Best Business Credit Cards for LLCs 2026 — Mercury IO vs Chase Ink vs Capital One Spark vs Brex vs Amex Business

Comparison

Business credit cards — head to head

All figures verified against official service websites as of 2026-05-08. Prices exclude state filing fees.

Factor	Mercury IO Card	Chase Ink Business Cash	Chase Ink Business Unlimited	Chase Ink Business Preferred	Capital One Spark Cash Plus	Brex Card	American Express Business Gold	Ramp
Annual fee
Intro APR on purchases
Ongoing APR
Signup bonus
Ongoing rewards rate
Foreign transaction fee
Employee cards
Expense-management integrations								Best
Credit limit / spending power
Personal guarantee required
Credit pull type

Data verified: 2026-05-08. Pricing changes frequently — verify against each provider's website before purchasing.

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Mercury IO Card

$0/year

Mercury IO Card is purpose-built for startup LLCs and tech-forward businesses already banking with Mercury. The card requires no personal guarantee — Mercury underwrites the company based on its cash balance and financial health, not the owner's personal credit. Rewards: 1.5% unlimited cashback on all purchases with no categories to track. No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and free employee cards make total cost of ownership $0 for most users. The deep integration between Mercury's card and business bank account means every card transaction automatically flows into the Mercury dashboard alongside your bank activity — reducing bookkeeping friction. Virtual cards are included at no extra charge. Best fit: LLCs that already use Mercury for business banking and want a unified card + banking stack with no personal liability exposure.

Chase Ink Business Cash

$0/year

Chase Ink Business Cash is the strongest no-fee business credit card for LLCs with meaningful office supply and telecom spending. The 5% category earns substantial returns: $15,000/yr in office supplies and internet = $750 in annual cash back with no annual fee. Welcome bonus: $350–$750 cash back after $3,000–$6,000 spend in first 3 months — one of the best first-year value propositions at $0/yr. 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases is useful for financing early equipment or software subscriptions. Requires personal guarantee (hard credit pull). Chase 5/24 rule: Chase will not approve this card if you've opened 5+ credit cards in the last 24 months. Best fit: solo LLCs and service businesses with material internet, cable, phone, and office supply expenses.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited

$0/year

Chase Ink Business Unlimited is ideal for LLCs whose spending does not concentrate in the 5% categories of the Ink Cash (office supplies, telecom) or the 3x categories of the Ink Preferred (advertising, travel, shipping). By earning 1.5% on everything, the Ink Unlimited outperforms the Ink Cash for LLCs that spend primarily on professional services, payroll software, subcontractors, materials, or other non-category expenses. The $750 welcome bonus on $6,000 spend is one of the strongest no-fee welcome offers available. 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases. Requires personal guarantee and hard credit pull. Chase 5/24 rule applies. Many LLC owners hold both Chase Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited to capture 5% in categories and 1.5% everywhere else.

Chase Ink Business Preferred

$95/year

Chase Ink Business Preferred is the strongest points card for LLCs with significant digital advertising (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn), shipping, or travel spend. At 3x on advertising, a business spending $5,000/month on Google Ads earns 15,000 Ultimate Rewards points monthly — worth $225 in travel portal value or $450–$750+ transferred to Hyatt or United. Welcome bonus historically 100,000–120,000 points, worth $1,500–$2,400+ in transferred travel redemptions. The $95/yr annual fee is offset by even modest use of the 3x categories. Requires personal guarantee and hard credit pull. Chase 5/24 rule applies. Best fit: LLC owners with Google Ads or Meta spend, regular business travel, or significant shipping costs who want maximum points value.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

$150/year (refunded at $150K annual spend)

Capital One Spark Cash Plus is the highest-returning card for LLCs with annual spend above $75,000. At 2% flat on all purchases with no caps, Spark Cash Plus returns $1,500/yr on $75,000 in spending — well above the $150 annual fee. At $150,000 in annual spend, the annual fee is fully refunded, bringing effective cost to $0 while earning $3,000/yr in cash back. The $1,200 welcome bonus after $30,000 in 3 months is the highest cash bonus in this comparison — best timed around large planned expenses (trade show, equipment, bulk inventory). The charge card structure forces balance-in-full discipline. Capital One reports to all three business credit bureaus — the strongest business credit-building profile in this comparison. Requires personal guarantee and hard credit pull.

