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Is one of your goals for 2024 to better your business? One of the ways to do this can be by having a no-annual-fee business credit card. Earn business rewards, increase your business credit score, and use the benefits, all without worrying about an annual fee. Plus, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by keeping business and personal expenses separate, especially when it comes to tax time. Here’s a list of the best business credit cards with no annual fees for 2024.
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Best Business Credit Cards With No Annual Fees 2024
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card – Up to $750 Bonus Cash Back
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express – 15,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points
- U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® – $500 Bonus Cash Back
- The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card – $250 Statement Credit Bonus
- Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business – Earns 1.5% Back On All Purchases
- Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business – Earns 1.5x Miles On All Purchases
Earn more rewards for purchases like office supplies, advertising costs, and even telephone and internet services. The best business credit cards that earn rewards without having to pay an annual fee can be a winning proposition. No annual fee business credit cards let you earn bonus points on your business purchases that can be redeemed for cash or travel rewards.
Things to Consider Before Applying for No Annual Fee Business Credit Cards
Before you apply for a business credit card, you have a few factors to consider:
- What are the bonus categories?
- What are your point redemption options?
- Is there a sign-up/welcome bonus?
Though you might only be considering no annual fee business credit cards, there are many differences.
These differences go beyond the business credit card design and the issuing bank. Taking a few extra minutes to compare your business needs to the credit card benefits can help you make the best decision.
If you’re not ready to pay an annual fee yet, consider these business credit cards first.
Ink Business Cash Credit Card – Best No Annual Fee Business Card
Pros: Earns Chase Ultimate Rewards and up to 5% on business purchases on the first $25,000 spent at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services in combined purchases each account anniversary year
Welcome Bonus: New Ink Business Cash® Credit Card cardholders can earn up to a $750 bonus cash back! Earn $350 after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Then, earn an additional $400 after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card lets you earn 5% back each account anniversary year on the first $25,000 in combined spending on the following business purchases:
- Office Supply Stores
- Internet, Phone, and Cable Services
You will also earn 2% back each account anniversary year on the first $25,000 in combined spending at:
- Gas Stations
- Restaurants
If you max out the $25,000 earnings cap for the year, you will earn 1% on all remaining purchases for that bonus category. You will always earn 1% back on all non-bonus category purchases.
Another added perk is primary rental car collision damage waiver protection.
Even though the Ink Business Cash is labeled as a cash rewards card, you can redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for travel and gift cards too for one cent each (10,000 points = $ 100). If you also own other Chase credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points, you can pool your issues with the Chase Trifecta.
Additionally, cardholders may redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel, and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Fraud protection is also included with the card as well as zero fraud liability. Cardholders won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with their card or with their account information.
Having a Chase business credit card with no annual fees can help build a relationship with Chase. It also happens to be one of the best business credit cards with no annual fees.
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express – 2x Points
Pros: Earns 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases on the first $50,000 spent each calendar year; after spending $50,000, earn 1 point per dollar for the remainder of the year.
Welcome Bonus: New The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express cardholders can earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® Points after they spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within their first 3 months of Card Membership.
If you want a $0 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) American Express business credit card that earns travel rewards, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express can be the best option. It earns 2x Membership Rewards® points per $1 spent annually on everyday business purchases (up to $50,000 in purchases per year, then 1x point per $1) that you can transfer on a 1:1 basis to frequent flyer accounts like Delta, or British Airways Avios (American Airlines), JetBlue, Emirates, and Etihad.
Additionally, you will have more flexibility to spend on this card thanks to Expanded Buying Power. With Expanded Buying Power, you can use your card beyond its credit limit. The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors.
The goal is to give you more buying power and the ability to earn more points. Your most valuable rewards with the Blue Business Plus are transferring your points to a travel partner or other award travel rewards.
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard – 3% Cash Back Rewards
The information for the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Pros: Triple rewards on eligible purchases, annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription services
Signup Bonus: New U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® cardholders can earn $500 in cash back after spending $4,500 on the Account Owner’s card in the first 150 days of account opening.
Here’s one of the best business credit cards with no annual fees from U.S. Bank. A business card that earns rewards at places where businesses make plenty of purchases, the U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard® is a no-annual-fee card that earns triple cash back (See Rates & Fees).
Cardholders can earn 3% cash back on select eligible purchases at:
- Gas stations and EV charging stations
- Office supply stores
- Cell phone service providers
- Restaurants
Additionally, earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Travel Center.
Cardholders earn 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases.
Another perk of this card is the ability to pay over time. Pay over time by splitting eligible purchases of $100+ into equal monthly payments with the U.S. Bank ExtendPay™ Plan.
Additionally, cardholders can enjoy an annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription expenses. Such expenses include FreshBooks or QuickBooks.
There are no limits on how much total cashback can be earned. Additionally, rewards won’t expire. Learn more about this business credit card with no annual fees in our U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards World Elite Mastercard review.
