The Best Small Business Credit Cards of 2012

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Small Business Credit Cards have always been a great way for start-up businesses to obtain the capital they need to open the doors of their dreams. When the economy took a tumble in 2008, some of the first products to be removed from the market were these very same small business credit cards that had helped so many for so long.

Advanta was the most well known small business credit card provider and not only did they stop allowing new customers access to credit cards but they close their doors entirely because their debt was just too much. Today, there are still a handful of issuers looking to lend a hand to small businesses and while the offers are not as lucrative as they once were, small business credit cards are a great start for any new business.

PT’s Pick For The Best Small Business Credit Card

Ink Cash℠ Business – The Ink Cash Business Card from Chase is the best business card you can find online, bar none.  All cardholders start off with $100 cash back after you make your first purchase and an additional $150 after spending just $5,000 in the first three months.  The card also comes with an excellent cash back offer of  5% for the first $25,000 spent annually on office supplies, wireless, landline and business cable services, 2% for the first $25,000 spent annually on gas and dining  and 1% on everything else. Plus, if you shop online through Chase Rewards Plus, you can earn up to 10% cash back.

In addition great cash back offer, the Ink Cash Business comes with an intro APR of 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months. There is no annual fee and no fee for adding more cardholders to the account. Excellent credit is needed to obtain the Ink Cash Business and with an APR of 10.24% variable*after the intro rate expires, this card scores a top mark in every single category.

The Plum Card® from American Express OPEN- The Plum Card from American Express OPEN is a premier small business charge card for anyone with the excellent credit required to obtain it.  This card includes 1.5% cash back if you can pay off your balance within 10 days of your statement closing date and as an American Express small business cardholder, you’ll receive perks like nothing you have seen before.  This is a charge card, which means you must pay your balance off in full each month OR 10% of the balance immediately and the remaining 90% within 60 days.  Last but certainly not least, there is a hefty annual fee of $185 to own the Plum Card from American Express OPEN, but that fee is waived during the first year.

SimplyCash® Business Card from American Express OPEN – The name here says it all as the SimplyCash Business Card from American Express OPEN offers cash back on all purchases.  Five percent is earned on wireless services and office supply purchases for the business, three percent on auto gas and one percent on most all other purchases.  There’s no limit to the amount of cash earned, it’s automatically credited to your account each month and the SimplyCash Business Card from American Express OPEN has no annual fee.

CitiBusiness® World Card – The CitiBusiness World Card acts as both a charge card and a credit card while providing a $100 gift card bonus to new members that make $300 in purchases during the first three months.  The card has a 0% intro APR on purchases for six months and if you go over your credit limit, that’s OK because Citi allows you to do so.  The CitiBusiness World Card has no annual fee and no pre-set spending limit, so it’s the perfect business card to own if you need an unexpected purchase.

Ink℠ Classic – The Chase Ink Classic is a great travel rewards card designed for small business owners with excellent credit. $100 cash back is earned after making your first purchase and an additional $150 is earned after making $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months and that bonus is provided initially as 25,000 points.  Every purchase earns 1 rewards point and all fuel and lodging purchases earns 2 rewards points (up to $25,000). Also, you could earn 5 points on the first $25,000 spent annually on office supplies, wireless, landline and cable services. The card comes with an intro APR offer of 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles and a purchase APR of 10.24% variable* thereafter. No annual fee is included in the Chase Ink Classic and additional cards can be given at no cost.

Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express OPEN – As a consumer card, the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card is one of the best travel rewards credit cards around. As a business card, the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express OPEN is just as strong. The card includes 10,000 bonus Starpoints after your first purchase, and an additional 15,000 bonus Starpoints when you spend $5,000 in 6 months, enough for 2 free nights at a category 5 hotel. You can also earn an additional 5,000 Starpoints when you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to any of the 30 airline programs. The card carries no annual fee for the first year and $65 thereafter and has a purchase APR of 15.24% – 19.24% variable.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN – There’s no better prestige symbol for your business than the Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN, but it does come at a price.  This card includes perks like a 24/7 airport concierge service, 20% Travel Bonus when redeeming with Membership Rewards Pay with Points and more than 40 other premium benefits that will certainly save your business hundreds if not thousands in costs each year.  However, you will be charged a $450 annual fee for owning the Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN.

Ink℠ Bold with Ultimate Rewards – Unlike the other cards on this list, the Ink Bold with Ultimate Rewards is a charge card, not a credit card. This means that when the statement in the mail comes, the entire balance is due. Cardholders earn 25,000 bonus points after their first purchase and another 25,000 points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months. With no annual fee charged for the first year ($95 thereafter), the Ink Bold with Ultimate Rewards is the ultimate small business charge card.

True Earnings® Business Card from Costco and American Express – This card offers a great tiered cash back offer and if you spend in the right places, the cash back you earn might make this the best card on our list. 4% cash back on annual gasoline purchases (up to $6,000), 2% on restaurants, 2% on travel and 1% on everything else (including at Costco) is the breakdown you’ll find on the True Earnings Business Card from Costco and American Express and if you pay your Costco membership each year, the card carries no annual fee. One last bonus you’ll find is a 0% intro APR offer for six months on purchases and a regular APR offer of 15.24%.

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are authors alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.

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