Earn Travel Rewards With These Top Business Credit Cards

But what about for business travel specifically? Are there credit cards out there designed to make business travel more comfortable, rewarding and overall far cheaper? 

Absolutely. In fact, some of the most rewarding business credit cards are specifically geared towards folks who know how to fold a suit into a suitcase. 

From an obscure card that maximizes rewards on road trips to the cheapest card on the market with unlimited lounge access, a Southwest card with a potentially ~$1,400+ value welcome bonus and a 0% intro APR card with unlimited 2X rewards and 21 transfer partners, here are our picks for the best business travel cards. 

The best business travel credit cards

Best overall: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

With a generous 90,000-point welcome bonus (worth $1,125 in travel through Chase’s portal), 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and a comforting suite of trip insurance/purchase protection benefits, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a stellar business travel companion.

Why we like this card

The Ink Business Preferred card by Chase sets the bar high for simply piling on value for business travelers. It starts off strong with a whopping 90,000-point welcome bonus (earned after spending $8,000 within three months), and thanks to the card’s 25% bonus multiplier for any points redeemed through Chase Travel, those 90,000 points are worth $1,125 towards flights, hotels, rental cars or cruises. That’s more than enough to compensate you in the first year for the card’s $95 annual fee, and even surpasses the welcome bonus of some far more expensive business rewards cards. 

The Ink Business Preferred also offers 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel, 3x points per $1 (up to $150,000 combined) spent on shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone, and advertising with social media sites and search engines, 5X on Lyft rides and employee cards at no additional cost. 

But perhaps the card’s most underrated feature is its basket of travel and purchase protection. You’ll get up to $10,000 per trip of Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption insurance, $10,000 per claim in purchase protection (covering theft or damage of recent purchases), $1,000 in Cell Phone Protection with a $100 deductible and more. Even if you only file one claim every five years, coverage up to $10,000 per claim could save your business’ bacon.

The chief drawback to the Ink Business Preferred is that you’ll have to spend $8,000 within a short 90 days to earn your welcome bonus. That may be a struggle for many entrepreneurs and contractors, so if you’re a one-person show, you may want to time your card application right before a series of large purchases.

Otherwise, the Chase Ink Business Preferred is the business travel rewards card to beat.

Learn more in our full Ink Business Preferred review.

The Chase Trifecta

If you ask a seasoned credit card nerd the best way to maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards, they’ll tell you to start using the Chase Trifecta.

Traditionally speaking, the Chase Trifecta works like this: 

1. Use the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® cards to earn 1.5X to 5X on everyday spending.
2. Use Chase’s “Combine Points” feature to move your points to your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card account. 
3. Redeem your points through Chase Travel for a 25% bonus multiplier (e.g. 100,000 points = $1,250 in value). 

However, there’s no reason you can’t substitute the Ink Business Preferred for the Chase Sapphire Preferred since both cards enjoy the same 25% bonus multiplier for points redeemed via Chase Travel. Let’s call it the “Chase Business Trifecta”—a way to turn everyday spending into maximum business rewards. 

To learn more about how the Chase Trifecta works and its points-earning potential, check out  our guide on how to combine the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for maximum travel rewards.

Ink Business Preferred card benefits

• 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel
• 3x points per $1 (up to $150,000 combined) spent on shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone, and advertising with social media sites and search engines
• 25% bonus on points redeemed through Chase Travel
• 5X on Lyft through March 2025
• No-cost employee cards
• Cell phone protection
• Extended warranty protection
• Purchase protection
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection
• Trip delay reimbursement
• Rental car insurance (primary when renting for business purposes)
• No foreign transaction fees

Best premium card: Capital One Venture X Business 

The Capital One Venture X Business is the cheapest business rewards card on the market that includes unlimited airport lounge access. While its $395 annual fee may still feel intimidating, a $300 annual credit for booking through Capital One Travel, up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® and up to 10X on travel can help the card almost instantly pay for itself.