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card – 2% Cash Back
Pros: Earn 2% cash back on the first $50,000 spent on eligible purchases annually
Welcome Bonus: New The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card cardholders can earn a $250 statement credit after they make $3,000 in purchases on their Card in their first 3 months.
If you prefer one of the best American Express business cards with a $0 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) that earns cash back, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card may be your answer.
Cardholders earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases of up to $50,000 per calendar year, and then 1% cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
Additionally, it comes with Expanded Buying Power which gives cardholders the ability to spend beyond their credit limit. You can spend beyond your credit limit to make those large purchases while still earning rewards. Just remember, the amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors.
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card is a great option for people who want simplicity. If you don’t want to worry about activating spending categories or figuring out whether or not your purchase will earn a certain amount of rewards, this is the card for you. And it doesn’t have an annual fee, making life even easier.
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business – 1.5% Cash Back on all Purchases
The information for the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Pros: Earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases
Welcome Bonus: $500 cash bonus after spending $4,500 in the first 3 months
Here are two Capital One options in our list of the best business credit cards with no annual fees. For a simple, flat-rate cash-back credit card, you can consider the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business. You will earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase.
Another unique feature of this card is that you won’t pay a foreign transaction fee. Most no-annual-fee business credit cards still charge a foreign transaction fee that may erase any potential rewards you earn.
To make your bookkeeping easier, you will also receive a quarterly and annual spending report. All spending activity can be imported directly to QuickBooks, Quicken, and Excel.
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business – 1.5x Miles On All Purchases
The information for the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Pros: Earns 1.5 miles per $1 on all purchases
Welcome Bonus: 20,000 bonus miles (equal to $200 in travel) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
The Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business is the business card version of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
You will earn unlimited 1.5 miles per $1 spent for every purchase category. Plus, you can earn 5x miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel. Your miles can be redeemed as a statement credit for travel purchases, or you can redeem them through the Capital One travel portal for award flights, hotels, and vacation packages.
Your miles don’t expire when there are no minimum redemption requirements, blackout dates, or seat restrictions. In other words, Capital One might not let you transfer your miles directly to a travel partner, but you will still have your choice of award travel. All miles are worth 1 cent each, regardless of which type of award travel you book.
In addition to no annual fee, there is no foreign transaction fee either. If you make a lot of international purchases, either Capital One card can be a good option because they waive the foreign transaction fee.
Summary of Best Business Cards with No Annual Fees
Any of these best business credit cards with no annual fees will maximize your business spending and let you keep the entire reward because you won’t pay an annual fee. As you can redeem your rewards points for cash or travel, these business cards might not offer as many benefits as the best small business credit card with travel rewards, but you will still be rewarded with every purchase.
What of the Best Business Credit Cards Should I Put Advertising Spending On?
In continuation with our list of business credit cards with no annual fees, we wanted to mention cards to put advertising spending on. Almost every business has an advertising budget. Just like you care about the cost-per-click and the number of impressions for your advertising campaigns, you might be overlooking this return on investment factor, credit card rewards points. You don’t advertise on just any platform, so why wouldn’t you use the best business credit cards to put advertising spending?
If you currently only earn 1 point per $1 spent on advertising, these small business credit cards with no annual fees are a must for your business.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
The information for the Capital One Spark Cash for Business has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
One final recommendation is if you prefer a flat rewards card that earns the same number of points on every dollar spent regardless of what you buy. If that’s the case, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business earns an unlimited 2 miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere. You’ll also get up to $100 credit towards one Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.
You can choose between the Capital One Spark Miles for Business or Capital One Spark Cash for Business for $95 per year, although the annual fee is waived for the first year. The Spark Miles is the business card version of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card where you always earn 2x miles per $1 and each mile is worth 1 cent each. However, earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
If you’re okay with only earning 1.5 miles per $1, the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business and Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business doesn’t charge an annual fee. While these four options aren’t as flexible as the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, you might benefit more from the straightforward reward if your business and advertising spending don’t exactly benefit from a tiered rewards program.
Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a Chase card that has no annual fee and earns unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business.
Cardholders earn rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel, and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus, earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Employers can set individual spending limits for greater control.
New Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card cardholders can earn a $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Bonus: Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card – 120,000 Points
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns 3x Ultimate Rewards points on your social media and search engine advertising. In fact, you will also earn 3x points in combined spending on the following purchase types:
- Search engine and social media advertising
- Shipping
- Travel
- Internet, cable, and phone services
After you reach $150,000 in annual spending, your remaining purchases continue to earn 1 point per $1.
You will always earn 1 point per $1 on all non-bonus spending.
However, the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card costs $95 a year. You can redeem your rewards points for cash statement credits, gift cards, Amazon.com shopping rewards, or award travel.
Redeeming your points for award travel with the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal is the most valuable option as your points are worth 1.25 cents each, which makes 10,000 points worth $125; your Chase points are only worth 1 cent each with the other redemption options making the same 10,000 points only worth $100.
