Which Business Credit Cards Do Not Report Personal Credit? 

Business credit cards are great tools for improving your business credit score. They’re one of the most accessible financial tradelines, and they’re easy to use without straining your cash flow due to their revolving nature. 

However, there’s a risk that using them may impact your personal credit score, as some credit card issuers report your activity to the consumer credit bureaus. Here are some credit cards that will help you avoid that risk. 

Which Business Credit Issuers Report Personal Credit? 

 

Credit Card Company	Positive Activity Reported to Personal Credit	Negative Activity  Reported to Personal  Credit
American Express	No	Yes
Bank of America	No	No
Capital One	Yes	Yes
Chase	No	Yes
Citi	No	No
Discover	Yes	Yes
U.S. Bank	No	No
Wells Fargo	No	No

 

Most business credit issuers won’t report positive account activity to the consumer credit bureaus. In other words, your account typically won’t impact your personal credit score as long as you make your payments on time. 

However, card issuers are split on reporting negative business activity to the consumer credit bureaus. As a result, only Bank of America, Citi, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo will let you build business credit without any risk to your personal credit score. 

Which Business Credit Cards Report to the Business Credit Bureaus? 

 

Credit Card Issuer	Dun & Bradstreet	Equifax	Experian	SBFE
American Express	Yes	No	No	Yes
Bank of America	No	No	No	Yes
Capital One	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chase	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Citi	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Discover	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
U.S. Bank	Yes	No	No	Yes
Wells Fargo	Yes	No	No	Yes

 

Choosing a business credit card that won’t show up on your personal credit report, even if you make mistakes with it, is great for your peace of mind. It insulates your personal credit from the financial risks of being a business owner. 

However, it’s just as important to pick a card that will show up on your target business credit reports and help you build credit. Before you apply for an account, consider which business bureaus its issuer reports to, which you can find in the table above. 

The sweet spot is a business credit card that reports to your desired credit bureau but doesn’t show up on your personal report. For example, Citi reports to all four major business bureaus but doesn’t send positive or negative activity to the personal ones. 

The Business Credit Cards that Don’t Report to the Personal Credit Bureaus 

American Express 

American Express doesn’t report positive activity to the consumer credit bureaus, but it does report negative activity. In other words, you can harm your personal credit with it by making mistakes like missing payments or defaulting. 

However, if you’re confident you can use your credit card responsibly, American Express offers an impressive suite of accounts. For example, the Blue Business Cash Card is one of the best options. 

For no annual fee, you can get 2% cash back on up to $50,000 in purchases with no category restrictions. Once you exceed the $50,000 cap, all other purchases earn 1% cash back. 

The introductory bonus is also attractive. It lets you earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $5,000 in your first six months plus you can earn another $250 if you spend an additional $10,000 within the first year. 

If you’re willing to pay an annual fee, you can earn even more significant rewards, especially if your business involves a lot of travel. 

For example, the Hilton Honors Business Card costs $95 per year and offers a whopping 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points plus a free night’s stay when you spend $4,000 in your first three months of card ownership. 

In addition, you can earn 6x points on purchases at gas stations, shipping providers, and wireless phone services. You’ll also get 6x points for restaurant, flight, and car rental purchases. All other card purchases earn 3x points. 

Bank of America 

Bank of America is one of the few business credit card issuers that won’t report account activity to any consumer credit bureau. That makes it one of the safest bets for those looking to build business credit without risking their personal credit score. 

Unfortunately, most of Bank of America’s business credit cards offer relatively mediocre rewards. They’re serviceable, but you can probably do better with another credit card issuer, especially if you’re willing to pay an annual fee. 

For example, Bank of America’s best cash-back card is the Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard.  

It offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases plus a $300 bonus when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days. You’ll also get nine billing cycles with no interest on your purchases. 

If you’re interested in travel rewards and willing to pay an annual fee, Bank of America’s Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card is probably the most lucrative option due to its introductory bonus. It provides the following when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days: 

• 50,000 Alaska Airlines bonus miles 

• $100 credit on your account statement 

• One instance of Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare 

Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare bonus lets you purchase a second roundtrip ticket alongside your own for just $122, even when the fare would have been much higher.  

You can earn additional Companion Fare bonuses each year when you spend $6,000 or more and get a free checked bag whenever you purchase airfare with your card. 

Finally, you’ll earn 3 miles for every dollar spent on Alaska Airlines purchases and 2 miles for every dollar spent on gas, shipping, and ride share purchases. All other purchases earn one mile per dollar. 

Chase 

Like American Express, Chase is a credit card issuer that won’t show up on your personal credit report as long as you make your monthly payments on time and use your account responsibly. 

They also have a similarly impressive list of business credit cards. However, Chase states that you'll need excellent personal credit to qualify for most of them. 

If you can clear its personal credit check, Chase's best business credit card is the Ink Business Cash Credit Card. It lets you earn a $750 cash bonus when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of opening your account. 

Conveniently, your purchases will carry a 0% APR for the first 12 months, making it another great option if you have a significant purchase coming. Just be sure you pay everything off before interest starts accruing. 

In addition, the account offers 5% cash back on the first $25,000 you spend per year on several common business expense categories. That includes office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services. 

You’ll also receive 2% cash back on the first $25,000 you spend at gas stations and restaurants each year, plus unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. To top everything off, there’s no annual fee. 

Citi 

Citi is another of the four issuers that won’t report your small business credit card activities to a personal credit bureau, no matter how you use the account. Unfortunately, its card selection is limited, with only two currently available. 

