Money · Credit cards

The 23 best U.S. credit cards for non-resident founders

Every roundup you have read ranks these cards for someone with an SSN and a ten-year U.S. credit file. You have neither. This one ranks them for a founder with a U.S. LLC, an EIN, an ITIN and an empty credit report, and every card here lists the month you can realistically be approved for it rather than a credit score you cannot see. The business list opens first because that is where the spend goes — but the first card you actually apply for is a personal secured one.

cards compared: 23cards compared
business cards: 13business cards
personal cards: 10personal cards
with no annual fee: 10with no annual fee

Offers move — check before you apply

Welcome offers, annual fees and earning caps change constantly, and several of the cards below are mid-refresh. Every figure on this page was checked against the issuer’s own published terms in September 2026. Treat it as a starting point for comparison, not as the application page, and confirm the current terms with the issuer before you apply.

Our picks at a glance

Business cards come first for a reason: they are underwritten against your LLC as well as you, so a non-resident is usually approved for one six to twelve months earlier than for the personal equivalent.

What is the card for?

13 of 13 business cards

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Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business card

5.0/ 5

Best overall

Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business

Welcome offer: 200,000 pointsafter $30k in 6 months · ~$4,000
Annual fee: $795employee cards at no extra cost
Headline rate: 3x on social & search ads8x via Chase Travel · 4x flights & hotels direct
Realistic approval: Month 15+from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

8xon travel booked through Chase Travel, including The Edit hotel collection
4xon flights and hotels booked directly with the airline or hotel
3xon advertising bought with social media sites and search engines
5xon Lyft rides, through September 2027
1xon everything else

Chase publishes no annual cap on the 3x advertising or 4x direct-booking categories. The $300 travel credit works on any travel purchase; the $200 Google Workspace and $400 ZipRecruiter credits only pay back if you already use them, and The Edit, DoorDash and Lyft credits are hard to use outside the US.

Why we picked it. The largest welcome offer Chase puts on a business card — 200,000 Ultimate Rewards points, worth about $4,000 transferred to United, Aeroplan, Flying Blue or Hyatt — on a card that earns where founders spend: 3x on Meta and Google ads with no published cap, 4x on flights and hotels booked direct. $10,000 a month of ad spend alone returns 360,000 points a year. The $795 fee is real money, so hold it for the offer and the ad multiplier, not the lifestyle credits.

Pros and consShow

Pros

200,000-point welcome offer, the largest on any Chase card here
3x on social and search ads, with no annual cap published
$300 travel credit that applies to travel booked anywhere
Sapphire Lounges plus 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges, with two guests

Cons

$795 a year — the highest fee on the business list
$30,000 over six months to earn the welcome offer
Chase underwriting and 5/24 make it a month 15+ card for a non-resident
Several credits are tied to US merchants and hard to use from abroad

4.9/ 5

Best for ad spend

Amex Business Gold

Welcome offer: 100k–150k pointsafter $15k in 3 months · ~$2,000–$3,000
Annual fee: $375
Headline rate: 4x on your top 2 of 6 categoriesdigital advertising included · $150,000/yr cap
Realistic approval: Month 12+from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

4xon the two categories you spend most in each billing cycle, chosen automatically from six: US advertising in select media, US software and cloud, US gas stations, US restaurants, transit, and US electronics retailers
3xon flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com
1xon everything else

4x runs to $150,000 of combined eligible purchases per calendar year, then 1x. That covers $12,500 a month of ad spend.

Why we picked it. 4x on digital advertising is the highest multiplier any issuer will put in a non-resident founder's hands, and the $150,000 annual cap covers up to $12,500 a month of ad spend. On $120,000 of yearly Meta and Google spend that is 480,000 points, worth roughly $9,600 through transfer partners against a $375 fee.

Pros and consShow

Pros

4x on the two categories you spend most in each month, chosen automatically
Digital advertising is one of the six eligible categories
$150,000 annual 4x cap covers most founders' entire ad budget
Membership Rewards transfer to Flying Blue, ANA, Avios and LifeMiles

Cons

$375 fee needs roughly $2,500/mo of 4x spend to break even
Everything above the $150,000 cap drops to 1x
Amex's lifetime bonus rule gives you one attempt at the welcome offer
Charge card — the balance must be paid in full every month

4.8/ 5

Best value for the fee

Chase Ink Business Preferred

Welcome offer: 100,000 pointsafter $8k in 3 months · ~$2,000
Annual fee: $95
Headline rate: 3x on ads, travel & shippingfirst $150,000/yr, then 1x
Realistic approval: Month 12–18from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

3xon travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, and advertising bought with search engines and social media
1xon everything else, and on all spend above the cap
+25%more value when points are redeemed for travel through Chase Travel

The 3x categories share one $150,000 cap per account anniversary year — about $12,500 a month before you drop to 1x.

