The best credit cards for consultants offer great benefits along with the spending power you need to cover a variety of expenses. Whether you’re an independent consultant or work for a firm, you can earn lucrative welcome bonuses and strong ongoing rewards regardless of how you spend. You may also have access to premium travel benefits like upgraded hotel stays and complimentary airport lounge access that makes your client trips more pleasant.
The best credit cards for consultants of 2020 are:
- Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business: (Best overall) Best for earning 5x miles on hotel and rental car bookings
- Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business: Best for unlimited 2% cash back and big introductory rewards
- Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM: Best for 1.5% cash back and no annual fee
- American Express Blue Business CashTM Card: Best for 2% cash back rewards and 0% introductory annual percentage rate (APR)
- American Express Blue Business® Plus: Best for 2x points and 0% introductory APR
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard®: Best for 3% cash back on category spending
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for luxury travel perks on a personal credit card
For more details on how we evaluate business credit cards for this list, see our methodology.
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business: Overall Best Credit Card for Consultants
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
Best For: Unlimited 2x miles with every swipe
| Intro APR | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 20.99% (Variable) | $0 intro for first year; $95 after that | Excellent, Good |
Why we like it: Consultants that do a good amount of traveling will like Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business. This small business credit card offers flexible spending by earning 2x miles on all purchases and even higher rewards (5x miles) on rental car bookings and hotel stays. It’s the go-to card for low maintenance rewards on travel. Plus, you’ll earn this card’s robust introductory bonus when you meet the spending requirements.
Apply for a Global Entry or TSA Precheck membership, and you’ll be given a credit when you use your card to pay for the application fee. What’s more, this card offers payment flexibility by allowing you to pick your own monthly due date and waives the annual fee for the first year. With all these benefits, this card is one of the best options to take on the road.
Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business: Best for Unlimited 2% Cash Back and Big Introductory Rewards
Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business
Best For: Earning unlimited 2% cash back
| Intro APR | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 20.99% (Variable) | $0 intro for first year; $95 after that | Excellent, Good |
Why we like it: Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business is a great small business credit card for consultants to have on hand because of its reward opportunities. Earning 2% cash back rewards on all purchases, this card can cover business trips, seminar costs, and inventory expenses easily. You can also earn a large welcome bonus after meeting certain spending requirements. Plus, this card’s annual fee is waived for the first year.
This card offers a slew of additional perks. For example, you can save money on car rentals with this card’s auto rental insurance waiver, which allows you to decline the auto collision insurance offered by the car rental agency. With the lost luggage reimbursement, you’ll be covered for up to $3,000 in the event your bags are misplaced.
Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM: Best for 1.5% Cash Back and No Annual Fee
Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card
Best For: Pocketing 1.5% cash back on every single purchase
| Intro APR ?0% APR for 12 months on purchases | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% Intro APR on Purchases | 13.24% - 19.24% Variable | $0 | Good - Excellent |
Why we like it: Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM is the best credit card for management consultants who want to earn 1.5% cash back on all spending without paying an annual fee. This card offers a lucrative sign-up bonus if you meet the initial spending requirements. Plus, you’ll have no-interest financing on purchases for the first 12 months.
You’ll be able to use this card’s rewards for more than just cash. Cardholders can also redeem rewards for gift cards and travel through the Chase rewards portal. What’s more, the rewards you earn don’t expire, so you don’t have to rush to redeem them.
Use this card to pay for your entire car rental booking with this its car rental insurance waiver. This means you won’t need to use the rental company’s insurance because you’ll be covered for theft and collision automatically.
American Express Blue Business CashTM Card: Best for 2% Cash Back and 0% Introductory APR
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Best For: Earning 2% cash back every time you swipe and 0% introductory APR for 12 months
| Intro APR ?0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% on purchases | 13.24% - 19.24% Variable | No annual fee | Good, Excellent |
Why we like it: The American Express Blue Business CashTM Card is best for consultants who want to earn 2% cash back on every purchase with interest-free financing. This card’s 0% introductory APR period on purchases lasts for 12 months. Therefore, it’s easier to charge business seminars and travel expenses without APR.
