Best business credit cards for travel: complete 2025 guide

A former colleague used to brag about racking up frequent flyer miles by putting every single office supply purchase and client dinner on the general business card. She thought she was getting maximum value, but when she finally went to book a trip, those “rewards” barely covered the taxes on a Tuesday redeye with three layovers. An object lesson in the difference between a regular business credit card and a travel card.

A real business travel credit card or corporate card can turn flights and hotels from pure cost into points, cashback, or perks that actually help. In this article, I’ll cover the best business travel credit cards and corporate card alternatives, so you can match your card to your travel needs instead of accumulating points you’ll never use.

Why business owners need specialized travel credit cards

Personal travel cards and general business credit cards both have their place, but neither is built with business travel in mind. A specialized card pulls the best of both worlds: rich travel rewards, plus controls and reporting for your finance team. For me, that’s the combination that makes them worth considering.

Higher earning rates on travel purchases

When travel is one of your biggest line items, you want every booking to pay you back. Business-focused travel cards typically offer higher multipliers on airfare, hotels, and dining than a general-use business card. 

Business-specific travel perks and protections

I’ve found that rewards like lounge access or extra bags are more valuable to traveling team members than the lifestyle credits you’d see on personal credit cards. The emphasis shifts from individual luxury to benefits that support employee comfort and productivity.

Better expense tracking and reporting

This is where reimbursing employees for personal card use really falls short. The best corporate credit cards usually feed directly into accounting or expense software, so you aren’t cashing documentation later or arguing over whether or not you owe employees for borderline purchases. 

Employee card management capabilities

With corporate cards, I can issue employee cards, set limits, and restrict spending by category. Thankfully, I’m not among the 62% of folks who know of instances when cards were misused, but I like how these controls allow me to balance autonomy and accountability for employees traveling on the company dime. 

Tax benefits and business deductions

Business travel often comes with deductible expenses, but only if you can track and document them. A dedicated business card helps by keeping your travel charges separate from general business spend, which simplifies tax prep and bookkeeping. 

Enhanced travel insurance coverage

Finally, travel-oriented cards typically offer more robust insurance. Personal or general business credit cards might cover the occasional flight delay or rental card fender-bender, but business cards often go further and extend comprehensive coverage to employees.

Best business credit cards and card alternatives for travel in 2025

Business travel is expensive, but the right card can make it a little less painful. Some cards pile on travel rewards and premium perks. Others offer advanced expense tracking and policy enforcement. For me, the best approach involves matching the card to your company’s actual travel habits, whether that means lounge access, cash back on bookings, or tighter oversight on card use.

1. Rippling Corporate Card

Annual fee: $0

This is a corporate charge card built for companies that want to manage travel and expenses in one place without putting founders on the hook. It’s a great choice if you value integrated booking, cashback, and policy enforcement.

Rippling Corporate Card feature snapshot

Pros:

• No caps on cash back rewards

• Fully integrated with Rippling Travel for bookings and policy enforcement

• Unlimited employee cards with real-time spend controls

• Automated expense reporting and ERP sync

• 24/7 travel support included

Cons:

• Limited travel protection compared to other cards

• No financing option, balance must be paid in full monthly

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2. Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business

Annual fee: $795

As you can see from the annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business is a premium travel business credit card. I’d only recommend it for established businesses with high annual travel spend, since it’s a pay-in-full card that you need to use often to realize value.

Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business feature snapshot

Pros:

• Strong earning rates on travel categories

• $300 travel credit

• Access to Priority Pass lounges and transfer partners

Cons:

• High annual fee

• Requires a strong business credit score and personal guarantee

• Most perks pay off with heavy travel use

• Rewards structure is complex compared to flat-rate cards

3. American Express Business Platinum Card

Annual fee: $895

This card is built for heavy travelers. In my view, it’s best for businesses that fly and book hotels often enough to use the lounge access, travel credits, and transfer partners. If you aren’t traveling regularly, the perks won’t cover the fee.

American Express Business Platinum Card feature snapshot

Pros:

• Strong 5x multiplier on flight and hotels

• Extensive lounge network

• Statement credits across travel and business categories

Cons:

• Very high annual fee

• Credits are scattered across categories, making them easy to miss

• Extra cost for employee platinum cards

• Travel rewards are heavily tied to booking with AmEx Travel

4. Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Annual fee: $95

I’d use this card if I were a small business that wanted flexible spending and some basic travel rewards without a sky-high annual fee. If your spending crosses lots of categories, however, you might not see full value from the bonus categories.

Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card feature snapshot

Pros:

• Low annual fee

• 3x points on travel and select business categories

Cons:

• Bonus categories capped at $150,000 per year

• No lounge access or premium perks

• No travel credits

5. Capital One Venture X Business Card

Annual fee: $395

This is a solid card for a business that wants premium perks like lounge access and flexible redemption options, but at a lower price point than the AmEx Platinum or Chase Reserve. I’d avoid it if your company doesn’t book through Capital One, though, since that’s where most of the multipliers and credits kick in.

Capital One Venture X Business Card feature snapshot

Pros:

• Lower annual fee than other premium cards

• Flexible redemption and transfer partner options

• Lounge access and travel credit

Cons:

• Rewards are tied heavily to Capital One Travel portal

• Pay-in-full requirement limits financing flexibility

• Requires a personal guarantee 

6. American Express Business Gold Card

Annual fee: $375

This card is best if your business spending shifts month to month, because AmEx automatically gives 4x points on your top two categories, which can include airfare and US restaurants. Need lounge access or rich travel credits? This may not be the card for you, since it’s more about flexible earning than premium perks.

American Express Business Gold Card feature snapshot

Pros:

• Dynamic points multipliers on your top two spending categories

• Strong airline and hotel transfer partners

• More affordable than AmEx’s Platinum level

Cons:

• No lounge access or travel credits

• Rewards are primarily tied to the AmEx Travel system

• Secondary car insurance, not primary

7. Brex Corporate Credit Card

Annual fee: $0

Brex positions its card as a way to manage travel and expenses in one place, rather than a traditional business travel rewards card. It’s a solid option if you care more about policy enforcement and no personal guarantee. But if you need premium perks or financing flexibility, it may not align with your priorities.

Brex Corporate Credit Card feature snapshot

Pros:

• No annual fee or personal guarantee

• Built-in travel booking and expense management

• Strong points in Brex Travel categories

Cons:

• No premium travel perks

• Travel experience is software-first, not reward-first

• No travel credits or statement credits

• Customer service is routed through a third-party provider, which can slow responses

8. Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee: $0

Another solid option for a small business looking for a no-fee way to earn travel rewards on any purchase. It’s more about straightforward rewards than extras, so it might not be the ideal choice if you want comprehensive, travel-focused coverage and bonuses.

Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards Credit Card feature snapshot

Pros:

• No annual fee

• Solid baseline travel insurance coverage

Cons:

• Points are only redeemable through Bank of America’s system

• Lower earn rates compared to premium travel cards

• No lounge access or statement credits

9. United Club Business Credit Card

Annual fee: $695

This is a niche card for businesses that fly almost exclusively on United and want a full United Club membership bundled in. If you fly any other airline regularly, you’ll likely struggle to rationalize the annual fee of benefit from any perks, since they’re all United-specific.

United Club Business Credit Card feature snapshot

Pros:

• Full United Club membership included

• Strong mileage earning on United flights

• Rideshare, rental car, and other travel credits

Cons:

• High annual fee

• Rewards are locked to United MileagePlus

• Travel credits across multiple niche categories are easy to miss

Quick comparison: Best business credit cards for travel at a glance

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Essential travel features to look for in business cards

Really understanding card features can involve plowing through a lot of fine print, but it’s worth it. Travel can be expensive, unpredictable, and downright miserable, and the right card can do a lot to take the edge off by earning something back, cushioning the most unpleasant aspects, and protecting us when things go sideways. When I’m deciding between the best business travel cards, these are the features I look for first:

Travel rewards earning rates

The rewards structure can really make or break the actual value of a card for your business. I look at whether it pays a flat rate on every purchase or gives bonus points for flights, hotels, or dining. Transfer partners matter, too, since flexible points often go further than a closed system. Specifically, I pay attention to:

• Flat-rate vs. category-based earning

• Bonus categories for travel expenses

• Point transfer partners and flexibility

Premium travel perks

For sales reps and other team members who travel often, concrete rewards like lounge access, airline and hotel upgrades, and travel credits can matter more than abstract “points.” If they keep your big players comfortable and motivated, these bonuses can justify a high annual fee. Be sure to look for:

• Airport lounge access (Priority Pass, Centurion, etc.)

• Airline and hotel elite status

• Annual travel credits and statement credits

Travel protections and insurance

I don’t count on airlines or hotels to cover me if something goes wrong, so strong protections matter. Cards with robust coverage can take the sting out of delayed flights and disappearing suitcases, and are often the line between a minor hassle and a full-blown disaster. The features I care about most include:

• Trip delay and cancellation coverage

• Baggage protection and lost luggage reimbursement

• Travel accident and medical coverage

International travel benefits

If your business goes abroad, the right card makes international travel smoother and cheaper. I always check for low foreign transaction fees, global acceptance, and responsive customer service that doesn’t leave me stranded in another time zone. That usually means cards with:

• No foreign transaction fees

• Global acceptance and chip-and-PIN compatibility

• International customer service support

Benefits of business travel credit cards

I love business credit cards and corporate cards for travel because they can turn what’s normally just a cost center into something a little more strategic. The perks aren’t just about comfort — they can save money, simplify admin work, and even strengthen the company’s financial profile if we use them wisely.

