The Best Business Credit Cards Compared

High-street bank cards (Lloyds, HSBC, NatWest, Santander, Metro Bank, Virgin Money) come with one significant catch that's easy to miss: these all require an existing business current account with that same bank before you can even apply. If you bank with a challenger such as Starling, Tide or Monzo, none of these are actually available to you without switching banking provider first, which narrows the realistic market considerably. It's worth checking our comparison of business bank accounts if switching is something you'd consider to unlock a specific card.

Zempler Bank (formerly Cashplus) stands out for accessibility rather than rewards. Its business credit card pays 1% cashback on the first £100,000 of eligible purchases each month with no annual fee, and it's widely used as a route into credit for businesses that high-street banks and prime fintech lenders turn away.

Best Business Credit Card by Situation

How Does a Business Credit Card Differ?

The core mechanics are similar, but three things typically set them apart:

1. Who is liable. With a limited company card, the company is usually the named borrower, though most providers still require a director to sign a personal guarantee. With a sole trader card, you and the business are legally the same entity, so you're personally liable either way.

2. Higher representative APRs. Business credit cards tend to have higher APRs than personal credit cards, generally because lending to a business is considered a higher-risk proposition than lending to an individual with an established personal credit history.

3. Built for business admin, not personal rewards. Expect employee cards, category-level spend controls, and accounting integrations rather than the loyalty perks that dominate the personal card market.

One thing that hasn't changed: a business card isn't automatically the cheapest way to borrow. It's a tool for managing short-term spending, not a substitute for a properly costed business loan.

What Can You Use a Business Credit Card For?

In our experience, the businesses that get the most value from a card use it for specific, recurring categories rather than as a general-purpose spending pot. Common uses include:

• Day-to-day operating costs: stock, supplies, software subscriptions, fuel

• Business travel and client entertainment

• Bridging short-term cash flow gaps between invoicing and payment

• Giving employees a controlled way to spend on the company's behalf, without expense claims

• Building a business credit history ahead of applying for larger finance, such as a loan or invoice finance facility

What we'd steer you away from is using it as a substitute for working capital finance. If you're regularly carrying a large balance month to month, the APR on most business cards makes that an expensive way to borrow compared with a dedicated working capital loan.

Is My Business Eligible for a Credit Card?

Eligibility varies more by provider than most guides let on, and the rules shifted meaningfully in January 2026. Generally, providers assess:

• Business structure (sole trader, partnership, limited company, LLP)

• Turnover, or a projected turnover for new businesses

• Trading history

• Personal and/or business credit history

• Whether you already hold a business current account with that provider

Can Startups Get a Business Credit Card?

Yes, though thin trading history means providers lean more heavily on the founder's personal credit profile. Barclaycard, for instance, accepts new businesses with a business plan projecting turnover above £10,000, rather than requiring proven turnover. Fintech lenders such as Capital on Tap and Zempler Bank are generally more accommodating of limited trading history than the high-street banks, which typically want an existing business current account and a longer track record.

If you're weighing this up alongside your banking setup, our guide to business bank accounts for startups covers the providers that are more startup-friendly across the board.

Can Sole Traders Get a Business Credit Card?

Yes, but the pool of options narrowed sharply in 2026. In our opinion, this is one of the most under-reported changes in the market this year: as of 1 April 2026, American Express began removing Membership Rewards bonuses from its Business Platinum and Business Gold cards, and, following changes in January 2026, both cards became restricted to directors of limited companies or members of limited liability partnerships, cutting sole traders out entirely. If you're a sole trader wanting an Amex business card that earns Avios, the British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card is now your only option.

Capital on Tap has followed a similar path. Capital on Tap doesn't currently accept sole traders, so if you're one, you'll need to compare providers directly to find one that fits. By contrast, Barclaycard, Lloyds, HSBC, NatWest, Santander, Metro Bank, Virgin Money and the BA Amex Accelerating card all still accept sole traders.

Can Self-Employed Workers Get a Business Credit Card?

If you're self-employed as a sole trader, the same rules above apply: you're personally liable, and the same shortlist of providers is open to you. If you've since incorporated as a limited company, you're treated as a company director and gain access to the wider market, including the cards now closed to unincorporated businesses.

The Pros and Cons of Business Credit Cards

Business Credit Limits Explained

Credit limits on UK business cards range enormously depending on the provider and your circumstances. Capital on Tap offers limits up to £250,000, while at the more modest end, Lloyds Bank's business credit card offers a limit up to £25,000. Amex's Business Gold and Platinum cards don't advertise a fixed limit at all; they use a flexible spending approach that adjusts to your payment and spending history rather than a preset ceiling.

What determines your actual limit, as opposed to the advertised maximum, comes down to a handful of factors: your turnover, trading history, personal and business credit score, and how much you've asked for. Most providers will consider a limit increase after a period of on-time repayments, so it's worth starting with a realistic request rather than the maximum you might eventually want.

What is the APR on a Business Credit Card?

