As a young professional, you face a number of financial challenges that you never had to worry about during college. In addition to a more expensive lifestyle that involves eating something other than ramen noodles every night, you are likely saddled with the burden of student loans.
It can be a knee jerk reaction to avoid opening a credit card in hopes of avoiding any more debt. However, credit cards can be a good financial tool if you know that you will use the cards responsibly. If you know that you can pay off your balance in full each month, then you should consider opening a card that will reward you for your spending.
Everyone has a different lifestyle and different goals, so we have found the best credit cards to fit the lifestyles of every young professional. Whether you have plans to travel the world or prefer cold hard cash, the right card is out there waiting for you!
What’s Ahead:
Overview: Best cards for young professionals
| Credit Card | Best for |
|---|---|
| Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | Intro bonus and cash rewards |
| Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card | No annual fee and introductory bonus |
| Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | Travel rewards |
| The Plum Card® from American Express | Business planners |
| American Express® Business Gold Card | Capital-intensive business owners |
Many young professionals are building a side hustle into a full-blown business at night or have jumped straight into the fire of entrepreneurship. If you have a business that requires some amount of purchasing, then you should consider opening a business credit card to fund those purchases.
Not only is it easier to keep your business and personal accounts separate, but also you should take advantage of the outstanding rewards that many business credit cards offer.
Best intro bonus and cash rewards credit card
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
In A Nutshell
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is an excellent card for any small business. From a big up front bonus to an all-around excellent rewards program, cardholders can cash in on rewards without the worry of an annual fee.
Read reviewWhat We Like:
-
$750 cash back bonus after spending $6,000 in the first three months of card ownership
-
5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent on office supplies, internet, cable and phone service purchases each account anniversary year
-
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases, then a variable APR of 17.99% – 23.99% Variable.
- Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a no annual fee rewards card with a hefty bonus AND enticing cash back rewards perfect for young professionals and business owners. Cardholders will earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.. Pair that with the whopping 5% cash back (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases) on office supplies, cable, internet, and phone purchases, and this card is hard to beat.
In addition to earning 5% back on the above categories, you’ll also earn 2% back (also on up to $25,000 in combined purchases) on gas and dining, and 1% back on all other purchases, so you’ll be rewarded in all categories your business spends in. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card also comes with some nice added benefits like a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months (followed by an APR of 17.99% - 23.99% Variable), free additional cards for employees, fraud protection, and purchase protection.
Card features:
- Cash back: 5% back (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases) for office supplies, internet, phone, and cable; 2% back (also on up to $25,000 in combined purchases) for gas and dining; 1% back on all other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.
- APR: 17.99% - 23.99% Variable.
- Annual fee: $0.
- Credit needed: Good to excellent (700+).
Best no annual fee and introductory bonus business credit card
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
In A Nutshell
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card opens up with a $750 cash back bonus after spending $6,000 in the first three months from account opening; includes 1.5% cash back on all purchases and charges no annual fee.
Read reviewWhat We Like:
-
Earn $750 in bonus cash back after spending $6,000 in the first three months of account opening
-
Earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
-
No annual fee
- Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers similar perks as the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, but comes with a simplified cash back structure that’s great for business owners with expenses in many different categories. The card earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no upper limit on earnings. Whether you’re just starting out or already have a high volume of expenses, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card ensures that you’ll get cash back no matter what. And thanks to the $0 annual fee, all those rewards go straight into your pocket.
In addition to the competitive 1.5% cash back rate, the card also offers the same welcome bonus of $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.. Also, like the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers perks including purchase protection, fraud protection, and additional employee cards at no extra cost.
Deciding which of these two cards will work best for you entirely depends on your spending habits, and if you want to keep track of different rewards categories.
Card features:
- Cash back: 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- Welcome bonus: $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.
- APR: 17.99% - 23.99% Variable.
- Annual fee: $0.
- Credit needed: Good to excellent (700+).
Best travel rewards business credit card
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
In A Nutshell
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card blows you away with a 100,000 point bonus after you spend $15,000 in the first three months and keeps you coming back with 3 points per dollar spent on travel and select business categories for the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year.
