How to Choose the Right Corporate Credit Card Program

Best Credit Cards for Startups in 2025: What to Know Before You Apply

For startups, using the right business credit card can provide serious advantages over using your cash on hand. As your business scales its operations, the right corporate card can help you build business credit, ease expense management, and provide useful tools to maintain financial stability through every stage of growth.

Unlike traditional small businesses, startups driven by innovation and rapid expansion can benefit most from purpose-built business credit cards that go beyond just lending money. Today, some corporate cards provide integrated financial tools for accounting, advanced spending controls for employees, and valuable cash back rewards programs—not just brand recognition or low annual fees.

In this guide, we’ll compare some of the best business credit cards for startups and small businesses and present strategies for choosing a card that fits your company’s specific needs. We’ll break down each card’s key features, advantages, and potential drawbacks to help you make an informed decision. You’ll also learn how Slash’s high-cash-back corporate charge cards stand apart from traditional providers, offering real-time payments and integrated banking tools designed specifically for startup growth.¹

What Are Business Credit Cards for Startups?

A business credit card functions similarly to a personal credit card. Cardholders make purchases by borrowing money from a lender. At the end of each billing cycle, the cardholder can either pay the balance in full or make a partial payment, carrying the remaining amount forward to accrue APR (annual percentage rate) interest.

One key reason to use a business credit card is to separate your business and personal expenses, which makes it easier to file taxes, hold employees accountable for their spending, and understand your company’s financial outlook. Another major advantage of a corporate card is establishing your business credit score, which measures your company’s financial reliability. This score considers factors such as public business records, cash flow, credit history, and industry risk. A strong credit score can help your startup qualify for better loans, leases, or higher credit limits in the future.

Slash’s corporate charge cards work similarly to traditional credit cards and share many of the usage benefits, such as the ability to build a credit history and earn rewards. However, charge cards require cardholders to pay their balance in full at the end of each billing cycle. Standard credit cards, in contrast, accept minimum payments on your balance, allowing cardholders to carry the remaining balance as rolling credit. Charge cards are an excellent tool for building financial discipline while tapping into the rewards of using credit for business expenses.

Benefits of Using a Business Credit Card for Startups

For startups, there are specific considerations when looking for a business credit card. Many may operate without a long-term credit history, manage large capital inflows, and experience frequent expenses tied to hiring and scaling. A well-chosen corporate card not only expands your access to credit but also helps address these challenges effectively.

While the primary advantage of using a corporate card is access to a line of credit, using a business credit card offers additional benefits, too, from earning cashback and rewards to improving expense management. Below is a breakdown of the ways that a corporate card can benefit your startup business:

Streamline expense management: Corporate cards can often be tied to built-out card tracking and expense platforms like Slash. Having a clear, unified view of your business expenses makes it easier to identify trends, control spending, and make informed financial decisions.
Earn rewards or cash back to reinvest in growth: Using your business card can generate cashback or rewards that directly benefit your bottom line. With a Slash Card, for instance, startups can earn up to 2% cash back on everyday purchases through its cashback rewards program. Reinvesting these rewards is a simple and effective way to offset Unlimited Virtual Cards with High Cashback & Spend Control costs and accelerate growth.
Improve cash flow with flexible repayment terms: Startups can experience unpredictable cash cycles. A corporate card with deferred or adjustable repayment terms or a variable APR can help maintain liquidity during slower periods.
Receive discounts and statement credits: Many business credit card rewards programs support everyday business needs. Depending on the provider, you can receive discounts or statement credits on purchases from brands like Adobe, Dell, FedEx, and Google Workspace. For businesses that travel often, some cards provide additional statement credits for flights, baggage fees, hotels, and other travel-related expenses.
Utilize high credit limits: Business credit cards often feature a higher credit limit than personal cards, giving your startup greater flexibility for large purchases and operational costs.
Provide secure, controlled spending for employees: Corporate cards from providers like Slash offer fraud protection with encrypted virtual cards that can help keep your startup’s finances secure. And with an accounting dashboard, you can easily set employee spending limits, adjust credit lines, and view several bank accounts all in one place.

What Are the Best Business Credit Cards for New Businesses?

