What is the best business credit card for airline miles

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Annual Fee

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

What is the best business credit card for airline miles

Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. 720 - 850 $199

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Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. 660 - 850 $550

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The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first 3 Months of Card Membership. Plus you can earn a Free Night Reward after you spend $10,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 12/21/22. 660 - 850 $95

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

Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.

720 - 850

660 - 850

$199

$550

Not available on ValuePenguin

Best business credit card for travel and airline miles

Southwest

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Sign Up Bonus

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

APR

18.99% - 25.99% Variable

  • Get 9,000 bonus points after your cardmember anniversary each year
  • Earn Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • Get a $100 TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry credit every four years
  • Get four free seat upgrades per year when better seats are available
  • Get up to 365 free in-flight Wi-Fi credits each year
  • $0 foreign transaction fees

  • The card really makes sense only for very loyal Southwest customers
  • There's a hefty $199 annual fee charged to your card each year
  • Not the best option for financing a big business purchase or balance transfer, since there is no 0% introductory offer

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is our top pick for earning airline miles, since it lets small business owners enjoy frequent flyer perks while earning points with Southwest. Cardholders can earn a generous sign-up bonus and a high rate of Rapid Rewards points on all their spending. The card also features the most valuable suite of benefits of any Southwest card, including 9,000 points each cardmember anniversary, four upgraded boardings per year, up to 365 in-flight Wi-Fi credits per year, and more.

Best business credit card for travel and airline perks

Airline perks

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.

APR

19.49% - 28.49% Variable

  • Earn 3 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. and on every eligible dollar spent on purchases made directly with hotels.
  • Get a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+ or main cabin round trip companion certificate each year after you renew card membership.
  • Access to Amex Centurion Lounges when you book your flight with your card and to Delta Sky Clubs when you're flying Delta Airlines, plus two Delta Sky Club one-time guest passes per year so you can treat companions to lounge access
  • Get first checked bag free and Main Cabin Priority 1 boarding on Delta flights, as well as access to complementary upgrades after Medallion members (if you don't have Medallion status)
  • Earn 15,000 MQMs when you spend $30,000 on your card in a calendar year, up to four times per year, getting you closer to elite status
  • Get an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years (4 ½ years for TSA PreCheck®)
  • An array of travel benefits, including concierge service, car rental insurance, baggage coverage and trip insurance
  • Foreign transaction fees: None
  • Terms apply

  • The annual fee of $550 is on the high end for a business travel card
  • Not a good fit for businesses that aren't loyal to Delta or don't care about Delta elite status
  • Offers limited flexibility in redeeming rewards, compared with cards that have transferable points, since you're limited to Delta and Delta partner airlines
  • Won't work well for those with side hustles or other small businesses with low to modest expenses

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card can be a great match for business owners who travel frequently on Delta Air Lines and don't mind paying a high annual fee to get a card that's loaded with perks. In addition to airport lounge access, one of our favorite features of this card is the annual companion certificate that allows you to bring a travel companion with you in first class for no more than $80 in taxes and fees. A feature called Status Boost even gives you a leg up toward earning Delta elite status with 15,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend at least $30,000 on purchases with your card within a calendar year (up to four times per year).

Best business credit card for travel and hotel rewards

Hotel rewards

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Welcome Offer

Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first 3 Months of Card Membership. Plus you can earn a Free Night Reward after you spend $10,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 12/21/22.

APR

19.49% - 28.49% Variable

  • Competitive welcome offer
  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status, with the ability to upgrade to Diamond Status based on annual spending
  • Earn 12X at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 6X on Select Business & Travel Purchases, 3X Everywhere Else. Terms & Limitations Apply.
  • 10 free Priority Pass visits that can be redeemed at over 1,200 airport lounges
  • Free weekend night reward after you spend $15,000 on your card in a calendar year, plus a second one if you reach $60,000 in annual spend
  • Foreign transaction fees: None
  • Terms apply

  • A $95 annual fee could be a dealbreaker for business owners who don't want to pay an annual fee
  • Only bigger spenders who put at least $40,000 a year on their card can qualify for Diamond Status
  • Not the best match for businesses that aren't very loyal to Hilton brand hotels

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is our choice as the top business credit card for hotel rewards for more reasons than one. For just $95 per year, the card stands out for its solid welcome offer and generous rewards earnings structure. It's also loaded with valuable travel perks, including automatic Hilton Gold elite status, which can be upgraded to Hilton Diamond status if you spend enough each year (enrollment required).

