Best Business Credit Cards for an LLC — 2026 Editorial Rankings (Chase Ink, Amex, Capital One Spark, Brex)

Before you start

What to know first

A business credit card for an LLC builds business credit under the LLC's EIN (with most card issuers) — separate from your personal credit profile. Business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, Equifax Business) track your LLC's payment history independently of your personal credit score.
Most business credit cards from major issuers (Chase, Amex, Capital One) require a personal credit check and personal guarantee from the LLC owner or authorized officer. This means your personal credit score affects approval odds, and if the business defaults, you are personally liable — even with an LLC.
Brex is the primary exception: Brex does not require a personal guarantee. It evaluates the company's cash balance and funding status. This makes Brex particularly valuable for newly formed LLCs with revenue or funding but owners who prefer not to personally guarantee business debt.
Your LLC needs an EIN (Employer Identification Number) before applying for most business credit cards. Apply free at irs.gov/ein. Some issuers also accept SSN for sole proprietors but for LLCs, using the EIN keeps the card clearly associated with the business entity.
Welcome bonus offers (sign-up bonuses) are among the highest-value benefits of business credit cards. Chase Ink Business Preferred has historically offered 100,000–120,000 Ultimate Rewards points on $8,000 spend in 3 months — worth $1,000–$1,500+ in travel or cash. Timing your application for when you have a large upcoming business expense maximizes this benefit.
Business credit cards typically have higher credit limits than personal cards — $5,000–$50,000+ versus $1,000–$15,000 for personal cards. This is important for LLCs with significant vendor, supplier, or advertising spend.
Keeping your personal and LLC expenses on separate cards (business card for LLC expenses only) is critical for maintaining clean records for tax purposes and demonstrating corporate separateness — the financial discipline courts look for when evaluating whether to pierce the corporate veil.
Rewards categories (5x on office supplies and cell service, 3x on dining and travel, 2x on all purchases, etc.) vary significantly by card. Match your card selection to your LLC's actual spending patterns for maximum return.

Documents

What you'll need

LLC EIN (Employer Identification Number) — required for most business credit card applications to associate the card with the LLC rather than your personal SSN
LLC legal name exactly as filed with your state Secretary of State
Business address (principal business address of the LLC)
Estimated annual revenue and number of employees (self-reported during application)
Personal SSN and personal credit check (required for most issuers' personal guarantee; exception: Brex)
Business bank account information (may be required to verify business banking relationship)
Articles of Organization (occasionally requested by issuer for large credit limit applications)

Process

Step by step

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 which card has the most impressive marketing. Before applying, categorize your last 3–6 months of business spending into: office supplies and telecom (Chase Ink Business Cash 5x), advertising on Google/Meta/search (Chase Ink Business Preferred 3x), travel and hotels (Amex Business Platinum 5x on amextravel.com, Chase Ink Preferred 3x), dining and entertainment (Amex Business Gold 4x when top category), shipping (Chase Ink Preferred 3x), and all other spend (Chase Ink Unlimited 1.5x flat). Match your top spending category to the card offering the highest multiplier in that category. If your spend is diverse and unpredictable, flat-rate cash back (Chase Ink Unlimited 1.5% or Capital One Spark 2%) is often more valuable than category cards you might undershoot.
Understand the welcome bonus opportunity Welcome bonuses are the highest single-year value event in business credit card ownership. Timing your application when you have a significant planned business expense — a trade show, equipment purchase, software contracts, advertising campaign — maximizes your ability 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–$1,500 in travel value). Amex Business Gold: 70,000–100,000 Membership Rewards points after $10,000–$15,000 in 3 months. Capital One Spark Cash Plus: $1,200 cash back after $30,000 in 3 months. Note: Chase 5/24 rule — Chase will not approve new Chase cards if you have opened 5 or more credit cards in the last 24 months across all issuers. Apply for Chase cards before other issuers to avoid 5/24 denial.
Editorial scoring: how we ranked these cards Our ranking methodology weights five factors: (1) Welcome bonus value (30%) — calculated at 1 cent per point for cash-back cards, 1.5 cents per Chase Ultimate Rewards point transferred to travel partners, 1.8 cents per Amex Membership Rewards transferred to Hyatt/Avianca/Air Canada. (2) Ongoing earning rate (25%) — weighted average rewards rate assuming a $50,000/yr spend profile of 40% advertising, 20% travel, 15% office/telecom, 15% dining, 10% other. (3) Annual fee ROI (20%) — does the welcome bonus plus first-year rewards cover the annual fee multiple times over? (4) Credit-building impact (15%) — does the card report to business credit bureaus? Does it help separate LLC from personal credit profile? (5) Unique benefits (10%) — travel credits, purchase protection, cell phone protection, employee cards, spend controls.
Chase vs Amex vs Capital One vs Brex — which ecosystem is right for your LLC? Chase Ultimate Rewards: most flexible points system for small business owners. Points transfer to United, Hyatt, Southwest, British Airways, Air France, and others. Chase Pay Yourself Back feature redeems points at 1.25–1.5 cents each for cash statement credits on selected categories. Chase cards also integrate well with personal travel cards (Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve) — business and personal points pool together. Best for: LLC owners who want maximum flexibility across travel and cash redemption. American Express Membership Rewards: largest transfer partner network including Air Canada Aeroplan (best for Star Alliance redemptions), Avianca LifeMiles, Singapore KrisFlyer, ANA, and Hilton/Marriott. Amex also offers strong purchase protection and extended warranty benefits. Best for: frequent travelers, especially internationally, who want premium redemption options. Capital One Miles/Cash: simple, high flat-rate returns without complex transfer partners or category tracking. Best for: high-volume spenders who want consistency over optimization. Brex: the only major card issuer that does not require a personal guarantee, making it the natural choice for LLCs where personal liability separation is the primary concern.
Build business credit separately from personal credit Most major business credit cards report to both personal and business credit bureaus. Cards that report to business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, Equifax Business) build your LLC's independent credit profile. This matters for: future business loans (SBA 7a, equipment financing), vendor net terms (Net-30 accounts at major suppliers), commercial leases, and business insurance pricing. To accelerate business credit building: (1) Apply for a D-U-N-S number (free at dnb.com) before your first business credit card application — this activates your D&B business credit file. (2) Open a business bank account in the LLC's name and use it actively — bank transaction data feeds into business credit scores. (3) Apply for Net-30 vendor accounts (Uline, Grainger, Quill, Amazon Business) in the LLC's name — these report to business credit bureaus and build credit with no personal guarantee requirement. (4) Pay your business credit card balance in full every month — on-time payment history is the largest factor in your business credit score.
Apply using your LLC's EIN When filling out a business credit card application: (1) Enter your LLC's legal name exactly as filed with your state Secretary of State — not your trade name, not an abbreviation. (2) Enter your LLC's EIN, not your personal SSN, in the business EIN field. (3) You will still be asked for your personal SSN as the authorized officer/personal guarantor (unless applying for Brex). This is normal and expected — issuers use it for the personal credit check and personal guarantee. (4) For estimated annual revenue: use your honest projection or prior year actuals. Understating revenue can result in lower credit limits. (5) For number of employees: sole-member LLCs with no employees enter 0 or 1 (yourself). This does not affect approval. (6) Most applications are approved or denied within 30 seconds to 10 minutes online. Large credit limit requests may require additional documentation.

