Best Pick for Premium Travel Perks
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
It’s hard to beat The Business Platinum Card® from American Express for high-end rewards and benefits. If you travel a lot, this card should be on your radar.
Don’t worry too much about the annual fee. It’s offset by annual credits, along with a $100 credit for every eligible hotel stay. And that’s not to mention the mileage you’ll get from elite status at Hilton and Marriott and access to airport lounges (the Global Lounge Collection is the best lounge program available on a credit card).
The rewards program is mostly limited to Amex Travel, but it’s robust, featuring high point multipliers paired with a great feature for any travel card – the ability to transfer your points to a wide selection of airline and hotel partners, extending their reach and potentially increasing their value.
Runners-up:
- United ClubSM Business Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
Best Pick for Flat-Rate Rewards
Capital One Spark 2X Miles for Business
Sometimes you just want a simple card you can use anywhere you shop. That’s what you get with the Capital One Spark 2X Miles for Business. You get a flat-rate reward for everything you buy. And you get extra miles if you book your travel through Capital One.
It’s not the flashiest card, but it’s a solid workhorse for businesses that spend a lot in a variety of categories. Unlike some other business cards, there’s no limit to the rewards you can earn every year, letting you accrue a wealth of miles to match your spending. You can even transfer those miles to a variety of partner airlines to use as you see fit.
Rounding out this card’s travel perks are a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, expediting your way through airports, and protections like roadside assistance and an auto rental collision damage waiver.
Runners-up:
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
- Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select for Business
Best Pick for Bonus Categories
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Businesses that spend a lot of money can earn a lot of points. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card could be one of your best tools if you regularly spend in its bonus categories.
The Ultimate Rewards points you earn can be transferred to Chase’s hotel and airline loyalty partners (one of the best transfer programs in the game), where you can use them with your favorite travel brands. That gives you plenty of flexibility and potentially more value.
You may come up against the $150,000 spending limit for the 3X categories. If that happens, try pairing this card with a flat-rate rewards card with no spending limit.
Runner-up:
- American Express® Business Gold Card
Best Pick for No Annual Fee
Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® Credit Card
Looking for an inexpensive but rewarding travel card for your business? You found it with the Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card.
You’ll have to book trips through the Bank of America Travel Center to get the most out of this card, but every other purchase earns 1.5X points per dollar – a bit better than the 1X you typically earn for non-category expenses.
The rewards can be bumped up a bit if you have eligible BofA or Merrill Lynch bank accounts with enough funds. You can get up to a 75% point bonus via the Bank of America Preferred Rewards for Business program, which would give you 5.25X points for the travel category. That’s 5.25% cash back, a great value for a rewards card with no annual fee.
Runners-up
- Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select for Business
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card
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Best Pick for Delta Air Lines
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
Got plans with Delta? Check out the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, which can give you something back for all that spending while making your trips more comfortable.
There are a few other Delta business credit cards and personal cards, but this is the perfect card, with complimentary access to Delta Sky Clubs and Amex’s exclusive Centurion Lounges. You’ll also get a free companion certificate each year, which can help offset the annual fee, and perks like free checked bags and priority boarding.
Along with the 3X SkyMiles you’ll earn from the card, you’ll also get a minimum of 5X miles from your Delta member status, giving you at least 8X SkyMiles per dollar when flying Delta.
Runners-up:
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
Best Pick for Southwest Airlines
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Southwest Airlines is renowned as a budget-friendly (and plain old friendly) airline, and here’s another reason to fly Southwest: the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.
It’s got a mid-range annual fee that’s offset by 9,000 annual bonus points (which could be worth $135 or more), four upgraded boardings per year, an $8 WiFi credit for every day of the year, and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. You may hardly notice the annual fee at all.
The points you earn with this card are in addition to what you normally get for Southwest fare types (6X for “Wanna Get Away?” 10X for Anytime, 12X for Business Select).
Runner-up
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Best Pick For United Airlines
United Club℠ Business Card
Most airline cards are heavy on the perks and light on the miles. The United Club℠ Business Card is no exception, with a strong suite of benefits and only decent spending rewards.
You’ll get just 2X miles per dollar from the card at United, in addition to your normal United miles. But you’ll also get access to United Club lounges and affiliated Star Alliance lounges, which, as of 2020, would typically cost up to $650 per year. Premier Access travel services grant you priority check-in, security screening and boarding. You and your traveling companion’s first two bags are checked in for free, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars a year.
Runner-up:
- UnitedSM Business Card
Best Pick For Hilton Hotels
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Business trips can be a pain, but the right credit card can provide some relief. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card could be your ticket to a more relaxing hotel stay.
Every dollar you spend with Hilton will earn a generous heap of points, and you’ll likely earn enough for some free night stays in no time. The other bonus categories are nothing to sneeze at either.
You’ll get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status (which normally requires 40 nights or 75,000 points). You can take advantage of room upgrades and enjoy free continental breakfasts to get you going. Your 10 free Priority Pass lounge visits should bring some peace of mind at the airport.
Best Pick For Marriott Bonvoy Hotels
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy devotees only have one option for a co-branded business card, but that’s not a problem because the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card has a lot to offer.
For the main course, you’ll get premium internet and a free night award every year after your account anniversary. That could completely offset the annual fee, leaving you with a card that’s essentially free to use as long as you avoid interest and other fees. You can get a second free night by making $60,000 in purchases in a calendar year, and if your business is already spending at that level, this is an easy grab.
One downside is that you’ll only get Silver Elite status with Marriott, which isn’t very impressive, but comes with priority late checkout so you don’t have to rush in the morning. But for that same $60,000 you’ll get Gold Elite status and can take advantage of room upgrades and a bigger point bonus.
What’s the Best Business Travel Credit Card?
There are a wide variety of business credit cards for travel. The best one for you will depend on what you need.
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Premium perks like airport lounge access and elite hotel statuses
- Capital One Spark 2X Miles for Business: Flat-rate rewards with no spending limit
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® Credit Card: Simple rewards program with no annual fee
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Earn miles and access Delta Sky Clubs and Centurion Lounges
- The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Priority Pass lounge access, weekend night awards, Hilton Honors Gold status
What’s the Best Business Credit Card for Airline Miles?
Here are the top business cards that earn either airline miles or points that can be transferred to airline partners:
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: 3X SkyMiles per eligible dollar spent for purchases made directly with Delta Air Lines
- United Club℠ Business Card: 2X miles per dollar at United Airlines
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: 4X points per dollar at Southwest Airlines
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: 5X Membership Rewards® points per dollar for flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel
What’s the Easiest Business Travel Credit Card To Get?
The following business travel cards are likely to be the easiest to qualify for if your credit scores are low, and they all have relatively low annual fees:
- Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® Credit Card
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
- Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select for Business
