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Business Credit Cards that Report to Consumer Credit Bureaus
| Credit Card Issuer | Positive Activity Reported To Personal Credit | Negative Activity Reported To Personal Credit |
| American Express | ✔ | |
| Bank of America | ||
| Capital One | ✔ | ✔ |
| Discover | ✔ | ✔ |
| Chase | ✔ | |
| Citi | ||
| U.S. Bank | ||
| Wells Fargo |
As a business owner, paying business expenses with a business credit card is a great way to earn rewards and get the most for your money.
But just because you want to earn rewards doesn’t mean you necessarily want your business credit card to end up on your credit report and potentially affect your personal credit history.
The good news is that most business credit cards do not report your business credit card activity to personal credit.
Many credit card issuers reserve the right to report late payments or default to your personal credit report (also known as your consumer credit reports). That’s why it’s important to pay on time and in full each month.
4 Business Credit Cards That Do Not Report Personal Credit:
As long as you are using a business credit card and not a personal credit card, most will not report to a consumer credit bureau, meaning it won’t show up on your personal credit report. Also see the difference between the two types of cards here: Business Credit Cards vs. Personal Credit Cards.
But each card will have its own rules, so you need to be careful when choosing a card. Make sure you understand exactly what each card will and won’t report and under what circumstances.
Bank of America Platinum Plus MasterCard Business Credit Card
This business card probably won’t be many small business owners’ first choice as it doesn’t offer cash back on eligible purchases.
But, it does have some features that might be right for some.
It offers a $300 statement credit if you make $3,000 in purchases in your first 90 days, an introductory 0% APR on your first seven billing cycles, and it allows you to provide your employees with employee cards at no additional cost.
Rewards include:
- Welcome bonus
- Free employee cards
- Travel accident insurance
- Annual fee: $0
- Personal guarantee required
PNC Cash Rewards Visa Signature Business Credit Card
If you are a small business owner who doesn’t need extra employee cards and wants to earn rewards with a business credit card, this could be a good option. While the card doesn’t offer extra employee cards at no cost, it does offer several benefits.
You get a 0% APR for the first nine billing cycles, a $200 bonus when you make at least $3,000 in qualifying net purchases during your first three billing cycles, 1.5% cash back on qualifying purchases, and travel benefits such as travel accident insurance.
Rewards include:
- 0% APR for the first nine billing cycles
- $200 qualifying bonus
- 1.5% cash back
- Travel benefits
- Annual fee: $0
- Personal guarantee required
Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card
The Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card offers cardholders the choice between earning points or cash back.
The cash back option allows cardholders to earn 1.5% back on eligible purchases, while the points option allows cardholders to earn 1 point for every dollar spent on eligible purchases along with 1,000 bonus points per billing cycle if $1,000 is spent on eligible purchases.
You also get a 0% APR for the first nine months and you can earn either a one-time cash or points bonus when you spend $3,000 in the first three months on eligible purchases.
Rewards include:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Up to 99 employee cards at no cost
- Choice between cash back or points
- Annual fee: $0
- Personal guarantee required
Wells Fargo Business Secured Credit Card
This credit card offers a credit line of $500 to $25,000 and the choice to earn points or cash back, along with other benefits.
Cardholders who decide to go with the cash back option can earn 1.5% on qualifying purchases.
With the points option, cardholders earn 1 point for each dollar spent on qualifying purchases and an extra 1,000 points per billing cycle when they make $1,000 worth of qualifying purchases.
Rewards include:
- Cash back or points reward options
- No foreign transaction fees
- Up to 10 employee cards
- Annual fee: $0
- Personal guarantee required
You can check out other secured cards here: Secured Business Credit Cards That Report to D&B.
When Do Credit Cards Report To Credit Bureaus?
Certain business credit cards report all your activity to your personal credit report, some do so only if you miss payments or default, and a few never report to personal credit.
The card issuer and the individual business credit card you select will determine what information is or isn’t reported. This is why it is important to do your research before choosing business credit cards.
Below is a table with a general overview of some of the major business credit card issuers and their general policies with regard to reporting business credit information to personal credit reports.
Different cards can have different reporting policies, so make sure you look at the terms of the credit card you want and double-check with the issuer.
Which Business Credit Cards Report To Which Business Credit Bureaus?
