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Check out these robust options for starter credit cards to help build your credit score if you are a business owner without a credit history.
Chelsea Krause is a writer who specializes in accounting, payroll, and small business loans. She has been with Merchant Maverick helping small business owners manage their finances since 2016. She is a QuickBooks Certified User and former eCommerce store owner. Her accounting expertise has been quoted in Forbes and her work appears in Startup Nation, Small Business Bonfire, and Women on Business. Chelsea graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English & Creative Writing from George Fox University and studied abroad at the University of Oxford as well. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho.
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Chelsea KrauseChelsea Krause is a writer who specializes in accounting, payroll, and small business loans. She has been with Merchant Maverick helping small business owners manage their finances since 2016. She is a QuickBooks Certified User and former eCommerce store owner. Her accounting expertise has been quoted in Forbes and her work appears in Startup Nation, Small Business Bonfire, and Women on Business. Chelsea graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English & Creative Writing from George Fox University and studied abroad at the University of Oxford as well. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho.
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Shannon has been writing for Merchant Maverick about small business software and financing since 2015. She started writing professionally about business topics in 2005. Shannon has been featured in the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, US News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and other publications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University and currently resides in San Diego, California.
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Shannon VissersShannon has been writing for Merchant Maverick about small business software and financing since 2015. She started writing professionally about business topics in 2005. Shannon has been featured in the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, US News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and other publications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University and currently resides in San Diego, California.
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Our content reflects the editorial opinions of our experts. While our site makes money through referral partnerships, we only partner with companies that meet our standards for quality, as outlined in our independent rating and scoring system.
Finding the right business credit card is no easy feat. Add in a lack of business credit score or established credit history, and your search just got even tougher. There are very few no credit history credit cards for businesses.
Thankfully, you aren’t completely out of luck. You can still get a business credit card without a credit history.
We’ve done the hard part of wading through dozens of cards to bring you the best no credit history credit cards. While you won’t find as great of rewards as you would with the best business credit cards, you will still have the option to purchase on credit and a way to improve your credit score so that you can unlock better rewards and terms down the road.
Can You Get A Business Credit Card Without A Credit Score?
The primary way people can build up their credit scores and establish a healthy credit history is to make monthly credit card payments on time. But if you’re a new business owner without a credit card or business credit history, you might wonder: How do you build up your credit when you don’t have a credit card in the first place?
While it’s not easy to find business credit cards with no credit history, thankfully, there are several business cards out there that you can get without a credit score.
To find a no credit history business credit card, you’ll need to look into two primary options: corporate cards and secured cards.
Corporate cards offer great benefits and employee spend controls, and even better, there’s no credit check or personal guarantee required. You will have to meet strict eligibility requirements and proof of large annual revenue or cash or hand to qualify for the best corporate credit cards. If you don’t have those, your next best option is a secured card.
With a secured credit card, you’re not likely to get many rewards, but you’ll at least have a business credit card without a good credit score. You’ll need to pay a set security deposit amount which isn’t ideal, but you can use this type of card to build your credit history so that you can apply for more competitive cards down the road. Unsecured business credit cards with no credit history are very difficult to find, though there are a couple of these options out there.
8 Best Business Credit Cards For Those With No Credit History
It can be difficult to find startup business credit cards with no credit history, but it’s not impossible. The following credit cards can be obtained with no credit history and can be used to cover business expenses.
Up to 8x points on common business expenses when you make automatic daily repayments
Cons
Only for businesses with high growth potential and lots of cash in the bank
Cannot carry a balance month-to-month
Why We Chose Brex As The Best No Credit History Credit Card For Startups
Brex set out to disrupt the traditional credit card underwriting model with its startup-friendly unsecured business credit card. To qualify for the Brex corporate card, you do not need any credit history whatsoever, as Brex does not check your credit score. Instead, the company takes into account factors such as your cash balance, your spending patterns, and your investors. As such, it is geared toward the needs of startups (especially tech startups) with high growth potential. The Brex Card also does not require a personal guarantee, so you won’t be held personally liable for any business debt, making it a top choice on our list of no credit history cards.
Brex Rewards & Benefits
8x points for ridesharing apps and taxis
5x on travel
4x at restaurants
3x on eligible Apple purchases through the Brex Rewards portal
1.5x on advertising
1x on everything else
To earn points at these rates, you’ll need to pay off your Brex card daily and use Brex as your exclusive corporate card. If you pay monthly, your rewards rate will be 1x lower for each category (7x on rideshares, 4x on travel, etc.). And if you don’t qualify for the exclusive program, you’ll just earn an unlimited 1 point per dollar spent.
