10 Best Personal Credit Cards for Business Expenses 2020

Personal credit cards for business expenses are great for new business owners who might not qualify for startup business credit cards. Some personal cards offer rewards or features that align with your business, like free balance transfers. The best cards offer introductory rewards worth up to $750 and ongoing rewards worth up to 10% back.

The best personal credit card for business expenses 2020 are:

• American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card: (Best Overall) Best for cash back rewards up to 6%
• Discover it® Cash Back: Best for first-year double rewards
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for 0% introductory APR for 15 months
• U.S. Bank Cash+™ Visa Signature®: Best for choosing bonus categories
• Chase Sapphire Preferred®: Best for introductory rewards worth $750 in travel
• Capital One® Venture®: Best for earning 10x miles on hotel stays
• Citi® Double Cash: Best for earning 2% cash back on all purchases
• Chase Slate®: Best for free balance transfers
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for earning 3x points on travel
• American Express Platinum Card®: Best for premium travel perks

For more details on how we evaluate business credit cards for this list, see our methodology.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card: Overall Best for Cash-back Rewards up to 6%

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card is our top pick for the best personal card for business expenses because it offers top rewards in a number of categories other cards don’t offer. This card pays 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 in spending annually (then 1%). You’ll also earn 3% cash back on transit and at U.S. gas stations. No other card on our list offers better returns on these categories. Ongoing variable APR is as low as 14.49%.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card Costs

• Introductory APR: 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months
• Ongoing APR: 14.49% to 25.49% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: $95
• Balance transfer fee: $5 or 3% of the balance transferred, whichever is greater

Among the credit cards on our list, only the Discover it® Cash Back has an ongoing APR that starts at half a percentage point lower. The 12 months of interest-free financing is several months shorter than what Discover it® Cash Back, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Citi® Double Cash, and Chase Slate® offer.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card Rewards

This card’s rewards are focused on four spending categories: grocery shopping, streaming services, gas purchases, and transit. All other purchases earn 1% cash back. If you spend more on dining out than you do on supermarket spending, a card like Chase Sapphire Preferred® may be a better fit.

Introductory Rewards

You can earn $300 cash back after you spend $1,000 within the first three months. The introductory rewards are the lowest among cards on our list that charge an annual fee. Chase Sapphire Preferred®, for example, offers 60,000 bonus points, worth up to $750.

Ongoing Rewards

• 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spending annually (then 1%).
• 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services.
• 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations.
• 3% cash back on transit, including taxis and ride-share services, parking, tolls, trains, and buses.
• 1% cash back on all other purchases.

No other card on our list offers this level of rewards on groceries or streaming services. If any of these categories are big budget items for your business, this is a fantastic card to own. The U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature® offers 5% cash back on ground transportation spending, but only up to $2,000 in spending per quarter. On general spending, the 1% cash back here is low. Citi® Double Cash pays 2% cash back on all spending.

American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card Additional Features

• Extended warranty: American Express will match the length of the original manufacturer’s warranty if it’s less than two years. American Express provides an additional two years if the original manufacturer’s warranty is between two and five years. Coverage is limited to $10,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per account each year.
• Purchase protection: The issuer will repair, replace, or reimburse you for an item purchased with the card that was damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase. Coverage is limited to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per account each year.
• Travel accident insurance: American Express will cover you for up to $100,000 if death or dismemberment occurs while on a trip you paid for with your card.
• Car rental loss damage insurance: Get coverage damage or loss of your rental vehicle up to $50,000.
• Return protection: Return eligible purchases to American Express when the seller will not take the return. You may return items up to 90 days from the date of purchase and up to $300 per item. Maximum reimbursement is $1,000 per member account, per calendar year.

Purchase protection on the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card is a bit more robust than what you’ll find on Chase Slate®, which puts a $500 cap on claims.