Brex Card

$0/year

Brex is the primary business credit card that requires no personal guarantee — it underwrites the company, not the individual. This makes Brex the natural choice for LLC owners who want clean personal/business credit separation, founders with recent credit events, or funded companies where the LLC has capital but the founder prefers not to personally guarantee debt. No annual fee. Rewards: 7x on rideshare, 4x on Brex Travel, 3x on restaurants and software. The Brex platform includes native expense management, real-time spend controls per employee, unlimited virtual cards, receipt OCR, and deep integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and Sage Intacct. Downside: requires minimum company cash balance (varies; typically $1,000–$25,000+) — not suitable for LLCs with minimal cash on hand.

American Express Business Gold

$375/year

Amex Business Gold's strongest feature is automatic 4x earning on your two highest-spend categories each billing cycle — no advance declaration, no category management. For an LLC spending $2,500/month on Google Ads and $2,000/month on flights, both qualify as top-2 categories and earn 4x automatically. At $54,000/yr across top-2 categories, that's 216,000 MR points — worth $3,240–$3,888 transferred to Avianca, Air Canada, or Singapore Airlines, far exceeding the $375 annual fee. Welcome bonus (70,000–100,000 MR points after $10,000–$15,000 in 3 months) covers 2–2.5 years of annual fees in travel value. Up to 99 employee cards at no additional annual fee — far more than any Chase Ink card. Strong Amex purchase protection (90 days, up to $10,000/claim) and extended warranty benefits.

Ramp

$0/year

Ramp is designed for LLCs that treat expense management as the primary value driver — not rewards. Ramp offers 1.5% cashback on all purchases but markets its value through cost reduction: automated detection of duplicate SaaS subscriptions, vendor price benchmarking against market rates, real-time budget alerts, and one-click receipt matching. No personal guarantee required — underwritten by company bank balance and revenue. Unlimited virtual cards with granular per-employee spend controls and approval workflows make Ramp the strongest option for multi-person LLCs with complex vendor relationships or team spending. No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees. No traditional welcome bonus — Ramp's pitch is that the platform's cost savings exceed any sign-up incentive. Best fit: operations-focused LLCs with 3+ employees, recurring SaaS portfolios, or complex multi-vendor spending where spend control and automation matter as much as rewards.

Service profile

Mercury IO Card

Annual fee: $0/year
Signup bonus / welcome offer: None — Mercury does not offer a traditional sign-up bonus; value comes from $0 annual fee and no-PG underwriting
Top rewards rate: 1.5% unlimited cashback on all purchases — no categories
APR (intro / ongoing): Intro APR: N/A (charge card — full balance due each statement period). Ongoing APR: N/A. No revolving credit line.
Support channels: QuickBooks, Xero, Mercury banking dashboard, CSV export
Trust signal: Mercury IO Card requires no personal guarantee — underwritten entirely by your company's Mercury bank balance and financial profile. No annual fee. No foreign transaction fees. Free virtual cards and free employee cards included. Seamless integration with Mercury business banking means your card spend and bank balance live in one dashboard. Strong for startup LLCs and tech-forward businesses already in the Mercury ecosystem.
Key differentiator: Mercury IO Card is purpose-built for startup LLCs and tech-forward businesses already banking with Mercury. The card requires no personal guarantee — Mercury underwrites the company based on its cash balance and financial health, not the owner's personal credit. Rewards: 1.5% unlimited cashback on all purchases with no categories to track. No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and free employee cards make total cost of ownership $0 for most users. The deep integration between Mercury's card and business bank account means every card transaction automatically flows into the Mercury dashboard alongside your bank activity — reducing bookkeeping friction. Virtual cards are included at no extra charge. Best fit: LLCs that already use Mercury for business banking and want a unified card + banking stack with no personal liability exposure.
Verdict: Best for Mercury banking users: no personal guarantee, no annual fee, 1.5% unlimited cashback — unified with your Mercury bank account in one dashboard

