The 8 best credit cards for freelancers

2 weeks ago 12

No matter the size of your company, a business credit card can be a valuable tool to help you earn rewards and manage expenses. But not all business credit cards are created equal.

Different business cards are best suited for different types of business owners and entrepreneurs. What is most valuable to a freelancer will likely be different than what's most valuable to a retail store owner.

Freelancers looking for a credit card should consider their business spending habits and overall goals. For example, when I used to do freelance graphic design work, I didn't have a ton of expenses in just one category. I wasn't spending an overwhelming amount on business expenses in general.

In my case, a flat-rate card with no annual fee would have been the best choice. Of course, freelancers who spend more consistently in concentrated categories such as office supplies, internet and phone services could potentially find more value in cards that earn high rewards in those spending categories.

So, keeping all that in mind, here are a few of our top picks for freelancers looking to maximize their expenses.

Overview of the best credit cards for freelancers

Comparing the best credit cards for freelancers

CardWelcome offer Rewards Annual fee

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express	Earn 15,000 points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership.	2 points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent in purchases per calendar year 1 point per dollar on everything else	$0 (see rates and fees)
Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card	$300 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days	3% in the category of your choice (six category options; $50,000 annual cap on combined rewards spending for all bonus categories) 2% on dining ($50,000 annual cap on combined rewards spending for all bonus categories, then 1% thereafter) 1% on everything else	$0
Capital One Spark Miles for Business	50,000 Capital One miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months of account opening	5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 2 miles per dollar on all purchases	$95, waived the first year (see rates and fees)
Ink Business Cash Credit Card	Earn up to $750: Earn $350 bonus cash back after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.	5% on office supply stores and internet, cable and phone services ($25,000 annual cap on combined rewards spending for all bonus categories) 2% on gas stations and restaurants ($25,000 annual cap on combined rewards spending for all bonus categories) 1% on everything else	$0
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card	120,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening	3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 in combined spending on travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services and advertising made with social media sites and search engines 1 point per dollar on everything else	$95
Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card	$750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening	Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every business purchase	$0
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card	Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases on your card in your first three months.	2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year (then 1%)	$0 (see rates and fees)
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 150,000 points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership	5 points per dollar on airfare and prepaid hotel rooms booked through AmexTravel.com 1.5 points per dollar on eligible purchases in select business categories and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more; on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year 1 point per dollar on everything else Terms apply	$695 (see rates and fees)

Best cards for freelancers

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees)

Welcome offer: Earn 15,000 points after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership.

Rewards: Earn 2 points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent annually, then 1 point per dollar.

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Why we like it for freelancers: If you have a smaller annual budget and you're looking for a way to earn Membership Rewards points on business expenses, the Blue Business Plus is a great option. It's simple and powerful and has no annual fee — a perfect trio for the budding freelancer. With the Blue Business Plus, you'll have full access to Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners, which is rare for no-annual-fee credit cards(see rates and fees). And there's no fee for additional employee cards either.

Read our full review of the Blue Business Plus.

Apply here: Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express

Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Annual fee: $0

Sign-up bonus: $300 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.

Rewards: Earn 3% back in the category of your choice and 2% on dining ($50,000 cap on annual rewards spending).

Why we like it for freelancers: Freelancer expenses can vary from person to person and month to month. The ability to choose the category you'll earn 3% cash back on is a great feature you won't find on many credit cards — business or personal. Each month, you'll be able to choose between the following categories:

Gas stations
Office supply stores
Travel
TV/telecom and wireless services
Computer services
Business consulting services

So, let's say in a normal year you travel frequently — but you aren't going anywhere right now, for whatever reason. You can easily switch your category of choice to TV/telecom and wireless services — and when travel is back on the table, you can switch it back.

In addition, you'll always get 2% on dining in addition to your 3% category of choice. It's not the best cash-back option for larger businesses since there's a $50,000 annual cap on bonus spending. However, it may be perfect for lower-budget freelancers looking to maximize purchases.

Read our full review of the Customized Cash Rewards.

Apply here: Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Annual fee: $95, waived the first year (see rates and fees)

Sign-up bonus: 50,000 miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months of account opening.

Rewards: 2 miles per dollar on all purchases.

Why we like it for freelancers: The Capital One Spark Miles combines the best of a travel rewards card with the best of a flat-rate cash-back card — all for a low annual fee that's even waived the first year.

You'll earn an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases. While you can access Capital One's 15-plus transfer partners, you can also redeem your miles at a fixed value for travel purchases on your credit card statement.

This card can be quite lucrative for those who know how to maximize Capital One miles in the long term.

Read our full review of the Spark Miles for Business.

Apply now: Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Ink Business Cash Credit Card

Annual fee: $0

Sign-up bonus: Earn up to $750: earn $350 bonus cash back after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.

Rewards: Earn 5% back on office supply store purchases and internet, cable and phone services; get 2% on gas stations and restaurants ($25,000 cap on combined bonus category spending each year).

