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How to get the best deal on a business credit card
Maximise interest-free/cash flow days
The number of interest-free days available on a business credit card ranges from a maximum of 55 all the way down to zero, according to Money.com.au’s database. The difference here matters a lot.
A card with no interest-free days will charge interest from the transaction date, even if you pay your statement balance in full. By contrast, a card with up to 55 days interest-free gives you up to 25 days to pay your bill after after the end of the statement cycle with no interest accruing on purchases.
Compare interest rates
Purchase rates on the business cards we compare range from 9.99% to 20.74% p.a. That’s a big difference if your business carries a balance.
For example, a $10,000 balance held for a full year at 20.74% would incur approximately $1,075 more interest than a low-rate card at 9.99%, assuming no change in the balance. If you expect to use your card for borrowing rather than simply paying it off each month, prioritise the purchase rate and check the cash advance rate too.
Look beyond the advertised annual fee
Annual fees in our business credit card database range from $0 to $1,750, but the headline fee doesn’t necessarily reflect what the card will actually cost. Some providers charge per card, while others include additional employee cards at no extra annual fee. For example, six cards on an account charging $175 per card would cost $1,050 a year before any other fees.
Compare the total cost based on the number of cards your business actually needs, plus other costs like international transaction fees. Also look out for business cards that offer no annual card fee if you reach a minimum spend per/year or month.
Consider all rewards earn rates
The ordinary points earn rates on business credit cards in Australia range from 0.4 - 2.25 points per $1 spent. But the everyday rate may not apply to every purchase.
Some rewards cards offer bonus points for overseas spending or purchases with selected partners, while others reduce the earn rate on government payments or once you reach a points cap.
Compare the rates based on how your business actually spends its money, rather than focusing on the headline earn rate.
Compare rewards value, not just earn rates
A higher earn rate also doesn’t always mean better value because the actual value of the points differs depending on the rewards program.
Our analysis shows Qantas or Velocity points often have the highest redemption value, but accessing these programs may cost more than a card provider’s own rewards program.
Think about what you’ll actually use the points for and assess the rewards programs based on that.
Choose the right credit limit
Too low a limit could restrict your ability to use the card to its potential and could mean incurring fees if you exceed your limit.
Too high a limit and your business’ borrowing capacity elsewhere could be reduced and you may be tempted to overspend.
It’s generally best to set a limit that matches your spending and future growth, rather than simply accepting the maximum limit calculated by the provider based on your situation.
How the RBA's credit card payment reforms are impacting business credit cards
Business credit cards are not immune to the reduction in rewards and benefits being announced by banks ahead of the RBA's payment reforms coming on 1 October. As a result, impacted business owners could have less valuable rewards, reduced cash flow flexibility and more limited insurance coverage through their credit card.Upcoming changes to business credit cards from major banks
ANZ - from 5 October
- The maximum interest-free period on ANZ Business Black and ANZ Qantas Business Rewards will fall from 55 to 44 days. This gives impacted businesses less time to pay their balance without interest charges.
CommBank - from 29 September
- The CommBank Awards program will close and be replaced by CommBank Yello points, with eligibility and earn rates dependent on customers using a CommBank transaction account.
- Business Gold Awards Card loses trip cancellation, baggage and personal goods, baggage delay, extended warranty and purchase security cover.
- Business Platinum Awards Card trip cancellation cover is halved from $5,000 to $2,500 for the cardholder and from $10,000 to $5,000 for the cardholder and family.
- Business Platinum Awards Card will also lose extended warranty, purchase security, guaranteed pricing and interstate flight inconvenience cover.
Westpac - from 30 September
- Altitude Business Gold’s earn rate will rise from 1 to 1.5 points per $1 on eligible domestic and international purchases, while the government earn rate will remain at 0.5 points.
- Altitude Business Platinum’s domestic earn rate will rise from 1 to 1.5 points per $1, its international rate from 2 to 2.5 points, and its government rate from 0.5 to 1 point.
- Rewards redemption rates are being cut across various categories.
- For example, the number of points required for a $100 eGift card rises from approximately 23,500 to 29,412 points, while the conversion rate from Altitude to Qantas points is increasing from 2:1 to 4:1.
St.George, BankSA and Bank of Melbourne - from 30 September
- Domestic earn rate will increase from 1 to 1.5 Amplify Points per $1.
- International earn rate will increase from 2 to 2.5 Amplify Points per $1.
- Government payment earn rate will double from 0.5 to 1 Amplify Points per $1.