Costs

What it costs

Item	Amount	Notes
Chase Ink Business Cash — no annual fee (recommended for most small LLCs)	$0/yr annual fee	5% cash back on office supplies and internet/cable/phone services (on first $25,000/yr combined); 2% on gas stations and restaurants (first $25,000/yr); 1% on all other purchases. No annual fee. Welcome offer: typically $350–$750 cash back after spending $3,000–$6,000 in first 3 months. 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases. Best for: small LLCs with meaningful office supply and telecom spend, or owners who want a reliable no-fee cash-back card. Affiliate: Chase Ink Business Cash referral link
Chase Ink Business Unlimited — no annual fee (best for simple flat-rate cash back)	$0/yr annual fee	1.5% unlimited cash back on all purchases — no category tracking required. No annual fee. Welcome offer: typically $750 cash back after spending $6,000 in first 3 months. 0% intro APR for 12 months. Best for: LLCs whose spend doesn't align with specific category bonuses (e.g., manufacturing, construction, service businesses with diverse vendor spending). Affiliate: Chase Ink Business Unlimited referral link
Chase Ink Business Preferred — best points card for mid-size LLC spend	$95/yr annual fee	3x points on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, and advertising on social media and search engines (on first $150,000/yr combined); 1x on all other purchases. Points are Chase Ultimate Rewards, transferable to United, Hyatt, Southwest, British Airways, and others. Welcome offer: historically 90,000–120,000 points ($1,125–$1,500 in travel via Chase portal, or up to $2,400+ transferred to Hyatt). Best for: LLCs with significant advertising spend (Google Ads, Meta), shipping, or frequent-travel owners. $95/yr annual fee is easily offset by the welcome bonus alone. Affiliate: Chase Ink Business Preferred referral link
American Express Business Gold Card — best for flexible category matching	$375/yr annual fee	4x Membership Rewards points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle (automatically selected from: US purchases at restaurants, US gas stations, US online advertising, US airfare, US transit, US shipping). 1x on all other purchases. Welcome offer: typically 70,000–100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000–$15,000 in first 3 months. $375/yr annual fee is offset by the flexible 4x earning if your top-2 categories reach $15,000+/yr in combined spend. Best for: LLCs with significant advertising, dining, or travel spend that varies month-to-month. Affiliate: Amex Business Gold referral
American Express Business Platinum Card — premium travel card for high-spend LLCs	$695/yr annual fee	5x Membership Rewards on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com; 1.5x on eligible purchases of $5,000+ per transaction; 1x on all other spend. Welcome offer: typically 120,000–150,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000–$20,000 in first 3 months. Annual credits: $400 airline fee credit, $189 CLEAR credit, $150 Adobe credit, $100 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry. Net effective annual fee after credits: approximately $0–$150 for frequent travelers who use the credits. Best for: LLC owners who travel frequently, use premium airport lounges (Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass), or consistently charge $5,000+ individual transactions. Affiliate: Amex Business Platinum referral
Capital One Spark Cash Plus — best unlimited flat-rate cash back for high spend	$150/yr annual fee (refunded if spend ≥ $150,000/yr)	2% unlimited cash back on all purchases. No spending caps. No foreign transaction fees. Annual fee of $150 is fully refunded if annual spend reaches $150,000. Welcome offer: typically $1,200 cash back after spending $30,000 in first 3 months. Best for: LLCs with high annual spend ($100,000+/yr) who want a simple flat-rate card without category tracking. Charge card (balance due in full monthly), not a revolving credit card. Affiliate: Capital One Spark Cash Plus referral
Brex Business Credit Card — no personal guarantee required	$0/yr (standard); enterprise pricing available	Brex is uniquely designed for startups and funded companies — no personal guarantee required. Approval based on company cash balance and financial profile, not personal credit score. Rewards: 7x on rideshare, 4x on travel, 3x on restaurants and software, 2x on recurring software subscriptions, 1x on all other. No annual fee. Requires: US LLC or corporation, US business bank account, and minimum cash balance (varies; typically $1,000–$25,000 depending on product tier). Best for: newly formed LLCs with VC funding, SaaS businesses, or LLC owners who explicitly want to avoid personal guarantee. Not ideal for very early-stage LLCs with minimal cash. Affiliate: Brex referral link

FAQ

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, 2% on gas and restaurants, a $350–$750 welcome bonus, and a 0% APR intro offer. 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, historically 100,000–120,000 point welcome bonuses worth $1,250–$1,500+ in travel. For LLCs where the owner prefers no personal guarantee, Brex is the only major issuer that underwrites based on company financials rather than personal credit.

Can I get a business credit card with just an LLC EIN (no SSN)?

Almost certainly not with major issuers — Chase, Amex, and Capital One all require a personal SSN for the authorized officer's credit check and personal guarantee. Brex is the main exception: Brex approves based on company cash balance and financial profile without a personal guarantee (and does not require a personal credit check). BILL (formerly Divvy) and Ramp are other corporate card options that evaluate company financials rather than personal credit for some products. For newly formed LLCs with minimal business credit history but good personal credit, using your personal SSN for the personal guarantee is normal and expected — it does not undermine your LLC's liability protection as long as the card is used exclusively for business expenses.