Why we like it for freelancers: The real advantage of this card is that all the cash back — including the sign-up bonus — comes in the form of points. You can redeem those points for cash back at a fixed value of 1 cent each, but you can get even more value for them if you have a Chase Ultimate Rewards card that comes with an annual fee (such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred® Card).

You can combine your earnings in a single account by pairing your card with one of these other cards. This will allow you to get a bonus when redeeming your points through the travel portal, and you can even transfer your points to partner airlines and hotels.

Read our full review of the Ink Business Cash.

Apply here: Ink Business Cash Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Annual fee: $95

Sign-up bonus: 120,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Rewards: Earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent annually on shipping, social media or online advertising, travel, internet, cable and phone services.

Why we like it for freelancers: A wide range of freelancers can take advantage of this card's excellent bonus categories. Do you promote your businesses through social media ads? Does your freelance work require shipping products? Are you constantly on the go to meet clients around the country or abroad? All of these categories will earn 3 points per dollar with this card.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each based on TPG's August 2024 valuations, which means 3 points per dollar spent equals an over 6% return on those bonus categories. The Ink Preferred has a $95 annual fee, though small businesses with multiple employees can request unlimited employee cards at no extra cost.

The only significant downside to the card is that you have to spend $8,000 in the first three months to earn the welcome bonus. While that may not be impossible for some freelancers, others may not have the budget to spend an average of $2,667 monthly on expenses.

Read our full review of the Ink Business Preferred.

Apply here: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

Annual fee: $0

Sign-up bonus: $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.

Rewards: Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every business purchase.

Why we like it for freelancers: It's all about flexibility with this card — with no annual fee. You can redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

For a no-annual-fee card, it comes with robust travel and purchase protections, including auto rental collision damage waiver, travel and emergency assistance, roadside dispatch, purchase protection and extended warranty.

And just like the Ink Business Cash card, you can effectively convert your cash-back rewards into full Ultimate Rewards points by pairing it with a higher-end card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Read our full review of the Ink Business Unlimited.

Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees)

Welcome offer: Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in your first three months.

Rewards: Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year (then 1%).

Why we like it for freelancers: Business owners can easily track expenses and earn 2% cash back on up to $50,000 in eligible purchases every calendar year, which is doable for most freelancers. Once you pass that threshold, you'll still earn 1% cash back on all eligible purchases, and the cash back you earn is automatically credited to your statement.

In addition, the card's expanded buying power feature allows you to exceed your spending limit with no over-limit fees or penalties. The simple rewards system, with no rotating categories to track and no annual fee, makes this a great card for everyday business use.

Read our full review of the Blue Business Cash.

Apply now: American Express Blue Business Cash Card

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees)

Welcome bonus: Earn 150,000 points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on airfare and prepaid hotel rooms on AmexTravel.com and 1.5 points per dollar points on eligible purchases in select business categories and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more; on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.

Why we like it for freelancers: If your freelance business normally requires a lot of business-related travel or frequent large purchases, this could be a great card for you. The 150,000 points earned from the welcome offer are worth $3,000, based on TPG's August 2024 valuations, not to mention all of the bonus points you can earn if you maximize your spending on specific business-related purchases.

In addition to the bonus points, this card comes with an incredible lineup of benefits. You'll get several excellent travel perks, such as unprecedented lounge access, complimentary elite status with two hotel brands and a 35% bonus on award flights booked through Amex (up to 1 million points per calendar year). Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Like the Ink Business Preferred, this card may not be best suited for freelancers with smaller budgets. You'll have to spend $20,000 in the first three months to get the welcome bonus, and the card's large annual fee is only worth it when you travel frequently enough to utilize the benefits and bonus categories.

Read our full review of the Amex Business Platinum.

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express

How and why to apply for a business card

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a brick-and-mortar business to qualify for a business credit card. You sometimes don't even need a business tax ID to apply for a small-business credit card.

First, make sure to check your personal credit score before applying. Business credit card applications are also slightly different from personal credit card applications. You'll be asked for your personal information and business details, such as the legal business name, address, phone number, tax identification number, annual business revenue and years in business.

Don't have a tax identification number? You can easily apply for an Employee Identification Number (EIN) with the IRS, or you can often use your social security number if you are a sole proprietor.

Why use a business credit card?

Aside from business-specific bonus categories and other benefits to help you maximize your small-business purchases, a business credit card makes it easier to keep personal and business expenses separate. For freelancers especially, you must track your business expenses for tax season.

Many purchases made for business reasons are tax deductible, but you'll need documentation of those expenses — including receipts. Where a larger business may employ an accountant who can handle that aspect, you'll probably do it yourself if you're a one-person freelancer.

Using a dedicated business credit card for all your freelance expenses makes it much easier to track and separate those purchases come tax season.

Bottom line

Whether you're a longtime freelancer or just starting, having a business credit card for your expenses is extremely helpful to keep your books in order. You can also earn valuable points, miles or cash back on your spending.

And with many lucrative offers available to new applicants, now could be a great time to add one of the above cards to your wallet.

For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Business Plus Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Cash Card, click here.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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