Best business credit card for travel and travel points

Travel points

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Sign Up Bonus

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

APR

18.99% - 23.99% Variable

Earns transferable points

  • Extremely generous welcome bonus with tons of redemption flexibility, since you can transfer to Chase partner airlines and hotels
  • Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases—with no limit to the amount you can earn.
  • Get 25% more value when you redeem rewards through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
  • Travel and purchase coverage includes auto insurance, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, cell phone coverage, purchase protection and extended warranty
  • $0 foreign transaction fees

  • Unusually high minimum spend required to earn welcome bonus when compared to other small business travel credit cards
  • A $95 annual fee could be a minus if you'd prefer a no-fee business travel card
  • Not a great choice for balance transfers or financing, as there's no 0% introductory deal on the card

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card card is our top pick for travel points due to its affiliation with the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program and its generous rewards program, including a massive sign-up bonus. You can redeem points for travel through Chase, and you can transfer them 1:1 to Chase airline and hotel partners like Southwest Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.

Best business card for travel and lounge access

Lounge access

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Welcome Offer

Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.

APR

17.99% - 25.99% Variable

  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status and Gold Marriott Bonvoy elite status (enrollment required)
  • Up to $400 in credits yearly for U.S. Dell Technologies purchases on your card when you enroll ahead of time (enrollment required)
  • Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection with over 1,300 airport lounges in more than 140 countries
  • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That's an extra half point per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
  • Get a 35% airline bonus when you use Membership Rewards Pay with Points to book all or part of an eligible fare, getting you up to 500,000 points back per year (enrollment required)
  • Fee credit for Global Entry every four years or TSA PreCheck® every 4½ years
  • Business Platinum Card Concierge offers travel planning service with counselors who can create custom itineraries and tailored recommendations
  • Foreign transaction fees: None
  • Terms apply

  • A very high annual fee of $695 makes this the most expensive of all of our picks
  • Lack of flexibility in travel rewards earning, since you'll need to book through Amex Travel to get 5 points per $1 spent on travel

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is our top pick for lounge access due to its access to the Global Lounge Collection — the world's largest collection of airport lounges. Cardholders get a Priority Pass™ Select membership with access to more than 1,300 lounges worldwide (enrollment required), as well as luxurious Amex Centurion lounges and Delta Sky Clubs.

Best business credit card for travel and no-annual-fee

No-annual-fee

Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card

Sign Up Bonus

30,000 online bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in net purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening which can be redeemed for a $300 statement credit towards travel or dining purchases.

APR

15.24% - 25.24% Variable APR

  • $0 annual fee makes it a good match for budget-minded business owners
  • An introductory APR of 0% Introductory APR on purchases for your first 9 billing cycles after account opening makes this a good card for financing a big business purchase (then a 15.24% - 25.24% Variable APR applies)
  • Earn 3 points per every dollar spent on travel purchases (car, hotel, airline) booked through the Bank of America® Travel Center. Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all purchases everywhere, every time-no matter how much you spend. Points don't expire.
  • Earn up to 75% more on purchases if you have a business checking account with Bank of America and qualify to be a Bank of America Preferred Rewards for business member
  • Offers several options for redeeming points
  • Foreign transaction fees: None

  • Rewards redemption limited to Bank of America options, since there are no transfer partners
  • Does not offer as many travel perks as some other featured business travel cards

The Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card is our top pick among small business credit cards with $0 annual fee due to its rewards. Cardholders get a large sign-up bonus, plus unlimited points on all their purchases. The card even offers a 0% Introductory APR on purchases for your first 9 billing cycles (followed by a 15.24% - 25.24% Variable APR). The fact there's no foreign transaction fees is just icing on the cake.

Best business credit card for travel for building credit

Building credit

Capital One Spark Classic for Business

  • Earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars with Capital One Travel
  • Unlimited Unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Free employee cards

  • Flights don't qualify for bonus cash back
  • High purchase APR

The Capital One Spark Classic for Business is an ideal credit card for business travel. It earns 5% cash back when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel, with all other purchases earning unlimited Unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Business owners can also add free employee cards to earn additional rewards on purchases made by their employees, as well as set customized spending limits for each employee to control their purchases. Purchase records can be downloaded into multiple formats, making data entry into your account software simpler. Plus, there’s a $0 annual fee, and the card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees on international purchases.

The information related to Capital One Spark Classic for Business has been independently collected by ValuePenguin and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.

How to choose a business credit card for travel

There are various factors to consider when picking a business credit card for travel. For example, look at:

First decide whether you want to earn miles, hotel points or transferable points. For a comprehensive primer on the differences, pros and cons, check out our guide on what credit card points are worth.

A general rule is that transferable points are best for businesses seeking flexibility in how they redeem rewards, while miles or hotel points may work well for frequent travelers loyal to a particular airline or hotel. It is worth noting, however, that airline and hotel business rewards cards often offer automatic elite status with the brand or a boost to help you get status faster.