Why we picked it. A $2,000 welcome offer on a $95 annual fee is the best fee-to-value ratio any issuer offers a founder, and Ultimate Rewards transfer to United, Aeroplan, Flying Blue and Hyatt — the exact programs that turn EU-to-Americas business class into 60,000 points one-way. If you only ever hold one paid card, hold this one.

Pros and consShow

Pros

$2,000 of value on a $95 fee — nothing else here comes close
3x on online ads, travel, shipping and internet on the first $150,000 a year
Points transfer to United, Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Avios and Hyatt
25% redemption bonus through Chase Travel on top of transfers

Cons

Chase is the strictest underwriter for a thin or foreign file
5/24 blocks you outright if you opened five personal cards in 24 months
No lounge access and no travel credits
Realistically a month 12–18 card, not a starter

4.7/ 5

Best no annual fee

Chase Ink Business Cash

Welcome offer: $750 cash backafter $6k in 3 months
Annual fee: $0
Headline rate: 5% on office supplies & internet/phonefirst $25,000/yr · 2% gas & dining · 1% else
Realistic approval: Month 9–12from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

5%at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services
2%at gas stations and restaurants
1%on everything else, and above both caps

The 5% categories cap at $25,000 per anniversary year and the 2% categories at another $25,000, each resetting annually.

Why we picked it. A $750 welcome offer with no annual fee, on top of 5% back on the software, internet and phone bills every founder already pays. If you also hold Ink Preferred, the cash back converts into transferable Ultimate Rewards — which is how a $0-fee card ends up funding business class.

Pros and consShow

Pros

$750 welcome offer on a card that costs nothing to keep
5% back on internet, phone and office supplies up to $25,000 a year
Points become fully transferable if paired with an Ink Preferred
Keep it open forever — it quietly ages your credit file

Cons

Chase wants 6–12 months of clean US history before it approves
5/24 will auto-deny you if you applied elsewhere first
5% category caps at $25,000 a year
1% on everything outside the bonus categories

4.5/ 5

Easiest Amex on an ITIN

Amex Blue Business Plus

Welcome offer: 15,000 pointsafter $3k in 3 months · ~$300
Annual fee: $0
Headline rate: 2x points on everythingfirst $50,000/yr, then 1x
Realistic approval: Month 9–12from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

2xon every purchase — no categories, no enrolment, no quarterly activation
1xon spend above the annual cap

2x runs to $50,000 per calendar year, roughly $4,150 a month, then everything drops to 1x.

Why we picked it. 2x transferable points on literally every purchase, with no annual fee and no categories to think about. Its real job is opening your Membership Rewards account early, so that when Business Gold or Business Platinum lands a year later the points pool into one balance.

Pros and consShow

Pros

2x points on all spending up to $50,000 a year, no categories to track
No annual fee at all
Opens a Membership Rewards balance for later Gold/Platinum transfers
Easiest Amex approval for a founder with a short US file

Cons

Small welcome offer compared to the paid Amex cards
Drops to 1x above the $50,000 annual cap
Still needs an existing US tradeline reporting clean
Amex acceptance is thinner than Visa/Mastercard outside the US

4.5/ 5

Best flat cash back

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Welcome offer: $2,000 cash backafter $30k in 3 months
Annual fee: $150refunded every year you spend $150k
Headline rate: 2% flat on everything5% on hotels & cars via Capital One Travel
Realistic approval: Month 12+from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

2%cash back on every purchase, with no categories and no cap
5%on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel

No earning caps at all. The $150 annual fee is refunded in full every year you spend $150,000 or more.

Why we picked it. For a founder who is never going to redeem points for business class, this is the whole strategy in one card: 2% on everything, no preset spending limit, and an annual fee that refunds itself at $150,000 of spend. On $200,000 of yearly spend it returns $4,000 with an effectively free card.