Does a business credit card build 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). American Express reports to Dun & Bradstreet and Experian Business. Chase reports to Dun & Bradstreet. Capital One reports to all three. Brex reports to Dun & Bradstreet and Experian Business. Some cards report only to the owner's personal credit bureau (personal credit reports), not to business credit bureaus at all. To build a robust business credit profile: (1) Get a D-U-N-S number before applying (free at dnb.com). (2) Choose a card that reports to business credit bureaus. (3) Pay in full every month — on-time business payment history is the largest driver of business credit scores. (4) Supplement with Net-30 trade credit accounts (Uline, Grainger) that also report to business bureaus.

What is Chase 5/24 and 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 Chase business cards as well as personal Chase cards. If you are near your 5/24 count, prioritize Chase Ink applications before applying to Amex, Capital One, Brex, or other issuers. Most other business card issuers (Amex, Capital One, Brex) do not have a 5/24 equivalent rule. Note: Chase business cards generally do not add to your 5/24 count themselves — opening a Chase Ink card doesn't penalize you with other issuers. But opening personal cards from any issuer does count toward your Chase 5/24.

Is Amex Business Gold or Amex Business Platinum worth the annual fee?

Amex Business Gold ($375/yr): Worth it if your LLC spends $30,000+ annually across the two automatic 4x bonus categories (from: US restaurants, US gas, US online advertising, US airfare, US transit, 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 value. Amex Business Platinum ($695/yr): Worth it primarily for frequent travelers who use the $400 airline fee credit, $189 CLEAR credit, and access to 1,400+ airport lounges (Centurion, Priority Pass). If you use the credits, effective annual fee is closer to $0–$150. The 5x rate on flights through amextravel.com is also significant for LLC owners with heavy travel budgets.

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 (first $25,000/yr combined); 2% on gas and restaurants; 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 caps. Best when your spend is diverse and you don't want to track categories. Both have no annual fee and similar welcome bonuses. Key insight: if your top spending categories are NOT office supplies and telecom, Ink Unlimited's 1.5% flat rate often outperforms Ink Cash's category structure. For an LLC spending primarily on advertising, payroll services, or professional services, Ink Unlimited wins. If telecom and office supply spend is significant ($15,000+/yr), Ink Cash's 5% rate wins. Many LLC owners hold both cards to capture the best rate in each category.

Should I use my LLC credit card for personal expenses?

No — and this is the most important operational discipline for LLC owners. Using your business credit card for personal expenses is 'commingling of funds,' the same problem as using a personal bank account for business. From a legal standpoint, a plaintiff's attorney will use commingled card statements as evidence that you do not maintain genuine separation between yourself and the LLC — the foundation of a corporate veil piercing argument. From a tax standpoint, personal expenses charged to a business card create messy records and potential audit risk if claimed as business deductions. The rule is simple: the business credit card is exclusively for LLC expenses. Personal expenses go on personal cards. All LLC expenses go on the business card. If you accidentally charge a personal expense to the business card (it happens), log it immediately as an owner draw in your bookkeeping software.

Provenance

Legal basis & official sources

Last verified 2026-05-07.

Business credit cards are governed by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA, 15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.) and Federal Reserve Regulation Z — though TILA's full protections apply less to small business cards than to consumer cards. The Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD Act) does not fully apply to business credit cards. Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA, 15 U.S.C. § 1681) governs personal credit checks on business card applicants. Business credit bureaus (Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, Equifax Business) operate under separate regulatory frameworks from consumer bureaus. Personal guarantee provisions are governed by state contract law in the state listed in the card agreement.

Direct filing portal: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online

If you skip this

Using a personal credit card for LLC business expenses constitutes commingling of funds — the primary trigger for piercing the corporate veil and exposing personal assets to LLC lawsuits and debts
Missed opportunity to build an independent business credit profile under the LLC's EIN — business credit is required for vendor net terms, equipment financing, commercial leases, and SBA loans
Lost welcome bonus value — Chase Ink Preferred and Amex Business Platinum welcome offers typically deliver $1,000–$2,700+ in first-year value that is forfeit without a timely application
Personal card rewards rates are typically lower than business card rates for the same spend categories — most personal cards offer 1–3x vs. business cards offering 2–5x on business-relevant categories
Without a business credit card, large business purchases must be charged to a debit card or paid by check — debit offers no purchase protection, no rewards, and no fraud buffer period

Official sources

§ A Related guides

§ B Building permits

§ C Companion tools

Disclaimer: Informational only, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm with a business attorney or CPA before you act.