Best Business Credit Cards for Veterans and Military 2024

The best business credit cards for veteran owned small businesses and military servicemembers offer hundreds of dollars of welcome bonuses, annual perks, cash back, and travel reward points for your business spending.

Business credit cards are available to anyone with income outside of your normal paycheck.

You do not need an LLC to open a business credit card, Employer Identification Number (EIN), or any kind of formal corporate structure. When you apply for a business card, simply select “sole proprietor” as your business type and use your personal Social Security number.

Military servicemembers and veterans can qualify for the top business credit cards. These cards can put cash or points back into your pocket for all of your normal business expenses. You can always earn at least 1.5% cash back on purchases and up to 5% cash back on select categories.

Business Credit Cards for Military Members

If you are active duty, you may have a side hustle or do freelance work to supplement your active duty income. For example, you may drive for Uber, write a blog like me, or own rental property. This qualifies as a business and you should easily qualify for some of these great cards.

Guard and Reserve military members usually have a civilian job as well as their military job. If you give flight lessons, own a computer services business, or earn any kind of freelance MISC-1099 income, you can qualify for these cards.

If you own a service-disabled veteran-owned small business, you know that you can access some of the best government contracts ahead of the competition. While you are winning these contracts, why not get rewarded with cash or travel points for your normal business spending?

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
• Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
• From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That's why you've got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power.
• Just remember, the amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us and other factors.
• No Annual Fee
• Terms Apply, see rates and fees

2% cash back on all eligible purchases up to $50,000 per year and no annual fee make the Amex Blue Business Cash card a winner for military and veteran small business owners.

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Can be worth $1,350 in travel if transferred to Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Get more out of your points. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Earn 3X points on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and online advertising purchases up to $150,000 per year
• Zero Liability ensure that you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Worry less with Purchase Protection that covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account
• NO Foreign Transaction fees
• $95 annual fee

Thanks to no foreign transaction fees, this is THE business credit card to use if you travel OCONUS or operate overseas frequently. The welcome bonus offer is HUGE as well. 100,000 points is worth at minimum $1000 if you cash it out, which is 10 years of annual fees on this card.

Or, you could redeem the 100,000 UR points for $1250 worth of travel.

You can also earn 3 points per dollar spent on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services as well as online advertising like Google Adwords or Facebook Ads.

Another great feature of this card is the cell phone protection coverage. If you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your Chase Ink Preferred, it automatically insures your cell phone up to $1,000 per claim for loss due to theft or damage. You only need to pay a $100 deductible per claim. This is a great deal and much cheaper than the cell phone insurance plans offered by major carriers.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• 150,000 POINT WELCOME OFFER after $20,000 spend in the first 3 months of card membership
• Earn 5x Membership Rewards^® points on airfare and prepaid hotels through amextravel.com, and 1x points on each dollar spent on other eligible purchases
• Earn 1.5X points on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
• 35% bonus on airline purchases with MR points: Use “Pay with Points” for a flight and get 35% of the points back, up to 1,000,000 per year
• Up to $400 in Dell statement credits, enrollment required
• Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select business purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless with the Business Platinum Card.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card or any of the Additional Cards on your Platinum Card account.
• $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your Card and get up to $199 back per year on your CLEAR® Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal).
• Access The American Express Global Lounge Collection^®
• $695 annual fee (Terms apply, see rates and fees)

Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases made for your business
• With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Member FDIC
• NO ANNUAL FEE

This is your backstop business card. If your purchase isn't in one of the 3X categories of the Ink Business Preferred or the 5% cash back categories of the Ink Business Cash, this card will give you 1.5% cash back on EVERY purchase.

This ensures you are always earning at least 1.5% on every purchase. Additionally, this card has a great welcome bonus offer of 90,000 points (which can be cashed in for $900) and no annual fee. A great card to keep in your wallet for business purchases.

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
• 10% Business Relationship Bonus If you have the Ink Business Cash card plus a Chase Business Checking account on your first card anniversary
• 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent at office supply stores, internet, cable, phone services
• 2% cash back on on the first $25,000 spent at restaurants and gas stations
• 1% cash back on everything else
• Member FDIC
• No annual fee

The Ink Business Cash card finishes out the trinity of Chase business cards for veterans and military servicemembers. It's got a great 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent at office supply stores, internet, and cable/phone services. Nearly every business has these expenses, so why not get 5% cash back on them?

You can also get 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent at gas stations and restaurant purchases. This is perfect for entertaining clients, hosting parties for your employees, or filling up the gas tank.

Maximize Your Ultimate Rewards Welcome Offer

All of these business cards have great Chase Ultimate Rewards welcome offers. Ultimate Rewards is one of the two most flexible rewards programs available. You can combine your points across your personal and business accounts to maximize your rewards potential.

Transferring these bonus points to your Chase Sapphire Reserve^® Card is easy. You can then redeem the Chase Ultimate Rewards points for 50% more value on travel. Or, you can transfer your points to many excellent travel partners like Singapore Airlines.

Chase Sapphire Reserve^® Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• $550 annual fee waived to $0 for US military + spouses with Chase MLA policy
• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
• 3x Points on other Travel (airfare, hotels) after earning the $300 travel credit
• 3x Dining restaurants, takeouts, delivery
• Chase Ultimate Reward Points redeemed through Chase Travel℠ are worth 1.5 cents, a 50% bonus.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• Priority Pass lounge and restaurant access with over 1300+ airport lounges worldwide
• Up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry every 4 years
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Primary coverage with Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• No foreign transaction fees, Member FDIC
• Learn more in the Chase Sapphire Reserve review

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.
• 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3x points on dining (includes takeout, delivery, and dine-in), select streaming services and online groceries
• 2x on all other travel purchases
• 1x on all other purchases
• $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠ . Example- 60,000 points would be worth $750 toward travel.
• No foreign transaction fees, great for overseas OCONUS assignments, TDY, and PCS
• Primary rental car insurance coverage & trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and more.
• DashPass access is complimentary which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• Upgrade to a Chase Sapphire Reserve after 1 year (compare Reserve vs Preferred)
• $95 annual fee waived for military and spouses with Chase Military Lending Act
• Member FDIC

I recently booked a round-trip ticket from Dubai to Auckland and Melbourne on Singapore Airlines for 312,000 points. With these 3 cards, you would be over halfway to a similar redemption after meeting the minimum spending bonus.

You can also always cash out your points for cash at 100 points = $1.00. If you just want to put some cash back in your pocket, this is a good choice. However, transferring to travel partners and booking flights and hotels gives you greater value per point.

*See rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express before applying.
*See rates and fees of the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card before applying