- Rewards redemption rates for Amplify Points are being cut across various categories. For example, the number of points required for a $100 eGift card will rise from approximately 20,000 to 29,412, while the conversion rate when transferring Amplify points to KrisFlyer changes from 3:1 to 4:1.
NAB - already changed from 1 August 2026
- NAB Rewards Business Signature will no longer earn Points Booster bonuses at selected retailers, hardware stores or on overseas purchases.
- These transactions now earn the standard 1.25 NAB Rewards Points per $1, while eligible Webjet purchases continue to earn triple points.
Business credit cards in Australia by numbers: There are just over 513,000 active business credit card accounts in Australia and around 2.08 million individual cards on issue, meaning roughly four cards per account. The average business credit card spend on a single active account is around $22,870 per month. (Reserve Bank of Australia Payment Data – June 2026)
Other business credit card features explained
Additional employee cards
Business credit cards typically offer more flexibility to add additional cardholders for employees.
In some cases, the fee on the card is charged per card, in which case adding employee cards can get expensive.
But there are a number of cards that offer additional employee cards with no added fee, up to a maximum number of cards.
Top business cards for adding employee cardholders
| Card | Account fee per year | Fee per employee card | Number of additional cards with no extra fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card | $450 | $0 | 99 |
| American Express Business Gold Plus Card | $395 | $0 | 99 |
| American Express Platinum Business Card | $1,750 | $0 | 99 |
| Unity Bank Low Rate Business Credit Card | $50 | $0 | 5 |
| Westpac Altitude Business Platinum Mastercard | $200 | $0 | 2 |
| Westpac Altitude Business Gold Mastercard | $0 for first year, then $150 | $0 | 1 |
| CommBank Business Low Rate Credit Card | $0 | $0 | No max specified |
| Queensland Country Bank Business Visa My Rewards Credit Card | $85 | $0 | No max specified |
Employee spending controls
If you have more than one card connected to your account, some providers allow you to set individual spending limits, monitor transactions centrally, temporarily lock cards or restrict certain types of spending.
These features are worth prioritising if staff regularly make purchases on behalf of the business, particularly where you want to delegate spending without giving every employee access to the full account limit.
Accounting and expense management
Most business cards can connect to accounting software such as Xero or MYOB, but some require transactions or statements to be imported manually.
More advanced expense-management tools may allow employees to upload receipts, categorise purchases and submit expenses for approval. If your business has several cardholders, the ability to reconcile transactions automatically and identify who made each purchase may be more valuable than a small difference in the card’s annual fee.
Business and personal liability
Business credit card liability essentially refers to who is responsible for the card and any debt that is built up using it. There are three types of credit liability structure according to major Australian lender Westpac:
- Personal liability: This means the business owner is personally responsible for all transactions on the credit card account. This is a common option on small business credit cards.
- Joint and several liability: This is when multiple business owners or directors jointly take responsibility for the balance owing on the credit card facility.
- Business liability: The business itself is liable for the payment for all transactions on the credit card. The business owner does not need to take on personal responsibility for the debt. This is usually only an option with corporate cards available to larger businesses.
Sign-up bonuses
Around 1 in 4 of the business cards in our database currently have a sign-up points offer, with bonuses ranging from 25,000 to 350,000 points.
These offers can provide a substantial upfront benefit, but there’s usually a minimum spend requirement in order to qualify.
Complimentary insurance
Complimentary credit card travel insurance is only included on 16 of the 39 business cards in our database, so don’t assume it’s something you get by default.
For businesses, the important questions are whether employees are covered when travelling for work, whether business equipment and purchases are eligible and what conditions must be met to activate the cover.
Depending on the card, other protections offered with your business credit card may include purchase protection, extended warranty cover, price protection or cover for fraudulent or unauthorised transactions.
Airport lounge access
Lounge access is pretty rare on business cards, with only three of the products in our database (all Amex business cards) offering free passes. For businesses with frequent travellers, this can help offset the cost of a premium card, but the value depends on who can use the benefit, guest allowances and any enrolment or flight requirements.
Hotel and other travel benefits
Premium business cards may include hotel memberships, room upgrades, dining discounts or other travel benefits. The Amex Platinum Business Card, for example, includes an ALL Accor+ Explorer membership with an advertised annual value of $349.
These benefits can help offset a high annual fee, but only if your business is likely to use them. Check whether benefits are limited to the primary cardholder, require enrolment or involve additional spending, such as booking a paid hotel night alongside a complimentary one.