Additional reward options are available for tech and science businesses.
Brex Eligibility Requirements
Brex does not check your credit when you apply for a Brex card, nor does it require a personal guarantee. However, you will have to demonstrate to Brex that your business has serious potential. To that end, Brex has a complex set of eligibility requirements.
If you want a Brex card with a requirement for daily repayments, your business will need to meet at least one (not all) of the following criteria:
Received an equity investment of any amount (accelerator, angel, or VC) or plans to in the near future
Earns $1 million+/year in revenue
Has more than 50 employees
Tech startups who are on a path to meeting the criteria above, and are referred by an existing customer or partner, may still be eligible
If you want to make monthly repayments, the requirements are stricter.
If your business is part of an accelerator and meets the requirements for daily payments, you’re also qualified for monthly payments
If you’ve received venture funding, you’re qualified for monthly repayments
If you’ve received at least $100,000 in angel funding and plan to raise capital from an accelerator or VC in the future, you’re qualified for monthly repayments
For startups, unless you’re referred to the company by a Brex partner, you’ll need at least $50K in the bank to make monthly repayments
A mid-market company or enterprise company will need at least $400K/month in revenue
When To Choose A Brex Card
If you are a startup with substantial revenue or equity investment
You are a fast-growing startup that needs spend controls and rewards on spending
You are comfortable with daily repayments for the highest level of rewards or are prepared for much lower rewards rates with monthly payments
Flexible rewards scheme that matches bill payoff frequency
Strong budget management features
No annual or employee card fees
Cons
Can’t spend your rewards until you’ve had the card for 12 months
Late payment fees and undisclosed foreign transaction fees
Requires good/excellent credit to qualify
Why We Chose Bill Spend & Expense As The Best Corporate Card For No Credit History
Like most corporate cards, the BILL Spend & Expense card doesn't require a credit check. Unlike most corporate cards though, BILL is far more flexible when it comes to eligibility requirements. BILL Spend & Expense accepts sole proprietors, not just corporations and LLCs like most corporate cards. It also has one of the lowest revenue requirements out there for a corporate card, making it a much more feasible corporate card option for businesses with no credit history.
BILL Spend & Expense Rewards & Benefits
BILL Spend & Expense rewards vary depending on whether you have weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly repayments. Weekly repayments will get you the highest level of rewards with:
7x on restaurants
5x on hotels
2x on software subscriptions
1.5x on all other purchases
The flat 1.5x on all purchases that don’t fall into the higher earning categories is a huge plus and makes this card a great option if you can qualify, especially when compared to the many secured cards on this list that have no rewards available.
BILL Spend & Expense Eligibility
Bill Spend & Expense is open to sole proprietors, LLCs, and corporations that meet the following criteria:
$20k in the bank
Must have an active US bank account
Must have a US EIN*
*International companies can still apply if at least one owner with 25% ownership is in the US.
When To Choose A BILL Spend & Expense Card
If your business has at least $20k in the bank
You want competitive rewards
You don’t qualify for other corporate cards (due to higher revenue requirements or to being a sole proprietor)
Why We Chose Discover it® Secured As The Best No Credit History Secured Credit Card
The Discover it® Secured card is a traditional credit-building card in that it requires a security deposit between $200 and $2500, which will become your credit limit. Like most cards operating in this space, the card reports to the three major credit bureaus. Unlike most other cards on this list, Discover it® has no annual fee, actual rewards earning, and the ability to upgrade to an unsecured card at 7 months, earning this card our top recommendation as the best no credit history secured card for businesses.
Discover it® Secured Rewards & Benefits
The Discover it® Secured card offers an impressive level of rewards for a card of this type. You’ll earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter and 1% cash back on all other purchases. What’s more, at the end of your first year, Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned by that point.
While you get more rewards with Discover it® Secured, you also get a higher APY. This is pretty standard for secured cards, except for OpenSky which has a surprisingly low APY (over 3% less than Discover it® Secured).
Discover it® Secured Eligibility Requirements
Discover it® Secured does not specify any particular eligibility requirements for the Discover it® Secured card. A recent bankruptcy or a complete lack of income may be deal-breakers, but for everyone else, you should be able to qualify for this card so long as you can make the required $200+ deposit.