What American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card Is Missing

The American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card offers a fairly low sign-up bonus for a card that charges an annual fee. What’s more, the annual fee isn’t waived during the first year, something other similar cards offer. It also caps the reward bonus on U.S. supermarket spending, which means if you spend more than $6,000 annually on groceries, you’ll earn just 1% on spending above that threshold.

Discover it® Cash Back: Best for First-year Double Rewards

Discover it® Cash Back is best for owners looking to earn 2% or more on all of their spending in the first year. This card normally pays 1% on all purchases and 5% on spending within categories that rotate each quarter. At the end of your first year of card ownership, however, Discover will double all of your cash back earned. This card also offers an ongoing APR as low as 13.49%.

Discover it® Cash Back Costs

• Introductory APR: 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 14 months
• Ongoing APR: 13.49% to 24.49% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: None
• Balance transfer fee: 3% of the amount transferred until March 10, 2020

The introductory APR is just one month less than what Chase Slate® offers. Citi® Double Cash offers an 18-month introductory offer for balance transfers, but no interest-free period on purchases. Discover it® Cash Back has the lowest possible ongoing APR among the credit cards on our list.

Discover it® Cash Back Rewards

Discover guarantees that it will match all your first-year cash back, which means you’ll earn at least 2% cash back on all spending. That’s identical to what Citi® Double Cash offers.

Introductory Rewards

Discover will match all of the cash back you earned at the end of your first year, automatically.

Ongoing Rewards

• 5% cash back (doubled the first year) on rotating quarterly categories, including at grocery stores, Walgreens, and CVS, through March 2020.
• Unlimited 1% cash back (doubled the first year) on all other purchases.

Since the 5% bonus is capped at $1,500 in quarterly spending, the most you can earn is $75 a quarter on rotating categories ($150 during the first year with the cash-back match). The other cards with bonus categories on our list all offer higher spending caps. The American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card, for example, pays 6% on spending at U.S. grocery stores, capped at $6,000 per year.

Discover it® Cash Back Additional Features

• Account lock: Freeze your account in seconds to prevent new purchases with an on/off switch available on both the mobile app and website.
• Late fee waiver: You won’t pay a late fee the first time your payment is late. Late fees are up to $39 thereafter.

Its unique features include the ability to instantly freeze your account and a late fee waiver, which is a nice perk if you forget to pay.

What Discover it® Cash Back Is Missing

Discover it® Cash Back requires you to register your card each quarter to earn bonus rewards, something other cards don’t require. You’ll also only earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in spending, a cap no other card on our list has.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®: 0% Intro APR for 15 Months

The Chase Freedom Unlimited Card is best for owners who want 0% financing on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. You’ll also enjoy 1.5% cash back on all purchases and a $200 cash-back bonus when you spend $500 in the first three months. The ongoing variable APR is as low as 16.49%, based on your credit history.

Chase Freedom Unlimited® Costs

• Introductory APR: 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months
• Ongoing APR: 16.49% to 25.24% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: None
• Balance transfer fee: Introductory fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening; after that, it’s either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

The ongoing APR on Chase Freedom Unlimited® can be higher than average. Choose a card like Discover it® Cash Back if you plan to carry a balance.

Chase Freedom Unlimited® Rewards

Chase Freedom Unlimited® pays 1.5% cash back on all spending and offers a $200 signup bonus after meeting spending requirements. It offers no bonus categories with higher rewards, like the U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature®.

Introductory Rewards

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. In comparison, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card offers $100 more than this card. However, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card’s introductory bonus is still better than the U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature®, which offers $50 less than this card.

Ongoing Rewards

You’ll earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn and no expiration date. This is lower than the 2% cash-back return the Citi® Double Cash card offers, which also offers unlimited rewards with no annual fee.

Chase Freedom Unlimited® Additional Features

• Purchase protection: Covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• Extended warranty: Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less.

These benefits are fairly standard, although the length of coverage on purchase protection is more than the 90 days Capital One® Venture® offers.