Service profile

Chase Ink Business Cash

Annual fee: $0/year
Signup bonus / welcome offer: $350–$750 cash back after $3,000–$6,000 spend in first 3 months
Top rewards rate: 5% on office supplies + internet/cable/phone (first $25K/yr); 2% gas + dining; 1% all other
APR (intro / ongoing): Intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers. Ongoing APR: 17.99%–23.99% variable after intro period.
Support channels: QuickBooks, Xero, Chase business portal, CSV export
Trust signal: Chase is the #1 U.S. bank by assets with 4,700+ branches. Chase Ink Cash earns 5% on office supplies and internet/cable/phone services (first $25,000/yr combined purchases), 2% at gas stations and restaurants (first $25,000/yr combined), and 1% on everything else. No annual fee. Requires personal guarantee and personal credit check. Chase 5/24 rule applies. Points are Chase Ultimate Rewards and can stack with Chase Sapphire personal cards.
Key differentiator: Chase Ink Business Cash is the strongest no-fee business credit card for LLCs with meaningful office supply and telecom spending. The 5% category earns substantial returns: $15,000/yr in office supplies and internet = $750 in annual cash back with no annual fee. Welcome bonus: $350–$750 cash back after $3,000–$6,000 spend in first 3 months — one of the best first-year value propositions at $0/yr. 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases is useful for financing early equipment or software subscriptions. Requires personal guarantee (hard credit pull). Chase 5/24 rule: Chase will not approve this card if you've opened 5+ credit cards in the last 24 months. Best fit: solo LLCs and service businesses with material internet, cable, phone, and office supply expenses.
Verdict: Best no-fee card for office and telecom-heavy LLCs: 5% on first $25K/yr in office supplies and internet/phone with $0 annual fee and 0% intro APR for 12 months

Service profile

Chase Ink Business Unlimited

Annual fee: $0/year
Signup bonus / welcome offer: $750 cash back after $6,000 spend in first 3 months
Top rewards rate: 1.5% unlimited cashback on all purchases — no categories, no caps
APR (intro / ongoing): Intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers. Ongoing APR: 17.99%–23.99% variable after intro period.
Support channels: QuickBooks, Xero, Chase business portal, CSV export
Trust signal: Chase Ink Business Unlimited: the simplest no-annual-fee Chase business card. 1.5% unlimited flat cash back on every purchase — no categories to track, no quarterly activations, no spending caps. Welcome offer: $750 cash back after $6,000 spend in first 3 months — the highest no-fee welcome offer in the Chase Ink family. Points are Chase Ultimate Rewards and can be combined with Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve for travel transfer value (up to 1.5+ cents/point).
Key differentiator: Chase Ink Business Unlimited is ideal for LLCs whose spending does not concentrate in the 5% categories of the Ink Cash (office supplies, telecom) or the 3x categories of the Ink Preferred (advertising, travel, shipping). By earning 1.5% on everything, the Ink Unlimited outperforms the Ink Cash for LLCs that spend primarily on professional services, payroll software, subcontractors, materials, or other non-category expenses. The $750 welcome bonus on $6,000 spend is one of the strongest no-fee welcome offers available. 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases. Requires personal guarantee and hard credit pull. Chase 5/24 rule applies. Many LLC owners hold both Chase Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited to capture 5% in categories and 1.5% everywhere else.
Verdict: Best no-fee flat-rate card: 1.5% unlimited cashback on all purchases + $750 welcome bonus — zero category complexity, strong for LLCs with diverse spending