Although this card offers no introductory bonuses, it has no annual fee to speak of. Other business cards with similar features charge annual fees close to $100, even if the first year is waived. No annual fee means lower costs and more money available to run your consulting business.
One of the best features on this card is its expanded buying power, which allows you to make purchases above your credit limit. However, this card’s spending is not unlimited, and the amount you can spend adjusts with your card usage.
American Express Blue Business® Plus: Best for 2x Points and 0% Introductory APR
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Best For: Pocketing 2x points per $1 and 0% introductory APR for 12 months
| Intro APR ?0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% on purchases | 13.24% - 19.24% Variable | No annual fee | Good, Excellent |
Why we like it: American Express Blue Business® Plus is best for consultants who want to earn 2x points with an introductory 0% APR offer. Like its cash back sibling, this points-based card earns flat-rate rewards on all purchases with no annual fee. Even though this card offers no bonus rewards for signing up, it’s a great card for those who value points over cash back rewards.
American Express extends its expanded buying power feature to cardholders, allowing you to spend above your preset spending limit. Plus, you’ll still earn rewards when you use spend above your limit. However, the amount you can spend isn’t unlimited and can change from month-to-month.
Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard®: Best for 3% Cash Back on Category Spending
Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
Best For: Up to 3% cash back in a spending category of your choice
| Intro APR ?0% APR for nine billing cycles on purchases | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
0% 9 billing cycles |
12.24% - 22.24% Variable APR on purchases | $0.00 | Excellent |
Why we like it: It’s normal for independent consultants to have expenses that vary to some degree each month. But, with this card, you have a great opportunity to earn high rewards if your expenses are fairly predictable. The Bank of America® Business Advantage Cash Rewards offers up to 3% cash back on one of six spending categories, which includes office supply stores, gas stations, and travel purchases.
What’s more, you get to choose the spending category that earns this card’s highest rewards. You’ll also get 2% cash back on dining and earn 1% cash back on all remaining purchases. There’s no cap on the number of rewards you can earn in each category, but you’ll need to keep a close eye on your spending to maximize this card’s rewards.
Additionally, you can earn more rewards if you enroll in the Preferred Rewards for Business program. If you have at least $100,000 in combined Bank of America and/or Merrill Lynch accounts, you can qualify as a Business Platinum Honors tier member. Qualified cardholders can earn up to 5.25% on its highest category rewards and up to 3.5% on second-tier rewards. That’s 75% more for qualified consultants.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for Luxury Travel Perks on a Personal Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best For: Receiving exceptional travel rewards and benefits
| Intro APR | Regular APR | Annual Fee | Credit Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 18.49% to 25.49% Variable | $550 | Good - Excellent |
Why we like it: If you’re in the habit of traveling comfortably, you’ll need a card that offers more than the standard benefits. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® personal card comes loaded with premium travel perks like expedited airport security screening and airport lounge access. However, the kicker is you’ll receive unlimited free access to more than 1,000 Priority Pass airport lounges.
Plus, you’ll get up to a $300 annual statement credit to offset your travel expenses for the preceding year. If you’re traveling outside the United States, you won’t have to worry about foreign transaction fees.
This card offers some of the best rewards and travel benefits on a personal credit card, but you’ll have to pay a large annual fee for it. What’s more, unlike the other cards listed, this card won’t help you build business credit because it’s a personal credit card and doesn’t report to the business credit bureaus.
How We Evaluated the Best Consultant Credit Cards
When reviewing consultant credit cards, we considered all card costs, including annual fees and ongoing APRs. We also took into account sign-up bonuses, ongoing rewards, special features, and introductory APR offers to determine the top cards. We primarily chose cards that pay fixed-rate rewards because consultants often have varied expenses while including one card that allows you to choose your category rewards.
Bottom Line
The best credit cards for consultants are those that typically pay fixed-rate rewards as most consultants spend in a variety of different rewards categories. However, depending on your consulting business, you may need a category-based rewards card. In any case, you should aim to open a consultant credit card with low annual fees, favorable rewards that match your spending habits, and beneficial financing options.
For rates and fees on the American Express Blue Business® Plus, please click here.
For rates and fees on the American Express Blue Business CashTM Card, please click here.