APR (annual percentage rate) is the yearly cost of borrowing if you carry a balance, including interest and standard fees. A "good" business card rate generally sits between 15% and 30% APR, though this varies considerably depending on your business's age and credit history.

Here's where it gets confusing, and it's worth taking a moment on this because it catches a lot of business owners out. UK credit card providers are required to quote a "representative APR" based on a standard assumed credit limit of £1,200, including any annual fee. On Barclaycard's Premium Plus card, this produces a headline representative APR of around 54 to 55% variable, even though the purchase rate is closer to 18 to 19% variable. The eye-watering headline figure is largely an artefact of folding the £150 annual fee into the calculation on a small assumed balance, not a reflection of what a typical cardholder actually pays. It's worth reading past the headline APR and checking the purchase rate and fee schedule separately before ruling a card out.

At the wider end of the market, providers that lend to a broader range of credit profiles quote correspondingly wider ranges. Capital on Tap's own site states variable APRs ranging from 16.74% to 86.24%, reflecting the fact that the rate you're offered depends heavily on your individual creditworthiness rather than being a single fixed figure.

Can You Get a 0% APR Business Credit Card?

This is worth clearing up, because it's one of the most common points of confusion we come across. Genuine 0% introductory APR periods, where you can carry a balance without paying interest for a set number of months, are far less common on UK business cards than on personal cards. Interest-free business credit cards in the UK generally work by waiving interest for a set period, either as a recurring feature every statement or as an opening offer that expires after a while, and genuine promotional 0% periods, such as an opening offer of several months on a card like Barclaycard's Premium Plus, tend to be shorter and less widely advertised than the 56-day standard grace period most cards offer if you pay in full each month.

Don't confuse the two. A 56-day interest-free period only applies if you clear your balance in full every statement; it isn't the same as a promotional 0% APR that lets you carry a balance without charge for months at a time. If a genuinely interest-free spread of payments is what you need, it's worth checking each provider's terms directly rather than assuming "interest-free" means the same thing across the market.

Will a Business Credit Card Affect Your Personal Credit Score?

It depends on your business structure and how the provider reports activity. As a sole trader, your personal and business finances are treated as linked, so lenders usually assess and report activity against your personal credit file. For limited companies, most UK business cards report account activity to business credit reference agencies rather than the consumer ones that calculate your personal score, so routine spending and repayment usually stays off your personal report.

That said, three situations can pull your personal file back into it:

1. Applying. A full application usually leaves a hard search on your credit file, which can lower your score slightly for a few months, though some providers, including Capital on Tap, run a soft search first and only convert to a hard search if you accept the offer.

2. Personal guarantees. If you personally guarantee the card, the lender may assess your personal credit at the outset and can pursue you personally if the business fails to pay.

3. Serious default. Even where routine reporting stays separate, a serious default can affect a director personally, particularly where legal action follows.

When it’s Worth Looking at Alternatives

A credit card isn't always the right tool. Here's when we'd point businesses towards something else:

• Business loan: Better for a known, one-off cost such as equipment or expansion, where you want a fixed repayment schedule rather than revolving credit.

• Business overdraft: A useful short-term buffer if your bank offers one, though rates are often comparable to or higher than a credit card's.

• Invoice finance or factoring: If your cash flow problem is specifically unpaid invoices rather than general spending, this releases funds tied up in what you're already owed. It can work for businesses with both bad and perfect credit scores, since the finance company assesses the creditworthiness of your customers rather than basing its decision solely on your business or personal credit history.

• Charge card: Requires the balance to be cleared in full each month, so no revolving interest, but generally offers higher spending power for businesses with strong, predictable cash flow.

• Working capital loan: Better suited to a recurring cash flow gap than to ad hoc spending.

How to Apply for a Business Credit Card

The process is broadly similar across providers, though high-street banks add an extra step if you're not already a customer.

1. Check eligibility first. Most providers, including Capital on Tap and NatWest, offer a soft-search eligibility checker that won't affect your credit file.

2. Gather your details. Expect to provide turnover, registered business address, company registration number (for limited companies), and director or owner information.

3. Apply online. You'll typically need your business details, including turnover, registered address, company registration number and unique taxpayer reference, ready before you start.

4. Credit check. Most applications trigger a check on both the business and, particularly for sole traders, the individual applicant's personal file.

5. Decision and card issue. Fintech providers often decide within minutes; high-street banks and card ranges tied to an existing account are typically faster if you're already a customer there.

Can You Get a Business Credit Card With Bad Credit?

Yes, though your options and terms will be more limited. You can still get a business credit card with bad credit, but it will likely come with a lower credit limit or a higher interest rate, and providers will usually run both a company and a personal credit check to assess suitability.

Two providers specifically target this end of the market. Zempler focuses on customers who have a poor credit score, and Card One Money accepts sole traders, limited companies and partnerships with no credit check at all, relying on identity and residency verification instead. Worth noting: Card One Money's product is a prepaid business Mastercard rather than a true revolving credit card, so it's a route to card-based spending control rather than a source of borrowed credit, which matters if what you actually need is short-term finance.