Capital One Venture X Business

Intro bonus

Earn 150,000 Miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee	$395
Purchase APR	Balance is due monthly
Foreign Transaction Fee	None

Why we like this card

The Capital One Venture X Business almost seems embarrassed by its $395 annual fee. Even though that’s on the low end for an ultra-premium travel rewards card (there are others on this list that charge $695), the Venture X Business still bends over backwards to pay for itself, offering a $300 annual credit for booking through Capital One Travel, up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® and more. 

In terms of rewards, you’ll get unlimited 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere-with no limits or category restrictions plus 5 Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel/10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. While booking hotels through a travel portal typically means forfeiting any points or status benefits on the hotel side, 10X may still be worth it in many cases. 

Perhaps most enticingly, the Capital One Venture X Business also comes with complimentary Priority Pass Select, opening the doors to over 1,300 airport lounges in over 600 cities worldwide. And if you’ve ever sat in a chaotic terminal trying to get work done before a flight, you’ll know how valuable lounge access can be for business travel. 

Somewhat oddly, the Capital One Venture X requires you to spend an eye-watering $30,000 in three months to trigger its 150,000-mile welcome bonus. Even if you think you might get close to that figure, we’d advise extreme caution since this is also a “pay in full” card – meaning if you miss a payment, you’re immediately slapped with a 2.99% fine and your account is considered “past due,” which could seriously ding your credit. 

But even without the welcome bonus or the option to carry a balance, the Capital One Venture X Business still acts as a compelling, nearly-free lounge pass with generous travel rewards attached. 

Learn more in our full review.

Capital One Miles

If you choose to go with the Capital One Venture X Business (and manage to reach its lofty welcome bonus), you should know that you’ll be earning Capital One Miles, not points or cash back.

As the name implies, Miles are really only good for travel redemption. You can redeem them for cash back in a pinch, but they’re only worth 0.5 cents each. They’re worth a full penny each when redeemed through Capital One Travel, and if you transfer them to one of Capital One’s transfer partners, they could be worth even more. 

Capital One has 18 transfer partners in total, 16 of which accept Capital One Miles at a 1:1 ratio. The list is short on domestic U.S. airlines, but if you have the patience, you can book Delta flights through Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and United flights through Air Canada Aeroplan. 

To learn more, check out Capital One Miles: Everything you need to know.

Capital One Venture X Business card benefits

• 150,000 Miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
• 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere-with no limits or category restrictions
• $300 annual credit for booking through Capital One Travel
• Get up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
• $100 Premier Collection experience credit with every Premier Collection booking
• Unlimited airport lounge access (Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass, Plaza Premium Group)
• No-cost employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees
• Extended Warranty Protection

Best for luxury perks: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

For the business traveler who wants it all, the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express includes free airport lounge access, instant status with Marriott, Hilton and several rental car agencies, over $1,400 in business-themed statement credits, elevated benefits with Fine Hotels + Resorts benefits and more. To some, this mountain of value will justify the card’s $695 annual fee.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

See Rates and Fees

Intro bonus

Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership

Annual Fee	$695
Purchase APR	18.99% – 27.99% variable
Foreign Transaction Fee	None

Why we like this card

The Amex Business Platinum may charge a ghastly $695 annual fee but offers staggering amounts of value in return. 

To start, you’ll get a welcome bonus of up to 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership. And since Amex has 21 total transfer partners including Delta and Virgin Atlantic, it wouldn’t be impossible to stretch the value of 150,000 points to $3,000 or more.

The card also grants you and two guests (in most cases except Centurion Lounges unless you spend $75,000 per year) unlimited access to the Global Lounge Collection, which includes Amex Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges, Delta Sky Club, Lufthansa lounges, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass and more. All together, the network comprises over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide. 

You’ll also get a up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the card (select one qualifying airline), up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal), up to $400 Dell credit, up to $360 Indeed.com credit and more, all totaling up to over $1,400 in value. If you manage to use just half of them each year, the Business Platinum card will pay for itself. Just keep in mind that credits are doled out in increments and are use-or-lose. 