Slash Platinum Card: Industry-leading cash back of up to 2% on purchases, automated and customizable expense management, QuickBooks and Xero integrations, multi-entity support, and both physical and virtual cards offered without needing a personal guarantee.4
Brex Card: Startup-friendly points rewards that can be converted into cashback or credits, advanced fraud protection, automated expense management and compliance, and customizable spend controls
Rho Corporate Card: Up to 2% cashback on purchases, no platform fees, built-in spending controls, unlimited virtual cards, and smart reconciliation tools.
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card: 3% cash back on select purchases, 1% cashback on all other purchases, and a competitive introductory 0% APR interest offer for the first 12 billing cycles.
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Card: Automatic credit line increases, introductory 0% APR interest offer for the first 12 billing cycles, and 1.5% cashback on purchases.
American Express Business Cards: Flexible points-based rewards options, travel statement credits, and premium perks if paying a higher annual fee.

How to Choose the Best Business Credit Card for Startups

While most corporate cards help you build your credit score and improve cash flow, not every option fits your startup’s financial strategy. Keep these factors in mind:

Annual fee vs. rewards value: Some corporate cards with higher annual fees offer stronger cash back or travel rewards, such as statement credits for qualifying purchases. Compare each credit card offer and the spending categories your business regularly engages with to ensure the rewards outweigh the cost of the annual fee.
Credit score and eligibility requirements: For new startups, credit card approval can be difficult without an established credit history. The Slash Platinum charge card simplifies eligibility by not requiring a personal guarantee. Instead, they evaluate cash flow, industry outlook, and revenue projections—trusting your startup’s business potential, not just your personal credit score.
Intro APR or financing offers: If your startup anticipates large upfront expenses, a business credit card with a 0% intro APR can be invaluable. A 0% APR credit card offer allows cardholders to make purchases without interest for up to 12 months, enabling more flexibility with your business’s cash flow during early growth.
Expense categories and reward structures: Choose a business credit card that aligns with your most frequent expenses, whether travel, software, or marketing. Predictable cash back programs, like the Slash Platinum Card’s flat 2% rate, simplify rewards for varied spending.
Foreign transaction fees: If your startup intends to work with international partners or clients, select a corporate card with low or no foreign transaction fee.
Reporting to business credit bureaus: Not all cards report to major business credit bureaus. For business owners focused on building their credit history, choose a corporate card that reports consistently to these bureaus. This ensures that your transactions and payments can strengthen your credit score, qualifying you for higher credit limits in the future.

Key Features to Look for in Business Credit Cards for Startups

Choosing the right business credit card can greatly impact how efficiently you manage spending, earn rewards, and grow your startup. While many cards are out there, not all provide the automation and scalability that startups require.

Key features include:

High cashback or rewards rates to reinvest in growth
No or low annual fees to keep costs manageable
Advanced spend controls and employee card management for accountability
Virtual cards for secure online and subscription payments
Real-time expense tracking and alerts to maintain financial visibility

The Slash Platinum Card delivers all these advantages with access to a powerful financial management platform. Startups can earn 2% cash back on purchases for a low monthly fee, with integrated accounting, budgeting, and expense management tools. And, with a streamlined application process, no personal guarantee requirement, and 24-hour support, Slash’s business management tools are purpose-built to help startups build a strong financial foundation for sustained growth.

Smarter Startup Banking with Slash

Once you’ve narrowed down your business credit card options, it’s equally important to consider how your banking experience will integrate with your card provider. A rewarding credit card can help fuel your startup’s growth, but powerful financial management tools are what sustain that growth over the long term.

With Slash’s vertical banking platform, managing your business finances goes far beyond a single card. In addition to an industry-leading, low-fee corporate card, Slash offers high-yield business accounts, real-time transfers, multi-entity support, automated expense management, and industry-specific financial tools—all designed to streamline operations and strengthen your company’s financial foundation.

Ready to see what smarter banking can do for your startup? Explore Slash’s banking solutions to see how an integrated financial platform can help your startup grow smarter and scale faster.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get a business credit card with your EIN?

Yes. If you are a U.S.-based entity, you can apply for a business credit card using your EIN. Depending on the issuer, you may also need to provide a personal guarantee, Social Security Number, and additional materials to verify identity and determine your business’s credit limit eligibility.

What’s the difference between a charge card and a credit card for startups?

A charge card, unlike a traditional credit card, requires cardholders to pay the full balance at the end of each billing cycle. Traditional credit cards, in contrast, allow you to pay less than your balance and carry a balance into another billing cycle. For startups looking to build their financial profile and avoid racking up large interest debts, charge cards are a tool that can promote responsible spending.

Are virtual cards safer than physical cards?

In some cases, virtual cards can be safer than physical cards. While physical cards can be lost or stolen, virtual card data is often encrypted into digital systems. However, virtual card information can still be leaked or stolen, and it is important to maintain oversight over your data to minimize the risk of fraudulent charges.