You've been running your business for six months, maybe a year. Your personal credit is good (680+). You want a business credit card for a few reasons: separate business expenses from personal, start building business credit, and get sign-up bonuses.
Here's the right order.
Step 1: Register the business properly
You need the paperwork before you apply. If you're a sole prop operating under your own name, a card issuer will often still approve you, but you're leaving business credit benefits on the table. At minimum:
- File an LLC (or S-corp). About $200 depending on state. Delaware, Wyoming, Nevada are popular for anonymity; your home state is simpler.
- Get your EIN from irs.gov. Free, takes 15 minutes.
- Open a business bank account. Mercury, Chase Business, Bluevine are the most common. Takes a day.
Step 2: Get a DUNS number
Free from dnb.com. Takes 1–30 days (they used to charge for faster processing; the slow version is free). This is what Dun & Bradstreet uses to track your business credit. You can get a card without it, but you can't build real business credit without it.
Step 3: Open 2–3 net-30 vendor accounts
This is the step 90% of owners skip and regret. Open accounts with vendors that report to business credit bureaus:
- Uline — shipping supplies. Approves easily.
- Grainger — industrial supplies.
- Quill — office supplies.
- Crown Office Supplies — approves early-stage.
- Strategic Network Solutions — tech.
Buy something you'd buy anyway. Pay the invoice before the 30-day term is up. Three paid-on-time trade accounts over 60 days gives you the start of a PAYDEX score.
Step 4: Apply for the right first card
The entry tier. One of these will approve you with a 680+ personal FICO and 6+ months in business:
- Chase Ink Business Unlimited: 1.5% back on everything, $750 sign-up bonus ($6K spend in 3 months), no annual fee. Reports to business credit. Industry standard first card.
- Chase Ink Business Cash: 5% back on office supplies and utilities. Same sign-up. No fee.
- Amex Business Gold: harder approval (720+ FICO typical), but once in, Amex is the fastest way to build business credit. 4x points on top two spend categories.
- Capital One Spark Cash Plus: 2% back, $150 annual fee, charge card not revolving. Reports to personal credit — watch out if you'll carry balances.
The move for most new owners: Chase Ink Business Unlimited as card #1, then Chase Ink Business Preferred (annual fee, 3x points on business categories, big transfer partners) as card #2 nine months later.
Step 5: Don't open five cards at once
Chase will shut you down if they see you open too many cards too fast — this is their "5/24 rule" (five new accounts in 24 months auto-denies you from most Chase cards). Space openings 3–6 months apart.
Common rejection reasons
- "Not enough business history": usually means under 6 months in business. Wait and reapply.
- "Insufficient business revenue": card issuers want $3K–$5K monthly minimum typically. Report revenue honestly on the application — they don't verify at approval but will after if you draw high balances.
- "Personal FICO too low": 680 is the practical floor for most business cards. Below that, start with a secured business card (Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured).
After you're approved
Use the card. Pay in full before the statement closes. Within 6 months you'll have a real business credit profile — PAYDEX 80+ if you've been paying vendors on time too. At that point you're eligible for the real business funding: a business line of credit, SBA loan, or equipment financing. That's what we match you to.