Can You Have More Than One Business Credit Card?

Yes. There's no rule against holding cards from multiple providers, and many businesses do, often pairing a no-fee cashback card for domestic spend with a low-FX-fee card for overseas purchases. The main things to weigh up: each new application typically triggers a hard credit search, several close together can look like a red flag to lenders, and you'll need to keep on top of multiple statements and repayment dates. Most providers also let you add employee cards under the same account, which is a simpler way to extend spending access without opening an entirely separate line of credit.

Are Business Credit Cards More Expensive?

Generally, yes. Business credit cards tend to carry higher APRs than personal credit cards, and representative APRs of 25% to 35% or more are common across the market, compared with typically lower averages on personal cards. That's the trade-off for the business-specific features, higher limits, and more flexible underwriting many of these cards offer. If your priority is simply the lowest possible interest cost and you don't need business-specific features, it's worth comparing against a low-rate personal card. But bear in mind that mixing business spend through a personal card makes bookkeeping and tax reporting considerably messier.

How Quickly Can You Get a Business Credit Card?

At the fast end, fintech providers move quickly. Capital on Tap's application process takes as little as two minutes online, with the card typically arriving within two business days of approval. Amex applications commonly return an instant decision. High-street bank cards vary more widely: if you're already an account holder, approval can be quick, but if you need to open a business current account first to qualify, that adds a separate onboarding process on top.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Apply

1. Will you clear the balance in full each month, or do you need to carry one?

2. Does your monthly spend clear any cashback threshold, such as Barclaycard's £2,000 minimum for its 1% rate?

3. Do you spend meaningfully overseas, where FX fees add up?

4. Do you need cards for employees, and how many?

5. Are you a sole trader?

6. Do you already bank with a provider whose card you'd consider, since that can significantly speed up approval?

7. Is a personal guarantee something you're comfortable signing?

Business Credit Card Myths Debunked

"Any business can get an Amex Business card." Not anymore. As we've covered above, sole traders and unlimited partnerships have been excluded from Business Gold and Business Platinum since January 2026.

"56 days interest-free is the same as 0% APR ." It isn't. The 56-day period only applies if you clear your balance in full each statement. A genuine 0% promotional APR lets you carry a balance without interest for a set period, and it's considerably rarer on UK business cards.

"The card with the lowest headline APR is the cheapest." Not necessarily, as Barclaycard's Premium Plus illustrates well: its representative APR looks alarming on paper because of how the annual fee gets folded into the FCA's standard calculation, but the purchase rate is much lower than the headline figure suggests.

"A business credit card shows up on your personal credit." Only in specific circumstances: if you're a sole trader, if you've signed a personal guarantee and the business defaults, or in some cases when you first apply. Otherwise, most limited company cards report to business credit files, not personal ones.

"Sole traders can't get a business credit card." They can. The list of providers is shorter than it was in 2025, but Barclaycard, the high-street banks, and BA Amex Accelerating all still accept sole trader applications.

Hidden Fees to Check For Before You Sign Up

When we speak to business owners about their existing cards, the fees that catch people out are rarely the annual fee, since that's usually front and centre. It's the transactional charges buried in the terms that add up. Watch for:

1. Cash advance fees. Zempler charges 3% on cash withdrawals, plus an interest rate on that portion of the balance considerably higher than the standard purchase rate, applied from the day of the transaction with no interest-free grace period.

2. Non-sterling transaction fees. Typically 2.99% on standard cards, though some, like Capital on Tap, waive this entirely.

3. Late payment fees. A flat charge, commonly around £12, applies for late payments or payments returned due to insufficient funds.

4. Additional cardholder fees. Some high-street cards charge per cardholder rather than a single flat account fee, which adds up quickly if you're issuing several employee cards.

5. HMRC payment surcharges. Paying HMRC using a corporate credit or debit card typically carries a non-refundable fee.

6. Fees for exceeding your limit. Often overlooked until it happens.

Our Verdict: Which Card Should You Choose?

There isn't a single best business credit card, only the best one for your situation. In our opinion, the decision comes down to three questions in this order: are you a sole trader or limited company, will you clear the balance monthly, and do you already bank with a provider worth sticking with?

If you're a limited company that wants a straightforward, fee-free card with decent cashback, Capital on Tap is hard to beat on cost.

If you're a sole trader, Barclaycard's Select Cashback is currently one of the strongest no-fee options open to you, now that Amex has narrowed its eligibility.

Heavy spenders after travel rewards should look at Amex Business Gold or Platinum, but only if the numbers stack up against the annual fee.

If your credit history is holding you back elsewhere, Zempler Bank is worth exploring before you rule out a business card altogether.

Whichever way you're leaning, it's worth running your numbers through our business credit card comparison before you commit, since eligibility and rates can shift with your specific circumstances in ways a general guide like this one can't fully capture.