What Chase Freedom Unlimited® Is Missing

Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers 1.5% cash back on all spending, which is less than other fixed-rate cards on our list, including the Citi® Double Cash card and Capital One® Venture®. There’s also no opportunity to earn bonus rewards like with the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card, which pays 6% cash back on spending at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 in spending annually.

U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature®: Best for Choosing Bonus Categories

U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature® is best for small business owners who want more flexibility in choosing their bonus categories. You can choose the two categories (from a list of 12) that will earn 5% cash back on up to $2,000 in spending each quarter. No other card on our list offers such flexibility. U.S. Bank charges an ongoing variable APR of as little as 15.49%.

U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature® Costs

• Introductory APR: 0% introductory APR for the first 12 billing cycles on any balances transferred within 60 days from account opening; there is no introductory APR on purchases
• Ongoing APR: 15.49% to 24.99% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: None
• Balance transfer fee: $5 or 3% of the balance transferred, whichever is greater

The introductory APR is a bit shorter than the 14 months Discover it® Cash Back offers, which also offers an introductory 0% APR period on purchases. Ongoing APR is considerably higher than the Discover card, which offers interest rates that start at about 1.75 percentage points lower.

U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature® Card Rewards

U.S. Bank offers the most flexible rewards of any card on our list, as it allows users to choose two categories each quarter that will earn 5% (from a list of 12) and one category that will earn 2%. Among the cards that offer introductory rewards, U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature® offers the smallest bonus, but also has the lowest spending requirement.

Introductory Rewards

You’ll earn a $150 cash bonus after making $500 in eligible net purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. In comparison, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card offers $300 after you spend $1,000 within the first three months. That card charges an annual fee of $95.

Ongoing Rewards

• 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible net purchases each quarter on two categories you choose from a group of 12.
• 2% cash back on one category that you choose from gas stations, restaurants, and grocery stores.
• 1% cash back on all other purchases.

The 12 spending categories that could earn 5% cash back are TV, internet, and streaming services; fast food; cell phone providers; department stores; home utilities; select clothing stores, electronics stores; sporting goods stores; movie theaters; gyms and fitness centers; furniture stores; and ground transportation.

There are no other cards on our list that have this diverse selection of potential bonus categories, but you’ll have to watch out for the spending threshold. If you spend more than $2,000 a month on streaming services and ground transportation, you may be better off with the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card, which offers slightly lower rewards, but has no cap.

U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature® Additional Features

• Extended warranty: U.S. Bank will double the original manufacturer’s warranty up to one additional year on warranties of three years or less. Coverage is limited to $10,000 per claim.
• Purchase protection: The issuer will repair, replace, or reimburse you for an item purchased with the card that was damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase. Coverage is limited to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account each year.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Coverage is primary—meaning it replaces any coverage your personal insurance might offer—in case your rental is lost or stolen while you’re traveling.

Free car rental insurance is only available on two other cards on our list: Capital One® Venture® and Chase Sapphire Preferred®. The extended warranty and purchase protection are fairly common benefits, but U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature® offers fewer years of warranty coverage and less per-claim coverage on purchase protection than does the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card.

What U.S. Bank Cash+^TM Visa Signature® Is Missing

U.S. Bank says the bonus categories could change from quarter to quarter. That means the category that propelled you to sign up for the card may not always be available. You’ll also have to register your 5% and 2% categories each quarter or you’ll earn just 1% on all spending.

Chase Sapphire Preferred®: Best for Introductory Rewards Worth $750 in Travel

Chase Sapphire Preferred® is best for businesses that want to earn $750 worth of travel in introductory rewards. No other card on our list has an introductory offer this high without having to spend more money to earn it. This card charges an annual fee of $95 and ongoing variable APRs as low as 17.49%.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Costs

• Introductory APR: None
• Ongoing APR: 17.49% to 24.49% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: $95
• Balance transfer fee: $5 or 5% of the balance transferred, whichever is greater

The annual fee on this card is identical to what you’d pay on the Capital One® Venture®, which pays 2x miles on all spending. It’s significantly lower than the $450 annual fee charged by Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Note: We’ve seen different ongoing APRs offered to different potential applicants (as low as 16.24% to 25.24%).

