The best credit cards for freelancers and independent contractors
Best overall and best for no annual fee

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Learn More On Chase's secure site Rewards Earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business

Welcome bonus Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual fee $0

Intro APR 0% for the first 12 months from account opening on purchases; N/A for balance transfers

Regular APR 18.49% - 24.49% variable

Balance transfer fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee 3%

Credit needed Good/Excellent Terms apply. Pros No annual fee

Free employee cards

Simple cash-back program

Special financing offer for purchases Cons 3% fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S. Learn More View More

Best for cash back

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card Learn More On the American Express secure site Rewards Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement

Welcome bonus Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.

Annual fee $0

Intro APR 0% for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening

Regular APR 18.49% - 26.49% % variable; APRs will not exceed 29.99%

Balance transfer fee

Foreign transaction fee 2.7%

Credit needed Excellent See rates and fees, terms apply. Pros No annual fee

Straightforward rewards program

Spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power Cons 2.7% foreign transaction fee Learn More View More

Who's this for? The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a good choice if you're searching for a rewarding business card without any complicated benefits to navigate. It has no annual fee (see rates and fees) and earns a flat 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1% back). Standout benefits: This card is a great option for anyone starting their freelancing journey not just because it's simple, but because it can be helpful for financing your start-up costs. For the first 12 months from when you open the account, purchases qualify for 0% intro APR (then a variable 18.49%-26.49% APR applies; see rates and fees). [ Jump to more details ]

Best for travel

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Learn More On Chase's secure site Rewards Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases

Welcome bonus Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee $95

Intro APR None

Regular APR 21.24% - 26.24% variable

Balance transfer fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee None

Credit needed Good/Excellent

Terms apply. Read our Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review. Pros Free employee cards

Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase TravelSM

1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs

No fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S.

Generous welcome bonus worth up to $1,000 Cons $95 annual fee

No introductory 0% financing offers for purchases or balance transfers Learn More View More

Who's this for? If you want to earn travel rewards for your freelance expenses, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is hard to beat. Plus, this card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which are some of the most versatile travel rewards out there. Chase points can be redeemed for cash back, used to book travel through the Chase travel portal and transferred to 14 different airline and hotel loyalty programs. Standout benefits: One of the best aspects of the Chase Ink Business Preferred card is its ability to earn rewards and earn them fast. Cardholders earn 3X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases on shipping; advertising expenses through social media and search engines; internet, cable and phone services; and travel. Those categories cover a broad swath of common purchases freelancers and independent contractors are likely to make. [ Jump to more details ]

Best for 0% Intro APR offer

U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card Learn More Rewards Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center, 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants, 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases

Welcome bonus Earn $500 in cash back. Just spend $4,500 on the account owner's card in the first 150 days of opening your account.

Annual fee $0

Intro APR 0% for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers

Regular APR 19.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Balance transfer fee Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee 3%

Credit needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees, terms apply. Pros No annual fee

$500 welcome bonus offer

No limit on cash back earned

Interest-free period for the first 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers

Annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription services Cons 3% foreign transaction fee Learn More View More

Who's this for? The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card is a no-annual-fee cash-back business card that's stacked with useful perks, as well as a valuable welcome bonus offer. Standout benefits: If you want a 0% intro APR offer, then this is the business card for you. It comes with a 0% introductory APR for 15 months for purchases and balance transfers (then a variable APR of 19.24%-28.24% applies). The introductory 0%-APR offer applies to balances transferred within 30 days of opening the account and a balance transfer fee of 3% ($5 minimum) applies. [ Jump to more details ]

Best for average credit

Capital One Spark 1% Classic Learn More Information about the Capital One Spark Classic has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication. Rewards Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1% on all other purchases

Welcome bonus None

Annual fee $0

Intro APR None

Regular APR 30.74% variable

Balance transfer fee None

Foreign transaction fee None

Credit needed Average Terms apply. Pros No annual fee

Free employee cards

Average credit may qualify

Redeem cash back for any amount at any time

No fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S. Cons No welcome bonus

No introductory 0% financing offers for purchases or balance transfers Learn More View More

Who's this for? If you're having a hard time getting approved for other business credit cards, the *Capital One Spark 1% Classic might be a good fit for you. You can be approved for this card with an average or fair credit score, which is a FICO Score of 580 and up. Standout benefits: The *Capital One Spark Classic provides an opportunity to earn cash back while you're building your credit. You'll earn 5% back on hotels and rental cars you book through Capital One Travel and 1% back on all other purchases. [ Jump to more details ]

More on our top credit cards for freelancers

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is a low-cost card that offers useful benefits, valuable rewards and a generous welcome bonus. Rewards 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2025

3X points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines)

1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases Welcome bonus Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Annual fee $95 Notable perks The Chase Ultimate Rewards® points you earn with this card can be redeemed in a variety of ways. Points are worth 25% more (1.25 cents each) when you use them to pay for travel you book through Chase TravelSM. Using this option alone makes the card's intro offer worth $1,250 in travel. You can potentially increase the value of your redemptions by transferring Chase points to a travel partner. You can book luxury hotels through World of Hyatt and posh business-class flights by transferring points to airlines such as Air Canada, United and Virgin Atlantic. The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card also has top-notch built-in insurance coverage that automatically applies to eligible purchases, such as cell phone protection, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. When you pay for eligible travel with the card, you'll also get insurance for rental cars (collision only), trip delays, trip cancellations/interruptions and baggage delays. [ Return to card summary ] Check out CNBC Select's best business credit cards for travel .

U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card

The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card is a no annual fee card that earns cashback across multiple useful bonus categories. Rewards 5% back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly through the US Bank Rewards Center

3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants

1% cash back on all other purchases Welcome bonus Earn a $500 bonus after spending $4,500 on the account owner's card in the first 150 days of opening your account. Annual fee $0 Notable perks The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card has a generous introductory 0%-APR offer of 15 months (after, 19.24%-28.24% variable), which is three months longer than the 0%-APR offers available with most of the other top business cards. Plus, once every 12 months, you can earn a $100 statement credit for software services. To qualify for the $100 software credit, you need to make 11 consecutive months of eligible purchases directly with a software provider. [ Return to card summary ] Check out CNBC Select's best 0% APR credit cards .

*Capital One Spark 1% Classic for Business

You typically only need an average credit score (580+) to get approved for the *Capital One Spark 1% Classic, which makes it an accessible card for freelancers with weaker credit scores. Rewards 5% back on hotels and rental cars you book through the Capital One Travel site

1% back on all other purchases Welcome bonus None. Annual fee $0 Notable perks The main appeal of the *Capital One Spark 1% Classic is that it's easy to get approved for and can help jumpstart the process of rebuilding your credit. It also has no foreign transaction fees and offers roadside assistance and extended warranty protection. Cardholders also have access to various Capital One business benefits. These account management tools help you streamline accounting by letting you choose your due date, view recurring transactions and download purchase records to Quicken®, QuickBooks® and Excel®. [ Return to card summary ] Check out CNBC Select's best credit cards for building credit .

FAQs Should a freelancer get a business credit card? A freelancer or independent contractor may not need a business card if the business is small. However, having a business card can make bookkeeping much easier by allowing you to keep business and personal transactions separated. How can I get a credit card if I'm self-employed? If you're self-employed, you can still apply for a personal or business credit card just like you would if you were a regular employee. When applying for a business card, you're personal income and credit history also factor into the decision. Can I get a business card if I don't have an EIN? If you're a sole proprietor, you typically can use your Social Security number as your business tax ID instead of an EIN on a business credit card application.

Bottom line

Freelancers and independent contractors, either on a full-time or part-time basis, can benefit from opening a business credit card. These types of cards make it easier to separate personal and business expenses for tax season and offer benefits and rewards that help maximize your spending. There are options for earning cash back or travel rewards, and you can also take advantage of lucrative welcome bonuses and 0% intro APR offers.

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Why trust CNBC Select?

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every business credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the top business credit cards for freelancers.

Our methodology

To determine which cards are the best for freelancers, CNBC Select evaluated credit cards offered by the biggest banks, financial companies and credit unions that allow anyone to join. We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, annual fee, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Cash Credit Card from American Express, click here. *Information about the Capital One Spark 1% Classic Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.