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ClearValue Cards

Business Credit Cards

Cards built for sole proprietors and SMB owners. Categories, fees, and reporting requirements weighed against realistic business spend patterns.

Build a comparison

Add up to 4 cards, then open the side-by-side grid. Sorted by ClearValue Score — never by commission.

1
Chase
Solid pick
85
/100
Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
17.49–25.49%
Intro APR
0% on purchases for 12 months
Best for

Small businesses with real office-supply and telecom spend

Fees sourced from issuer terms · 2026-07-08

ClearValue Score · how we rate →

Chase

Chase Ink Business Cash

Small businesses with real office-supply and telecom spend

Key specs

Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% on purchases for 12 months
Ongoing APR
17.49% – 25.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Late payment fee
Up to $40

Pros

  • Small businesses with real office-supply and telecom spend. The 5% back at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services (first $25,000 combined per year) is the best $0-fee business earn rate for that spend profile — and the points are Ultimate Rewards when paired with a premium Chase card.

Trade-offs

  • Businesses whose spend doesn't concentrate in the 5%/2% categories (a flat-rate business card returns more on general spend), and owners who want a card that builds personal credit — Chase business cards generally don't report positive activity to personal bureaus.

The catch

The headline 5% is capped at the first $25,000 in combined 5%-plus-2% category spend each year, then drops to 1%. The card earns 'cash back' that is really Ultimate Rewards points — worth 1 cpp as cash, but 1.5+ cpp only if you also hold a Sapphire Preferred/Reserve or Ink Preferred to transfer through.

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Reviewed by ClearValue Editorial Team ·
2
Chase
Solid pick
83
/100
Annual fee
$95
Ongoing APR
20.74–26.74%
Foreign txn fee
None
Best for

Small business owners spending $5,000+/yr on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, or advertising (search + social) —

Fees sourced from issuer terms · 2026-06-29

ClearValue Score · how we rate →

Chase

Chase Ink Business Preferred

Small business owners spending $5,000+/yr on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, or advertising (search + social) —

Key specs

Annual fee
$95
Ongoing APR
20.74% – 26.74% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Balance transfer fee
$5 or 5%
Late payment fee
Up to $40

Pros

  • Small business owners spending $5,000+/yr on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, or advertising (search + social) — the 3x category at $150k cap annually transfers to Hyatt/United at our 1.5 cpp benchmark for real value.

Trade-offs

  • Sole proprietors with under ~$2,000/yr in the bonus categories (the $95 AF doesn't pencil) and businesses that aren't ready to maintain separate business credit reporting (Ink reports to commercial bureaus, which is the upside but also the discipline).

The catch

The $150k annual cap on 3x is generous, but the categories are narrowly defined — Google + Facebook ads count, Amazon ads don't always; FedEx/UPS shipping counts, in-store local courier doesn't. Audit the categories against your actual P&L before scoring AF math.

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Reviewed by ClearValue Editorial Team ·
3
Capital One
Solid pick
80
/100
Annual fee
$150
Ongoing APR
Variable*
Foreign txn fee
None
Best for

Established businesses spending $50,000+/yr who want flat 2% on everything with no rotating-category tracking and an ann

Fees sourced from issuer terms · 2026-06-29

ClearValue Score · how we rate →

Capital One

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Established businesses spending $50,000+/yr who want flat 2% on everything with no rotating-category tracking and an ann

Key specs

Annual fee
$150
Ongoing APR
Charge card (no APR, balance due in full)
Foreign transaction fee
None
Late payment fee
2.99% of past due amount

Pros

  • Established businesses spending $50,000+/yr who want flat 2% on everything with no rotating-category tracking and an annual $200 cash bonus once you hit $200k in spend (recovers most of the AF). Charge-card structure — pay in full monthly.

Trade-offs

  • Newer businesses without $50k+ annual spend (the $150 AF + charge-card pay-in-full requirement is more friction than the $0-AF Spark Cash Select justifies). Also not for businesses that need revolving credit.

The catch

Capital One markets the $200 bonus at $200k spend as a near-zero net AF. True — but you have to actually hit $200k each year, and the bonus only triggers in years you do. Treat the AF as $150 and the bonus as upside, not as core math.

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Reviewed by ClearValue Editorial Team ·
4
American Express
Worth considering
75
/100
Annual fee
$375
Ongoing APR
20.74–28.74%
Foreign txn fee
None
Best for

Service businesses with concentrated spend in two clear top categories (Amex picks your 2 highest categories each month

Fees sourced from issuer terms · 2026-06-29

ClearValue Score · how we rate →

American Express

American Express Business Gold

Service businesses with concentrated spend in two clear top categories (Amex picks your 2 highest categories each month

Key specs

Annual fee
$375
Ongoing APR
20.74% – 28.74% variable (Pay Over Time)
Foreign transaction fee
None
Late payment fee
Up to $40

Pros

  • Service businesses with concentrated spend in two clear top categories (Amex picks your 2 highest categories each month from a list of 6: airfare, advertising, gas, restaurants, computing/hosting, shipping). The 4x on top-2 categories at our 1.4 cpp MR benchmark beats most business flat-rate cards.

Trade-offs

  • Businesses with spend spread evenly across 6+ categories (the 4x carve-out underperforms a flat 2% card), and businesses that need predictable monthly cashflow (the Pay Over Time structure is operationally different from a revolving card).

The catch

Amex auto-selects your top 2 categories monthly from THEIR list — if your real top categories are payroll, rent, or SaaS subscriptions, they don't count. Match your P&L to the 6 eligible categories before scoring the $375 AF.

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Reviewed by ClearValue Editorial Team ·

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