Best Business Credit Cards For Online Advertising of 2023

Anyone with a small business or side hustle should have a small business credit card that earns bonus rewards in areas where they spend the most. A major expense for many businesses is digital advertising, including platforms like Facebook, Google, Amazon and Twitter. If you’re not maximizing the rewards you earn for your business’s online advertising, you may be missing out on a major opportunity. Below, CNBC Select has compiled a list of the best business credit cards for online advertising, including cards that earn travel rewards, airline miles and cash back. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best cards.)
Best business cards for online advertising
Best overall
American Express® Business Gold Card Learn More On the American Express secure site Rewards Get more rewards with 4X Membership Rewards ® points on two select categories where you spend the most each month and 25% points back after you book a flight using Pay with Points (up to 250,000 points back per calendar year).
Welcome bonus Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership
Annual fee $295
Intro APR Not applicable
Regular APR 19.24% – 27.24% variable
Balance transfer fee N/A
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit needed Excellent See rates and fees, terms apply.
The American Express® Business Gold Card stands out for its flexibility. Cardholders earn an impressive 4X points in the two categories where they spend the most each billing cycle (on up to $150,000 in combined spending each calendar year, then 1x after). All other purchases earn 1X points. The American Express Business Gold’s bonus categories include U.S. purchases for advertising in select media and lots of other useful categories such as U.S. purchases at gas stations, restaurants, for shipping and more. To qualify for the bonus rewards, American Express purchases must be made directly from U.S. media providers (online, TV, radio). This includes (but is not limited to) advertising purchases with companies such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo and CBS. In addition to transferring American Express Membership Rewards® points to various airline and hotel partners, cardholders can redeem their points toward eligible airfare booked through the Amex Travel Portal and receive a 25% points rebate (up to 250,000 points per calendar year). The rebate applies to business and first class tickets on any airline, or any class on your selected qualifying airline. To learn more, read CNBC Select’s Amex Business Gold Card review.
Best for travel rewards
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 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Annual fee $95
Intro APR None
Regular APR 20.99% – 25.99% 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.
Best for no annual fee
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express Learn More On the American Express secure site Rewards Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases up to $50,000 per year, then 1X point per dollar
Welcome bonus None
Annual fee $0
Intro APR 0% for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening
Regular APR 18.24% – 26.24% variable; APRs will not exceed 29.99%
Balance transfer fee N/A
Foreign transaction fee 2.7%
Credit needed Excellent See rates and fees, terms apply.
Best for cash back
Capital One Spark Cash Plus Credit Card Learn More Information about the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication. Rewards Unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase
Welcome bonus Earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months.
Annual fee $150
Promo APR None
Regular APR No APR; pay off your balance in full every month to avoid a 2.99% late fee
Balance transfer fee N/A
Foreign transaction fee $0
Credit needed Excellent Terms apply.
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus Credit Card removes the headaches of earning and redeeming credit card rewards. It earns an unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, and it’s a charge card with no preset spending limit, so you’ll need to pay it off in full each month. The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is ideal for anyone looking for a set-it-and-forget-it card because there are no complicated benefits or rewards to navigate. It does have a $150 annual fee, but you can get it refunded after spending at least $150,000 on the card in a year. It’s also free to add employee cards and there are no foreign transaction fees. To learn more, read CNBC Select’s Capital One Spark Cash Plus review.
Best for airline miles
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card Learn More On Chase’s secure site Rewards Earn 4X points on Southwest® purchases; 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners; 2X points on rideshare; 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services; 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
Annual fee $199 applied to first billing statement
Intro APR None
Regular APR 20.99% – 27.99% variable
Balance transfer fee 5%, minimum $5
Foreign transaction fees None
Credit needed Excellent/Good Terms apply.
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is great for business owners who prefer to earn rewards with an airline. This card earns 2X Rapid Rewards points on social media and search engine advertising. Southwest has a simple loyalty program that allows you to book any seat with points because the price of an award ticket is tied to the cash price. This is helpful for business travelers whose schedules may be less flexible. Plus the card has a host of other benefits, including a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (worth up to $100), 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits per year, four upgraded boardings per year (when available), and more. Plus, the Southwest points you earn with this card count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. To learn more, read CNBC Select’s Southwest Performance Business credit card review.
Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter! Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
FAQs
How to choose a business credit card for advertising
To choose the best business credit card for your advertising expenses, you’ll want to take a look at all of your business expenses. By understanding where your business spends the most money, you may be able to open a small business card that rewards you for advertising and other business purchases, such as shipping or cell phone service.
Are business credit cards for advertising worth it?
Getting a business credit card for your advertising expenses allows you to earn rewards for business expenses that may otherwise go unrewarded or under-rewarded. These rewards could help you offset other business expenses such as flights or lodging.
Which credit card is best for Facebook ads?
The most rewarding business credit card for Facebook ad spending is the American Express Business Gold Card. It earns 4X points on the top two categories where you spent the most each billing cycle, including on select advertising with companies like Google, Facebook and Yahoo (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1X points). Find the best credit card for you by reviewing offers in our credit card marketplace or get personalized offers via CardMatch™.
Bottom line
Online advertising is a common expense for many businesses, and with the right business card, you can maximize the rewards you earn for this type of purchase. You can also choose a card that earns the type of rewards that will be most useful to you, whether that’s straight cash back, airline miles or travel rewards. Plus, many of the cards on this list earn bonus rewards for a variety of other purchases as well, so your business can be rewarded for more than just its spending on ads. 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.
Our methodology
To determine which business cards offer the best value for online advertising, CNBC Select analyzed the most popular credit cards available to U.S. business owners. We compared each card on a range of features, including the annual fee, employee card fee, rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is to redeem points. For rates and fees of the Business Gold Card® from American Express, click here. For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
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.