Another nice touch is the instant elevated status you’ll get with Marriott, Hilton and several rental car agencies. You’ll also get status-like benefits with Fine Hotels + Resorts, including daily breakfast for two, room upgrades and more. For peace of mind, the Business Platinum also includes copious trip insurance and Amex’s Business Platinum Travel Service, which can help customize itineraries and provide “tailored recommendations.” 

So, yes—the Amex Business Platinum may charge a hefty $695 annual fee, but its $1,400+ in annual statement credits, unlimited lounge access, elevated status with multiple loyalty programs and a huge welcome bonus make it surprisingly good value.

 To learn more, check out our full review.

Amex Membership Rewards 

Like Capital One Miles, Amex Membership Rewards is a program designed to help you maximum travel rewards – not cash back. If you’re looking for a cash back Amex for business travel use, check out the Amex Blue Business Cash (which is also featured on this list). 

But if you’re looking to spend points on travel, boy does Amex have a treat for you. 

At first glance, Membership Rewards Points don’t carry much weight. They’re only worth up to a penny each via Amex Travel and even less if you swap them for cash or gift cards. But the key is to transfer them to one of Amex’s 21 transfer partners. From Delta SkyMiles to Hilton Honors, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Amex gives you numerous ways to move points around and multiply their value.

Heck, we’ve seen cases where Amex cardholders have been able to get up to five cents per point when booking select international business class flights. 

To learn more, check out American Express Membership Rewards: Everything you need to know.

Amex Business Platinum card benefits

• 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership
• 5x points on flights and prepaid hotel stays booked through amextravel.com, 1.5x points on purchases in select business categories (US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers), 1x points on all other eligible purchases
• $400 Dell Technologies credit
• $360 Indeed credit
• $150 Adobe Creative Solutions credit
• $120 wireless service provider credit
• $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the card (select one qualifying airline) (good towards bag fees, upgrades etc.)
• $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal)
• Unlimited airport lounge access (Delta Sky Club, Centurion, Escape, Lufthansa, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass)
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
• Hilton Honors Gold status
• Premium rental car privileges (e.g. free upgrades)
• No-cost employee cards
• Vendor Pay by Bill.com
• Quickbooks integration
• Business Platinum Travel Service
• Cell Phone Protection
• Extended Warranty Protection
• Purchase Protection
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
• Trip Delay Insurance
• Rental car insurance
• Lost/Stolen/Damaged Bag insurance

To view rates and fees of the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page

Best hotel business card: IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

With an attainable 140,000-point welcome bonus (worth ~$980 in IHG bookings), up to a net 26X on IHG purchases, a valuable redeem-three-get-one bonus and free Platinum Elite status, the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is an unparalleled free-night machine that business travelers should strongly consider.

IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

Intro bonus

Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee	$99
Regular APR	20.99%–27.99% variable

Our Take

The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is what you get when the regular Premier card hastily throws a tie on. It offers nearly-identical perks, benefits and rewards as the personal version of the  Premier card, which is a good thing since it includes a 140,000-point welcome bonus worth four nights, another free night each account anniversary, instant Platinum status, up to 26X rewards on IHG purchases and so much more. The caveat is that the Premier Business card is a business card. So if you don’t have legitimate business expenses, look to the personal IHG Premier.

Rewards

Rewards Rates

• 26x26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels and Resorts
• 5x5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, select advertising, and restaurants
• 3x3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases

Card details

• Additional perks: Up to $50 annual United credit, Global Entry, TSA PreCheck(R) or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card, trip cancelation/interruption insurance, ability to spend to Diamond status
• Foreign transaction fee: None

Learn More

at Cardratings.com

Why we like this card

The IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card gives out so many free nights that we’re honestly not sure how it exists. 