Pros and consShow

Pros

Flat 2% on every purchase with no categories and no caps
$150 annual fee is refunded in full at $150,000 of annual spend
No preset spending limit — useful for lumpy ad or contractor spend
$2,000 welcome offer in plain cash, no points valuation games

Cons

Charge card: the full balance is due every month
$30,000 in three months is a heavy spend requirement
Cash back only — nothing transfers to airlines
Needs a genuine 740+ file, so month 12 at the earliest

4.4/ 5

Best for business class

Amex Business Platinum

Welcome offer: Up to 300,000 pointsafter $20k in 3 months · ~$6,000
Annual fee: $695
Headline rate: 5x on flights booked direct1.5x on purchases over $5,000 · 1x else
Realistic approval: Month 15+from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

5xon flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com
1.5xon eligible purchases of $5,000 or more — useful for agency retainers and inventory
1xon everything else

The 1.5x tier runs to $2 million of qualifying large purchases per calendar year. Most day-to-day spend earns 1x, so this is a perks card rather than an earning card.

Why we picked it. The largest welcome offer available to a non-resident founder, and the only card here whose perks are worth real money before you spend a cent: Centurion and Priority Pass access across 1,550+ lounges, a $200 airline fee credit and a $189 CLEAR credit. If you fly transatlantic more than twice a year the fee pays back; if you do not, it does not.

Pros and consShow

Pros

The biggest welcome offer on this page, worth roughly $6,000 in transfers
Centurion Lounge plus Priority Pass — 1,550+ lounges worldwide
$200 airline fee credit and $189 CLEAR credit each year
5x on flights, and 1.5x on any single purchase over $5,000

Cons

$695 a year is real money if you do not actually fly business class
$20,000 of spend in three months to earn the offer
1x on most everyday spend — it is a perks card, not an earn card
Overkill before month 15; Ink Preferred does more for $95

4.2/ 5

Best mid-tier travel card

Capital One Venture X Business

Welcome offer: 150,000 milesafter $30k in 6 months · ~$3,000
Annual fee: $395
Headline rate: 2x miles on everything10x hotels · 5x flights via Capital One Travel
Realistic approval: Month 12+from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

10xon hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
5xon flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
2xmiles on every other purchase, uncapped

No cap on the 2x. The 10x and 5x rates only apply inside Capital One's own travel portal.

Why we picked it. Lounge access and 2x on everything for $300 less than the Amex Business Platinum, with a $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary miles that cover most of the fee. Miles transfer to 15+ airline partners including Flying Blue, Avios and Turkish.

Pros and consShow

Pros

2x miles on every purchase, with no categories to manage
Priority Pass and Capital One Lounge access included
$300 annual travel credit plus 10,000 anniversary miles
Transfers to 15+ partners including Flying Blue and Avianca LifeMiles

Cons

The Capital One travel portal is weaker than Chase's or Amex's
$30,000 over six months to earn the welcome offer
Redundant if you already carry an Amex Platinum for lounges
Fewer premium transfer sweet spots than Ultimate Rewards

4.0/ 5

Best flat rate at $0

Chase Ink Business Unlimited

Welcome offer: $750 cash backafter $6k in 3 months
Annual fee: $0
Headline rate: 1.5% flat on everythingno categories, no caps
Realistic approval: Month 9–12from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

1.5%on every purchase — no categories, no caps, nothing to track

No caps and no bonus categories. It exists to catch everything the Ink Cash's 5% and 2% tiers miss.

Why we picked it. The card you put everything that earns 1% elsewhere on. Same $750 offer as the Ink Cash with no categories to think about, and if you hold an Ink Preferred the rewards graduate into transferable points.

Pros and consShow

Pros

1.5% on every purchase with no category tracking
$750 welcome offer with no annual fee
Rewards become transferable points when paired with Ink Preferred
No caps on the earn rate

Cons

1.5% is beaten by Spark Cash Plus's flat 2%
Chase 5/24 and a 6–12 month file requirement still apply
No travel perks or credits
Overlaps heavily with Ink Cash — most founders need only one

3.9/ 5

Best first unsecured business card

Capital One Spark Cash Select

Welcome offer: $500 cash backafter $4,500 in 3 months
Annual fee: $0
Headline rate: 1.5% flat on everything5% on hotels & cars via Capital One Travel
Realistic approval: Month 6–9from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

1.5%cash back on every purchase, uncapped
5%on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel

No cap on the 1.5%. The 5% is portal-only.

Why we picked it. The first card most founders get approved for that is not secured. It is not the best earner on this page and it is not trying to be — it exists to convert six months of secured payment history into a real unsecured business tradeline with a $2,000–$5,000 limit.