Service profile

Chase Ink Business Preferred

Annual fee: $95/year
Signup bonus / welcome offer: 90,000–120,000 Ultimate Rewards points (≈$1,125–$1,500+ in Chase Travel; up to $2,400+ transferred to Hyatt or United) after $8,000 spend in 3 months
Top rewards rate: 3x on digital advertising, shipping, travel, internet/cable/phone (first $150K/yr combined); 1x elsewhere
APR (intro / ongoing): Intro APR: None (no 0% intro APR on this card). Ongoing APR: 20.49%–26.49% variable.
Support channels: QuickBooks, Xero, Chase business portal, CSV export
Trust signal: Chase Ink Business Preferred carries the largest welcome bonus in the Chase Ink family: historically 90,000–120,000 Ultimate Rewards points, worth $1,125–$1,500+ through the Chase Travel portal or $1,800–$2,400+ transferred to hotel and airline partners (Hyatt, United, Southwest, British Airways). 3x on digital advertising, shipping, travel, and internet/cable/phone on up to $150,000/yr combined spend. The $95/yr annual fee is easily recouped by the welcome bonus alone in year 1. Cell phone protection: up to $1,000/claim when your monthly cell bill is paid with the card.
Key differentiator: Chase Ink Business Preferred is the strongest points card for LLCs with significant digital advertising (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn), shipping, or travel spend. At 3x on advertising, a business spending $5,000/month on Google Ads earns 15,000 Ultimate Rewards points monthly — worth $225 in travel portal value or $450–$750+ transferred to Hyatt or United. Welcome bonus historically 100,000–120,000 points, worth $1,500–$2,400+ in transferred travel redemptions. The $95/yr annual fee is offset by even modest use of the 3x categories. Requires personal guarantee and hard credit pull. Chase 5/24 rule applies. Best fit: LLC owners with Google Ads or Meta spend, regular business travel, or significant shipping costs who want maximum points value.
Verdict: Best for advertising and travel LLCs: 3x on Google/Meta ads + historically 100K+ point welcome bonus — highest points-card value in the LLC segment

Service profile

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Annual fee: $150/year (refunded at $150K annual spend)
Signup bonus / welcome offer: $1,200 cash back after $30,000 spend in first 3 months — highest cash welcome bonus in this comparison
Top rewards rate: 2% unlimited cashback on all purchases — no categories, no caps, no spending limits
APR (intro / ongoing): Intro APR: N/A (charge card — balance due in full each month). Ongoing APR: N/A. Pay-in-full structure prevents carrying revolving debt.
Support channels: QuickBooks, Xero, Capital One Business portal, Concur, CSV export
Trust signal: Capital One Spark Cash Plus: $150/yr annual fee refunded automatically when annual spend reaches $150,000 (effective $0/yr for high-volume spenders). 2% unlimited cash back on all purchases — the highest flat-rate cashback in this comparison. Welcome offer: $1,200 cash back after $30,000 spend in 3 months — the largest cash welcome bonus available. Charge card (balance due monthly). Capital One reports to all three business credit bureaus: Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business — the most complete credit-building reporting in this comparison.
Key differentiator: Capital One Spark Cash Plus is the highest-returning card for LLCs with annual spend above $75,000. At 2% flat on all purchases with no caps, Spark Cash Plus returns $1,500/yr on $75,000 in spending — well above the $150 annual fee. At $150,000 in annual spend, the annual fee is fully refunded, bringing effective cost to $0 while earning $3,000/yr in cash back. The $1,200 welcome bonus after $30,000 in 3 months is the highest cash bonus in this comparison — best timed around large planned expenses (trade show, equipment, bulk inventory). The charge card structure forces balance-in-full discipline. Capital One reports to all three business credit bureaus — the strongest business credit-building profile in this comparison. Requires personal guarantee and hard credit pull.
Verdict: Best for high-spend LLCs ($75K+/yr): 2% flat on all purchases with $1,200 welcome bonus — annual fee refunded automatically at $150K spend

Service profile

Brex Card

Annual fee: $0/year
Signup bonus / welcome offer: Variable — up to $500 statement credit through partner offers; no standard sign-up bonus
Top rewards rate: 7x rideshare; 4x Brex Travel; 3x restaurants + software subscriptions; 2x recurring software; 1x elsewhere
APR (intro / ongoing): Intro APR: N/A (charge card — balance due daily or monthly depending on product tier). Ongoing APR: N/A. Daily repayment option available for newer companies.
Support channels: QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Brex spend management platform, Navan, Bill.com
Trust signal: Brex is the only major business credit card that does not require a personal guarantee — underwritten entirely by the company's cash balance, revenue, and funding. No annual fee. 7x on rideshare, 4x on Brex Travel, 3x on restaurants and software subscriptions, 2x on recurring software, 1x everywhere else. Built-in spend management platform with real-time controls, virtual cards, receipt matching, and approval workflows. Minimum cash balance required (varies by product tier). Used by thousands of VC-backed startups.
Key differentiator: Brex is the primary business credit card that requires no personal guarantee — it underwrites the company, not the individual. This makes Brex the natural choice for LLC owners who want clean personal/business credit separation, founders with recent credit events, or funded companies where the LLC has capital but the founder prefers not to personally guarantee debt. No annual fee. Rewards: 7x on rideshare, 4x on Brex Travel, 3x on restaurants and software. The Brex platform includes native expense management, real-time spend controls per employee, unlimited virtual cards, receipt OCR, and deep integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and Sage Intacct. Downside: requires minimum company cash balance (varies; typically $1,000–$25,000+) — not suitable for LLCs with minimal cash on hand.
Verdict: Best for no-personal-guarantee: the only major card underwritten by company financials — no hard credit pull, no personal liability, built-in expense management platform

