Maskot/ Getty Images; Illustration by Austin Courregé/Bankrate
Most business credit cards require a personal guarantee, which means a business owner undergoes a credit check and agrees to be legally responsible for repayment. While it may be easier for business owners with excellent credit to get approved, those with imperfect credit still have business card options. These include secured business cards, business credit cards for bad credit and fair credit.
The best fair credit business credit cards are geared toward business owners with FICO Scores between 580 and 669 and may offer more perks and features than you’d guess. If you have fair credit and need a business card, here are our picks.
Top business cards for fair credit
The Capital One Spark Classic for Business* from Capital One is as option for business owners without good credit who don’t want to pay an annual fee or put down a deposit for a secured card. You can even earn a little cash back, like 1 percent cash back on every purchase and 5 percent cash back on flights and hotels booked through Capital One Travel.
Pros
The card doesn’t charge an annual fee or security deposit.
You can earn cash just by making business purchases you need to make anyway.
If you travel for work, you can earn extra cash back by booking through Capital One Travel.
Cons
The card doesn’t offer a welcome bonus.
The card’s APR is high, which means if you end up carrying a balance on the card, you’ll accrue interest quickly.
The BILL Divvy Corporate Card offers high rewards potential to business owners who pay their bill more than once a month. You can earn up to 7X points on restaurants, 5X points on hotels, 2X points on software subscriptions and 1.5X points on everything else if you pay off your balance weekly. You’ll earn fewer points by paying semi-monthly or monthly. Keep in mind this is a charge card, so you can’t carry a balance from one month to the next.
Pros
There’s high rewards potential if your business has the cash to pay off the card weekly or biweekly.
Credit limits range from $1,000 to $5 million, depending on the size of your business.
Cons
You may need to have at least good credit to qualify for the card, but the issuer also looks at your business revenue, balances and history.
If you only pay off your balance once a month, the rewards are limited.
The Brex Card is an option for businesses that may not have a good, or any, credit score but want a higher spending limit. Brex looks at factors like your business’s revenue, funding, expenses and size to determine your approval and credit limit.
You can earn up to 7X points on certain purchases and even 1X higher by making daily automatic payments.
Pros
The card doesn’t require a credit score.
There’s potential for a high credit limit based on factors like your revenue, not your credit score.
You can earn high rewards on travel, restaurants, software and other purchases, especially if you make daily payments.
Cons
This is a charge card, so you can’t carry a balance.
Your business may need to have notable funding and revenue.
If you can’t qualify for an unsecured business card yet, consider the Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured Business Credit Card. This card comes with no annual fee and offers 1.5 percent cash back on every purchase. There’s a minimum security deposit of $1,000 required.
Using this card for business purchases gives you the chance to make on-time payments and practice other good credit habits to help your credit score. Eventually, you could upgrade to an unsecured Bank of America business card.
Pros
The card is easier to qualify for and comes with no annual fee.
Earn cash back on all purchases while you build up your credit score.
Cons
The variable APR reaches up to 27.49 percent, making it expensive to carry a balance.
If you don’t have a good credit score but want to build up your credit while making business purchases, the FNBO Business Edition Secured Mastercard is an option. It’s relatively easy to qualify for and requires a security deposit of between $2,000 and $10,000.
That deposit lets you request your own credit limit — so if you have the cash, you can start with a higher credit limit. After using the card responsibly to build your personal and business credit, you can upgrade to an unsecured card and get your deposit back.
Pros
You can apply for the card without good credit to make business purchases while building up your credit score.
There’s potential for a high credit limit, if you’re able to put down the deposit.
Earn interest on your security deposit. See terms when applying.
Cons
There’s a $39 annual fee, and you won’t earn rewards.
The card is only available in parts of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.
Comparing the best business cards for fair credit
Card name
Best for
Annual fee
Recommended credit score
Business rewards
Capital One Spark Classic for Business*
Unsecured credit-building
$0
Fair to Good (580+)
Earn unlimited 1% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions.
Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
BILL Divvy Corporate Card*
Rewards potential
$0
Good to Very Good (670+)
2x-7x on Restaurants
2x-5x on Hotels
1.5x-2x on Recurring Software Subscriptions
1x-1.5x on Everything Else
Brex Card*
High credit limit
$0
N/A
7X Rideshare
4X Brex Travel
3X Restaurants
2X Recurring software
1X Everything else
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured Business Credit Card*
Secured rewards earning
$0
Fair to Good (580+)
Earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every time. No annual cap and rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
First National Bank of Omaha Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card*
Secured high credit limit
$39
Fair (620+)
N/A
Clicking on a card name in the table above will direct you to its Bankrate review to learn more.
How to choose a business credit card for fair credit
Choosing a business credit card doesn’t have to be complex. Here are some steps to get you started:
Check your credit score. While a FICO Score between 580 and 669 is considered fair credit, it’s helpful to know exactly where you stand. Your ability to qualify for a credit card can depend on where your score falls on the spectrum. If you’re nearing the mark for good credit, you might be able to get a business card with better terms.
Determine your rewards preferences. Whether a business card offers rewards can depend on how easy it is to qualify for, whether it’s secured or unsecured and how often you pay off the balance (like with the Bill Divvy card). Rewards can also come in the form of points, miles or cash back, so consider your preference when comparing cards.
Compare fees and features. Business cards for fair credit vary in the fees they charge and benefits they offer. You might want a card with travel insurance, cash flow management or free employee cards. On the other hand, you might not want to pay an annual fee.
Explore whether you need a secured business card. If your credit score is on the low side of fair credit, you may need to begin your credit journey with a secured credit card for business. This will require you to put down a cash deposit as collateral, but you’ll get the deposit back when you close your account in good standing or get the chance to upgrade your card.
How to improve your business credit score
Having better business credit opens up a world of financing opportunities that aren’t readily available for those with poor or fair credit. To get your credit from fair to good or even great, start with these steps:
Make sure you have a DUNS number. To create a robust business credit file, you’ll need a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet. If you don’t have one yet, you can apply for one online.
Familiarize yourself with the Dun & Bradstreet rating guide. This guide tells you what actually factors into your business credit score. Knowing this can help you build up your financial strength ratings and minimize your risk ratings.
Stay on top of your loans and credit card bills. Similarly to building personal credit, you’ll need to make sure you pay your bills on time every month so you can build up a positive credit history.
Pay your vendors and suppliers on time. Lenders aren’t the only ones that report to business credit bureaus. Some vendors and suppliers also provide tradeline information, so if you’re late on your payments, this negative information could be reported.
What’s next?
The bottom line
The best business credit cards for fair credit give you the chance to improve your personal and business credit history while paying for everyday business purchases and even earning rewards.
You’ll want to check your credit score so you can apply for a business card you might qualify for. You also might be able to get preapproved for the card or use a tool like Bankrate’s CardMatch to increase your chances of approval before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
While many business cards require good to excellent credit, you may be able to get a secured or credit-building card with bad or fair credit. These cards might come with security deposits, low credit limits, high APRs and limited rewards potential. By making on-time payments and using the card responsibly, you can build your credit and upgrade to a business card with better terms.
Read more about how to get a business card with bad personal credit.
The best business cards require a very good or excellent credit score, like a FICO Score between 740 and 850. These cards can offer generous welcome bonuses, high rewards rates and additional perks for your business. Businesses can also have credit scores, which may help your case when applying for a business card.
But there are card options for startup or small business owners who don’t have excellent credit or a strong business credit history. Those options include secured cards, charge cards and unsecured cards with high APRs and limited terms.
It’s a smart idea to build a positive credit history at your business so that business card applications don’t rely on your personal credit score alone. You can start by registering your business with an EIN, opening a business bank account and applying for a business credit card. Also, make sure that your business’s credit activity is reported to the credit bureaus. Over time, you can check your business’s credit report for improvement.
*Information about the Capital One Spark Classic for Business, Brex Card, BILL Divvy Corporate Card, Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card and FNBO Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
The Bank of America content in this post was last updated on May 5, 2025.