Pros and consShow

Pros

Realistic approval at month six, earlier than any Chase or Amex product
ITIN accepted without an SSN
No annual fee and a genuine business tradeline
$500 welcome offer at a low $4,500 spend requirement

Cons

1.5% flat is beaten by Ink Cash's 5% categories
Starting limits are modest at $2,000–$5,000
Capital One's 2-in-30 rule limits how you use application slots
No transferable-points upside

3.8/ 5

Best first business tradeline

BoA Business Advantage Secured

Welcome offer: Nonethe business credit file is the payoff
Annual fee: $0$1,000 refundable deposit
Headline rate: 1.5% flat on everythingeven while the card is secured
Realistic approval: Month 0–3from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

1.5%cash back on every purchase, uncapped — unusual for a secured card

No caps. Preferred Rewards for Business members earn 25%–75% more, but that tier needs $20,000+ held in Bank of America business accounts.

Why we picked it. One of the very few secured cards that builds a business credit file, not just a personal one. It reports to three personal bureaus and two business bureaus, which means your LLC starts accruing its own history at the same time you are building your FICO.

Pros and consShow

Pros

Reports to two business bureaus as well as all three personal ones
1.5% cash back while still secured — rare for a secured card
No annual fee
Graduation review after 12 months of on-time payments

Cons

$1,000 deposit locked up, versus $49 for Capital One
Onboarding friction for founders without a US presence
12 months before a graduation review, not 6
No welcome offer at all

3.5/ 5

Best for large single purchases

Chase Ink Business Premier

Welcome offer: 100,000 pointsafter $10k in 3 months · ~$1,000
Annual fee: $195
Headline rate: 2.5% on purchases over $5,0002% on everything else
Realistic approval: Month 15+from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

2.5%cash back on every purchase of $5,000 or more
2%cash back on everything else

No caps on either tier. The rewards are cash back only — they do not convert to transferable Ultimate Rewards, even if you hold an Ink Preferred.

Why we picked it. The only card here that pays a premium specifically for big-ticket spending — 2.5% on anything over $5,000, which suits founders paying agencies, contractors or inventory in large lumps. The catch is that its points are cash-back only, so there is no transfer upside.

Pros and consShow

Pros

2.5% on every single purchase above $5,000
2% flat on everything else, beating most flat-rate cards
No preset spending limit for lumpy business spend
Flex for Business lets you pay large purchases over time

Cons

Points are cash-back only — they do not transfer to airlines
$195 annual fee with no travel credits to offset it
Balance is due in full each month
Latest-stage Chase approval, month 15 at the earliest

3.4/ 5

Best with no credit file at all

Brex Card

Welcome offer: Signup credits varysoftware credits, not points
Annual fee: $0
Headline rate: Tiered Brex pointson rideshare, travel, restaurants and software
Realistic approval: Month 0from the day your first card reports

What it earns, in full

8xon rideshare
5xon travel booked through Brex Travel
4xat restaurants
3xon eligible Apple products and recurring software subscriptions
1xon everything else

The multipliers above apply on the daily-repayment plan; switching to monthly repayment drops the card to a flat 1x. Brex revises its rewards tiers far more often than the banks do, so check the current table before you plan around it.

Why we picked it. For a funded LLC with an empty personal credit file, this is the fastest route to a usable US card. Treat it as spend infrastructure rather than a rung on the ladder: it solves the payment problem immediately, but it will not build the personal FICO that Chase and Amex will eventually ask for.

Pros and consShow

Pros

No SSN, no personal credit check, no deposit
Approves in month zero on business cash flow alone
No annual fee and generous per-user card issuing
Strong spend controls and accounting integrations

Cons

Does not build a personal FICO file — the thing you actually need
Requires meaningful cash in a US business account
Balance is swept and paid automatically, often daily or monthly
Rewards program is weaker than Amex or Chase

Offers, fees and earning caps checked against each issuer’s published terms in September 2026. They move without notice — confirm the current terms with the issuer before you apply.

Compare every card side by side

The same toggle, chip and sort as above. Pick a card name to jump to the full write-up.