Service profile

American Express Business Gold

Annual fee: $375/year
Signup bonus / welcome offer: 70,000–100,000 Membership Rewards points (≈$1,050–$1,800+ in travel via transfer partners) after $10,000–$15,000 spend in first 3 months
Top rewards rate: 4x Membership Rewards on top-2 auto-selected categories each billing cycle (from: US advertising, dining, gas, transit, airfare, shipping)
APR (intro / ongoing): Intro APR: None. Pay Over Time APR (for eligible charges): 18.74%–27.74% variable. Most charges due in full monthly unless Pay Over Time is elected for specific purchases.
Support channels: QuickBooks, Xero, Amex business portal, Wave, CSV export
Trust signal: American Express Business Gold: 4x Membership Rewards points on the 2 categories where your LLC spends the most each billing cycle — automatically selected from US purchases at restaurants, US gas stations, US online advertising, US airfare, US transit, and US shipping. No advance category registration required. Amex MR points transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan, Singapore KrisFlyer, Avianca, Delta, Hilton, Marriott, and others. Up to 99 employee cards at no additional annual fee. No foreign transaction fees. $375/yr annual fee. Requires personal guarantee and hard credit pull.
Key differentiator: Amex Business Gold's strongest feature is automatic 4x earning on your two highest-spend categories each billing cycle — no advance declaration, no category management. For an LLC spending $2,500/month on Google Ads and $2,000/month on flights, both qualify as top-2 categories and earn 4x automatically. At $54,000/yr across top-2 categories, that's 216,000 MR points — worth $3,240–$3,888 transferred to Avianca, Air Canada, or Singapore Airlines, far exceeding the $375 annual fee. Welcome bonus (70,000–100,000 MR points after $10,000–$15,000 in 3 months) covers 2–2.5 years of annual fees in travel value. Up to 99 employee cards at no additional annual fee — far more than any Chase Ink card. Strong Amex purchase protection (90 days, up to $10,000/claim) and extended warranty benefits.
Verdict: Best for variable-category spenders: automatic 4x on your top-2 spend categories each month — no advance selection, up to 99 employee cards at $0

Service profile

Ramp

Annual fee: $0/year
Signup bonus / welcome offer: None — Ramp explicitly foregoes sign-up bonuses; positions value as ongoing expense savings (claims 3.3% average annual cost reduction)
Top rewards rate: 1.5% cashback on all purchases — plus automated savings from duplicate vendor detection and spend intelligence
APR (intro / ongoing): Intro APR: N/A (charge card — balance due in full). Ongoing APR: N/A. Net-60 repayment terms available for qualifying companies.
Support channels: QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Bill.com, Plaid, 100+ integrations
Trust signal: Ramp is a corporate card and spend management platform with no annual fee, no personal guarantee required, and the deepest expense automation in the comparison. Ramp claims companies save an average of 3.3% of annual spend through automated controls: duplicate subscription detection, vendor price benchmarking, real-time overspend alerts, and AI-powered saving suggestions. Unlimited virtual cards. Configurable per-employee spend limits and approval workflows. No foreign transaction fees. Integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Bill.com, and 100+ other platforms.
Key differentiator: Ramp is designed for LLCs that treat expense management as the primary value driver — not rewards. Ramp offers 1.5% cashback on all purchases but markets its value through cost reduction: automated detection of duplicate SaaS subscriptions, vendor price benchmarking against market rates, real-time budget alerts, and one-click receipt matching. No personal guarantee required — underwritten by company bank balance and revenue. Unlimited virtual cards with granular per-employee spend controls and approval workflows make Ramp the strongest option for multi-person LLCs with complex vendor relationships or team spending. No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees. No traditional welcome bonus — Ramp's pitch is that the platform's cost savings exceed any sign-up incentive. Best fit: operations-focused LLCs with 3+ employees, recurring SaaS portfolios, or complex multi-vendor spending where spend control and automation matter as much as rewards.
Verdict: Best for operations-focused multi-person LLCs: no PG, no annual fee, deepest expense automation — Ramp claims 3.3% annual cost savings through spend intelligence

