Best Credit Card for Self-Employed Folks?

J

Jason cook

Member
I’m self-employed and looking to get a credit card that actually works in my favor. I run a small business mostly freelance and online work so my income can fluctuate month to month. That makes it a bit trickier when it comes to qualifying for certain cards, and I’m trying to avoid anything with super high fees or harsh penalties.

Ideally, I’m looking for a card that:
  • Offers good cashback or rewards (especially for business expenses like office supplies, advertising, software subscriptions, etc.)
  • Helps with tracking expenses (maybe even integrates with QuickBooks or something similar?)
  • Has a reasonable interest rate and low or no annual fee
  • Doesn’t punish you if you don’t have a “traditional” W-2 income
 
If you're self employed, definitely look at the Chase Ink Business Unlimited. 1.5% cashback on all purchases, no annual fee, and integrates really well with accounting software. I use it for everything from my Canva subscription to Google Ads. Plus they didn’t make a big deal out of me not having a W-2.
 
AmEx Blue Business Plus is where it’s at. 2x points on everything up to $50K per year, then 1x. No annual fee. Great if you have fluctuating income because they’re a bit more flexible with limits and payments. Bonus: integrates with QuickBooks like butter.
 
I wouldn’t go near AmEx if your income is shaky though. They shut me down fast during a slow quarter. Just saying, the flexibility only goes so far when your revenue dips for a bit.
 
I got the Capital One Spark Cash Select and it’s been smooth sailing. No annual fee 1.5% cash back, and their app is surprisingly decent. I track my ad spend and office supply purchases in there. No hoops for approval either.
 
Honestly i just use a personal credit card for biz stuff and track manually. Not ideal but every business card I looked at wanted 2 years of income proof or biz tax returns i didn't have yet. The system punishes new self employed folks.
 
Funny how banks love entrepreneurs until you actually act like one and don’t have a tidy W-2 to show them. I had to get a secured biz card first just to build some history. ugh
 
+1 for the Chase Ink cards. Their business portal is awesome and super clean. I’ve had both the Unlimited and the Cash card. Best part is their customer support actually talks to you like a human.
 
Am I the only one using Brex. If you have a startup or do regular revenue from Stripe/Paypal, they’ll underwrite off that. 8x on rideshare, 5x on software......super niche, but a game changer if you’re tech heavy.
 
You’re not alone! I’m using Brex too and their Slack integration is chef’s kiss. Makes tracking hella easier especially for messy freelancers like me.
 
I literally got laughed at by a CSR when i asked if the card supported fluctuating income patterns. Wild times. But yeah i landed on the Wells Fargo Business Platinum. It’s not flashy but stable.
 
same! i started using my personal card with a killer spreadsheet setup. Excel is my co pilot now. Hopefully will upgrade to something like Ink Cash once i hit year 2.
 
For expense tracking Ramp is underrated. It’s technically a corporate card but if you can show consistent revenue they’re super startup friendly. Integrates with QuickBooks, Xero even Notion in weird ways.
 
Honestly if you’re worried about fluctuating income, try a low limit card and keep the balance low. Interest rates don’t matter if you don’t carry a balance and you avoid the headaches of annual fees.
 
I like my AmEx Gold personal card for business use tbh. High rewards on food and ads and their app breaks spending into categories that are super easy to export. Might not be business but it works.
 
I run a content biz and software eats 25% of my budget. Amazon Prime, Adobe CC, Buffer, etc. I got the AmEx Blue Plus just for that. The 2x points help stack up quickly when your life is subscriptions.
 
If travel is even a small part of your expenses, check out the Capital One Venture. It’s a personal card but great rewards, and they didn't blink when i used a 1099 for proof of income.
 
Can confirm that QuickBooks integration is a godsend. I use the Chase Ink Preferred and it auto syncs transactions, tags categories, and saves me hours during tax season. Worth it for that alone.
 
One weird trick is to get a personal card with killer cashback and just use it exclusively for biz expenses. Keep it clean. Label it as business in your mind and you get 90% of the benefits without needing a business card.
 
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