The best credit cards for freelancers and independent contractors

Personal and small business cards issued by U.S. Bank are currently not available on CNBC Select and links have been redirected to our credit card marketplace where you can review offers from other issuers like American Express or Chase. You can also check out our list of best credit cards for alternative options.

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As a freelancer or independent contractor, you can qualify for small business credit cards. While you don’t always need a business card as a freelancer, there are advantages to opening one. It makes separating business and personal expenses easier, while earning rewards along the way. Plus, business cards offer additional perks and tools designed with a business owner or freelancer in mind.

CNBC Select analyzed the most popular credit cards to determine the best freelancer credit cards (see our methodology for more information on how we made this list). Keep in mind that although some of these cards have annual fees, the fees are tax-deductible as they are business expenses.

Who’s this for? The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is ideal for most freelancers because of its simple 1.5% return on all purchases and stellar welcome bonus for a no-annual-fee card.

Standout benefits: In addition to having a solid cash-back rate on all purchases, the Ink Business Unlimited is also a great option for financing business expenses, like that much-needed laptop upgrade because of its generous intro APR on purchases.

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Who’s this for? The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a good choice if you’re searching for a rewarding business card without any complicated benefits to navigate. It has no annual fee (see rates and fees) and earns a flat 2% cash back on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1% back).

Standout benefits: This card is a great option for anyone starting their freelancing journey not just because it’s simple, but because it can help finance your start-up costs thanks to its generous intro APR for purchases (See rates and fees).

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Who’s this for? If you want to earn travel rewards for your freelance expenses, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is hard to beat because it earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which are some of the most versatile travel rewards.

Standout benefits: One of the best aspects of the Chase Ink Business Preferred card is its ability to earn rewards and earn them fast. Cardholders earn 3X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases on shipping; advertising expenses through social media and search engines; internet, cable and phone services; and travel. Those categories cover a broad swath of common purchases freelancers and independent contractors are likely to make.

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Who’s this for? The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the best business cards for anyone seeking luxury benefits such as airport lounge access and statement credit offers.

Standout benefits: This card has several features to enhance your airport experience. It offers a statement credit for Global Entry ($120 every 4 years) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85 every 4.5 years through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider), and use the Business Platinum Card® and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal). Once you’ve breezed through security, you can relax in one of the more than 1,550 airport lounges you can access through the Amex Global Lounge Collection® (access is limited to eligible Card Members).

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Who’s this for? If you’re having difficulty getting approved for other business credit cards, the *Capital One Spark 1% Classic might be a good fit for you. You can be approved for this card with an average or fair credit score, which is a FICO Score of 580 and up.

Standout benefits: The *Capital One Spark Classic provides an opportunity to earn cash back while you’re building your credit. You’ll earn 5% back on hotels and rental cars you book through Capital One Travel and 1% back on all other purchases.

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• 5% cash back on Lyft rides through September 2027
• 1.5% cash back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

The Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card is a cash-back card, but its rewards can be more valuable when paired with other Chase credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, which allow you to transfer your points to airline and hotel loyalty programs.

If you have a Chase card that enables transfers, the rewards you earn with the Ink Business Unlimited can be pooled onto that card. Experts generally value Chase points at two cents each when redeemed through transfer partners, essentially doubling the return you get with this card.

Card members benefit from various travel and purchase insurances. Eligible transactions qualify for purchase protection and extended warranty protection. When renting a car for business purposes, you’ll get primary coverage for damage and theft. And you have access to roadside dispatch and travel and emergency assistance services.

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$0 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card holders can take advantage of extended warranty coverage*, purchase protection* and rental car loss and damage insurance**. It’s also free to add employee cards. (Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/ benefitsguide for more details.)

*Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
** Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related ServicesCompany, Inc.

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The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card provides you with a variety of redemption options. Points are worth more when you use them to pay for travel you book through Chase Travel^SM. Using this option alone makes the card’s intro offer worth  $1,125 in travel.

You can potentially increase the value of your redemptions by transferring Chase points to a travel partner. You can book luxury hotels through World of Hyatt and posh business-class flights by transferring points to airlines such as Air Canada, United and Virgin Atlantic.

It also has top-notch built-in insurance coverage that automatically applies to eligible purchases, such as cell phone protection, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. When you pay for eligible travel with the card, you’ll also get insurance for rental cars (collision only), trip delays, trip cancellations/interruptions and baggage delays.

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$895 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers a wide range of benefits that freelancers and independent contractors will appreciate, including:

• Use the Business Platinum Card® and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
• $120 in application fees for Global Entry or up to $85 in application fees for TSA PreCheck (every four years for Global Entry; every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck)
• New! Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
• Up to $200 in annual Hilton credit (up to $50 per quarter) for purchases you make directly with Hilton (Hilton for Business membership required; enrollment required)
• New! Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• Up to $360 back per year (up to $90 back per quarter) for Indeed purchases (enrollment required)
• New! Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card
• Up to $120 back per year for U.S. wireless telephone service provider purchases (enrollment required)
• Up to $200 in airline fee credit per year

You can take advantage of several elite status benefits, including enrolling to receive Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status and rental car privileges with Avis, Hertz and National. When you’re flying, you’ll have unlimited complimentary visits to more than 1,550 airport lounges, including Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Delta Sky Clubs, Lufthansa lounges, Escape Lounges and Plaza Premium lounges. Access is limited to eligible Card Members.

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• 5% back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly through the US Bank Rewards Center
• 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn $750 in cash back when you spend $6000 on the Account Owner’s card in the first 180 days of opening your account.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card has a $100 software subscription statement credit that you can earn once every 12 months. To earn the credit, you need to make 11 consecutive months of eligible purchases directly with a software provider.

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The *Capital One Spark 1% Classic is easier to get approved for than many other business credit cards. It provides roadside assistance and extended warranty protection. If you’re traveling or making purchases in a foreign currency, you won’t be assessed foreign transaction fees.

Cardholders also have access to various Capital One business benefits. These account management tools help you streamline accounting by letting you choose your due date, view recurring transactions and download purchase records to Quicken®, QuickBooks® and Excel®.

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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the top business credit cards for freelancers.

To determine which cards offer the best value for freelancers, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.  

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards (e.g., cash back, points and miles), annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back). 
 
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.  

For the cards that offered a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for cash-back. 

When choosing the best credit cards for freelancers and independent contractors we focused on business cards. Credit cards design for small business owners offer features, benefits and rewards that can help freelancers manage their endeavor and save money.

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For rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

*Information about the Capital One Spark 1% Classic Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.