Decision framework

How to choose the best business credit card for your LLC

Score your LLC's spending profile before choosing a card The right business credit card is determined by where your LLC actually spends money — not by marketing or welcome bonus size. Before applying, categorize your last 3–6 months of business spending: office supplies and telecom (Chase Ink Cash 5x); digital advertising on Google/Meta/search (Chase Ink Preferred 3x, or Amex Business Gold 4x auto); travel and hotels (Chase Ink Preferred 3x, or Amex Business Gold 4x if it's your top category); shipping and freight (Chase Ink Preferred 3x); restaurants and dining (Chase Ink Cash 2x, or Amex Business Gold 4x auto if top category); high-volume diverse spend (Capital One Spark 2% flat); technology SaaS and software subscriptions (Brex 3x). If your spending is diverse and unpredictable, flat-rate cash back (Chase Ink Unlimited 1.5%, Capital One Spark 2%, Mercury IO 1.5%, Ramp 1.5%) often outperforms category cards you might undershoot.
Decide whether personal guarantee exposure matters for your LLC Most business credit cards require a personal guarantee — meaning if your LLC cannot pay the card balance, the issuer can pursue your personal assets. For LLC owners who want strict personal/business credit separation or who simply prefer not to personally guarantee business debt, three cards in this comparison offer no-PG underwriting: Mercury IO Card (requires Mercury banking relationship), Brex Card (requires minimum company cash balance; typically $1,000–$25,000+), and Ramp (requires company bank account and revenue history). If your LLC is brand new with minimal cash, the no-PG cards may not approve you yet — the Chase Ink family and Capital One Spark remain accessible via personal credit history for LLCs of any age. No-PG cards also use soft credit pulls only, protecting your personal credit score during application.
Time your application to maximize the welcome bonus Welcome bonuses are the highest single-year value event in business credit card ownership. Time your application to coincide with a significant planned business expense — a trade show, equipment purchase, software contracts, advertising campaign — to hit the spend threshold and earn the full welcome bonus. Chase Ink Business Preferred: historically 100,000–120,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $8,000 in 3 months ($1,250–$2,400+ in value). Capital One Spark Cash Plus: $1,200 cash back after $30,000 in 3 months — time this for a large purchase month. Amex Business Gold: 70,000–100,000 MR points after $10,000–$15,000 in 3 months. Note: Chase 5/24 rule — apply for Chase cards before non-Chase cards to avoid 5/24 disqualification. If you're building a multi-card strategy: Chase Ink first (most restrictive), then Amex Business Gold, then Capital One Spark.
Choose your rewards ecosystem: Chase Ultimate Rewards vs Amex Membership Rewards vs cash Chase Ultimate Rewards (Chase Ink Preferred, Ink Cash, Ink Unlimited): most flexible points for small business owners. Points transfer to United, Hyatt, Southwest, British Airways, Air France, and others. Chase Pay Yourself Back redeems at 1.25–1.5 cents each for cash-equivalent statement credits on selected categories. Chase business and personal Ultimate Rewards points pool together if you hold a Chase Sapphire card. Best for: LLC owners who want maximum flexibility between travel and cash, or who already hold Chase Sapphire personal cards. American Express Membership Rewards (Amex Business Gold): largest transfer partner network including Air Canada Aeroplan (best for Star Alliance), Avianca LifeMiles, Singapore KrisFlyer, ANA, Hilton, and Marriott. Highest ceiling for international premium cabin redemptions. Best for: frequent international travelers who want premium redemption options. Cash back (Mercury IO 1.5%, Chase Ink Cash/Unlimited, Capital One Spark 2%, Ramp 1.5%): simplest — no points programs, no transfer partners, direct cash statement credit. Best for: LLC owners who want simple, predictable returns without points program complexity.
Apply using your LLC's EIN and start building business credit on day one When filling out the application: (1) Enter your LLC's legal name exactly as filed with your state Secretary of State. (2) Enter your LLC's EIN in the business EIN field — not your personal SSN (though personal SSN will also be required for the personal guarantee on most cards). (3) For estimated annual revenue, use honest projections or prior actuals — underestimating limits your credit line. (4) Apply for a DUNS number free at dnb.com before your first card application to activate your business credit file. (5) Pay the balance in full every month from day one — on-time payment history is the largest factor in your business credit score. To maximize business credit building alongside rewards, Capital One Spark Cash Plus reports to all three business credit bureaus (D&B, Experian Business, Equifax Business) — the most complete reporting profile in this comparison. Cards that report only to one bureau (Chase to D&B only) build a narrower credit profile.

