A business credit card that requires no personal guarantee is a card that doesn’t hold you personally liable if you can’t pay off your debt. This could be helpful if you don’t want to risk your personal assets, such as your house or car, when using a business credit card.
The best business credit cards with no personal guarantee include cards such as Ramp Card and the Brex Credit Card. Let’s explore our recommendations and how they compare to help you determine which card makes the most sense for you.
- Key takeaways
- The best business credit cards with no personal guarantee
- Comparison of the best business credit cards with no personal guarantee
- Alternatives to business cards with no personal guarantee
- How to choose a business credit card with no personal guarantee
- FAQ about business credit cards with no personal guarantee
- Best business credit cards with no personal guarantee: bottom line
- Methodology
Key takeaways
- Having no personal guarantee on a business credit card means you’re not personally liable for any of your business debts. Having no personal guarantee isn’t the same as having no personal credit check on a business card application. However, business cards with no personal guarantee might also have no personal credit check.
- The Ramp Card is one of our top choices for business credit cards with no personal guarantee because it has a $0 annual fee and helps you earn up to 1.5% cash back on qualified purchases (varies by customer and determined by Ramp).
- Many business credit cards that don’t require a personal guarantee are designed for incorporated companies (not sole proprietors) that have been in business for a few years and can meet minimum annual sales or revenue requirements.
- Keep in mind that some business cards are charge cards, which typically means you have to pay them off in full each month rather than every statement period.
The best business credit cards with no personal guarantee
Comparison of the best business credit cards with no personal guarantee
Card name | Best for | Benefits | Annual fee |
Ramp Card |
Easy bookkeeping tools | Earn up to 1.5% cash back on qualified purchases (varies by customer and determined by Ramp) | $0 |
Brex Credit Card |
Well-funded startups | Earn 7X points on rideshare, 4X on Brex Travel, 3X at restaurants and on eligible Apple products, 2X on software subscriptions, and 1X on all other purchases with Brex Exclusive | $0 |
Sam’s Club® Business Mastercard® |
Buying supplies from Sam’s Club | Earn 5% back on gas anywhere (on first $6,000 per year, then 1%), 3% back on Sam’s Club purchases for Plus members (club members earn 1%), 3% back on dining and takeout, and 1% back on other purchases | $0 |
Stripe Corporate Card |
Fast-growing companies | Earn 1.5% cash back on every business purchase | $0 |
Ramp Card: Best for easy bookkeeping tools
- $0 annual fee
- Simple rewards rate
- Includes bookkeeping software
- No foreign transaction fees
- No welcome offer
- Requires an incorporated company
Why we like it: The Ramp Card has a $0 annual fee and helps you earn up to 1.5% cash back on qualified purchases (varies by customer and determined by Ramp). There’s also no hard credit check when you apply for the Ramp Card.
As a handy bonus, the Ramp Card includes 5-in-1 software for organizing your corporate cards, expenses, bill payments, accounting, and reporting.
What we don’t like: There’s typically no welcome offer for new Ramp Card members. You also need an incorporated business to qualify.
Brex Credit Card: Best for well-funded startups
- $0 annual fee
- Multiple bonus categories
- No foreign transaction fees
- $50,000 minimum funding requirement for startups unless you’re referred by certain Brex partners
- Requires an incorporated company
Why we like it: The Brex Card has a $0 annual fee and helps you earn 7X points on rideshare, 4X on Brex Travel, 3X at restaurants and on eligible Apple products, 2X on software subscriptions, and 1X on all other purchases with Brex Exclusive.
You can also take advantage of the Brex Card’s welcome offer: Earn 10,000 points for spending your first $3,000 in the first 3 months, and an additional 20,000 if you link payroll to your Brex account, for a total 30,000 points.
Even better, there are no personal guarantee or personal credit check requirements.
What we don’t like: You typically need at least $50,000 in funding as a startup unless you’re referred by certain Brex partners.
Learn more in our Brex Credit Card review.
Sam’s Club® Business Mastercard®: Best for buying supplies from Sam’s Club
- $0 annual fee
- Multiple bonus categories
- No foreign transaction fees
- New businesses might need to include a personal guarantee
Why we like it: The Sam's Club Business Mastercard has a $0 annual fee and helps you earn 5% back on gas anywhere (on first $6,000 per year, then 1%), 3% back on Sam’s Club purchases for Plus members (club members earn 1%), 3% back on dining and takeout, and 1% back on other purchases.
You can also benefit from a welcome offer. Earn a $30 statement credit after spending $30 on Sam's Club purchases within 30 days.
