Best business credit cards for building credit in July 2025

Not all business credit cards are designed with credit building in mind or for companies without established credit. Understanding the different types of business credit cards can help you choose the right option for your company's needs since each type offers distinct advantages and requirements.

Secured business credit cards

Secured business credit cards require a cash deposit that also typically determines your credit limit. This deposit acts as collateral for any debt you accrue, reducing the risk for card issuers and making these cards accessible to businesses with no credit history or poor credit scores.

Although the deposit requirement can seem like a drawback, it's also what makes secured cards effective for building credit. Since the issuer's risk is minimized by your deposit, they're more likely to approve applications from new businesses. Most secured business credit cards report your payment activity to major business credit bureaus, which means responsible use directly contributes to building your credit profile.

Many secured cards also offer a path to an unsecured card. Once you establish reliable payment habits, issuers may return your deposit and switch your card to an unsecured business credit card. This makes them an excellent first step for organizations that need to establish credit quickly.

Corporate credit cards

Corporate credit cards are typically designed for growing and established businesses with reliable revenue, but may lack established credit profiles. These cards often come with expense management features, employee card spend controls, and integration with accounting and other software.

Corporate cards can help build credit as they often consider business performance when evaluating applicants rather than personal and business credit histories. And since corporate card programs typically report payments to the major credit bureaus, these cards can help you build business credit without personal credit, which has countless benefits as your venture grows.

Traditional business credit cards

Traditional business credit cards can have strict qualification requirements and often require personal guarantees. These unsecured cards don't require a deposit like secured cards do but typically need some combination of business revenue, time in business, as well as personal and business creditworthiness to qualify.

Traditional business credit cards often have better rewards programs and higher credit limits than secured cards, but they can be challenging for new companies to obtain. However, some traditional cards are specifically designed for small businesses and startups, with more flexible qualification requirements and features that support credit building. The key is finding cards that report to business credit bureaus and have qualification criteria that your business can meet.

As your business looks for a credit card to build business credit history, consider the options below and which best suits the needs of your organization.

1. Brex

The Brex corporate card offers startups and growing businesses powerful spend controls and AI-powered expense management software that can help them build business credit. Brex evaluates applicants based on business performance, not personal credit, giving companies access to higher credit limits that reflect their business potential. Coupled with Brex’s spend management tools and customizable card controls, businesses can confidently use Brex to spend smarter and move faster.

Features

• APR: N/A (Business charge card — balance due in full each month.)
• Annual fee: $0
• Minimum credit score: No minimum
• Personal guarantee: Not required
• Typical spending limit: 10-20x higher than traditional business credit cards

Key Benefits

• Higher credit limits: Brex evaluates applications based on business performance metrics like revenue and funding rather than personal credit, affording some companies credit limits that are 10-20x higher than traditional business credit cards. As one of the best high limit business credit cards available, Brex enables companies to make routine purchases while maintaining the financial controls necessary for responsible credit building.
• Spend controls: Custom expense policies can be embedded into each Brex card, allowing finance teams to restrict spending on nearly any parameter, including by employee, department, category, amount, and merchant. These controls prevent policy violations before they happen and keep spending in check, ensuring businesses maintain the payment discipline essential for building strong credit.
• Real-time budgets: Set budgets across teams or departments and track spending as it happens. Custom spend limits allow certain expenses automatically while routing others through smart approval workflows. This streamlined approach ensures money is allocated properly and that you can pay your balance every month.
• Unified platform: Brex provides a comprehensive platform to manage cash flow, from bills and expense reimbursements to cash reserves and accounts payable. Accounting teams get a more accurate picture of cash flow and can make informed decisions that support consistent payment practices and credit building goals.
• Physical and virtual cards: Businesses can issue both physical business credit cards for employees and virtual cards, such as purchase cards or ghost cards. Each card type can have custom spend policies that limit spending to particular vendors or categories, providing granular control over business expenses while building credit history.

Why it’s great for building credit

• No personal guarantees: Brex doesn't require personal guarantees or personal credit checks, allowing founders to separate personal finances from their business. This helps you establish business credit without being tied to personal credit scores, creating the clean financial separation that's essential for building independent business credit.
• Reports payments to business credit bureaus: Brex reports payment activity to all three major business credit bureaus, which is crucial for building business credit. Unlike some card issuers that only report missed payments or don't report at all, Brex ensures your positive payment history contributes directly to your business credit profile.
• Payments due each month: As a business charge card, Brex requires full payment each month rather than allowing balances to carry over. This structure prevents your business from accumulating debt that becomes difficult to repay and helps establish the consistent payment habits that credit bureaus reward with higher scores.
• Limit spending: Granular spend controls and real-time visibility into cash flow give your business complete control over all spending. This comprehensive oversight helps you plan and budget properly, ensuring your business can consistently meet its payment obligations and maintain the financial discipline necessary for strong credit building.