Why We Chose OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card As The Best No Credit Card With High Acceptance Rate
When you apply for the OpenSky Secured Visa, you do not undergo a credit check, making this card ideal for businesses with no credit history -- so much so, that 88% of people who apply for this card are approved. And unlike with a corporate card like Brex, there are no revenue or business size requirements to qualify. That's because this is a secured credit card -- so long as you make a security deposit of at least $200 ($3,000 maximum) to establish your credit line, you're almost certainly good to go. This credit card helps you establish a credit history by reporting your spending to the big three credit bureaus.
OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card Rewards & Benefits
The OpenSky Secured Visa now advertises “up to 10% cash back rewards,” although, at the time of this post, the company’s terms and conditions explaining the rewards structure were broken. (Previously, OpenSky Secured Visa had no rewards at all.)
OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card Eligibility Requirements
The OpenSky Secured Visa’s eligibility requirements are very lenient.
Be a US citizen or permanent resident
Have a monthly income greater than your monthly expenses
Make a $200-$3,000 security deposit
OpenSky states on its website that 88% of those who apply for the OpenSky Secured Visa are accepted.
When To Choose An OpenSky Secured Visa Credit Card
You need a credit card with no credit check
You can make a minimum deposit of at least $200
You need a card that reports to the credit bureaus in order to build your credit score
You don’t have many foreign transactions as there’s a hefty 3% foreign transaction fee
Why We Chose Revenued As The Best No Credit History Credit Card For Flat Cash Back
In terms of standout features, the Revenued Business Card's generous cash-back rate of 3%, which applies to all eligible purchases, might be the best flat cash-back rate for any business spending card currently on the market. In light of this, we're happy to feature Revenued in this best-of list. Technically, the Revenued Business Card is not a business credit card. It's actually a prepaid spending card tied to your future business revenue, akin to invoice factoring. If you qualify for the Revenued card, you'll get a revolving line of credit, with your future sales being your collateral, so expect a factor rate of 1.1 to 1.5. This is why the Revenued card has no personal guarantee requirement, nor does the company run credit checks on applicants.
Revenued Rewards & Benefits
Revenued’s flat 3% cash back rate is ideal for businesses whose spending is not concentrated on particular categories like travel or restaurants. It truly is a remarkable rewards rate, especially for a card that doesn’t have any credit score requirements.
While Revenued doesn’t offer any additional partner discounts, it does offer an eye-opening welcome bonus: $500 cash back after you spend $5,000+ within three months of getting your card.
Revenued Eligibility Requirements
Though Revenued does not require a personal guarantee and has no credit score requirements, there are some benchmarks your business will have to meet in order to qualify for the Revenued Business Card.
Your business must be US-based
You must have 6+ months of business history
You must have a business bank account and maintain a positive account balance (an average daily balance of $1K+ is preferred)
You must maintain a monthly revenue of $10K+
When To Choose A Revenued Card
You want a highly competitive cash back reward scheme
You have a monthly revenue of $10k+
You understand how factor rates work and are comfortable with one
You may get a credit limit higher than your deposit amount
Cons
No rewards for your spending
High APR
Why We Chose Capital One Premium Secured As The Best No Credit History Credit Card For No Annual Fees
The Secured Mastercard from Capital One offers an unusual benefit for a secured credit card: You may be able to get a credit limit higher than the amount of your security deposit. If you're approved, you'll get an initial $200 credit limit, but your required security deposit will be either $49, $99, or $200, depending on Capital One's assessment of your creditworthiness. You can also get access to a higher credit line after making your first five monthly payments on time. Combine this with the fact that the card charges no annual fee, and we're happy to give the Capital One Platinum Secured card a spot on this list.
Capital One Premium Secured Card Rewards & Benefits
While we love that this card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee, you won’t earn any rewards for your spending.
Capital One Premium Secured Card Eligibility
You won’t need a credit history in order to be considered for the Platinum Secured card, but Capital One will assess your income and debt before approval.
