Business credit cards for LLCs: Complete guide

Running an LLC comes with its own set of financial challenges. You need to keep business and personal expenses separate, build credit for your company, and manage cash flow effectively. All of that can quickly become overwhelming if you don’t have the right financial tools in place.

Business credit cards are built to simplify that chaos. They help you keep your finances organized, make it easier to track spending, and contribute to building your company’s credit profile over time. Many also come with benefits like cash back, points, travel perks, or vendor-specific rewards that turn everyday purchases into value for your business.

Without a dedicated business credit card, many LLC owners and sole proprietors end up using personal cards or spreadsheets to track expenses. This makes it harder to stay audit-ready, apply for funding, or even understand how much your business is truly spending.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essentials: why these cards matter, what to look for, the best options available, and smart alternatives based on your needs.

5 benefits of business credit cards for LLCs

Business credit cards offer several distinct advantages that make them particularly valuable for LLC owners looking to manage their finances more effectively.

1. Earn rewards

Many business credit cards offer rewards programs that let you earn cash back, points, or miles on business purchases. These rewards can add up quickly when you're spending on regular business expenses like office supplies, software subscriptions, travel, and dining. Some cards offer higher reward rates for specific business categories, allowing you to maximize earnings on your most common expenses.

2. Record-keeping advantages

Business credit cards automatically create detailed transaction records that make expense tracking and tax preparation much easier. Instead of sorting through cash receipts or personal card statements, you'll have clear, categorized records of all business expenses. Most card issuers provide year-end summaries and spending reports that can be invaluable during tax season.

3. Separate business and personal expenses

Keeping business and personal expenses separate is important for LLCs, both for tax purposes and to maintain your company's legal protection. A dedicated business credit card creates a clear financial boundary that helps protect your personal assets and makes it easier to track business expenses for tax deductions.

4. Establish business credit

Using a business credit card responsibly helps build your company's credit profile separate from your personal credit. This business credit history becomes valuable when you need to apply for loans, lines of credit, or better terms with suppliers. Strong business credit can also help you qualify for higher credit limits and better rates in the future.

5. Improve cash flow management

Business credit cards provide a buffer for cash flow fluctuations that are common in many businesses. You can make necessary purchases even when cash is tight and pay the balance when customer payments come in. This flexibility can be crucial for maintaining operations and taking advantage of business opportunities.

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Key features to look for in a business credit card for an LLC

When evaluating business credit cards for your LLC, focus on these essential features that will have the biggest impact on your business finances:

Competitive interest rates

While you should aim to pay off your balance in full each month, having a competitive interest rate provides peace of mind for months when cash flow is tight. Look for cards with introductory 0% APR periods if you're planning a large purchase or need time to establish cash flow patterns. Even after introductory periods end, lower ongoing rates can save you money if you occasionally carry a balance.

Credit limit

Your credit limit should align with your business spending needs without encouraging overspending. Consider your monthly expenses for things like inventory, supplies, software, and travel when evaluating credit limits. Some cards offer the ability to request credit limit increases as your business grows, which can be valuable for expanding LLCs.

Reward programs

Look for reward programs that match your actual spending patterns. If you spend heavily on office supplies and internet services, find a card that offers bonus rewards in those categories. Some cards offer rotating categories with higher reward rates, while others provide flat-rate rewards on all purchases. Choose the structure that best matches how your LLC spends money.

Annual fees

Consider whether a card's annual fee is justified by its benefits and rewards. Cards with annual fees often offer higher reward rates, better perks, or more generous credit limits. Calculate whether the rewards you'll earn exceed the annual fee based on your expected spending. For new LLCs with limited spending, no-annual-fee cards might be the better choice initially.

Integrated employee data and spend controls

Watch out for corporate cards that integrate natively with your employee data and HR systems. This integration enables sophisticated automation and granular permission settings that traditional cards can't match. For example, some advanced systems can automatically create spending policies based on employee attributes like department, level, and location, allowing you to build hundreds of customized rules without manual oversight. This level of control helps ensure compliance and reduces administrative burden as your LLC grows.

Additional benefits

Many business cards offer valuable perks beyond rewards, such as expense management tools, purchase protection, travel insurance, or free employee cards for additional cardholders. Consider which benefits would actually be useful for your LLC's operations and factor these into your decision-making process.

Do I need a business credit card for an LLC?

Business credit cards are not legally required for LLCs, but they offer significant practical benefits that make them a smart financial tool for most LLC owners. While you can technically run your LLC using personal payment methods or cash, doing so creates several disadvantages.