Read reviewWhat We Like:
-
100,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 in the first three months (Worth $1,250 in travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®)
-
3 points earned per $1 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year
-
No foreign transaction fees
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Member FDIC
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a great choice for business owners and entrepreneurs who travel frequently with work-related business trips and are looking to maximize their travel benefits and rewards. You’ll start out by earning a very generous 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel rewards when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.. According to Chase, that’s equal to $1,250 toward travel rewards when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card also earns 3x points per $1 (on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases) on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, and on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines. These diverse categories allow businesses with a variety of expenses to maximize their earnings. And as an added benefit, cardholders can earn 1x point per $1 on all other purchases, and points never expire.
Card features:
- Rewards: 3x points per $1 (on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases) on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone services, and online advertising; 1x points on all other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel rewards when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- APR: 20.74% - 25.74% Variable.
- Annual fee: $95.
- Credit needed: Good to excellent (700+).
Best business card for planners – American Express Plum
Plum Card® from American Express
If you are starting a business, then you realize that proper cash flow management is critical. The American Express Plum Card has built-in flexibility that will allow you to more easily manage the cash flow of your blooming business.
You’ll also receive free employee cards and enjoy a great deal of flexibility of when and how to make your payments.
Card features:
- Early pay: 1.5% Early Pay discount without a cap.
- Spending limit: No present spending limits – note that this different than unlimited spending.
- Pay later: Pay up to 60 days later without incurring interest.
- Annual fee: $0 annual fee in the first year; $250 annual fee in the following years.
- Credit needed: Good to excellent (700+).
See American Express Plum card details to apply.
Best business card for capital intensive business owners – American Express Business Gold
American Express® Business Gold Card
Does your business run burn through cash on its way to profits? If it does, then you have a valuable opportunity to rack up rewards points with the American Express Business Gold card. You can select two categories to earn 4x points on that spending that you can use for travel.
Unfortunately, there is a $295 annual fee, so you’ll need to take that into consideration whether calculating the benefits of this card.
Card features
- Rewards: 4X points on 2 categories that you select where you do the most spending.
- Cash back: Up to $500 back when you ship with FedEx using this card.
- Points rewards: 25% points back when you book certain flights through Pay with Points.
- Pay later: Ability to pay for your purchases later with accrued interest.
- Credit needed: Good to excellent (700+).
See American Express Business Gold card details to apply.
Summary of the best business credit cards
| Credit Card | Credit Needed | Rewards | Unique Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | 700+ | 5% back (on up to $25,ooo in combined purchases) for office supplies, internet, phone, and cable; 2% back (also on up to $25,000 in combined purchases) for gas and dining; 1% back on all other purchases | $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. |
| Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card | 700+ | 1.5% cash back on all purchases | $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. |
| Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | 700+ | 3x points per $1 (on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases) on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone services, and online advertising; 1x points on all other purchases | 100,000 bonus points when you spend $15,000 in the first three months. |
| The Plum Card® from American Express | 700+ | None | 1.5% Early Pay Discount without a cap. |
| American Express® Business Gold Card | 700+ | 4X points on two categories that you select | 25% points back when you book certain flights through Pay with Points. |
Alternatives to business credit cards
If a business card is not exactly the right choice for you, there are many different options that offer attractive rewards packages.
We have found that finding the right credit card is significantly easier if you know your credit score and can narrow down your search to the cards you can be sure you’ll get approved for.
So we’ve made it easy for you. If you don’t already know your score, use our quick and free Credit Score Estimator tool.
And then find the very best credit card for your credit score.
- Best credit cards for a credit score over 750
- Best credit cards for a credit score between 700 – 749
- Best credit cards for a credit score between 650 – 699
- Best credit cards for a credit score between 600 – 649
- Best credit cards for a credit score under 599
Summary
As you choose a credit card, think carefully about your individual situation as a young professional. You’ll need to separate your personal expenses from your professional ones and choose the best business credit card that’s available to you depending on your personal and business credit history.
The goal is trying to find a path that maximizes your rewards while minimizing your risk. Ultimately, you need to pick the credit card that matches your priorities. As long as you use credit cards responsibly, then there is no reason why you should not take advantage of the most competitive offers available to you.
Read more:
About the author
