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How to Get a Business Credit Card With an EIN Only

Corporate cards and fleet cards are among the few business credit cards available with only an EIN.
By Kimberly Palmer, Kelsey Sheehy
Last updated on March 15, 2024
Edited byRyan Lane

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⏰ Estimated read time: 7 minutes

Most business credit card applications require a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Corporate cards are an exception. If you’re shopping for a business card and want to use just an employer identification number, or EIN, a corporate card is likely the best choice.
But it’s potentially not the only choice for you, depending on why you want to get an EIN-only business card.
Trying to separate your professional and personal finances? Any business credit card can help with that, if used appropriately. The same is true for establishing business credit for a new EIN. And if you’re unsure about your personal qualifications, secured cards and those that only do only soft credit pulls may also make sense.
Here’s more information about EIN-only business cards and how to get them, as well as other options that might be a good fit for your business.

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EIN-only business credit cards

Many EIN-only business credit cards are corporate cards. These cards are only available to incorporated businesses and issued to your company, not to you as an individual.
Traditionally, corporate cards have come from brands like Chase and American Express. Their cards often have lofty revenue and cash-on-hand requirements.
However, financial technology companies now offer corporate cards that may have less strict qualification requirements. Some of the best options for those EIN-only cards include:.

Ramp Card

Best for: EIN-only card for smaller businesses

Ramp earns unlimited
1.5%
cash back on all purchases and includes perks like spending controls, forecasting tools and automatic receipt matching. You must have at least $75,000 in a business bank account to qualify, and you must link that account to your Ramp Card when you apply. Read full review.

Brex Card

Best for: Startup business card with an EIN only

Brex is geared toward professionally funded startups and requires a bank balance of $50,000 to qualify ($1 million if you're self-funded). This card carries a decent welcome bonus and the opportunity for big rewards:
Earn points on every dollar spent with industry-leading multipliers: 7x on rideshare, 4x on Brex Travel, 3x on restaurants, 2x on software subscriptions and 1x on all other transactions. Earn 3x Brex Rewards points on all eligible Apple purchases through the link or your Brex dashboard.
Read full review.

NerdWallet rating

3.7/5.0  

NerdWallet rating

3.1/5.0  

NerdWallet rating

2.9/5.0  

Annual fee

$0

Annual fee

$0

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

N/A

Regular APR

N/A

Regular APR

N/A

Intro APR

N/A

Intro APR

N/A

Intro APR

N/A

Recommended credit score

Recommended credit score

Recommended credit score

at Ramp

at Brex

at BILL Spend & Expense

Business fuel cards with EIN only

If gas is one of your business's primary expenses, a fleet card may be a fit. These cards are best for businesses that manage at least five vehicles and care more about tracking driver expenses than earning lucrative rewards.
You can apply for AtoB's secured fuel card with just your EIN, for instance. And while Coast's application asks for a Social Security number, the card doesn't require a personal guarantee and applying for it won’t affect your personal credit.

Options besides EIN-only business cards

These business credit cards will ask for your Social Security number alongside your EIN when you apply. However, they only do soft credit pulls, so applying shouldn’t impact your personal credit score.

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

Best for: Spend management software tools

The
BILL Divvy Corporate Card
offers a wide range of credit limits — anywhere from $500 to $5 million — and a lower minimum bank account balance (at least $20,000), making it a potentially more accessible option for smaller companies than EIN-only options like Brex and Ramp, making it potentially more accessible for smaller companies. Beyond that, the
BILL Divvy Corporate Card
includes powerful spend management tools and the potential for lucrative rewards (if you opt for weekly billing):
Earn up to 7x rewards on restaurants and 5x on hotels with weekly billing. Terms apply.
Read full review.

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

Best for: Cash back on all purchases
The
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card
is a traditional credit card, not a corporate card, so users can carry a balance from one month to the next if necessary. Plus, it offers traditional business credit card rewards, like
1.5
% cash back on all purchases and a sign-up bonus. It’s available to users with fair credit scores — but not to sole proprietors. Read full review.

Other options

A number of business software companies may also give you the option to get a business credit card through them, if you already use their services. These products include:
  • The Expensify Card from expense management platform Expensify isn’t really a credit card — you can only spend the money you have in your business account — but it allows your employees to make business purchases and offers cash back.
  • The Stripe Corporate Card and the Square Credit Card from payments providers Stripe and Square, respectively, offer invite-only corporate cards with credit limits based on your company’s payment processing history. Square says applying doesn’t impact your personal credit; Stripe doesn’t require a personal guarantee.
  • Shopify has a no-credit-check business card for eligible sellers on its e-commerce platform. Applicants need to provide a Social Security number to verify their identity, but Shopify says your personal credit won’t be impacted.

Secured business credit cards

A secured business card is a good option for business owners with bad credit who don’t meet the financial requirements of a corporate card or the other options listed above.
While secured business credit cards don’t require a good credit score, you still need a taxpayer identification number — either a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number — to apply. You can’t apply with only your EIN.

First National Bank Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card

The
First National Bank Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card
reports card activity to Dun & Bradstreet, one of the three main business credit bureaus, so on-time payments will help build your business credit score. This secured card does require a credit check (personal credit) and security deposit (between $2,000 and $10,000 in multiples of $100) which dictates your credit limit. This card charges a $
39
annual fee.

Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card

Bank of America’s Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card earns unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You need to put down a security deposit (minimum of $1,000), which is equal to your credit limit. Bank of America will periodically review your secured card and may upgrade you to an unsecured card if and when you qualify. This card has no annual fee.

Why can't you use only an EIN to get a business credit card?

Most small-business cards require applicants to personally guarantee the debt on the card. In other words, you are still responsible for paying back any debt, even if your business goes under.
Card issuers use your personal credit score as a basis for approval and will use your SSN or ITIN to check your personal credit even if you also provide an EIN. Many small-business cards require good to excellent personal credit (typically FICO scores of at least 690).

Will an EIN-only card affect your personal credit?

Using your business's employer identification number, or EIN, when you apply for a business credit card is a smart play for many reasons. First, your EIN helps draw a clear line between business and personal expenses. It is also essential for establishing business credit history.
But if you're seeking an EIN-only business credit card in order to protect your personal credit, take heart: Activity on a business credit card typically won't affect your personal credit score unless your account is seriously delinquent.
Instead, most credit card issuers report business credit card information to commercial credit bureaus.
There are a few exceptions, though. For example, Capital One reports payment activity to both consumer and commercial credit bureaus for most of its business credit cards (the
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
and
Capital One Venture X Business
are exceptions). The effect can be positive or negative: If you make your payments on time and have a low credit utilization ratio (ideally less than 30%), then the account could improve your personal credit score. But if you miss payments and accrue substantial debt, it could drag down your score.
Regardless of whether your small-business card reports to the credit bureaus, the personal guarantee still applies: If your company goes out of business, you will be responsible for paying off the card.
Best Business Credit Cards
ProductAnnual feeRewards rateIntro offerLearn more
Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

NerdWallet Rating 
5.0
Apply now

on Chase's website

$0 1%-5% 

Cashback

$750 
Apply now

on Chase's website

Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

NerdWallet Rating 
5.0
Apply now

on Chase's website

$0 1.5% 

Cashback

$750 
Apply now

on Chase's website

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

NerdWallet Rating 
5.0
Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

$150 2%-5% 

Cashback

$1,200 
Apply now

on Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

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Looking to earn rewards or build your credit? We’ll help match you to the perfect business credit card based on your qualifications.