When To Choose A Capital One Premium Secured Card
You don’t plan on carrying a balance as the card has a high APY (currently 29.99% variable)
You want a card with no annual fees
You have $49-$200 for a deposit
You want the ability to have a higher credit limit than the deposit you provide
Why We Chose Citi Secured Mastercard As The Best No Credit History Card For Monitoring Your Credit Score
The Citi Secured Mastercard is another secured credit card -- one intended for people with no credit or limited credit history. The card requires a security deposit of between $200-$2,500, which will be the basis for your credit limit. Citi will report your credit activity to the major consumer credit bureaus, so with responsible card use, the Citi Secured Mastercard can help you qualify for a quality unsecured credit card somewhere down the road. There's also built-in FICO score access to watch your credit grow.
Citi Secured Mastercard Rewards & Benefits
The Citi Secured Mastercard does not offer any rewards for your purchases.
Citi Secured Mastercard Eligibility
The only definitive requirement listed for this card is that you must not have any pending bankruptcy, nor can you have filed for bankruptcy within the past two years.
When To Choose The Citi Secured Mastercard Card
You want a way to easily monitor your FICO score as you build credit
You have no recent bankruptcies
You are willing to sacrifice cash back earning rewards for no annual fees and slightly lower APR than some other cards on this list
Your initial credit line is just $300 ($225 after subtracting your initial $75 fee)
Why We Chose Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit As The Best No Credit History Card With No Deposit
The Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit is an unsecured credit option for borrowers with bad/limited credit who can't or won't pay a security deposit. However, you might not want to make this card your first choice due to the fees involved. If you are approved to get this card, you'll have to pay a $75 annual fee immediately, thus reducing your credit line from $300 to $225 right off the bat. Unfortunately, after the first year, your annual fee rises to $99/year, billed at $8.25/month.
Nonetheless, as one of the few unsecured credit card options available to business owners with no credit history, the Credit One Platinum Visa merits consideration.
Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit Rewards & Benefits
The Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit offers 1% cash back on eligible gas and groceries plus mobile phone, internet, cable, and satellite TV service purchases. The company does advertise up to 10% cash back with certain retailers, though those retailers are not disclosed on the website.
Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit Eligibility
Credit One Bank does not detail any income or business requirements for this card. And though the card is marketed as being for borrowers with bad credit, you may be able to qualify without any credit history at all.
When To Choose A Credit One Bank Platinum Visa for Rebuilding Credit Card
You want an unsecured card with no deposit
You want a flat 1% cash back reward structure
You plan on spending enough to offset the large annual fees
You don’t plan on carrying a balance as the card has a high APY (currently 29.74% variable)
Why We Chose Capital One Spark 1% Classic As The Best No Credit History Card For Instant Approval
The Spark Classic card from Capital One comes with impressive business perks, such as free cards for your employees, unlimited 1% cash back, and instant approval, which is great if you need some business spending flexibility ASAP. This unsecured card (no deposit required) also helps you build your business credit score, as the Spark Classic reports to the business credit bureaus (but not the personal ones). However, while you may be able to get approved for the card with no credit history, you'll have a better chance of approval if you have at least some credit history.
Capital One Spark 1% Classic Rewards & Benefits
One of the few no-annual-fee credit cards available for business owners that require only average personal credit, the card offers a cash-back rate of 1% for all your purchases. While this rate is modest compared to other business credit cards, it is impressive for a card targeted at little to no credit history.
Capital One Spark 1% Classic Eligibility
The Spark 1% Classic (as it is sometimes referred to) from Capital One is listed as requiring fair credit for approval. However, if your credit history is bad to nonexistent, you may still have a chance at approval, which is why you might still consider applying for this credit card if its business features appeal to you.
When To Choose The Capital One Spark 1% Classic Card
You don’t plan on carrying a balance as the card has a high APY (currently 29.99% variable)
You want a flat 1% cash back
You have at least some credit histoy (though you may still qualify with none)
We spend hours researching and evaluating each corporate card that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on key characteristics to generate our ratings.
Weighted Rating Breakdown
Rewards & Perks 40%
Rates & Fees 25%
Features 20%
Eligibility Requirements 5%
Customer Service 5%
User Reviews 5%
When rating corporate cards, we use a 15-point rubric that looks at rewards and perks, rates and fees, features, eligibility requirements, customer service, and user reviews. We weigh each section differently to calculate the total star rating.
Rewards & Perks: 40% of the total star rating
Rates & Fees: 25% of the total star rating
Features: 20% of the total star rating
Eligibility Requirements: 5% of the total star rating
Customer Support: 5% of the total star rating
User Reviews: 5% of the total star rating
Note: We use a different credit card rating methodology to evaluate traditional business credit cards, as they often differ from corporate cards in benefits, qualifications, and use cases.
