Travel rewards credit cards come in all shapes and sizes, offering a bounty of benefits, perks, and money-saving credits that can help make your travel experience more enjoyable … and affordable.
For many, the initial draw to a new card is due, in large part, to its initial welcome offer or sign-up bonus. Over the years we’ve seen some eye-popping offers on many of the top travel cards from banks like American Express, Chase, and Capital One.
But lately, a new trend has emerged: All the best welcome offers are on business credit cards. And we’re not talking about marginally better bonuses. With multiple business cards offering bonuses of 100,000 points or more, these are far and away the best offers on the market.
What’s driving this trend? It’s tough to say with certainty but it could be a broader economic sign. For the first time ever, consumer credit card debt has topped one trillion dollars – yes, that’s trillion with a “T.” And while that figure alone doesn’t serve as a true economic barometer, it could give us a sense of the banks’ appetite to encourage more consumer spending on credit cards.
Business customers are likely to be more profitable to the banks and therefore worthy of a higher customer acquisition cost. In general, businesses spend much more each month than individuals and that means more revenue from interchange fees – the money banks charge businesses to process credit card transactions.
No matter the reason, if you’re looking to pile up some points to fuel your future travels, business cards are where the action’s at.
But keep in mind: Credit cards are serious business. You should never apply for a credit card if you’re already in debt and you should never charge more to a credit card than you can afford to pay off immediately, even if it’s to earn a big points bonus. And that’s especially true with business credit cards that often require a higher spending requirement.
Let’s take a closer look at this trend and some of the best business card bonuses currently available.
Looking for a new business card? Check out our quarterly roundup of all the best offers!
Who Can Apply For a Business Card?
Don’t think your business is eligible? Not so fast. You could easily qualify for one of these cards without realizing it.
Do you have any income from freelance work – or plans to start freelance work? Have you ever sold an item on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, or other platforms, or have plans to do so in the future? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have what the banks would consider a small business!
At the end of the day, if you are selling any goods or services or contracting with a company to do so in an attempt to make a profit, you have a small business and thus are typically eligible to apply for a small business credit card. That makes it possible for many Americans to apply for a business credit card.
While running a big business would obviously qualify you to open a business credit card, you can also get approved for a small-business credit card with a part-time side hustle, a freelance job, a gig economy job, or even by selling goods on online marketplaces like Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and more. In fact, many Americans have what the banks would consider a small business and don’t even know it.
Just keep in mind: You should never lie or attempt to mislead a bank when applying for a business credit card. It’s important to have a legitimate business, even if that business is just your own.
Read more: You Might Be Eligible for Business Credit Cards & Not Know It
Why You Should Apply for a Business Card
Small business owners have a lot to juggle and in many situations, time is quite literally money. Having a rewards credit card at your disposal can be a powerful tool for any business owner to save both time and money.
Not only is it a wise financial move to use a credit card to earn rewards or cash back on all your big business expenses, but it’s also a great way to expand your purchasing power, give employees the ability to make business purchases, and pay vendors and other company expenses from one account.
Many of the top business cards also come with purchase protections, extended warranties, and cell phone insurance that can save you and your business money in the event things a new purchase gets damaged or lost.
Chase Ink Cards
It’s hard to overstate just how good the current offers are on the Chase Ink Business family of credit cards. Best of all, there are three great cards to choose from with annual fees ranging from nothing at all to a reasonable $95 per year, meaning there’s something out there for every business owner.
The *chase ink preferred* had its welcome offer overhauled back in June, halving the spending requirement to $8,000 in the first three months, all while keeping the same great 100,000 point bonus. Meanwhile, the no annual fee *Ink Cash* and *Ink Unlimited* recently introduced a best-ever $900 cash back (or 90,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards) bonus for $6,000 of spending in the first three months.
Being able to earn 100,000 – or even 90,000 – valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards with a single sign-up bonus is practically unheard of, making any of these cards a worthy addition to most business owners’ wallets.
Here are the specifics on all the Ink Cards:
Chase Ink Preferred
- bonus_miles_full
- Earn 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards for every dollar spent on travel, shipping, phone, internet, cable, and online advertising with social media sites and search engines, up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year.
- Earn 1x Chase Ultimate Rewards for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Travel Protections: With the card’s trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you can be reimbursed up to $5,000 per person ($10,000 per trip) for pre-paid non refundable travel expenses if your trip is cancelled or cut short due to a covered event.
- Rental Car Insurance: Get primary rental car coverage when you’re renting for business purposes and pay for your rental with the Chase Ink Preferred.
- Purchase Protection: Cover your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Cell Phone Insurance: Get up to $1,000 per claim in cell phone protection against covered theft or damage for you and your employees listed on your monthly cell phone bill when you pay for it with your Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
- Annual Fee: $95
Learn More about the *chase ink preferred*
Read our review of the Chase Ink Preferred Card
Chase Ink Cash
- *ink cash bonus*
- The Ink Business Cash card has no annual fee
- 5x points (5% cash back) on internet, cable, and phone service; office supply purchases on your first $25,000 of spending each year.
- 2x points (2% cash back) on restaurants and gas stations on your first $25,000 of spending each year.