Who it’s best for

The Brex corporate card is built for startups, high-growth companies, and scaling enterprises that need limits that match their growth. With Brex, businesses can access higher credit limits without sacrificing control through embedded expense policies and automated approval workflows. Brex’s unified expense management platform tracks every transaction, so you have complete visibility into cash flow and real-time data to confidently make decisions as you scale.

2. Valley Bank Visa Secured Business Credit Card

The Valley Bank Visa Secured Business Credit Card is designed for businesses that need to establish or rebuild their business credit profile. As a secured card, it requires a cash deposit that serves as collateral and determines your credit limit, making it accessible to businesses with no credit history or those working to improve damaged credit. This card reports your payment activity to major business credit bureaus, allowing responsible use to directly contribute to your business credit score.

Features

• APR: 15.20% to 26.50%
• Annual fee: $0
• Minimum credit score: No minimum
• Personal guarantee: Requires security deposit
• Typical spending limit: Up to $25,000

Key benefits

• 0% introductory APR for first six months
• No annual fee
• High credit limits available
• Fraud protection

Who it’s best for

The Valley Bank Visa Secured Business Credit Card is best for business owners looking to build credit while taking advantage of its 0% introductory APR period. This feature allows businesses to make necessary purchases and spread payments over time without interest charges, providing breathing room for newer companies establishing their financial footing.

3. FNBO Business Edition Secured Mastercard Credit Card

The FNBO Business Edition Secured Mastercard Credit Card is intended for small businesses that need to build or rebuild their credit. Credit limits are determined by your security deposit, which can range from $2,000 to $10,000.

Features

• APR: 24.99%
• Annual fee: $39
• Minimum credit score: Not disclosed
• Personal guarantee: Requires security deposit
• Typical spending limit: $10,000

Key benefits

• Earn interest on the security deposit
• Automotive rental insurance
• Fraud protection

Who it’s best for

The FNBO Business Edition Secured card is best for small businesses with no credit history or a damaged history and who don’t need high credit limits.

4. Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured Card

The Bank of America Secured Business credit card is designed to help small businesses establish or rebuild credit scores. As a secured card, businesses are required to provide at least $1,000 as a security deposit, which determines your credit limit.

Features

• APR: 27.49%
• Annual fee: $0
• Minimum credit score: No minimum
• Personal guarantee: Requires security deposit
• Typical spending limit: $10,000

Key benefits

• 1.5% cash back on all purchases
• Can transition to unsecured card
• Redeem cash back as a statement credit, check, or deposit

Who it’s best for

The Bank of America Secured Business Credit Card is best for businesses that want to establish positive credit while earning 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Since Bank of America offers unsecured business credit cards as well, your business could transition from the secured card as you establish a positive credit history, which also makes this card one of the best secured business credit cards.

Business credit card applications don’t always impact your personal credit score, but that isn’t always the case. And in some cases, there can be an ongoing effect on your personal credit, depending on the card issuer and your business structure.

Most business credit card applications result in a hard inquiry on your personal credit report during the approval process. If an issuer requires a personal guarantee from business owners, they’ll also need to check your personal credit to evaluate your application. This hard inquiry can temporarily lower your personal credit score by a few points, but the impact is usually minimal.

Nonetheless, the ongoing impact on your personal credit depends on how the card issuer reports account activity. While many business credit cards don't report regular account activity like your payment history to personal credit bureaus, some issuers do. Depending on the issuer, responsible use of your business credit card could affect your personal credit score. If you miss payments, carry high balances relative to your credit limit, or default on the account, most issuers will report this activity to personal credit bureaus if your personal credit is tied to your business.

Some of the top business credit card providers offer cards without personal guarantees or personal credit checks. These cards base approval decisions on business factors like revenue and cash flow rather than personal credit history. These options can help you build business credit without putting your personal credit at risk during the application or account management process.

Before you apply for a business credit card, understand the specific policies of each card. Review whether the issuer requires a personal guarantee, how they report account activity, and what protections exist to separate your business and personal credit profiles.

You can get a business credit card using only your Employer Identification Number (EIN) without providing your Social Security Number or your personal credit. EIN only business credit cards are designed for businesses that want to keep their business and personal finances completely separate.

Most traditional card issuers require both your EIN and SSN during the application process. They use your personal credit history and a personal guarantee as primary factors for approval decisions, especially for newer companies that haven't established extensive business credit yet. This can reduce the issuer's risk but creates personal liability for business owners.