Best for		Earning rate
Overall	200,000 points	3x on ads · 4x on direct travel	$795	Month 15+	5.0
Ad spend	100k–150k points	4x on your top 2 of 6 categories	$375	Month 12+	4.9
Value for the fee	100,000 points	3x on ads, travel & shipping	$95	Month 12–18	4.8
No annual fee	$750 cash back	5% on office supplies & internet/phone	$0	Month 9–12	4.7
Easiest Amex on an ITIN	15,000 points	2x points on everything	$0	Month 9–12	4.5
Flat cash back	$2,000 cash back	2% flat on everything	$150	Month 12+	4.5
Business class	Up to 300,000 points	5x on flights booked direct	$695	Month 15+	4.4
Mid-tier travel card	150,000 miles	2x miles on everything	$395	Month 12+	4.2
Flat rate at $0	$750 cash back	1.5% flat on everything	$0	Month 9–12	4.0
First unsecured business card	$500 cash back	1.5% flat on everything	$0	Month 6–9	3.9
First business tradeline	None	1.5% flat on everything	$0	Month 0–3	3.8
Large single purchases	100,000 points	2.5% on purchases over $5,000	$195	Month 15+	3.5
No credit file at all	Signup credits vary	Tiered Brex points	$0	Month 0	3.4

Which card should you apply for next?

Three answers, no email address. This is the same triage we run on a strategy call, minus the part where we look at your actual file.

How long has US credit been reporting for you?Monthly business spend (USD)What do you want out of it?

Your next applications, in order

1The lowest deposit on the page, and the only kind of card that approves against a completely empty file.
2A second tradeline reporting in parallel builds your file measurably faster than one.

How we rate cards

Every other roundup scores a card on its rewards and its perks, because it assumes approval is a formality. For a founder with an ITIN and a six-month-old credit file, approval is the whole problem — so it carries the most weight here.

35%Approval reality
Does the issuer accept an ITIN in place of an SSN, and how many months of reporting history does it want first? A perfect card you cannot get scores zero.
25%Welcome offer
Value at realistic redemption rates, weighed against the spend required to earn it. A 300,000-point offer behind $20,000 of spend is not worth more than a $750 offer behind $6,000 for everyone.
20%Earn rate on founder spend
Scored on what founders actually buy — ads, software, contractors, flights — not on U.S. supermarkets and gas stations you will never use from Lisbon or Warsaw.
15%Fee versus what comes back
The break-even spend, in plain numbers. Credits that only work with U.S. brands are discounted, because most of our readers cannot use them.
5%Points flexibility
Whether the currency transfers to the programs that matter for Europe-to-Americas travel — Flying Blue, Aeroplan, Avios, ANA, Avianca LifeMiles — or dies as statement credit.

Business or personal — which comes first?

Personal first, then business. Not because personal cards are better, but because a business card is still underwritten against you — and with an ITIN and an empty file there is nothing for the issuer to read. Almost every founder we work with opens a personal secured card, lets it report for six months, and applies for the first business card on the back of that history.

01A personal secured card is the only thing that approves against an empty file
You post a $49–$200 deposit, the issuer takes no risk, and the account reports to all three bureaus every month from day one. That is the only tradeline that exists at month zero, and everything after it is bought with that payment history.
02Business cards read your personal file too
You sign as a personal guarantor, so Chase, Amex and Capital One pull your consumer report on a business application. Applying at month one with a thin file is not impossible — it is just a hard pull spent on a likely denial. Six months of on-time secured history turns the same application into a routine approval.
03Once the file exists, business cards do the heavy lifting
The LLC's bank balance, deposits and transaction history are read alongside your personal profile, so limits start at $3,000–$10,000 against $500–$1,000 for a personal starter, and business charge cards have no preset limit at all.
04Most business cards do not report to your personal bureaus
Chase, Amex and Capital One business cards generally report only on default, which means a $40,000 month of ad spend does not wreck your personal utilization ratio the way the same spend on a personal card would.
05Keep your 5/24 slots for the cards that need them
Every personal card counts toward Chase's 5/24 rule, including your secured starters; Ink business cards do not. Open two secured cards to get the file born, then move to business — stack extra personal cards like a Freedom Unlimited or a Sapphire early and you can lock yourself out of the entire Ink line for two years.
06Premium personal cards come last
Sapphire Preferred and Amex Gold want a seasoned file and a FICO above 740. Personal secured at month 0, business from month 6, premium personal around month 15.

The application rules that get founders auto-denied

Each issuer enforces an unwritten limit on how often you can apply. Break one and you are declined regardless of your score, so the order you apply in matters more than the cards you pick.