One of the most important considerations in choosing the best business credit card for you is how you fly and where you stay. This will allow you to eliminate cards right away if you're not already a loyal customer of the brand. If you're extremely loyal to one airline or hotel brand, you might choose a co-branded airline or hotel business travel card. If you prefer to mix things up in how you fly and where you stay, it may be better to choose a general business travel card.

A sign-up bonus is an especially important consideration for a business credit card. Owning a small business or having a side gig means you'll be spending money on business expenses ranging from advertising to office furniture, and that gives you enormous leverage in the points and miles game. A sign-up bonus is a major opportunity to maximize those earnings, so make sure you're getting a generous bonus that offers the most value for the way you travel.

Many business cards offer bonus earnings in popular business spending categories like cable, internet, office supplies and online advertising. Take a look at your business spending from the past year to guesstimate how many points or miles you might earn in that category on a business card. This does require a little legwork, but it could help you to see exactly which business card would allow you to maximize your earnings based on the way you spend in your business.

If you ever travel internationally, you'll want to look for a card with no foreign transaction fees. These sneaky fees typically tack about 3% onto each purchase made outside the United States, so they could add significantly to the cost of a business trip.

Many business cards for travel offer some travel insurance, which may include coverage for trip cancellations and delays, lost luggage and rental car liability. The specifics of the coverage offered can vary, so read the fine print and exclusions so you know exactly what is — and isn't — offered on a specific card.

Many of the best business credit cards for travel offer a credit that will cover your application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. This is a key benefit for business travelers who want to minimize waits in long lines and breeze through airport security.

Many business travel credit cards offer other travel-centric perks. These might include free checked bags or upgrades on a co-branded airline business travel card, or automatic elite status on a hotel business travel card. Some travel cards also have concierge service to help you plan your travel or book shows or dining reservations.

How to use a business credit card for travel

Now that you've chosen the best business travel credit card for you, let's make sure you know how to maximize its value. Here are six tips for making the most of a business travel card:

  1. Get familiar with the benefits and features. It pays to go over the terms and conditions to find out exactly what your card does — and doesn't — cover. Knowing what's included may help you make decisions, such as whether to purchase extra travel insurance for an upcoming business trip. It'll also prevent you from scrambling to figure out your lost luggage policy while you're standing in an airport with no toiletries or suit for your upcoming business meeting.
  2. Set goals for earning and using points. It's helpful to set a strategy for earning and using points or miles. Decide ahead of time what you're working toward — whether it's a trip to a conference for your team or a well-deserved CEO retreat for yourself — and figure out how many points or miles you'd need to get it. We recommend using a spreadsheet to track your points and the goal needed for your next trip.
  3. Shop ahead of time for award redemptions. Do some browsing before you earn your points or miles to see which rewards redemptions make the most sense for you. If your card has transferable points with a variety of travel partners, it's even more important to do your homework to get the maximum value for your points. Compare the number of miles required for your award trip on various airline partners to see who has the best deal.
  4. Consider pairing your business card with the right personal cards. One of the best ways to maximize rewards earning and redemption is to use a duo or trio of cards that includes a business credit card. Check out our guide to the best credit card combinations to learn more about which personal cards work well with which business travel cards.
  5. Take advantage of little known perks. Some small business travel credit cards offer free travel concierge services to offer recommendations and take administrative chores off your plate, making your trip planning that much easier. These services also may be useful if you're traveling abroad and need translation help ironing out a travel glitch.
  6. Take coverage details and numbers with you. If you plan to rely on your card for car rental or travel insurance, make sure you have the details of coverage and any relevant claims phone numbers with you when you travel. Put this info in your phone and another safe place so you have quick access if you need help.

The information related to The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has been independently collected by ValuePenguin and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply to American Express credit card offers. See americanexpress.com for more information.

What is the best airline business credit card?

Summary of the Best Business Travel Cards for Airline Miles.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card. ... .
American Express® Business Gold Card. ... .
United℠ Business Card. ... .
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card. ... .
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®.

Which is the best card to earn miles?

Best Credit Cards for Miles Overall: KrisFlyer UOB: 3mi/S$1 on dining, transport, shopping & travel. UOB PRVI Miles: Fee-Waiver + 20k bonus miles, 2.4 miles per $1 overseas. Amex SIA KrisFlyer: Directly earn KrisFlyer miles, S$150 SIA credit. OCBC 90°N: Unlimited miles and cashback.

What credit card gives the most travel rewards?

Best travel credit cards.
Winner: American Express® Gold Card..
Runner-up: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card..
Best welcome bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card..
Best for luxury travel: Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Best for no annual fee: Discover it® Miles..
Best for low interest: TD First ClassSM Visa Signature® Credit Card..

How much is 60000 miles worth?

As a result, 60,000 Venture miles are worth $600 in travel rewards.