What’s even more valuable than the 25% travel redemption bonus is transferring your Ultimate Rewards points directly to your favorite airline or hotel loyalty program on a 1:1 basis. Your points can be worth at least 2 cents each, making 10,000 points worth $200 or more.
If you travel on a routine basis, you might find more value in the 1:1 point transfer option if you book travel with:
- Southwest Airlines
- United
- Hyatt
- Marriott
- IHG
These are only five of the many Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners, and you can transfer to all of them in 1,000-point increments.
If you max out the $150,000 annual limit, you can earn 450,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
These points are worth at least $5,625 in award travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
Earn a Bonus From Your Advertising Spending
New Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card cardholders can earn 120k bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,200 cash back or $1,500 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
Pool Your Personal Credit Card Rewards to Achieve Award Travel Sooner
If you also own a personal Chase credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points together to book your next award ticket sooner. You can also transfer your points on a 1:1 basis, too, as only the Ink Business Preferred and Sapphire cards have this option.
Additional Cell Phone Protection Benefits Too
In addition to the 3x purchase rewards on your cell phone service, you can also get automatic cell phone protection from Chase. If a company cell phone is damaged or stolen, Chase will reimburse up to $600 in costs after you pay a $100 deductible. This benefit can be used three times in a 12-month period to cover multiple employees if necessary.
Related: Ink Business Preferred Business Credit Card
Summary of Best Business Credit Cards for Ad Spending
These three best business card options will help you earn more on your advertising spending than you currently do. Picking the right credit card helps you know you make every business purchase count towards growing your brand while making every dollar count.
Recap of The Best Business Credit Cards With No Annual Fees
A business credit card that earns rewards without having to pay an annual fee can be a winning proposition. No annual fee business credit cards let you earn bonus points on your business purchases that can be redeemed for cash or travel rewards. If you’re not ready to pay an annual fee yet, consider these business credit cards first.
Ink Business Cash Credit Card
Pros: Earns Chase Ultimate Rewards and up to 5% on business purchases
Welcome Bonus: New Ink Business Cash® Credit Card cardholders can earn up to a $750 bonus cash back! Earn $350 after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Then, earn an additional $400 after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card lets you earn 5% back each account anniversary year on the first $25,000 in combined spending on the following business purchases:
- Office Supply Stores
- Internet, Phone, and Cable Services
You will also earn 2% back each account anniversary year on the first $25,000 in combined spending at:
- Gas Stations
- Restaurants
If you max out the $25,000 earnings cap for the year, you will earn 1% on all remaining purchases for that bonus category and you will always earn 1% back on all non-bonus category purchases.
The Blue Business Plus Cash Card from American Express
Pros: Earns 2x Membership Rewards on the first $50,000 each calendar year
If you want one of the best business credit cards with a $0 annual fee that earns travel rewards (See Rates & Fees), The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express earns up to 2x Membership Rewards on business purchases, up to $50,000 annually (then 1 point per $1) that you can transfer on a 1:1 basis to frequent flyer accounts like Delta, British Airways Avios (American Airlines), JetBlue, Emirates, and Etihad.
The Blue Business Plus probably has the most flexible purchase rewards policy of any business credit card.
The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors.
New The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express cardholders can earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after they spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within their first 3 months of Card Membership.
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business
The information for the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Pros: Earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases
Welcome Bonus: $500 cash bonus after spending $4,500 in the first 3 months
For a simple, flat-rate cash-back credit card, you can consider the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Business. You will earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase.
Another unique feature of this card is that you won’t pay a foreign transaction fee.
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
The information for the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Pros: Earns 1.5 miles per $1 on all purchases
Welcome Bonus: 20,000 bonus miles ($200) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
The Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business is the business card version of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
You will earn unlimited 1.5 miles per $1 spent for every purchase category. Your miles can be redeemed as a statement credit for travel purchases. Or, you can redeem them through the Capital One travel portal for award flights, hotels, and vacation packages.
Your miles don’t expire. Plus there are no minimum redemption requirements, blackout dates, or seat restrictions. All miles are worth 1 cent each, regardless of which type of award travel you book.
In addition to no annual fee, there is no foreign transaction fee either. If you make a lot of international purchases, either Capital One card can be a good option because they waive the foreign transaction fee.
Summary of Best No Annual Fee Business Cards
In conclusion, the best business credit cards with no annual fees can help maximize your business spending. Plus, they let you keep the entire reward because you won’t pay an annual fee. As you can redeem your rewards points for cash or travel, these business cards might not offer as many benefits as a business credit card with more travel rewards, but you will still be rewarded with every purchase.
Related Posts:
- The Best Chase Business Credit Cards
- Best Credit Card Reviews
- Best Small Business Credit Cards for Travel Rewards
For rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
Thank you so much for sharing this article. I am really happy after reading your article because my brother was asking me about getting a new credit card but the problem was the annual fees. As the benefits were increasing the annual fees were getting higher. So, now i am gonna share this article with my brother so that he can check and can get the best card.