Issuer	Rule	What it means for you
Chase	5/24	Auto-denied if you opened five or more personal cards from any issuer in the past 24 months. Ink business cards do not count toward the total, but you must be under it to be approved for them. Apply to Chase first.
American Express	1 per lifetime · 2 in 90 days	One welcome bonus per card per lifetime, and a maximum of two Amex cards in any 90 days. Never apply during a weak offer — you cannot rematch it later.
Capital One	2 in 30 days · ~3 cards total	Two applications per 30 days maximum, and a portfolio cap of roughly three personal cards. The most ITIN-friendly issuer is also the one with the fewest slots.

The practical cadence is one new card every three months, rotated across issuers: Chase first because of 5/24, then Capital One because of the portfolio cap, then Amex because the lifetime rule means you want maximum bonuses rather than maximum cards. Each hard pull costs roughly five FICO points and recovers within three to six months.

Frequently asked questions

Can a non-resident get a U.S. credit card with an ITIN and no SSN?

Yes. Capital One, American Express and Discover all accept an ITIN as an SSN substitute. What blocks most founders is not the ITIN, it is the empty credit file behind it. You need an ITIN, a U.S. bank account, valid ID and a U.S. mailing address, and then roughly six months of a secured card reporting on time before an unsecured card becomes realistic.

Which U.S. credit card should a non-resident founder apply for first?

Capital One Platinum Secured. The $49 minimum deposit is the lowest in the market, Capital One is the most ITIN-friendly major issuer, and it graduates to unsecured cleanly in 6 to 12 months. Open Discover it Secured alongside it if you can spare another $200, because two tradelines reporting build a file measurably faster than one.

Should I get a business card or a personal card first?

A personal secured card first, because it is the only thing that approves with an empty file — then business cards from month six. Business cards are underwritten against your LLC's banking history as well as your personal file, so they approve earlier, carry higher limits, and generally keep large spending off your personal utilization. Save premium personal cards like Sapphire Preferred or the Amex Gold for month 15 and later.

What is the best U.S. business credit card with no annual fee?

Chase Ink Business Cash. It pays 5% back on office supplies and internet, phone and cable on the first $25,000 a year, carries a $750 welcome offer after $6,000 of spend in three months, and charges no annual fee. If Chase is out of reach because of 5/24 or a thin file, Amex Blue Business Plus at 2x points on everything is the fallback.

How long does it take a non-resident founder to qualify for premium cards?

Twelve to eighteen months if you do not skip steps. Months 0 to 6 are secured cards. Months 6 to 12 are the first unsecured business cards at a FICO around 680 to 720. From month 12, with a FICO above 740, premium cards like Amex Business Gold and Chase Ink Business Preferred come into range, and that is where welcome offers worth $2,000 to $6,000 start.

Does the Chase 5/24 rule apply to non-residents?

Yes, it applies to everyone. Chase auto-denies any application if you have opened five or more personal credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months. Chase business cards do not count toward the total, but you still have to be under it to be approved for them, which is why Chase applications go first and Amex and Capital One follow.

Is a premium card with a $375 or $695 annual fee worth it?

It depends on spend, not on status. Amex Business Gold at $375 a year breaks even at roughly $2,500 a month of spend in its 4x categories. Amex Business Platinum at $695 only pays back if you genuinely use the lounge access, the $200 airline credit and the $189 CLEAR credit. If you do not fly, take Chase Ink Business Preferred at $95 instead and put the difference toward a ticket.

Our picks at a glance

Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Amex Business Gold

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Chase Ink Business Preferred

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Chase Ink Business Cash

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Amex Blue Business Plus

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Amex Business Platinum

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Capital One Venture X Business

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Chase Ink Business Unlimited

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Capital One Spark Cash Select

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

BoA Business Advantage Secured

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Chase Ink Business Premier

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Brex Card

What it earns, in full

Pros

Cons

Compare every card side by side

Which card should you apply for next?

Your next applications, in order

How we rate cards

Business or personal — which comes first?

The application rules that get founders auto-denied

Frequently asked questions

Can a non-resident get a U.S. credit card with an ITIN and no SSN?

Which U.S. credit card should a non-resident founder apply for first?

Should I get a business card or a personal card first?

What is the best U.S. business credit card with no annual fee?

How long does it take a non-resident founder to qualify for premium cards?

Does the Chase 5/24 rule apply to non-residents?

Is a premium card with a $375 or $695 annual fee worth it?

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