Best Business Credit Cards for Fair Credit (2024)

Select the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.

NerdWallet star rating: 4.7

Sole proprietors with fair credit lack business card options. But this personal card is a suitable alternative, assuming you don’t need employee cards. The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is for people with fair or "average" credit but it pays the same cash-back rate as the regular Quicksilver card, which targets people with excellent credit. The key difference is that this version charges an annual fee while the regular one does not (see rates and fees). Learn more and apply.

NerdWallet star rating: 3.8

The

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

issued by WebBank offers

1.5%

cash back on all purchases, no annual fee and the potential for a low APR. And while it's available to business owners with fair credit, Capital on Tap Card says applicants with a FICO score of 670 or higher have the best chance of approval. One important note: This card is not available to sole proprietors, which excludes the majority of businesses. Learn more and apply.

NerdWallet star rating: 3.2

Unlike most business credit cards, the

Brex Card

doesn't rely on your personal credit score for approval. Instead, Brex determines creditworthiness by evaluating your company's cash balance, spending patterns and investors — making it a great option for well-funded startups. The

Brex Card

earns rewards (

1x-7x

) and does not require a personal guarantee. Learn more and apply.

NerdWallet star rating: 3

The Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business is one of the few business credit cards available to sole proprietors with fair credit. There aren’t many perks to speak of, but the card has no annual fee and can be a useful tool to build your business credit score.* Learn more.

NerdWallet star rating: 2.8

The

Ramp Card

is a corporate charge card available to incorporated businesses that have strong revenue and at least $75,000 in a business bank account. There's no credit check or personal guarantee. Plus, Ramp offers cash-back rewards (

1%-1.5%

) and card-level spending controls with no annual fee. Learn more and apply.

NerdWallet star rating: 2.7

The

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

is available to business owners with a personal FICO score of at least 650. Similar to Ramp and Brex, the

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

earns rewards and offers card-level spending controls. But the

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

has a much lower barrier to entry: You need at least $20,000 in a business bank account and sole proprietors can apply. Learn more and apply.

This card is not rated by NerdWallet.

The Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card can help you build your business credit profile while earning 1.5% cash back on all purchases. The card has a minimum security deposit of $1,000, which is equal to your credit limit and subject to credit approval. Bank of America® will periodically review your secured card and may upgrade you to an unsecured card if and when you qualify. This card has no annual fee.

Make sure to consider these factors when comparing business credit cards that cater to owners with fair or average credit.

FICO score: It's a good idea to check your personal credit before applying for any business card — but especially so if you think you have some room for improvement. There are many services that offer free credit scores, including NerdWallet. Applying for credit can temporarily shave a few points off your score. By knowing where you stand in advance, you can better target your search so you avoid the double whammy or not getting a card and lowering your score.

Eligibility: Your business structure and annual revenue will determine eligibility for many of the business card options for fair credit. Corporate cards like Ramp and Brex, for example, are not available to sole proprietors.Business credit card preapprovals are rare; however, if an issuer offers pre-qualification via what's known as a "soft credit pull," that can let you know if you're likely to qualify without dinging your personal credit score.

APR: A lower credit score often translates to a higher interest rate, which can make carrying a balance quite costly. Take care to compare APR ranges for available cards to determine your best option.

Repayment terms: Many of the business cards available to owners with fair credit are charge cards, meaning they don’t let you carry a balance. This can have advantages. For starters, you won’t pay interest. Paying bills on time and in full can build your business credit score. But automatic monthly payments (or daily payments, in the case of Brex) can strain your cash flow if you aren’t diligent about expenses.

Sole proprietors with fair credit will have more options if they add personal credit cards into the mix. These cards report to consumer credit bureaus and can be used to build your personal credit score, assuming you practice good credit card hygiene. A higher personal credit score will help you qualify for a better business credit card — with more perks and better bonuses — down the road.

Personal cards aren’t an option for other business entities, though. If you run an LLC, partnership or corporation, you’ll need to build your personal credit separately. Alternatively, there are a few card issuers that report to both business and consumer credit bureaus.

*Information for the Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business not reviewed by or provided by Capital One.