Business credit is similar to personal credit in many ways:
- You use a credit card to make purchases
- You make your monthly payments on time
- Your payment history is reported to the business credit bureaus or personal credit bureaus depending on the card and card issuer
- This information then:
- Shows up in your personal credit report and/or business credit report
- Is used to create your personal credit score and/or business credit score
So what is the difference between a personal credit bureau and a business credit bureau? The answer is not a lot. In fact, personal credit bureaus like Equifax and Experian have business credit bureaus as well.
Dun & Bradstreet is a credit bureau that collects business information only. And TransUnion only collects consumer credit information.
But no matter what credit bureau is collecting the information, they are only going to receive and compile pertinent information from outside sources.
This means that even though Equifax may sell personal credit reports and business credit reports, the information is kept separate.
This is why it’s important to remember that the card you get will determine what or if payments are reported. Policies change, so make sure you ask the issuer if this matters to you.
The table provides an overview of which credit cards report to business credit.
The Business Credit Bureaus That Major Business Credit Cards Report To
| Credit Card Issuer | Dun & Bradstreet | Equifax | Experian | SBFE |
| American Express | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Bank of America | ✔ | |||
| Capital One | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Chase | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Citi | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Discover | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| U.S. Bank | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Wells Fargo | ✔ | ✔ |
How To Build Your Business Credit To Qualify For Business Credit Cards
If you want the ‘best business credit card’ that offers 0% APR, doesn’t have an annual fee, and has lots of rewards, you are probably going to need a good personal credit score. Most issuers check personal credit to qualify you for a business credit card.
However, they can help you build business credit if they report. Before you build business credit, make sure your business has been properly set up and you have your Employer Identification Number (EIN) and DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet, along with a business bank account.
Once you have things properly set up, you can begin building business credit. (Also see Business Credit Gas Cards as another option for building credit.)
A relatively simple way to build business credit without a business credit card is to find suppliers and vendors offering net 30 accounts that will report your purchases to business credit bureaus.
There are other subscription services that can help you build business credit. CreditStrong and Nav both have plans that help you build business credit.
The CreditStrong Business Credit Builder Loan allows business owners to make monthly payments toward a savings account that is reported as an installment loan.
Once the subscription is canceled or closed, the account owner will receive their savings back, minus interest or an administrative fee. This builds an installment account.
You may also be able to get a business loan from another lender or bank to help you build business credit. Here is a list of cards to check out as a startup business: Startup Business Credit Cards with No Credit.
Whether you decide to get a loan, net 30 account, use a service, or go another route to build business credit, you need to make sure you are making full payments on time.
FAQs
Do Business Credit Cards Show On Personal Credit Report?
The credit card’s terms and conditions will determine if your business credit card shows up on your personal credit report.
Certain business credit cards will report all your activity, some will just report negative/default information, and others will report nothing.
Your situation and reason for getting the business credit card will help you determine what kind of personal reporting you want in a business credit card.
But due to the fact that there are so many different business credit cards, each with its own reporting standards, it’s also important to do your research when it comes to business credit cards.
How Do I Build Up My Business Credit Without Using My Personal Credit?
It can be hard to build up your business credit without using your personal credit, especially if you have a new business. But there are several ways to do it.
First, you need to make sure that your business is properly set up.
● Make sure your business entity is set up properly
● Have an EIN and DUNS number
● Aquire a bank account for your business
Once your business is set up properly, you can begin obtaining financing for your business through lines of credit, loans, business credit cards, etc.
By getting financing and making your payments on time, you will begin to build business credit.
Does A Business Line Of Credit Affect Your Personal Credit Score?
A business line of credit in most cases will not affect your personal credit score.
Different factors such as how your business is set up and whether you have signed a personal guarantee for the line of credit can determine how or if a business line of credit affects your personal credit score. However, most don’t report to personal credit.
Sources:
https://www.bankofamerica.com/smallbusiness/education/business-credit-score/
https://financebuzz.com/which-business-credit-cards-report-personal-credit
https://firstlawcomic.com/does-wells-fargo-business-credit-card-report-to-dun-amp-bradstreet/
Also Read:
- Do Business Credit Cards Affect Personal Credit?
- Tillful Reviews: The Pros and Cons of This Innovative New Business Credit Card
- Is It Illegal to Use a Business Credit Card for Personal Use?
- How Do Business Credit Cards Work?
Sydney Englund is a horse crazy girl who loves to travel. After graduating with a degree in Finance and Economics she decided to put the two together and pursue a Masters degree abroad in Financial Economics. When not outdoors she loves to bargain hunt and find ways to make her money go further.