Running a business means being on the road. Client meetings in Denver. Trade shows in Vegas. That conference in Austin, everyone’s talking about. Your travel spending adds up fast, and picking the right credit card can mean the difference between wasting money and actually getting something back. Here’s the straight talk on travel credit cards for business owners that won’t leave you confused or regretting your choice.
Capital One Venture X Business: The Heavy Hitter
This card punches above its weight in almost every category. You’re looking at 2X miles on everything you buy, no questions asked. Book through Capital One’s portal, and that jumps to 10X on hotels and rental cars and 5X on flights. The $395 annual fee sounds steep until you break down what comes with it. Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass lounges. That alone can save you serious cash if you’re traveling regularly. Add in a $300 annual travel credit and $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and suddenly that fee doesn’t look so bad.
The welcome bonus is nothing to sneeze at either. Spend $30,000 in three months and you’ll pocket 150,000 bonus miles. For the best business credit cards with lounge access, this one’s hard to beat. One catch: it’s a charge card. You pay your balance in full every month. No exceptions. For businesses with solid cash flow, that’s fine. If you need flexibility, keep looking.
Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards: The No-Fee Workhorse
Not everyone wants to shell out hundreds in annual fees. The Bank of America option gets you into the game without that upfront cost. You’ll earn 1.5 points per dollar on everything. Simple. Clean. No categories to track. Book through their travel center, and you can redeem those points at 1.5 cents each, which ain’t bad. Here’s where it gets interesting for travel credit cards for business owners with no annual fee: if you’ve got a Bank of America business checking account and qualify for their Preferred Rewards program, that earning rate can jump to 2.62 points per dollar.
Now we’re talking real value. The welcome bonus gives you 30,000 points after spending $3,000 in 90 days. Plus, there’s a 0% intro APR for nine months on purchases, which gives you breathing room when cash flow gets tight.
Chase Ink Business Preferred: The Points Machine
This card’s been a favorite of business owners for years, and for good reason. Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and other common business expenses like shipping, advertising, and internet/cable/phone service. The $95 annual fee is reasonable considering what you’re getting. The real magic happens with Chase’s transfer partners. You can move those points to about a dozen airline and hotel programs, often getting way more value than just cashing them out. Welcome bonus: 90,000 points after spending $8,000 in three months. That’s enough for a solid business trip or two.
American Express Business Platinum: When Money Isn’t the Issue
Let’s face it. The $695 annual fee on this card is water in your eyes. But if you travel for work constantly, especially international travel, it could actually make financial sense. With access to free visits at over 1,400 airport lounges around the globe in more than 140 countries, you get a second office in all major airports. They include statement credits for airline fees, Dell purchases, Adobe subscriptions, and cell phone bills that together can run to more than $2,000 a year if you use them all. You’ll also receive automatic elite status with several hotel chains and rental car companies. That translates to room upgrades, late checkout, and no lines at the rental counter. This isn’t for startups or small operations. But for established businesses spending big on travel? The math can work.
U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect: The Underdog
Not as well known as the others, but don’t sleep on this one. You receive 4X points on travel purchases, and by that I mean pretty much all things travel-related, not simply flights and hotels. Gas for a road trip? 4X points. Parking at the airport? 4X points. It all adds up when you’re always on the go. The first-year annual fee is waived, then it’s $95. The welcome offer gives you 60,000 points after spending $6,000 in 180 days.
Brex Card: The Startup Special
Here’s something different. No personal guarantee needed; Brex does not ask for a personal credit check or security deposit during the application. That’s huge for newer businesses or those trying to keep personal and business credit separate. The catch? You need to meet capital requirements. Usually that means having $50,000 sitting in the bank or backing from professional investors. Points earn at decent rates: 7X on rideshare, 4X on travel booked through Brex, 3X on restaurants, and 2X on software. The card integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite, which makes bookkeeping less of a headache. It’s a 30-day charge card with no foreign transaction fees. Perfect for the best business credit card for international travel situations where you’re hopping between countries regularly.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business: The Domestic Flyer’s Friend
If you’re hopping around the US all the time, Southwest’s card is worth a look. You get 3 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases and at Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners. All other spending earns 1 point per dollar. The practical stuff is part of the $199 annual fee. You receive four upgraded boardings a year, allowing you to secure overhead bin space before other passengers board.
There are also 9,000 anniversary bonus points just for holding onto the card. Here’s the kicker: Southwest’s Companion Pass. By using this card for spending and booking flights, you can essentially bring someone with you for free, only paying the taxes and fees. For business owners who travel frequently with a partner or employee, that’s game-changing. And there are no foreign transaction fees and no blackout dates when you book with points. Southwest goes where small businesses really need to go—midsize cities that the major carriers might skip.
Hilton Honors American Express Business: The Hotel Person’s Card
Not everybody’s flying all the time. A few business owners, meanwhile, are piling up hotel nights instead. If Hiltons are your thing, this card is worth a look. You receive 12X points at Hilton properties. That’s absurd. Even on the stuff you’d buy every day, like coffee or gas stations, you’re getting 5X points on your first $100,000 spent in these categories each year and then 3X after that. You’ll get automatic Gold status with Hilton, which normally comes with a $95 annual fee. That translates to room upgrades if available, free breakfast at most properties, and late checkout.
If you’re staying in hotels 20+ nights a year, Gold status alone is worth the cost. Quarterly statement credits of up to $60 for Hilton purchases add up to $240 annually. Do that math against the annual fee, and you’re paying basically nothing for card benefits if you are staying at Hiltons anyway. Spend $40,000 in a year and you jump to Diamond status. Now we’re talking serious perks: better room upgrades, lounge access at properties that have them, and all the other stuff that makes business travel less miserable.
What Actually Matters When Choosing
Annual fees get all the attention, but they’re not the whole story. A $400 card that saves you $600 in lounge access and travel credits beats a free card every time. Think about how you actually travel. Flying one airline constantly? A co-branded airline card might make more sense than a general travel card. Staying at Hiltons or Marriotts every week? Hotel cards offer serious perks for loyal customers.
Foreign transaction fees matter if you’re doing international travel. Most business travel credit cards waive these, but always check. Getting hit with 3% on every international purchase adds up quickly. Employee cards are another consideration. Can your team earn rewards on their spending? Does that activity count toward your bonus requirements? Details matter here.
The Real Talk on Lounge Access
Airport lounges sound fancy, but they’re practical. Free food and drinks save money. Quiet spaces to work or take calls beat sitting at a crowded gate. Good wifi that actually works is worth its weight in gold when you’re trying to finish a proposal before boarding. Best business travel credit cards with lounge access typically cost more upfront, but calculate how many airport meals you’re buying each year. $15 here, $20 there, suddenly you’re spending hundreds on mediocre airport food. Lounge access pays for itself faster than you’d think.
Bottom Line
The right travel card can drop a few thousand dollars back into your business every year. The wrong one just adds another bill without much benefit. Capital One Venture X delivers serious value if you can stomach the fee and pay in full monthly. Bank of America’s no-fee option works great for straightforward earning without complications. Chase Ink Preferred hits the sweet spot for most small businesses.
Amex Business Platinum is for serious road warriors with budgets to match. Start with one card that fits your biggest spending category. You can always add more later as your business grows and travel patterns change. Just don’t fall into the trap of collecting cards for fun. Each one needs to earn its spot in your wallet.