Each section is further broken down into granular, weighted subsections, in which we examine specific attributes like cash back and spending rewards, reward redemption options, annual fees, employee card access, extra perks and features, credit score and revenue requirements, customer support options, and the overall reputation of the corporate card issuer.
How To Choose The Right No Credit History Credit Card For Your Business
When it comes to choosing the best business credit card with no credit history, your job is actually easier than usual because there are so few credit card options that accept no credit history. The main decision you’ll have to make is looking at your finances to see if you have the revenue or cash on hand (or equivalent owner’s equity) to qualify for a corporate card.
If you qualify for a corporate card, this is definitely your best option. You’ll get access to much better rewards, like cash back and partner discounts, with a corporate card than you would with a secured card. Learn how to get a corporate card if this is you.
However, if you don’t qualify for a corporate card, you’ll next want to look at which card you do qualify for with the best rewards, APR, and fees. While you’re likely to encounter few fees and high APRs, there may still be some perks for a specific card that make it stand out for your business’s specific use case. The good news is that you aren’t locked into a secured card forever. You can use this to improve your credit so that you can qualify for better business credit cards in the future.
Additionally, many issuers of secured credit cards will let you upgrade to an unsecured credit card after you’ve used your card responsibly over a certain period of time.
How To Get A Business Credit Card With No Credit History
To get a business credit card with no credit history, you’ll need to make sure you have all of your other ducks in a row. You often will be asked to provide certain personal and business information, financial reports, and/or funds for a deposit in order to secure a credit card. Having all of this prepared ahead of time can really help you showcase your eligibility to a card issuer and make the process easier for you overall.
Our other tips and tricks for how to get a business credit card with no credit history include:
Find A Co-Signer: If you have no credit history whatsoever, you’ll find it easier to get a credit card if you can find someone with a solid credit history — perhaps a parent or guardian — to co-sign your credit card application. However, this comes with major drawbacks: Your co-signer will have access to your finances and spending decisions, and if you don’t use your credit card wisely, it’s not just your credit score on the line. Miss a payment, and your co-signer’s credit will be negatively impacted as well.
Seek A Secured Credit Card: Though you can find credit cards for people with no/bad credit that do not require a security deposit, these cards are few and far between. Your best bet for being approved is to apply for a secured credit card. Because these credit cards are secured by your initial deposit, the bank does not take on any risk by approving you for one of these credit cards.
Target Startup-Specific Cards: If you don’t have a credit history because you’re a startup, check out our lineup of the best startup business credit cards. You may be able to qualify for one of these options based on other business criteria (like revenue or equity investments).
Additionally, there are many different no-credit personal credit cards you can get if you’re willing to use a personal credit card for business use. While there are pros and cons to this approach, it could still be a viable option for businesses that need access to credit but have no credit history or low credit scores.
No Credit History Credit Cards: FAQs
Can I get a business credit card with no credit?
Yes, it is possible to get a business credit card with no credit. The two types of business credit cards you can get with no credit are corporate credit cards like the Brex Card and secured business credit cards like the Capital One Platinum Secured card.
Do issuers check personal credit to get a business credit card?
Business credit card issuers will often run a check on your personal credit score as well as your business credit score when you apply. However, not all business credit card issuers will do this. For example, Brex does not check your personal credit when you apply.
Can I use my EIN instead of my SSN to apply for a credit card?
Though you can use your EIN to apply for most business credit cards, you’ll still have to provide your SSN as well with most card issuers. One exception is the Brex Card, which requires you to submit your EIN but not your SSN.
What is the easiest business credit card to get approved for?
Secured business credit cards like the Discover it Secured card are the easiest types of credit cards to get if you’re a new business owner with little to no credit history. There are even a few unsecured credit card options you may qualify for, such as the Capital One Spark Classic card. However, you may need at least fair credit to get approved for cards like these.
Chelsea Krause is a writer who specializes in accounting, payroll, and small business loans. She has been with Merchant Maverick helping small business owners manage their finances since 2016. She is a QuickBooks Certified User and former eCommerce store owner. Her accounting expertise has been quoted in Forbes and her work appears in Startup Nation, Small Business Bonfire, and Women on Business. Chelsea graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English & Creative Writing from George Fox University and studied abroad at the University of Oxford as well. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho.
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Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
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