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FAQ

Business credit cards for LLCs — common questions

What is the best business credit card for a new LLC?

For most new LLCs, Chase Ink Business Cash is the strongest no-annual-fee starting card: 5% on office supplies and telecom, a $350–$750 welcome bonus, and 0% intro APR for 12 months. If your LLC has significant digital advertising spend (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn), Chase Ink Business Preferred ($95/yr) is better: 3x points on advertising and travel, with a 90,000–120,000 point welcome bonus worth $1,125–$1,500+ in travel. If you want to avoid a personal guarantee entirely, Mercury IO Card, Brex, or Ramp are the three no-PG options in this comparison — all require minimum company cash balances and are underwritten based on company financials rather than personal credit. For LLCs with annual spend above $75,000 who want the simplest possible rewards structure, Capital One Spark Cash Plus (2% flat) delivers the highest flat-rate cash back with a $1,200 welcome bonus.

Which business credit cards require no personal guarantee?

Three cards in this comparison require no personal guarantee: (1) Mercury IO Card — underwritten based on your Mercury business bank balance and financial profile. Best for LLCs already using Mercury for business banking. (2) Brex Card — underwrites the company based on cash balance, revenue, and funding status. Requires minimum company cash balance (typically $1,000–$25,000+ depending on product tier). Best for funded startups and VC-backed companies. (3) Ramp — underwritten based on company bank balance and revenue. No annual fee, deepest expense automation. Best for multi-person LLCs focused on spend control. All three use soft credit pulls only — applying does not impact your personal credit score. Note: BILL Spend & Expense (formerly Divvy) is another no-PG corporate card worth researching if none of the three fit your needs.

What is the Chase 5/24 rule and how does it affect business credit card applications?

Chase's 5/24 rule means Chase will not approve new Chase credit cards — personal or business — if you have opened 5 or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the last 24 months. It applies to all Chase business cards including the Chase Ink Business Cash, Unlimited, and Preferred. If you are at or near your 5/24 count, prioritize Chase Ink applications before applying to Amex, Capital One, Brex, or Ramp — those issuers do not have a 5/24 equivalent. Key insight: opening Chase business cards generally does NOT add to your 5/24 count (Chase business cards don't appear on your personal credit report in most cases), but personal cards from any issuer do count toward 5/24. If you're building a multi-card strategy, apply for Chase cards first while under 5/24, then add Amex Business Gold and Capital One Spark afterward.

Is Amex Business Gold worth the $375 annual fee?

Amex Business Gold ($375/yr) is worth the annual fee if your LLC spends $30,000+ annually across your two automatic 4x bonus categories (US restaurants, US gas, US online advertising, US airfare, US transit, or US shipping). At $30,000 in 4x spend, you earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points — worth $1,800–$2,400+ transferred to Avianca, Air Canada, or Singapore Airlines. Net of the $375 annual fee, that's $1,425–$2,025 in net first-year value. The welcome bonus (70,000–100,000 MR points after $10,000–$15,000 in 3 months) is worth $1,050–$1,800+ in travel, making year 1 strongly positive regardless of ongoing spend. The card also supports up to 99 employee cards at no additional annual fee — making it the highest employee-card ceiling in this comparison. If your LLC spends less than $20,000/yr across 4x categories, consider Chase Ink Business Cash or Unlimited ($0/yr) instead.