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Rewards

You’ll earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. Ongoing rewards focus on dining and travel, where you’ll receive 2x points per dollar.

Introductory Rewards

You can earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months after account opening. That’s 10,000 points more than what the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers, although that card charges a much higher $450 annual fee.

Ongoing Rewards

• 2x points on travel and restaurant dining worldwide.
• 1x points on all other purchases.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® has a lower return on travel and restaurant spending compared with Chase Sapphire Reserve® (3x). However, since its points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel through Chase, the card may prove more valuable than the Capital One® Venture®, which pays 2x points on all spending (redeemed at 1 cent each).

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Additional Features

• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Coverage is primary—meaning it replaces any coverage your personal insurance might offer—when renting for business purposes. It provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.
• Trip delay insurance: If your travel is delayed more than 12 hours or you require an overnight stay as a result of a delay, you’re covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500.
• Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance: Covers up to $10,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses if your trip is cut short or interrupted by sickness or bad weather.
• Purchase protection: Covers new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.

You won’t receive the travel credit or TSA Pre✓® reimbursement that Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers, but you’ll also pay significantly less when it comes to an annual fee—$95 versus $450. Only Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers trip delay and trip cancellation insurance.

What Chase Sapphire Preferred® Is Missing

Chase Sapphire Preferred® doesn’t offer great returns in categories outside dining and travel. If your business budgets for big spending in other areas, you may want to consider a general rewards card like Citi® Double Cash, which pays 2% on all spending.

Capital One® Venture®: Best for Earning 10x Miles on Hotel Stays

Capital One® Venture® is best for businesses that use hotels frequently, as it pays 10x miles on all spending at Hotels.com through January 2020. No other credit card on our list offers nearly the return on hotel stays. Capital One® Venture® comes with an ongoing variable APR of as little as 17.49%, which is the highest on our list of best personal credit cards for small business owners.

Capital One® Venture® Costs

• Introductory APR: None
• Ongoing APR: 17.49% to 24.74% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: $95, waived the first year
• Balance transfer fee: 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that the issuer may offer you; none for balances transferred at the transfer APR, which is the same as the ongoing purchase APR

Since this card offers no introductory APR, this is not a great card to own if you need to carry a balance. If you need to carry a balance or make a balance transfer, choose Chase Slate®, which comes with 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and charges no fee on balance transfers.

Capital One® Venture® Rewards

Like Citi® Double Cash, Capital One® Venture® offers a 2% return on all purchases with its 2x miles per dollar spent. This card takes one huge rewards leap by offering 10x miles when booking on Hotels.com through January 2020. Compare that with the American Express Platinum Card®, which offers 5x points on hotels booked through the issuer.

Introductory Rewards

You can earn 50,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months after account opening. The introductory rewards on this card are worth $500 in travel, which isn’t as good as the 60,000 bonus points Chase Sapphire Preferred® offers.

Ongoing Rewards

You’ll earn the following ongoing rewards:

• 2x miles on every purchase.
• 10x miles on hotel stays booked through hotels.com/venture through January 31, 2020.

The Capital One® Venture® card offers the best fixed-rate travel rewards on our list, giving you 2x miles on every purchase. That’s not quite as good as the 3x points you’d earn by paying for your airfare with Chase Sapphire Reserve®, but that card comes with a much higher $450 annual fee and pays just 1x points on all non-bonus category spending.

Capital One® Venture® Additional Features

• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Coverage is primary—meaning it replaces any coverage your personal insurance might offer—when renting for business purposes. It provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.
• Purchase protection: Covers your new purchases for up to 90 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim.
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Checked or carry-on luggage is covered up to $3,000 if lost or stolen when you charge your ticket to the card.
• Travel accident insurance: Get up to $250,000 in coverage for common carrier accidental death or dismemberment when you charge the entire fare on your card.
• Extended warranty: Get up to an additional one year of coverage on top of manufacturer warranties of three years or less; claims limited to $10,000.00 per claim and $50,000.00 per cardholder.