Having a business credit card for an LLC helps you:

• Maintain proper separation between business and personal finances

• Simplify bookkeeping and provide better expense tracking for your business operations

• Create a transaction history that accountants and tax professionals need to maximize deductions

• Improve cash flow management by providing a revolving credit facility

• Unlock future opportunities including better loan terms, higher credit limits, and favorable supplier payment arrangements

Business credit cards vs. corporate cards for LLCs

Understanding the difference between business credit cards vs. corporate cards can help you choose the right payment solution for your LLC.

For most LLCs, especially smaller ones, business credit cards are the more accessible option. However, if your LLC is well-established with strong business credit, corporate cards might offer better terms and features. Corporate cards can also be valuable if you want to avoid personal liability for business debt or if you have multiple employees who need cards.

8 best business credit cards for LLCs (including alternative card types)

Here are the top business payment options for LLCs, including both traditional credit cards and alternative solutions:

1. Rippling's Corporate Card

Rippling's corporate card is a charge card that requires full payment at cycle-close rather than allowing debt accumulation. No personal credit checks or personal guarantees are required—approval is based on business creditworthiness. What makes Rippling’s corporate card stand out is that it integrates with your employee data to create hyper-custom spending policies based on employee attributes like department, level, and location. Most spend solutions require hours of vigilance to enforce complex policies—but with Rippling, you can build and automate hundreds of granular policies across your entire workforce.

Features include real-time policy enforcement, automated receipt matching via text, and detailed spending analytics with role-based visibility. There are no annual fees or interest charges on US transactions, with foreign transaction fees applying for international purchases. Subject to Rippling’s corporate card approval, companies can also earn cash-back rewards on eligible transactions. 1.75% cash-back is subject to eligibility based on minimum spend commitments. (Learn more here).

2. American Express Business Gold Card

The Amex Business Gold Card offers 4x membership rewards points on the two categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from six eligible categories, up to $150,000 in combined purchases per calendar year. Categories include US advertising, electronics/software, restaurants, gas stations, transit, and wireless services. The card has a $375 annual fee and provides benefits like $240 in flexible business credits and $155 Walmart+ credit.

3. Capital One Spark Classic Credit Card

The Spark Classic offers unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. It's designed for businesses with fair credit profiles, making it suitable for building or rebuilding credit. The card provides 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, employee cards with customizable spending limits, and account management tools including year-end summaries and virtual card numbers for online purchases.

4. American Express Blue Business Cash

This card offers 2% cash back on all eligible purchases up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% after that. It has no annual fee and includes a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. The card provides 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months, plus Amex business benefits like purchase protection, extended warranty, employee cards, and QuickBooks integration.

5. Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash offers 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services each account anniversary year, plus 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year, then 1% on all other purchases. It has no annual fee and provides 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases. The card includes employee cards at no additional cost with individual spending limits.

6. American Express Business Platinum Card

The Business Platinum offers 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com, 1.5x points on eligible purchases in key business categories or purchases of $5,000 or more, and 1x points on other purchases. The $695 annual fee provides benefits including access to 1,400+ airport lounges globally, up to $2,000+ in annual statement credits (Dell Technologies, Hilton, Indeed, Adobe, wireless, airline fees, CLEAR), hotel elite status with Marriott and Hilton, and comprehensive travel benefits like Fine Hotels + Resorts program.

7. Brex Corporate Card

Brex offers Mastercard corporate cards designed for startups and growing businesses, with no personal guarantees required. The cards provide credit limits based on business financial factors like revenue or funding raised, and offer up to 7x rewards that can be redeemed for cash back or credits. However, these higher multipliers are limited to specific categories—like rideshare services and life science conference tickets—with most business spending earning just 1x points. Features include worldwide acceptance, local currency cards in 50+ countries, built-in expense management with automated receipt collection and categorization, and customizable spending controls by category and merchant. 

8. Ramp Corporate Card

Ramp provides Visa corporate cards with built-in expense management features and no annual fees. The platform offers automated expense tracking, customizable spending controls by vendor and category, and approval workflows. Cards provide cash back rewards and access to over $350k in partner offers and discounts. Credit limits are based on business financial factors without personal credit checks or personal guarantees. The corporate charge card has a 30-day payback period and includes unlimited physical and virtual cards with acceptance in 200+ countries.

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6 tips to choose the best LLC credit card

Selecting the right business credit card for your LLC requires careful consideration of your specific business needs and financial situation:

Identify business needs

Start by analyzing what your LLC actually needs from a credit card. Consider factors like whether you need to build business credit, manage employee spending, earn rewards on specific categories, or simply separate business and personal expenses. Your specific needs should drive your decision more than attractive marketing offers.