The first option is the Costco Anywhere Visa, which is most useful for those who shop at Costco consistently. Other than a Costco membership, there’s no annual fee, and it provides the following cash-back rewards: 

• 4% on your first $7,000 of gas station purchases and 1% beyond that 

• 3% on all restaurant and eligible travel purchases 

• 2% purchases at Costco and Costco.com 

• 1% on all other purchases 

Most small business owners will probably benefit more from their other option, the CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard. It’s particularly attractive if your business requires you to travel consistently. 

The account’s most notable benefit is its introductory bonus, which provides 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles when you spend $4,000 within the first four months of opening your account. 

However, it also provides two AAdvantage miles for every dollar you spend on common business vendors, including telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants, and gas stations. 

Finally, you can earn two miles for every dollar you spend at American Airlines, plus one mile per dollar for everything else. There’s a $99 annual fee, but you don’t have to pay it the first year. 

U.S. Bank 

U.S. Bank is the third credit card issuer that never reports your business credit activities to the consumer credit bureaus. Fortunately, it has several competitive accounts, making it the best option for many small business owners. 

Which U.S. Bank business credit card makes the most sense for you will depend primarily on your most common spending categories and whether you prefer to earn points or cash-back rewards. Let’s look at each of its best offers in turn. 

First, the Business Leverage Visa Signature Card lets you earn a $750 cash bonus after you spend $7,500 within 120 days of opening your account. You can also earn 2% cash back in your top two spending categories, whatever they happen to be. 

Second, the Triple Cash Rewards Visa Business Card lets you earn a $500 cash bonus after you spend $4,500 within 150 days of opening your account. 

You also get a $100 annual statement credit against software service purchases like Freshbooks, plus 3% cash back on purchases at gas stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers, and restaurants. 

Third, there’s the Business Altitude Connect World Elite Mastercard offer. It lets you earn 60,000 points by spending $6,000 in your first 180 days. In addition, you can get extra points for the following purchase types: 

• 5x points on hotels and car rentals through the U.S. Bank reward center 

• 4x points on up to $150,000 or airfare, hotels, and gas purchases 

• 2x points on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery, and cell phone services 

• 1x points for all other purchases 

The Leverage and Altitude cards cost $95 per year but waive the expense for the first 12 months. Meanwhile, the Triple Cash card has no annual fee. 

Wells Fargo 

Wells Fargo is the last of the four credit card issuers that won’t report your business activities to the personal credit bureaus. That makes it a top-tier option for those looking to build business credit without risking their personal credit score. 

Unfortunately, Wells Fargo currently doesn’t have any business credit cards that are available to new applicants. However, its website claims it will start offering accounts again sometime in the coming months. 

They may not be available right now, but Wells Fargo’s previous business credit card offers are a good reference point for what you can expect from the issuer. One of its best credit card examples is its Business Platinum Card, which offered the following: 

• $300 cash back or 30,000 points for spending $3,000 in the first three months 

• 0% APR on purchases during the first nine months after account opening 

• Either 1.5% cash back on purchases or 1 point per dollar plus a 1,000-point bonus whenever you spend $1,000 in a month 

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in applying for, check back with Wells Fargo regularly in the coming months to see if new offers are available. 

Use eCredable to Build Business Credit 

Business credit cards are a great way to improve your business credit scores, but they often put your personal credit score at risk. If you make a mistake with a credit account from the wrong issuer, they may report it to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. 

Fortunately, they’re not the only tool you can use to establish a business credit history. The eCredable Business Lift program is another highly effective option and is conveniently available to every small business owner. 

If you have recurring business expenses, such as an office lease or utility payment, we can report that expense to Equifax Business and Creditsafe as a vendor tradeline. We can also share up to 24 months of previous payment data to help flesh out your credit history. 

To top it off, we’ll also report the cost of your eCredable subscription to D&B, Experian Business, Equifax Business and Creditsafe, ensuring that you build business credit with each major business credit bureau. Give it a try today! 

Pros of Using Business Credit Cards That Don’t Report Personal Credit 

The advantage of using business credit cards that don’t report to the consumer credit bureaus is that you minimize the risk to your personal credit reports. You can rest easy knowing your personal score is safe, no matter what happens to your business account. 

You may be willing to bet on yourself if you’re confident in your business plan but don’t underestimate the risk. Remember, a significant percentage of businesses fail in their first few years, which could cause you to default on your business credit card. 

Even if you manage to avoid defaulting, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to maintain your company’s cash flows well enough to make all of your monthly payments on time. Many businesses have periods where they struggle financially. 

If you have a business credit card that reports to a personal bureau, missing payments or defaulting on an account could significantly hurt your score. That would limit your ability to qualify for new credit and increase the interest rates available to you. 

Cons of Using Business Credit Cards That Don’t Report Personal Credit 

Sticking to business credit cards that don’t report your activities to the consumer credit bureaus may protect your personal score, but it’s not without its drawbacks. The most notable is that it significantly limits your credit account options. 

Remember, the only business credit cards that never show on your personal credit report come from Bank of America, Citi, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo. Of the four, only U.S. Bank has a respectable selection of business credit lines right now. 

Currently, Bank of America’s cards offer fairly unimpressive rewards. Citi only has two accounts available, and one is only for Costco members. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo doesn't have any business accounts for new applicants. 

Of course, the other downside to using these types of business credit cards responsibly is that they won’t positively impact your personal credit either. However, you’re better off using a personal credit card to build credit for yourself anyway. 

Learn More About Building Business Credit: 

- Which Business Credit Cards Report to Dun & Bradstreet?
- Do Business Credit Cards Affect Personal Credit? 
- What Is a Business Credit Builder Card?