These benefits are fairly standard, although the length of coverage on purchase protection is less than the 120 days some other cards offer, including Chase Slate®.

What Capital One® Venture® Is Missing

Capital One® Venture® charges a higher ongoing APR than any other card on our list. If you plan to carry a balance, consider a card with a lower interest rate, like Discover it® Cash Back or one that comes with a 0% introductory offer on either purchases, balance transfers, or both. Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers no-interest financing on both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months.

Citi® Double Cash: Best for Earning 2% Cash Back on All Purchases

The Citi® Double Cash card is best for owners who want to earn 2% cash back on all spending. That return is tied with the Capital One® Venture® card, although that card’s rewards come in the form of miles. The ongoing APR is as low as 15.49%, which is about average for the cards on this list.

Citi® Double Cash Costs

• Introductory APR: 0% for 18 months on balance transfers completed within four months of account opening
• Ongoing APR: 15.49% to 25.49% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: None
• Balance transfer fee: $5 or 3% of the balance transferred, whichever is greater

This card’s introductory APR on balance transfers is three months longer than what the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card offers, but there is no similar no-interest break on purchases. The balance transfer fee is lower than the 5% charged by the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card.

Citi® Double Cash Rewards

Citi® Double Cash is one of two credit cards on our list (Chase Slate®) that offers no introductory rewards. It pays 2% cash back on all spending, which is the highest fixed-rate reward on our list.

Introductory Rewards

Citi® Double Cash does not offer introductory rewards. Others that charge no annual fee offer introductory rewards, such as Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which offers a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months.

Ongoing Rewards

You’ll earn 1% cash back on all purchases and an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. This card isn’t a straight 2% card. You’ll receive credit for the second 1% of your rewards only after you pay your bill. Pay your bill in full and on time to receive the full 2% without paying any interest charges.

Citi® Double Cash Additional Features

• Free FICO score: Get monthly updates on your credit score as well as notifications when your score changes.
• Waived late fee: Your first late payment is free; up to $39 after that.

The additional features for the Citi® Double Cash card are skimpy compared to the excellent coverage the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card offers. That card has extended warranty that matches the length of the original manufacturer’s warranty if it’s less than two years, and will provide an additional two years only if the original manufacturer’s warranty is between two and five years.

What Citi® Double Cash Is Missing

The lack of an introductory reward is this card’s biggest flaw—and one of the primary reasons why we didn’t name it the best personal credit card for business use. Long term, though, this card may have more value than others because of its 2% return on all spending.

Chase Slate®: Best for Free Balance Transfers

Chase Slate® is best for small business owners who want to transfer a high-interest credit card balance without paying a balance transfer fee. It’s the only card on our list that offers free balance transfers within 60 days of account opening. Ongoing variable APR is as low as 16.49%, based on your credit history.

Chase Slate® Costs

• Introductory APR: 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
• Ongoing APR: 16.49% to 25.24% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: None
• Balance transfer fee: None on transfers made within 60 days of account opening; after that, $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
• Foreign transaction fee: 3%

This may be the cheapest card for balance transfers when you factor in transfer fees. You’ll pay no fee when you transfer a balance within 60 days of account opening. Compare that with the American Express Blue Cash Preferred® Card, which charges 3% of the transfer amount.

Chase Slate® Rewards

Chase Slate® is the only card on our list that offers no introductory or ongoing rewards. We ranked other cards higher on our list because they offer introductory rewards as high as $750 and ongoing rewards of 5% or more.

Chase Slate® Additional Features

• Free FICO score: The issuer will update this monthly and monitor the reasons why your score may be up or down.
• Purchase protection: Covers your purchases for 120 days against theft and damage up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account, per year.
• No penalty APR: If you miss a payment, the issuer won’t hike your APR.

