6 BEST SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS FOR PURCHASING SHIPPING

1. AMERICAN EXPRESS SIMPLYCASH PLUS

Ideal for: Business owners who don’t travel overseas, have sizeable shipping, cellular, and office supply expenses, and would appreciate the ability to occasionally spend over their limit.

The American Express SimplyCash Plus card offers a “buy above your credit limit” feature, which is unique among the six cards highlighted here. Although this feature includes some very specific terms and conditions, it definitely allows for greater flexibility with your spending limits. This card also offers 3% cash back on a category of your choice, which includes shipping, up to $50,000 per year.

However, this card’s 0% intro APR offer only lasts nine months and American Express issues all cash back rewards as a statement credit—two key factors you should consider as you decide which card is best for your business. Finally, this card carries a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, making it rather expensive if you have a lot of international expenses.

REWARDS AND BENEFITS (TERMS APPLY)

• 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months.

• 5% cash back on office supplies and telephone services for $50,000, then 1%.

• 3% cash back for $50,000 (then 1%) on the category of your choice, including hotel rooms, airfare, restaurants, shipping, etc.

• 1% cash back on all other purchases.

• Spend Manager: Helps manage your expenses by allowing you to add receipts and notes to your transactions through your desktop or mobile device.

• Employee cards: Get up to 99 for free.

• Connect to QuickBooks: Label and transfer transaction data into a QuickBooks account.

• Car rental damage insurance and roadside assistance hotline.

• Baggage insurance plan and travel accident insurance.

FEES

• No annual fee.

• No balance transfer fee.

• No cash advance fee.

• 2.7% foreign transaction fee.

2. CHASE INK BUSINESS PREFERRED

Ideal for: Business owners who travel overseas, have sizeable shipping expenses, and would appreciate a wide variety of options for redeeming their points.

The Chase Ink Business Preferred card allows you to earn 3x reward points for every dollar you spend on shipping, travel, phone services, and more—up to $150,000 each year. These points can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, online shopping, and travel rewards. As a result, this card is an excellent choice for businesses that spend a lot in the designated categories and want a variety of redemption options.

While this card carries a $95 annual fee, that figure is low among the other cards on this list with annual fees.

REWARDS AND BENEFITS (TERMS APPLY)

• 100,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening an account.

• 3x rewards points for every $1 spent on the first $150,000 in combined purchases of shipping and internet services, advertising, travel, and more.

• 1x points for every $1 spent on all other purchases (unlimited).

• Points don’t expire as long as your account remains open.

• You may redeem points for travel, online shopping, gift cards, and cash back.

FEES

• $95 annual fee.

• No foreign transaction fee.

• 5% or $5 balance transfer fee (whichever is greater per transaction).

• 5% or $15 cash advance fee (whichever is greater per transaction).

 

3. CAPITAL ONE SPARK CASH FOR BUSINESS

Ideal for: Business owners who travel overseas, have moderate shipping expenses, and could use the extra $500 offered through the sign-up bonus.

The Capital One Spark Cash for Business card is a straightforward, cash-back card. The great thing about this card is you know exactly what you’ll earn: 2% cash back on every purchase that you may redeem as a statement credit or check.

While this card doesn’t have the highest rewards and cash-back rate among our top six, it does offer unlimited cash back and a sign-up bonus without hefty foreign transaction fees. Those combined features make this card a solid choice for business owners.

REWARDS AND BENEFITS (TERMS APPLY)

• $500 sign-up bonus when new cardholders spend $4,500 on purchases within the first three months of opening an account.

• 2% unlimited cash back on all net purchases.

• No fee for additional employee cards.

• Zero fraud liability.

• Lost luggage reimbursement.

• Travel accident insurance.

FEES

• Waived annual fee for the first year, then $95.

• No balance transfer fee.

• No foreign transaction fee.

• 3% or $10 cash advance fee (whichever is greater per transaction).

4. AMERICAN EXPRESS BUSINESS GOLD

Ideal for: Business owners who travel overseas, have sizeable expenses in shipping and one another purchase category, and would appreciate the additional features offered by American Express.

The American Express Business Gold card is an excellent choice for business owners who travel overseas and have significant business expenses in two of the card’s six eligible purchasing categories, including shipping. For these category purchases, businesses can earn 4x reward points per dollar spent—up to $150,000 each year. Cardholders earn 1x reward points per dollar spent on these purchases after they reach the $150,000 annual threshold.

This card also offers up to one free year of subscriptions to G Suite, a collection of productivity applications, and ZipRecruiter, a leading job search application.

Notably, this card has the highest annual fee ($295)—a potential deal-breaker for some small businesses.

REWARDS AND BENEFITS (TERMS APPLY)

• 35,000 Membership Rewards points once you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months.

• 4x rewards points for every $1 spent in two categories of your choosing (including shipping)—up to $150,000 each year. Then earn one reward point for every $1 spent on these purchases above that threshold.

• 1x points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

• Up to one year free of subscriptions to G Suite Basic and ZipRecruiter Standard.

FEES

• $295 annual fee.

• No balance transfer fee.

• No cash advance fee.

• No foreign transaction fee.

5. CHASE INK BUSINESS UNLIMITED

Ideal for: Business owners who don’t travel internationally, would appreciate a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, and have moderate annual shipping expenses.

If your business has moderate shipping needs and could benefit from 0% intro APR on purchases in the next year, then consider the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card. Not only does this card have an attractive introductory offer, but it also delivers 1.5% cash back on all business purchases and a $750 cash-back incentive.

Because this card carries a high foreign transaction fee (3%), it may not be the best option if you conduct a lot of business overseas. In addition, the 1.5% cash back rate may not be as attractive as some of the other cards. However, this card’s biggest benefits are its introductory offers.

REWARDS AND BENEFITS (TERMS APPLY)

• $750 cash back after spending $7,500 in purchases within the first three months of opening an account.

• 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months after opening an account.

• Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all your business purchases.

• Employee cards at no additional cost.

FEES

• No annual fee.

• 5% or $5 balance transfer fee (whichever is greater per transaction).

• 5% or $15 cash advance fee (whichever is greater per transaction).

• 3% foreign transaction fee.

6. AMERICAN EXPRESS MARRIOTT BONVOY BUSINESS

Ideal for: Business owners who travel internationally and like to stay at Marriott Bonvoy hotels or who have moderate annual shipping expenses.

If you travel regularly for your business and enjoy the perks of staying at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, then consider the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business card. This card offers 6x reward points for every dollar you spend at Marriott Bonvoy hotels and another 4x rewards points for every dollar you spend in specific purchase categories, including shipping. Cardholders then earn another 2x rewards points for every dollar they spend elsewhere. This card also has no foreign transaction fees, making it an excellent choice for international business travelers.

On the other hand, this card carries a $125 annual fee and offers no sign-up bonus (at this time).

REWARDS AND BENEFITS (TERMS APPLY)

• 6x rewards points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

• 4x rewards points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases for U.S. shipping services, restaurants, gas stations, and wireless telephone services.

• 2x rewards points for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.

FEES

• $125 annual fee.

• No balance transfer fee.

• No foreign transaction fee.

• 3% or $5 cash advance fee (whichever is greater per transaction).

MAXIMIZE YOUR BUSINESS CARD BENEFITS

If your business incurs sizeable annual shipping costs, using a business credit card that offers some rewards or cash back for those purchases could benefit your bottom line. No matter what kind of business you operate—from a small Etsy store to a legal consulting firm—if you spend a lot at USPS, FedEx, or UPS, consider opening one of these top six credit cards for purchasing shipping.

 

Editorial disclaimer:  The content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone.