Why use LendingTree?
The Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card is our pick for overall best secured business credit card. With a $0 annual fee and Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, this card offers significant value for the small business owner looking to build credit.
Most small business credit cards require good to excellent credit to qualify. But what if you own a business, need a credit card to manage cash flow and are recovering from some financial missteps? A secured business credit card might be the perfect fit.
With a secured card, you’ll submit a security deposit — typically in the amount of your desired credit limit — which protects the issuer if you don’t pay off what you charge to the card.
Secured credit cards are more common in the consumer credit card world, where people use them to build or rebuild credit. The good news is that there are secured small business credit cards available, which allow you to do exactly the same thing. Some secured small business cards come with other benefits, like a 0% intro APR and lower annual fees. Plus, a handful of these cards even allow you to earn cash rewards.
Earn unlimited cash back
Minimum deposit: $1,000
Credit limit: Equal to your deposit account
If you have the funds to meet the required security deposit, it’s hard to find a better card. The Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You can even transition to an unsecured card if your credit history improves enough. Plus, it also has a $0 annual fee, a great rewards program and useful tools for small businesses.
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all card spend
Minimum deposit: None — must link financial accounts for review
Credit limit: Determined by Ramp and credit issuer
The Ramp Visa Corporate Card offers a full expense management system for its cardholders. It integrates purchases into an expense management system, including reporting and integrations with accounting. The card also offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on all card spend, has a $0 annual fee and doesn’t require a security deposit or personal guarantee.
The management system is described as a “5-in-1 software that consolidates corporate cards, expense management, bill payments, accounting and reporting” into a single software platform that integrates with your business’s financial accounts. The corporate cards they offer are technically charge cards and you must pay your bill off in full each month. Note that, as a corporate card, you will not be liable for the debt. But this means it could be more difficult to be approved for a Ramp Visa Corporate Card, as you’ll typically need have an established business credit history and demonstrate sufficient annual revenue.
Intro APR offer
Get an intro offer of 0% for 9 billing cycles on purchases, followed by a 16.20%-27.75% APR
Minimum deposit: $1,100
Credit limit: $1,000 to $25,000, based on customer request
The Valley Visa® Secured Business Credit Card offers a 0% for 9 billing cycles on purchases (followed by a 16.20%-27.75% APR) — it’s a rare feature among secured cards. It also offers unlimited 1% cash back and doesn’t charge an annual fee. However, as a secured card, you’ll need to put up a security deposit of 110% of your requested credit line — up to a maximum credit line of $25,000.
Good for balance transfers with $0 balance transfer and $0 cash advance fees
Minimum deposit: $500
Credit limit: Between $500 and $25,000
The First Tech Platinum Secured Mastercard® features few fees, low APR and the ability to secure a high credit line of up to $25,000.
Primary features include the card’s lack of fees: annual, foreign transaction, balance transfer and cash advance. (The latter two are extremely rare.) You can also earn rewards points on every purchase — 1 point per $1 on every purchase, redeemable for travel, merchandise, gift cards and more.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Rewards Rate | Regular APR | Recommended Credit Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card
Review Coming Soon
|
Winner
|
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases | 28.49% variable | N/A | Review Coming Soon |
|
Ramp Visa Corporate Card
Learn More
on Celtic Bank's secure site |
No personal guarantee
|
1.5% cash back on all card spend | N/A | N/A |
Learn More
on Celtic Bank's secure site |
|
Valley Visa® Secured Business Credit Card
Learn More
on Valley Bank's secure site |
0% intro APR
|
unlimited 1% cash back | 16.20%-27.75% | N/A |
Learn More
on Valley Bank's secure site |
Secured business credit cards have two key features that separate them from other credit cards. First, they require an upfront security deposit — often equal to the credit limit — that “secures” your credit line when you open your account. This deposit safeguards the bank if you miss payments. Second, they are business credit cards, intended specifically for business use. There are many secured credit cards and business credit cards available. However, cards that are both are fairly rare.
Many major banks don’t offer secured business credit cards — you won’t find any secured business cards offered by Chase, Amex, Capital One, U.S. Bank or Citi. Some of these issuers offer secured personal cards, however. If you want a small business credit card with any of these banks, you’ll need to build your credit history until you can qualify for an unsecured credit card.
Bank of America is one major bank that does offer a secured business credit card, which LendingTree considers to be the best overall option. There are others out there, but secured business credit cards are fairly rare.
| Bank | Secured business credit card |
|---|---|
| Bank of America | Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card |
| First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) | FNBO Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card |
| Ramp | Ramp Visa Corporate Card |
| Valley | Valley Visa® Secured Business Credit Card |
Getting a secured business credit card is straightforward. Here are the steps to follow if you need one for your business:
Note that it is acceptable to use a personal credit card for business. However, there are some risks associated with the practice.
A secured business credit card is a great way to build and establish credit for your business. Since the credit line is secured by a deposit, secured credit cards are available to applicants with poor or limited credit history.
Minimum deposit amounts vary by card. With secured consumer credit cards, the minimum deposit is often $200. However, for the secured business credit cards on this list, the smallest minimum deposit required is $500.
Typically, if you pay off your credit card in full and close the account, you can get your security deposit back. Some issuers will also offer you the opportunity to graduate from a secured card to an unsecured card after you demonstrate responsible behavior, and your deposit will be refunded if that happens.
It depends. Some business credit cards report to one or more business credit bureaus. Ideally, you should establish your business as a separate entity (e.g., an. LLC or S-corporation) and apply for an employer identification number (EIN) to build a business credit profile. Note that business credit can be reported to your personal credit report, although many issuers restrict this to delinquencies.
No. While Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, Wells Fargo all offer business credit cards, none of them offer a secured credit card product.
When selecting the cards on this list, the most important criterion was that each card be aimed at small business owners and accessible with a security deposit.
In addition, whether or not each card charges an annual fee was considered. Note that our top overall pick for best secured business card, the Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card, charges a $0 annual fee.
Other factors that weighed on the selection included rewards, maximum possible credit limit and interest rate.
The above offers and/or promotions may have since changed, expired, or is no longer available. Check the Issuers’ website for more details.