The purchase protection coverage is similar to what Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers, and it is better than the 90-day protection offered by Capital One® Venture®. No other card on our list waives the penalty APR.

What Chase Slate® Is Missing

This card offers no introductory or ongoing rewards. Every other card on our list offers at least ongoing rewards. This is a card with a singular purpose—to get you out of debt as cheaply as possible. It charges no interest on balance transfers for 15 months and no balance transfer fee on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. If you’re ready for a business card, consider a 0% APR business credit card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for Earning 3x Points on Travel

Chase Sapphire Reserve® is best for businesses with frequent travel—and we’re not just talking flights. This Chase card pays 3x points on all travel spending worldwide, including airfare, hotels, car rentals, trains, and tolls. The American Express Platinum Card® pays 5x points, but only on flights and hotels. Chase Sapphire Reserve® charges an ongoing variable APR as low as 18.49%.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Costs

• Introductory APR: None
• Ongoing APR: 18.49% to 25.49% variable, which adjusts with the prime rate
• Annual fee: $450; $75 for each authorized user
• Balance transfer fee: $5 or 5% of the balance transferred, whichever is greater

The only other card on our list that charges a higher annual fee than Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the American Express Platinum Card® ($550). That card offers better benefits, including exclusive access to Centurion lounges, but this Chase card could be a better deal for business owners who dine frequently, as it offers 3x Ultimate Rewards points on all restaurants.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Rewards

You’ll earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. That’s 10,000 fewer points than what Chase Sapphire Preferred® offers. Ongoing rewards are focused on travel and restaurant dining, where you’ll earn 3x points.

Introductory Rewards

You can earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months after account opening. When redeemed for travel through the Chase portal, this introductory bonus is worth $750 (points are worth 1.5 cents each), or $250 more than Capital One® Venture® pays. No other card tops this introductory offer.

Ongoing Rewards

• 3x points on travel and restaurant dining worldwide.
• 1x points on all other purchases.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a lower return on travel spending compared with the American Express Platinum Card® (5x on flights and hotels), but the redemption value is boosted 1.5 times when used on the Chase travel portal. That means all travel spending is worth 4.5 cents per dollar. Plus, Chase’s definition of travel is quite broad, which means you’ll earn 3x points for airfare and for things like timeshares, taxis, and toll roads.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Additional Features

• Airport lounge access: Enjoy access to more than 1,000 priority pass lounges worldwide for free prior to airline travel.
• Annual travel credit: You’ll receive a $300 annual travel credit that can be applied liberally toward your travel purchases.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Coverage is primary—meaning it replaces any coverage your personal insurance might offer—when renting for business purposes. It provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.
• Trip delay insurance: If your travel is delayed more than 12 hours or you require an overnight stay as a result of a delay, you’re covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500.
• Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® fee credit: Receive a statement credit of up to $100 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card.
• Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance: Covers up to $10,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses if your trip is cut short or interrupted by sickness or bad weather.

The travel credit is much easier to redeem on this card than on the American Express Platinum Card® because Chase has a much more liberal definition of travel, which includes more than just baggage and incidental fees on airline travel. The American Express Platinum Card® is the only other card on our list that offers airport lounge access.

What Chase Sapphire Reserve® Is Missing

Chase Sapphire Reserve® has the second-highest annual fee of any card on our list at $450 (American Express Platinum Card® charges $550). This isn’t a good card if you can’t take advantage of the travel perks. Like Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Chase Sapphire Reserve® doesn’t offer great returns in categories outside dining and travel.

American Express Platinum Card®: Best for Premium Travel Perks

The American Express Platinum Card® is best for owners who fly regularly and stay overnight in hotels on business. It offers top travel perks that other cards just can’t compete against, including access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, gold status membership at several car rental companies and hotel brands, and a $200 annual airline fee credit. This card charges no APR because it’s a charge card that must be paid in full each month.