What we don’t like: A personal guarantee isn’t required for this credit card, but there’s an option to include a personal guarantee on the small business credit card application. The form indicates that you’ll likely want to include the personal guarantee if:
- Your business has less than $5 million in annual sales or revenues
- Your business is less than 2years old
- Your business has fewer than 10 employees
- Your business is a partnership or proprietorship
Stripe Corporate Card: Best for fast-growing companies
- $0 annual fee
- Simple rewards rate
- No foreign transaction fees
- Partner benefits
- An invitation is required to be able to apply
- No welcome offer
Why we like it: The Stripe Corporate Card has a $0 annual fee and helps you earn 1.5% cash back on every business purchase.
You can also take advantage of having no foreign transaction fees and partner benefits, such as 25% off Slack for 12 months and $500 in credit after your first $500 spent on Google Ads. This card allows you to import your transactions into accounting software, including Expensify and Quickbooks.
Note that your Stripe Corporate Card credit limits are determined by your payment processing and bank history. So you can receive more credit as your business grows.
What we don’t like: The Stripe Corporate Card is in a limited beta phase as of July 2023, so new applications are limited to U.S. entities, such as corporations, that get an invitation. Keep in mind that getting invited doesn’t guarantee approval for the card. Additionally, there’s typically no welcome offer for new cardmembers.
Alternatives to business cards with no personal guarantee
If you can’t qualify for a business card with no personal guarantee or it’s not the right fit for you, consider these alternatives:
Secured business credit cards
Secured small business cards often have less strict requirements, meaning you might not need a good credit score to be approved.
Secured business cards typically require a security deposit that establishes your credit line. Some secured business cards might allow you to upgrade to unsecured cards through responsible card usage, such as making on-time payments.
Consider some of recommended secured business credit cards, including:
Card name | Rewards rate | Annual fee |
Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card |
1.5% cash back on every purchase | $0 |
First National Bank of Omaha Business Edition Secured Mastercard Credit Card |
None | $39 |
Valley Visa Secured Business Credit Card |
1% cash back on all purchases | $0 |
Note that you might also want to consider applying for consumer secured credit cards. These types of cards could help you build your personal credit score, so that you can then qualify for more business credit opportunities.
One example of a secured credit card that doesn’t require a personal credit check is the OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card.
Business credit cards for bad credit
If you want a business card without a personal guarantee because you don’t have a good personal credit score, consider business credit cards for bad credit. These cards don’t have high credit score requirements, which could make it easier for you to get approved.
One example is the Capital One Spark Classic for Business, which helps you earn 1% unlimited cash back on every purchase for your business, plus 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. This business credit card has a $0 annual fee.
How to choose a business credit card with no personal guarantee
Consider these tips to find a business credit card that doesn’t require a personal guarantee that fits your needs:
Check the application
If the business credit card application doesn’t ask for your Social Security number (SSN), it might mean there’s no personal guarantee requirement. This could help you get a business credit card with an Employer Identification Number (EIN) without using your SSN.
Look into corporate cards
Corporate cards are typically issued to companies rather than business owners, which separates your personal liability from the company. But the qualifications can be steeper compared to standard business credit cards.
For example, business credit card issuers might check for a minimum number of employees and/or a minimum annual revenue to determine your eligibility.
Consider secured credit cards
Secured credit cards tend to have less strict credit requirements than unsecured credit cards, which might include no personal guarantee. The only issue is that there aren’t many secured business credit cards to choose from.
FAQ about business credit cards with no personal guarantee
What does no personal guarantee mean on business credit?
No personal guarantee means you aren’t personally liable if your business fails and you aren’t able to cover its debts. So if you borrow business credit and can’t pay it back, you shouldn’t have to worry about collections agencies coming after your personal assets, such as your house, to help cover the debt.
What is the difference between a business credit card and a personal credit card?
Business credit cards are designed to be used for business expenses and may have specific business-related perks and benefits, while personal credit cards are meant to be used for everyday spending. Business cards could report credit activity to business credit reporting agencies, while personal credit cards report to consumer credit bureaus.
Does the Amazon business credit card require a personal guarantee?
The Amazon Business American Express Card and the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card require a personal guarantee. You can tell by checking the application form, which asks you to provide your Social Security number. The application states it may use your Social Security number to obtain information from consumer reporting agencies about your creditworthiness and other factors.
Best business credit cards with no personal guarantee: bottom line
We recommend the Ramp Card as one of the best business credit cards with no personal guarantee because it has a simple rewards rate that can work for most businesses. It also provides free software to help organize your business finances.
But, in general, there are more rewarding business credit cards available. The downside is that they could require a personal guarantee. If you don’t mind including a personal guarantee, check out our recommendations for the best business credit cards.
Methodology
To determine the best business credit cards with no personal guarantee, we researched and evaluated various business credit cards based on multiple factors. The primary factor was that the business credit card had no personal guarantee. We also considered annual fees, welcome offers, rewards rates, and other benefits that might be useful to small business owners in different situations.
We didn’t include every available credit card in our recommendations, and our list doesn’t follow any particular order. We are recommending an assortment of credit cards that could be the best option for small business owners in certain situations, but we recognize that the best card for one person might not be the best one for someone else.