However, some card issuers do offer EIN-only applications, even for startups and other growing businesses. These applications typically require more extensive business documentation, including financial statements, bank statements, and proof of business revenue. The approval criteria focuses on your business's creditworthiness rather than personal credit history.

To qualify for EIN-only business credit cards, your organization generally needs to be in business for at least two years, have strong business credit scores, and demonstrate consistent revenue. Some issuers may also require higher minimum revenue thresholds or specific business structures like corporations or LLCs.

EIN-only cards can also help build business credit more effectively since the account activity is tied directly to your company rather than your personal profile.

Understanding how card issuers evaluate applications can help you create a stronger application and qualify for cards that best suit your business’s financial needs. While requirements for a business credit card vary by issuer and card type, most evaluate applications based on several key criteria.

Business revenue and cash flow

Card issuers want to see that your business generates consistent income to be able to repay any debt. Most require consistent annual revenue, and for traditional business credit cards, minimum annual revenue requirements can range from $50,000 to $100,000. Keep in mind, some credit-building cards accept lower revenue thresholds or companies with no revenue yet.

Issuers also typically look beyond revenue requirements and consider consistency and growth trends. They may request bank statements, tax returns, or financial statements to verify your reported revenue. Some modern card providers use open banking technology to analyze your business's cash flow patterns directly from your bank accounts.

Time in business

Many card issuers prefer businesses that have been operating for at least six months. This history shows stability and a track record to evaluate. However, some cards designed specifically for startups and new businesses accept applications from companies that have been in business for just a few months or are still in the pre-revenue stage.

Personal credit score

Even for business credit cards, your personal credit score can play a significant role in approval decisions. Many issuers require a minimum personal credit score of 670 or higher, depending on the card type. Secured business credit cards typically have the most flexible credit score requirements, while some corporate credit card issuers offer startup business credit cards with no credit check.

Business credit history

If your business has an established credit history, issuers will review your business credit reports from agencies like Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. Strong business credit can help you qualify for better cards and terms, but many credit-building cards are designed specifically for businesses with limited or no business credit history.

Business structure and documentation

Card issuers require specific business documentation to verify your company's legitimacy. This typically includes your EIN, business registration documents, and proof of business address. Some issuers only work with certain structures, such as corporations and LLCs rather than sole proprietorships.

Personal guarantee requirements

Most business credit cards require a personal guarantee, making you personally liable for debt. This requirement allows issuers to extend credit to newer businesses but creates personal liability. Founders that don’t want to entangle their personal financial reputation with their company can consider business credit cards with no personal guarantee.

Once you have a business credit card to build credit, how you use it determines whether or not you strengthen your credit profile. Strategic card use can accelerate your credit-building efforts, while poor habits can set back your progress or damage your business credit score.

Keep credit utilization low

Credit utilization, or the percentage of your available credit that you're using, significantly impacts your business credit score. Keeping utilization below 30% of your total credit limit can help establish a good credit score, but maintaining even lower utilization rates can produce better results for credit building.

For example, if your business credit card has a $10,000 limit, try to keep your balance below $3,000 at any given time. This approach shows credit bureaus that your business can access credit responsibly without becoming overly indebted.

Make on-time payments

Payment history is the most influential factor in determining business credit scoring models. Unlike personal credit, which typically allows a 30-day grace period before late payments affect scores, business credit can reflect even slight payment delays. Set up automatic payments to ensure you never miss a due date, and when possible, make payments before the due date.

Monitor business credit scores

Regular monitoring ensures your responsible card usage is being properly reported to business credit bureaus and that there aren’t any mistakes. Check that your card issuer is reporting your account activity to major business credit bureaus like Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. Be sure to dispute any inaccuracies you find, as errors on your credit report can undermine your credit building efforts.

While it’s easy to establish business credit fast, there’s no set rules for how long it takes to build business credit. In many cases, it can take two years or more to build business credit scores once your company has established the necessary groundwork.

To start this process, establish the foundational elements like getting a business bank account, your first business credit card, and basic vendor relationships. Companies like office suppliers, shipping services, and wholesale suppliers often provide net 30 payment terms with minimal qualification requirements, making them ideal starting points as long as they report payments to the major business credit bureaus. While this step can be time-consuming, don't expect dramatic results during this phase.

Once you’ve laid the groundwork, you can begin building your credit. Again, this step can take two years, but that can vary based on your organization. Your consistent payment history begins generating meaningful credit scores during this time. This intermediate stage opens doors to better credit products, higher limits with existing vendors, and qualification for business credit cards without personal guarantees.