American Express Platinum Card® Costs

• Introductory APR: None
• Regular APR: None (you must pay off your balance every month)
• Annual fee: $550
• Balance transfer fee: Transfers are not allowed

The $550 annual fee you’ll pay is the highest among the cards on this list. But perks like free airport lounge access and reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® airport screening programs mean this card also carries more potential value than any other card on our list.

American Express Platinum Card® Rewards

The American Express Platinum Card® offers strong rewards for airplane travelers and business owners who frequently stay in hotels. You’ll earn five points per dollar spent on airfare purchased directly with airlines or through American Express Travel and five points on hotels booked through American Express Travel. That’s two points more than Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers. The introductory rewards are worth $600 or more when redeemed for travel.

Introductory Rewards

You can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after making $5,000 in purchases in the first three months of card membership. Those points are worth $600 or more when redeemed for travel. That offer falls a bit short of what Chase Sapphire Reserve® pays.

Ongoing Rewards

• 5x points on eligible flights and hotels.
• 1x points on all other purchases.

No other card on our list offers a better return on airfare or hotel purchases, but Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers more opportunities to earn travel rewards, as it pays 3x points on a wide variety of travel spending, including ride-sharing services like Uber, campgrounds, and trains.

American Express Platinum Card® Additional Features

• American Express lounges: Free access to American Express’ network of Centurion lounges located in slightly less than one dozen U.S. airports.
• Other airport lounges: Priority Pass Select membership, which gets you free access to more than 1,000 lounges worldwide for you and two guests.
• Airport screening: Either a $100 statement credit for Global Access or $85 statement credit for TSA Pre✓® once every four years.
• Travel credit: A $200 annual statement credit toward air travel expenses like baggage fees and inflight food and drink.
• Fine Hotels and Resorts program access: Book a stay at one of these hotels through American Express Travel and receive early check-in, a room upgrade if available, daily free breakfast, and a $100 credit for your stay.
• Rental status: Elite status at a number of car rental agencies.
• Hotel status: Elite status at a number of hotel chains.
• Uber credit: Earn up to $200 in annual Uber credit.
• Saks Fifth Avenue credit: Earn a $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® also offers free lounge access, an airport screening credit, and travel credits. But the full sweep of travel perks on the American Express Platinum Card®—including the Uber credit, elite status at select hotels and car rental firms, and access to American Express lounges—is significantly better.

What American Express Platinum Card® Is Missing

There are no rewards for businesses that don’t spend a lot of time or money traveling. Other cards offer a better return on everyday spending, including Citi® Double Cash. Also, you’re required to pay your bill in full each month.

Personal Credit Card vs Business Credit Card

Personal credit cards for business expenses are best for owners who don’t qualify for business credit cards for startups. Some business owners also may prefer the rewards structure personal cards offer compared to business credit cards. However, you won’t be able to use personal credit cards to build your business credit because they don’t report to business credit bureaus. If you want to build your business credit, choose a business credit card.

Compared to personal cards, most business credit card issuers evaluate both your business credit and personal credit when you apply for a business card. The best business credit cards require a personal credit score of at least 670. Plus, most business credit cards require a personal guarantee, which means you’ll become personally liable if the business can’t repay its debts. Compare the best business credit cards to find the best option for you.

How We Evaluated Personal Credit Cards for Business Expenses

We looked for credit cards that offer a range of features benefiting business owners, like low fees and big introductory and ongoing rewards. The best personal small business credit cards offer introductory 0% APR financing for up to 18 months and introductory rewards worth up to $750.

Although these are personal credit cards for business expenses, you should still keep your personal expenses separate from your business expenses. Keep in mind, though, that your card activity will be reported to consumer credit bureaus and not to business credit bureaus, meaning you have no opportunity to either establish or improve your business credit score, unlike some startup business loans. See the methodology in detail.

Bottom Line

Personal credit cards for business expenses are ideal for startups that can’t yet qualify for a business credit card and owners who like the rewards options on personal credit cards. The best personal credit cards for small business owners offer a combination of excellent introductory and ongoing rewards, low introductory and ongoing APRs, and a host of additional benefits, like extended warranty protection.