Business-specific partner offers
Some business cards provide discounts or additional rewards through selected suppliers, travel providers or business services. These offers can be useful when they match expenses your business already incurs, but they are less valuable if you need to change suppliers or spend more to access them.
Compare the actual saving against your existing arrangements and check whether the offer is ongoing, limited-time or subject to a minimum spend.
Use your rewards points well
Using your points well is just as important as maximising how many you earn. By far the most effective way to use points is to put them towards business costs you would be incurring anyway – for example upgrading computers, purchasing office supplies or paying for business-related travel (either directly or by transferring them to an airline rewards program if your credit card allows that).
Converting points to gift cards or cash generally offers a worse conversion rate (versus the dollar equivalent of paying for a flight with points, for example), but is a handy option if you are out of other ideas. You’ll generally get a better conversion rate with a gift card versus cash.
Another popular option is to bank up points until the end of the financial or calendar year and put the points towards staff gifts.
Pros and cons of using a business credit card
Pros
- Useful cash flow tool: particularly cards offering a high number of interest-free days
- Rewards and perks: In some cases the rewards earned will be greater than the card fees. Travel perks in particular can be valuable for businesses.
- Expense tracking: Using a business credit card for spending can be a good way to separate your business and personal expenses.
- Employee cards: Business credit cards often allow for additional cards that can be issued to employees who regularly incur business expenses.
Cons
- High interest and fees: Compared to a business loan, a business credit card can be an expensive way to borrow money
- Rewards can be hit and miss: If you don’t maximise the rewards available (many businesses don’t) your card will likely be a net cost.
- Impacts borrowing capacity: Even if you don’t use the card, the limit will be viewed as a liability for future loan applications.
- Can be harder to qualify for: Some credit cards require your business to have a relatively high turnover and good credit to qualify.
Is a business credit card your best option?
Fi Ahlstrom, Commercial Finance Broker at Money.com.au
“A business credit card can be useful for managing day-to-day expenses, earning rewards or even smoothing out short-term cash flow, particularly when a business can pay the balance in full and take advantage of the interest-free period. But for larger amounts where the business needs to carry a balance over time, a line of credit may be a more suitable option. Depending on the lender, a line of credit typically offers a structured repayment arrangement where part of each repayment reduces the principal and avoids interest compounding. The key is to choose the facility based on how the business actually uses credit, rather than focusing solely on rewards or the headline interest rate.”
Fi Ahlstrom, Commercial Finance Broker at Money.com.au
Is a credit card better than a business line of credit?
Depending on what you need the funds for, a business line of credit could be another business finance option that offers ongoing access to cash flow. The features are similar to how credit cards work, albeit you won't have a physical card with a business line of credit.
The table below shows the key features of each, according to Money.com.au Commercial Finance Broker, Fi Ahlstrom.
| Business credit card | Business line of credit | |
|---|---|---|
Purpose | Access to an ongoing credit facility, usually for day-to-day spending | Access to an ongoing credit facility to plug cash flow gaps |
Limit | Relatively low (usually the max is $50,0000 - $100,000) | Higher limits up to $2 million with some lenders |
Interest rates | Can be quite high (up to 25% p.a.) | Usually around 10-20% p.a. depending on creditworthiness |
Fees | Annual card fees, foreign exchange fees, additional cardholder fees, cash advance fees, late payment fees | Establishment fee, ongoing line fee, late payment fees |
Interest-free / cash flow days | Up to 55 | Usually none |
Rewards and perks | Yes | No |
Am I eligible for a business credit card?
Not all businesses will qualify for a business credit card. Bear in mind too that eligibility can come down to aspects of your business and you as a business owner.
Generally speaking, you must:
- Be aged 18 years or over
- Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- Be a Director or Controller of the business
- Have a valid ABN registered for GST (minimum trading requirement may apply)
- Have a good credit history with no payment defaults
- Meet the lender’s requirement for minimum business turnover (e.g. $75k per year)
- Some providers may exclude applicants that have outstanding ATO repayments
How to apply for a business credit card
You can usually apply for a business credit card online in minutes. You’ll need to have a few key pieces of information handy:
- Information about your personal income, and your business revenue and expenses
- Details of your assets and liabilities
- Your driver licence or other ID
- Details about the ownership of your business as it appears on ASIC (for the Director and/or Beneficial Owner)
- Depending on the lender you might also need to provide contact details for your accountant or the company’s financial secretary.