After two years, businesses with positive credit histories enter the established phase. Credit scores can approach or exceed 80 on major bureau scales, signaling reduced lending risk to potential creditors. This complete credit foundation brings tangible benefits, including improved approval odds for traditional bank loans, commercial real estate financing, and business lines of credit with favorable terms.

The key to progressing through these phases successfully lies in consistent, on-time payments and strategic account management. Business credit scoring weighs payment history much more heavily than personal credit, meaning even one late payment can significantly impact your progress. Automatic payments and maintaining low credit utilization ratios can accelerate each phase for your business.

Successfully building and maintaining strong business credit requires the right financial management tools. From monitoring services that alert you to changes in your credit profile to software that helps automate payments, these resources can simplify your credit management process and help you avoid costly mistakes.

Expense management

Brex

Brex integrates a powerful corporate card with AI-powered expense management software, helping businesses track and control spending while ensuring timely payments. Each card can be embedded with custom spend controls while real-time budgets allow accounting teams to monitor expenses as they happen, ensuring payments don't exceed your financial limits.

Brex’s automated bill pay software streamlines accounts payable by automatically extracting data from invoices and routing payments through predetermined approval flows. This ensures payments arrive before due dates, which is essential to maintain the consistent payment history needed for building strong business credit.

Credit monitoring services

Dun & Bradstreet

Dun & Bradstreet offers monitoring of your D&B credit file, including alerts for changes to your scores and reports. Their CreditMonitor service provides unlimited access to your credit file and PAYDEX scores, along with industry benchmarking data to see how your credit compares to similar businesses. D&B also allows you to add positive payment history that might not otherwise be reported, potentially boosting your credit profile.

Equifax

Equifax’s business risk monitor provides oversight of your Equifax business credit file with alerts for any changes or inquiries. The service offers access to your Business Credit Report and Business Credit Risk Score, along with tools to help you understand factors affecting your creditworthiness. Equifax also includes identity monitoring features to protect against business identity theft and fraud.

Experian

Experian’s business credit advantage monitors your Experian business credit report with real-time alerts when changes occur. The platform includes score tracking, credit report disputes, and recommendations for improving your credit profile. Experian’s premium tiers offer additional features like competitor monitoring and industry risk assessments.

Accounting tools

QuickBooks

QuickBooks offers extensive payment management features within its accounting software that support credit-building efforts. Beyond basic bookkeeping, it provides cash flow forecasting, payment reminders, and the ability to pay bills directly through the platform. QuickBooks Capital also offers financing options based on your business's cash flow data.

Xero

Xero's accounting software can help your business establish its business credit score through cash flow management tools and insights into your financial standing. With Xero, your business can efficiently send and receive invoices, ensuring that your business is making and receiving payments on time. Beyond that, Xero’s real-time financial reporting data gives you insights into your overall business health, which can streamline the credit application process.

The Brex card is the best business credit card for building credit, thanks to its streamlined qualification requirements and expense management software. Brex evaluates businesses based on revenue and other business performance metrics, not personal credit scores and personal guarantees, allowing businesses that are building business credit to qualify.

As your business works to build credit, it’s essential that spending doesn’t exceed revenue. With Brex, the spend management platform that underpins the Brex card gives your business the tools it needs to build credit, including accounts payable automation, real-time budgets, and visibility into all of your cash flow. Plus, Brex reports payments to all three major business credit bureaus.

Brex enables businesses to monitor all cash flow from a unified platform, from cash reserves in business accounts to bill payments and credit card transactions. This comprehensive oversight ensures you can maintain the consistent payment history that drives strong business credit scores while accessing the working capital your company needs to grow.

Made by Nacho, an e-commerce cat food brand, needed a corporate credit card solution that could grow with them. Their legacy card solution, American Express, didn’t give the startup the flexibility it needed to move faster. So they switched to Brex.

“With Brex, we knew our employees wouldn’t have to wait for their manager to greenlight business-critical spending like rental cars and basic ad buys,” said Yasmin Siddiqui, Senior VP of Finance at Made by Nacho. “Also, they can now request credit limit increases as needed directly through the dashboard, enabling our finance team to approve in-policy spend within minutes. As long as the spend is approved in a department’s budget, it’s available on a team member’s Brex card.”

With Brex, Made by Nacho has been able to spend smarter and move faster. "Now we can have card access across the organization, keep everyone on budget, surface cost-saving opportunities, and allow our teams to focus on what really matters rather than stressing over expense reports or complex approvals for spend increases,” Yasmin added.

Sign up for Brex today to get a corporate card and expense platform that helps you build business credit and scales with you as your business grows.