To start, you’ll earn a whopping 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s enough to stay four nights at a nicer property (e.g. Hotel Indigo), or seven nights at something more essential (like a Holiday Inn Express). You’ll also get a redeem-three-get-one-free benefit, which essentially takes 33% off a four-night stay, and another free night on your account anniversary. 

But the card’s hallmark feature might be that it grants you automatic Platinum Elite status, which is otherwise hard to reach. Platinum Elite unlocks a litany of perks that business travelers will appreciate, including free room upgrades, 72-hour guaranteed availability, early check-in, 2pm check-out and more. 

Plus, you’ll be getting a net 26X on IHG bookings, so you’ll never be far off from your next free night.

 To learn more, check out our full review.

IHG One Rewards

IHG does loyalty rewards a little differently than Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott. 

While those programs tend to dish out perks and rewards on a more linear basis (e.g. late check-out at Silver, free upgrades at Gold), IHG withholds all of the best perks until you reach Platinum Elite status. That’s when you unlock virtually everything at once, including reward night discounts, complimentary upgrades, guaranteed room availability, welcome amenities, early check-in, late check-out and more.

Trouble is, you won’t reach Platinum Elite status until you spend 40 nights or earn 60,000 IHG One Rewards points in a single year, so it can take a while before you really start benefiting from your IHG loyalty. 

That’s also why the IHG One Rewards Premier Business card offering free instant Platinum Elite is a bigger deal than it sounds. It allows you to skip the line entirely and benefit from the best IHG has to offer on day one. 

To learn more, check out our full guide on IHG One Rewards: Everything You Need to Know.

IHG One Rewards Premier Business card benefits

• 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (worth ~$980 in IHG bookings)
• 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels and Resorts (10X for being a base member, 10X for having the card, 6X for having complimentary Platinum Elite status)
• 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, select advertising, and restaurants
• 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Anniversary Free Night worth up to 40,000 points (~$270)
• Redeem-Three-Get-One-Free-Night bonus
• Complimentary Platinum Elite status
• Save 20% on rewards points purchases
• No-cost employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees
• Purchase Protection
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance

Best for road warriors: Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card

With 8X on gas purchases, automatic Diamond status, free car rental upgrades and a solid, up to 80,000 bonus points welcome bonus, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card is the rare business rewards card that helps you maximize rewards on road trips instead of air travel.

Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card

Intro bonus

Earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases within the first 365 days

Annual Fee	$95
Intro APR	0% APR for 6 billing cycles on all Wyndham Timeshare Purchases (see Terms and Conditions for details). After that, your APR will be 20.74% to 29.74%, variable
Balance Transfer APR	20.74% to 29.74%, variable

Why we like this card

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), a full 67% of business trips between 250 and 499 miles are done by car, not by plane. Even for lengthier trips between 500 and 749 miles, 33% of business travelers still hit the asphalt – not the tarmac. 

And yet, there aren’t a ton of road trip-focused business rewards cards out there. That’s why we appreciate the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card, which gives you 8 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham as well as on qualifying gas purchases, up to 80,000 bonus points (40k after spending $4,000 within 90 days, and 40k after spending $15,000 within one year) and automatic Diamond status.

Diamond status is Wyndham’s highest loyalty tier and unlocks a bevy of benefits including dedicated member services, room upgrades, early check-in/late check-out, Avis and Budget car rental upgrades and more. 

All told, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card is highly rewarding and benefit-rich for a card charging just $95 per year.

Learn more in our full review.

Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Rewards is generally geared towards helping budget-minded travelers maximize their rewards potential. 

Even as a base member you’ll earn 10 points per dollar spent or 1,000 points – whichever is greater – for each and every stay. That means even a quick overnight at LaQuinta will earn you a bare minimum of 1,000 points to apply towards your next stay. 

Wyndham also has a pretty simple system for redeeming points for nights. There are just three redemption options (7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points) and you can even find rooms at various Wyndham Vacation Clubs starting at just 7,500 points. These simple reward tiers can also make planning a bit more predictable, since you’ll know that 45,000 points will be just enough to get you into a mid-tier property for three nights. 