- 1x points (1% cash back) on all other eligible spending
- Primary rental car collision and damage waiver coverage
- Lost luggage insurance of up to $3,000 per person per trip
- Add employee cards at no additional cost
Learn more about the *chase ink cash*.
Read next: Get a Big Bonus and Even More Rewards with the Chase Ink Cash
Chase Ink Unlimited
- *ink unlimited bonus*
- The Ink Business Unlimited card has no annual fee
- 1.5x points (1.5% cash back) on all purchases made for your business
- Primary rental car collision and damage waiver coverage
- Lost luggage insurance of up to $3,000 per person per trip
- Add employee cards at no additional cost
Learn more about the *chase ink unlimited*.
Capital One Venture X Business
After hitting a home run with the *venture x* it made all too much sense for the bank to try and duplicate that success with a business version of its popular travel rewards credit card. And that’s exactly what Capital One did when it made the *venture x business* available to the masses last month.
This card comes with many of the same great travel perks as the personal version – airport lounge access, a $300 travel credit, and an anniversary bonus – but its bonus is twice as big at 150,000 Venture Miles … albeit with significantly more spending required.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Venture X Business:
- Welcome Offer: *Venture X Biz Bonus*
- $300 Annual Travel Credit: Every year, you get a $300 annual travel credit to use on any flights, hotels, or rental cars booked through the Capital One travel portal.
- Lounge Access: Complimentary access to 1,300-plus lounges in the Priority Pass network and Capital One’s lounges in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD). Plus upcoming locations in Denver (DEN) and Las Vegas (LAS). Cardholders get two free guests, too.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Up to $100 in statement credits to sign up for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. This credit is good once every four years, and membership in both programs lasts five years.
- Earning More Points: Capital One Venture X cardholders will earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights booked via the Capital One Travel portal, and an unlimited 2x miles on every dollar spent on all other purchases with the card.
- 10,000 bonus miles: Every year starting in year two, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles after renewing your Venture X Card.
- Annual Fee: $395
Learn more about the *venture x business*.
Amex Business Gold
Chase and Capital One have led the charge lately with the most exciting new card welcome offers, but American Express has long offered business owners the ability to earn a boatload of points with its suite of cards that earn Membership Rewards points.
The *biz gold* is one such card, and it just underwent a big refresh with new spending categories where you’ll earn 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent and up to $240 each year in business-related statement credits. If the new card changes work for your business, you can currently earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 in the first three months of opening your account.
Here’s a closer look at all the Amex Business Gold has to offer:
- *amex biz gold bonus*
- Earn 4x Amex Membership Rewards for every dollar spent in your top two spending categories each month. Eligible categories include, U.S. purchases at gas stations, U.S. restaurant purchases, advertising with select U.S. media providers (online, tv, radio), transit purchases, monthly wireless telephone service charges, and U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers (up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year, then 1x).
- Earn 1x Amex Membership Rewards for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Trip Delay Insurance*
- Lost or Damaged Baggage Insurance*
- Rental Car Insurance*
- Purchase Protection: Cover your new purchases for 90 days against damage or theft up to $1,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
- Annual Fee: $295 (see rates & fees)
*Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Learn more about the *biz gold*.
Co-Branded Cards
It’s not just the banks’ flagship business cards offering big bonuses, though. You’ll also find increased offers on many co-branded cards like those from hotel chains Marriott and Hyatt.
Marriott Bonvoy Business
- Welcome Offer: *bonvoy business bonus*
- Free Night Certificate: Get a free night certificate each year on your cardmember anniversary, eligible at properties that cost up to 35,000 points. This benefit starts in your second year of card membership.
- Earn 6x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program.
- Earn 4x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent at worldwide restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 2x Marriott Bonvoy Points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Get 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points with each qualifying stay.
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
- Earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year toward Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.
- Get a 7% discount on standard room rates at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program.
- $125 Annual Fee (see rates & fees).
Learn more about the *bonvoy business*.
Hyatt Business
- Welcome Offer: *WoH Business Bonus*
- Earn 4x World of Hyatt points per $1 spent at Hyatt hotels, participating Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and eligible Lindblad Expeditions.
- Earn 2x Word of Hyatt points per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter through Dec. 31, 2024, then your top two categories each quarter. Eligible categories include dining, shipping, airfare purchased directly with the airline, local transit, social media and online search engine advertising, car rentals, gas stations, and internet, cable, & phone service.
- Earn 2x World of Hyatt points per $1 spent on fitness club and gym memberships.
- Earn 1x World of Hyatt points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Up to $100 in statement credits each anniversary year: Spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and earn a $50 statement credit up to two times each anniversary year.
- 10% Redemption Bonus: Spend $50,000 in a calendar year and get 10% of your redeemed points back for the rest of the year, on up to 200,000 points redeemed.
- Automatic Discoverist Elite Status for primary cardmember and up to five employees. Discoverist Status include benefits like, premium internet access, bottled water, a space-available upgrade to a preferred room (within the room type booked), and a 2 p.m. late checkout (where available).
- Annual Fee: $199
Learn more about the *world of hyatt business*.
Bottom Line
If you’re a traveler in search of the biggest and best welcome offer on a new travel rewards credit card, it could pay (literally) to start by first looking at a small business card.
And while you’ll need to have a business in order to apply, you may very well already have a small business and not even realize it.