Maximize return on travel spending

I want the dollars we use to book flights or hotels to work for us. A good travel business credit card rewards program means points, miles, or cash back that we can put toward future trips. It’s not exactly free travel, but it does feel like I’m making the budget stretch just a little bit further. 

Access to exclusive airport lounges

Long layovers are a lot more tolerable when you can duck into an airport lounge for Wi-Fi and a snack that isn’t a sad, $12 sandwich. Some business credit cards’ airport lounge perks are limited, but if you have team members who live on the road, it’s a huge quality-of-life upgrade and worth prioritizing.

Streamlined expense reporting and management

For me, it’s a huge win when the card automatically syncs with our expense management tools. (If you’ve ever spent an afternoon sorting through coffee-stained receipts and torn invoices accumulated over three different airports, two hotels, and six restaurants, you understand why this matters.) Those little efficiencies add up and make travel expense credit cards a key component in managing your corporate travel program.

Employee travel policy enforcement

Issuing employee cards goes beyond convenience. It’s also about control. With the right card, I can set limits and ensure that the card enforces rules already established in our corporate travel policy. That way, I don’t have to justify “creative” spending after the fact.

Travel protection and insurance benefits

Delays, cancellations, and lost bags happen. When they do, I like the security of built-in coverage from a card. Even mid-tier cards now include some business credit cards travel perks like trip insurance or rental car coverage that give peace of mind.

Build business credit while traveling

Finally, I look at these cards as a way to build our business credit score. Consistent on-time payments strengthen our profile with credit bureaus, which can open doors to higher credit limits and better financing options later. It’s a bit like getting rewarded twice: once for the travel and again for good financial habits.

How to choose the right business travel card

When I’m sizing up business travel rewards cards, I make it a point to step back and ask: how does this card fit into the way we travel as a business? Here’s the framework I use to cut through the noise and stay focused on that central question. 

Assess your annual travel spending

The first thing I look at is how much we actually spend on travel each year. If flights and hotels take a big bite out of the budget, then a card with travel rewards or credits makes sense. If we’re only sending someone to one conference a year, then travel-driven perks probably won’t outweigh even a modest annual fee. 

Determine your preferred airlines and hotels

Next, I think about loyalty. If our team always flies the same airline or books the same hotel chain, a co-branded card might be worth the limitations. If not, I’d rather go for more flexible business travel rewards cards that don’t lock us into one brand’s point system.

Evaluate your team's travel patterns

Is travel spread across a bunch of employees, or is it just one or two frequent fliers? If it’s the former, I want a card that lets me issue multiple employee cards with tight controls. If it’s the latter, I might be more interested in perks like airport lounge access that keep road warriors sane.

Consider international vs. domestic travel needs

I always, always check whether the card has foreign transaction fees. Even if we’re not sending people abroad, some vendors process payments through international banks, and those costs can add up fast. For mostly domestic trips, it’s less of a dealbreaker, but I still prefer a card that won’t ding us for international spend if things change.

Compare annual fees vs. potential value

Some of the most exciting cards come with a high annual fee, which means I have to ask myself if we’ll really use the extra “perks” and “bonuses” enough to offset it. If the answer is “no”, I’d rather look for something simpler. (And paying for benefits you never use is basically giving free money to the card issuer.)

Review integration with expense management systems

Finally, I check how the card plays with our existing systems. Does it sync with our expense management system or accounting software? Can I set travel spend policies directly? For me, that convenience can sometimes outweigh another half point of cash back or a reward that doesn’t really align with my business.

Streamline business travel with Rippling's Corporate Card

Most corporate cards are siloed from the rest of a company’s employee data. Rippling’s corporate card solution, by contrast, tightly integrates with the rest of your workforce management processes, allowing for automations that save significant time on tedious administrative work. For instance, you can automatically issue cards during onboarding and revoke them during offboarding, tee up hyper-customized policies that block purchases before managers lose hours poring through an expense report during reconciliation, and more. 

That same integration extends to travel. When employees book flights or hotels through Rippling Travel, T&E policies are automatically enforced at checkout, expenses get categorized in real-time, and bookings flow straight into payroll and accounting. 

With Rippling, you get: 

• All-in-one platform combining travel expense management with HR and payroll

• Real-time visibility into travel spending across all employees

• Automated expense categorization and reporting

• Integration with popular travel booking platforms

• Mobile app for instant expense capture and approval

• No personal guarantees or credit checks required

• Cashback rewards on eligible travel purchases

• Scalable solution for growing travel programs

FAQs about business travel credit cards