Finally, Wyndham also lets you score discounted nights for 1,500, 3,000 or 6,000 points plus a little cash. A “Points + Cash” option can be especially handy for business travelers who may lack the full 7,500 points for a full night, but still want to subsidize their stay as much as possible.

You can learn more about Wyndham Rewards in our full review of the Earner Business card’s stablemate, the Wyndham Earner Plus Card.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card benefits

• 40,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and earn 40,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases within the first 365 days
• 8 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham as well as on qualifying gas purchases
• 5 points per $1 spent on eligible marketing, advertising and utility purchases
• 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments)
• Annual Bonus of 15,000 points each year (worth up to 2 free nights)
• Complimentary DIAMOND status
• Cardmember Booking Discount
• No-cost employee cards
• Visa SavingsEdge
• Extended Warranty Protection
• No foreign transaction fees

Best airline business card: Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card narrowly boxes out the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card and United^SM Business Card by offering a bigger welcome bonus and better overall rewards. You’ll get 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, 4X points on Southwest® purchases, a $120 Global Entry credit and more.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Intro bonus

Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee	$199
Regular Purchase APR	20.99%–27.99%

Why we like this card

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is simply more rewarding overall than its closest rivals in the airline business card space. 

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card and the United^SM Business Card both cap out at 2X miles on purchases , even on airfare, while the Southwest card offers up to 4X. You’ll also get a far bigger net welcome bonus: 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, and 40,000 after spending $15,000 in nine months. 

It’s also worth noting that Southwest Rapid Rewards points tend to carry more value (~1.4 cents) than Delta SkyMiles (~1.2 cents) or United MileagePlus Miles (~1.2 cents). Toss in four Upgraded Boardings per year, a $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/NEXUS credit, 365 inflight WiFi Credits and more, and you have a value-packed airline business rewards card.

 Learn more in our full review.

Southwest Rapid Rewards

From singing flight attendants to “Wanna Get Away” fare levels, Southwest has always been a little kooky, and that unique personality spills into its approach to rewards, too. 

Even as a base member you’ll get 6X on flights, which is mighty generous considering each point is worth roughly 1.4 cents towards your next flight. Points also never expire and there are no blackout dates, which is super helpful if you’re booking inflexible dates for business travel purposes. 

Once you reach the highest loyalty tier (A-List Preferred), you’ll also unlock the vaulted Companion Pass, which allows a +1 to fly with you for free all year long. Again, this could be a massive money-saver if you frequently fly out with an employee or a business partner. 

The chief drawback to Southwest Rapid Rewards, however, is that Southwest has no partner airlines. That means you can’t transfer points to, say, Turkish Airlines if you need to fly to Istanbul for a conference. This will change soon with the addition of Icelandair as a Southwest partner, which opens up the possibility to use Southwest points to fly to Europe. 

But if you’re primarily bouncing back and forth between Southwest-friendly airports, getting a Rapid Rewards account is a no-brainer.

 To learn more, check out Southwest Rapid Rewards: Everything You Need to Know.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card benefits

• 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• 4X points on Southwest® purchases
• 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners
• 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services
• 1X points on all other purchases
• 9,000 bonus points after your cardmember anniversary
• Four complimentary upgraded boardings
• Up to 365 InFlight WiFi credits annually
• Earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points for every $5,000 spent
• $500 Fee credit for points transfers to other Rapid Rewards members
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
• No foreign transaction fee
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement
• Baggage Delay Insurance
• Extended Warranty Protection
• Purchase Protection

Best premium airline card: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

Despite the higher annual fee, the $650 Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card easily trounces the $525 United Club℠ Infinite Card and the $595 Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® by offering broader airport lounge access and over $700 in travel/dining credits.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

See Rates and Fees

Intro Bonus

Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after spending $10,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership

Annual fee	$650
Regular APR	20.49% – 29.49% variable