What is the difference between Chase Ink Business Cash and Chase Ink Business Unlimited?

Chase Ink Business Cash: 5% cash back on office supplies and internet/cable/phone services (first $25,000/yr combined); 2% on gas stations and restaurants (first $25,000/yr); 1% on everything else. Best when your LLC has meaningful spend in those specific categories. Chase Ink Business Unlimited: 1.5% flat cash back on all purchases, no category tracking, no spending caps. Best when your LLC's spending is diverse and doesn't concentrate in office supply and telecom categories. Both have no annual fee and similar welcome bonuses. The decision rule: if your LLC spends $10,000+/yr on office supplies, internet, cable, and phone combined, Ink Cash's 5% rate generates $500+ in cash back on those purchases — well above Ink Unlimited's $150 at 1.5%. If your top expenses are services, materials, professional fees, or advertising, Ink Unlimited's 1.5% flat beats the categories you'd miss on Ink Cash. Many LLC owners carry both cards to earn 5% in categories and 1.5% on everything else.

Does a business credit card build LLC business credit?

Most major business credit cards report to business credit bureaus — but not all report to all three (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, Equifax Business). Capital One Spark Cash Plus reports to all three business credit bureaus — the most complete business credit-building profile in this comparison. American Express reports to Dun & Bradstreet and Experian Business. Chase reports to Dun & Bradstreet. Brex and Ramp report to Dun & Bradstreet and Experian Business. Mercury IO Card reporting varies — primarily feeds the Mercury business financial profile. To maximize business credit building: (1) Get a D-U-N-S number free at dnb.com before your first card application; (2) Choose Capital One Spark Cash Plus or Amex Business Gold for broadest bureau reporting; (3) Pay in full every month — on-time payment history is the largest driver of business credit scores; (4) Supplement with Net-30 vendor accounts (Uline, Grainger, Amazon Business) that also report to business bureaus.

What is the best business credit card for advertising spend (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn)?

For LLCs with significant digital advertising spend, Chase Ink Business Preferred ($95/yr) is the strongest option: 3x Ultimate Rewards points on digital advertising (Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, search engines) on up to $150,000/yr combined with shipping, travel, and telecom. At $4,000/month in Google Ads ($48,000/yr), that's 144,000 UR points annually — worth $2,160 in the Chase Travel portal or $3,000–$4,320+ transferred to Hyatt or United. The $95 annual fee is recouped in the first $316 of advertising spend at 3x. Second choice: American Express Business Gold ($375/yr), which auto-selects US online advertising as one of your top-2 4x categories if it's a top spend area — earning 4x instead of 3x. At $4,000/month in Google Ads, Amex Gold earns 192,000 MR points annually ($2,880–$3,456+ in transfers), outpacing Ink Preferred on raw ad spend but at a higher annual fee. Decision: if advertising is your top spend category and you want Amex MR transfer partners, choose Amex Gold. If you prefer Chase UR and also have travel/shipping spend, choose Ink Preferred.

Should I get a charge card or a traditional credit card for my LLC?

Charge cards (Mercury IO, Capital One Spark Cash Plus, Brex, Ramp) require payment in full each month — you cannot carry a revolving balance. Traditional revolving credit cards (Chase Ink Cash, Unlimited, Preferred; Amex Business Gold in most cases) allow carrying a balance with interest. For most LLC owners, a charge card is financially preferable: it prevents interest charges, forces cash-flow discipline, and typically comes with no preset spending limit that scales with your business. The 0% intro APR on Chase Ink Cash and Unlimited (12 months) is the main reason to choose a revolving card — it allows financing a large early purchase interest-free for up to a year. If you are starting your LLC and need to finance equipment, software, or inventory interest-free over 12 months, Chase Ink Cash or Unlimited's 0% intro APR is genuinely valuable. If your LLC has stable cash flow and you will pay in full monthly, a charge card (Capital One Spark Cash Plus for rewards, or Brex/Ramp for no PG) is simpler and avoids any risk of carrying high-APR revolving debt.