Evaluate and understand business spend patterns

Look at your actual spending patterns over the past few months to understand where your money goes. If you spend heavily on travel, look for cards with travel rewards. If most expenses are office supplies and software, find cards that reward those categories. Don't choose a card based on bonus categories you won't actually use.

Understand the credit score and application process

Know your personal and business credit scores before applying, as this affects which cards you're likely to qualify for. Some cards are designed for excellent credit, while others work for fair or limited credit. Understanding the application process and requirements can help you choose cards where you're likely to be approved.

Consider long-term business goals

Think about where your LLC is heading and choose a card that can grow with your business. If you plan to hire employees, look for cards that offer free additional cards. If you expect rapid growth, consider cards that allow credit limit increases or offer more expense management features.

Compare total costs and benefits

Look beyond headline features to understand the total cost of ownership. Factor in annual fees, interest rates, foreign transaction fees, and other charges. Then compare these costs to the value of rewards, benefits, and features you'll actually use. The best card is the one that provides the most net value for your specific situation.

Consider integration with your business systems

If you're planning to hire employees or already manage a team, look for cards that integrate seamlessly with your existing HR and payroll systems. Advanced corporate cards can automatically create and enforce spending policies based on each employee's department, role, or location, eliminating the need for manual policy management. This automation becomes essential as your LLC grows, saving you time on administrative tasks while ensuring every team member follows the right spending rules.

3 alternatives to business credit cards for LLCs

If traditional business credit cards don't meet your LLC's needs, consider these alternative financing and payment options:

Business charge cards

Business charge cards require you to pay the full balance each month rather than allowing you to carry debt. This structure can help with spending discipline while still providing the convenience of card payments. Rippling's corporate card is an excellent example of this approach, offering sophisticated expense management features without the risk of accumulating debt. Corporate charge cards often provide better expense management tools and don't require personal guarantees, making them attractive for established LLCs.

Business lines of credit

Business lines of credit provide access to funds when you need them without the ongoing presence of a credit card. You only pay interest on the amount you actually use, and you can repay and re-borrow as needed. Lines of credit often offer higher borrowing limits than credit cards and can be more cost-effective for large expenses or cash flow management.

Merchant cash advances

Merchant cash advances provide upfront funding in exchange for a percentage of future sales. While expensive, they can be accessible for businesses that have trouble qualifying for traditional credit. However, the high cost and daily payment structure make them suitable only for short-term needs or businesses with very limited alternatives.

Simplify your LLC spending with Rippling

Rippling transforms LLC expense management with a corporate charge card that goes far beyond traditional business credit cards. Rather than extending credit that creates debt, Rippling's charge card requires full monthly payment while delivering elaborate spending controls and seamless expense automation.

What sets Rippling apart for LLCs is its unified platform approach. The corporate card integrates directly with your employee data, enabling you to create hyper-custom spending policies based on department, role, and location—controls that other systems simply can't match. This means you can automatically enforce different spending rules for different team members without manual oversight.

The platform eliminates expense management busywork entirely. Employees can text receipt photos directly to the system, transactions automatically categorize according to your predefined rules, and everything syncs seamlessly with your accounting software. This level of automation is particularly valuable for LLC owners who wear multiple hats and need to focus on growing their business rather than managing administrative tasks.

Rippling's approval process focuses entirely on your business's financial health—no personal credit checks or personal guarantees required. This approach makes it especially attractive for LLCs seeking to maintain clear separation between business and personal finances while avoiding personal liability for company expenses. 

The platform also supports Apple Pay and Google Pay for convenient mobile payments, plus provides role-based spending analytics so different team members see only the financial data relevant to their responsibilities.

FAQs on LLC business credit cards

Does an LLC get a credit score?

Yes, LLCs can develop their own business credit scores separate from the owners' personal credit. Business credit scores are based on factors like payment history with suppliers, credit utilization, length of credit history, and public records. Building strong business credit takes time and requires consistently paying bills on time and maintaining good relationships with creditors and suppliers.

How can an LLC credit card help build business credit?

An LLC credit card helps build business credit by creating a payment history that credit bureaus can track and report. When you make on-time payments and maintain low credit utilization, this positive activity gets reported to business credit agencies. Over time, this builds a credit profile for your LLC that's separate from your personal credit, which can help you qualify for better terms on future financing.

Can you get a credit card for your LLC?

Yes, LLCs can typically qualify for business credit cards. You'll need your LLC's employer identification number (EIN) and business formation documents. Some card issuers may require personal guarantees from LLC members, especially for newer businesses or those with limited credit history. The approval process usually considers both your business's financial health and your personal creditworthiness.