Ink Business Preferred® (3X on its categories) and a flat-rate travel card like the Spark Miles for Business for everything else, then redeem your points for trips.
Fine Print to Respect
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Intro APR is not free money. Treat 0% periods as structured payment plans and pay off the balance before the introductory window closes. Cards like the Ink Cash, Ink Unlimited, and U.S. Bank Triple Cash all offer these periods.
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Pay-in-full products behave differently. The Ink Business Premier® and Spark Cash Plus are designed to be paid in full monthly. This is great for spenders with predictable cash flow but not for those who need to revolve a balance.
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Co-branded cards have constraints. Airline and hotel cards can be incredible—if you actually use the brand. Otherwise, general-purpose cash-back or transferable-points cards are usually a better first choice.
How This List Was Curated
This list prioritizes (1) the earning math on common small-business categories, (2) simplicity of ongoing use, (3) cash-flow friendliness (like intro APR offers), and (4) issuer acceptance and ecosystem. All key card attributes were verified against public information as of September 2025.
