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Top 6 Best Business Credit Cards With No Personal Guarantee

Most business credit cards require an individual — often the business owner — to serve as a guarantor that the balance on the card will be paid. Whereas large companies can often offer their own assets as collateral for a line of credit, most small businesses don’t have that option.

A personal guarantee (PG) means the business owner or executive agrees to pay off the balance of the card with their own money if the business cannot. This might involve a hard inquiry on the owner’s credit report.

Image of a blue credit card amid a blue background

Here are some of the best business credit cards with no personal guarantee required: 

  1. Stripe Corporate Visa Card: Good for zero fees and partner discounts
  2. Silicon Valley Bank Innovators Card: Good for growing companies
  3. Brex Corporate Card: Good for different payment options and rewards 
  4. Sam’s Club Business Mastercard: Good for cash back and no annual fee
  5. Office Depot OfficeMax Business Credit Account: Good for business supplies
  6. Shell Small Business Card: Good for vehicle fuel and maintenance

1. Stripe Corporate Visa Card

Image of Stripe’s Visa credit card

The Stripe Corporate Visa Card is available to businesses that already have a Stripe account, which allows companies to accept payments online. There is no paperwork required to apply for this no-PG business credit card.  What’s more, according to Stripe, you can “get up and running with a virtual card in minutes.”

Nonetheless, you can’t expect to get a decent line of credit if you sign up for the card immediately after starting your first Stripe account. Your credit limit is determined by your payment processing history on the platform as well as your bank history, and it will only grow as your business grows and you generate more payment volume.

The Stripe Corporate Card is also invite-only. You can request an invitation online, but there is no guarantee that you’ll be accepted for the card.

Features of the Stripe Corporate Visa Card

  • No annual, foreign transaction or late fees 
  • No interest because balance is paid in full every month
  • Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every business purchase
  • Cash-back balance automatically applied to your monthly Stripe bill
  • Benefits with some of Stripe’s partners (e.g.,  $150 credit for Google Ads,  free 6-month Zendesk subscription, 25% off for 12 months of Slack subscription)

2. Silicon Valley Bank Innovators Card

Image of Silicon Valley Bank’s Business Mastercard

Another option to consider when you’re looking to apply for a business credit card with no personal guarantee is Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) Innovators Card, which is designed to be paid in full at the end of each month. As such, there are no interest charges. You’ll need to be an SVB banking client to be considered for the business card and can apply online to open your account.

Features of Silicon Valley Bank Innovators Card

  • No interest charges
  • No personal liability
  • No annual or employee cards fees
  • Earn 2 points per dollar spent towards statement credits, gift cards, travel rewards and merchandise, with no cap. Points add up faster when all your employees’ purchases roll up into a single rewards account.
  • Credit line increases available as your business needs change
  • Integration with digital payments and spend management tools, such as Intuit Quickbooks and Expensify

3. Brex Corporate Card

Image of the Brex Mastercard

Brex Inc. is a financial service and technology company headquartered in San Francisco. It provides credit cards and money management accounts to technology companies and startups.

When you’re searching for a no-personal-guarantee business credit card, the Brex Corporate Card, powered by the Mastercard network, is another one to consider.

Features of the Brex Corporate Card

  • No annual fees 
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Higher-than-average credit limits
  • Approval isn’t dependent upon credit scores or a security deposit
  • 2 business credit card with no PG options: 
    • Credit card paid daily: for companies of any size, no minimum balance (available with every cash management Brex account)
    • Credit card paid monthly: for eligible companies that meet certain size and revenue criteria
  • Up to 7-8 times rewards points, depending on card selected
  • Both cards report your payments to credit bureaus to help build your business credit

4. Sam’s Club Business Mastercard

Image of Sam’s Club Plus Member Mastercard

Sam’s Club is a membership-only retail warehouse where members can buy items in bulk at a discount. Consumers join Sam’s Club so they can save on items they need regularly, but Sam’s Club also provides supplies to businesses. There are nearly 600 Sam’s Club locations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

This Sam’s Club card is another option on our no-personal-guarantee business credit cards list. It can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted. 

If you want to apply for the account without a personal guarantee, though, there are some stipulations. According to the application form, your company must have more than $5 million in annual sales revenues, be more than 2 years old and have more than 10 employees. Partnerships and sole proprietorships must provide a personal guarantee to apply for the card.

Features of the Sam’s Club Business Mastercard

  • Can be used outside of Sam’s Club stores 
  • 5% cash back on eligible gas purchases on the first $6,000 spent, 3% cash back on dining and travel and 1% cash back on other purchases
  •  No annual fees 
  • Authorized users can be added to your account for free
  • Card is exclusive to Sam’s Club members and doubles as your membership card when you shop at Sam’s Club
  • Variable annual percentage rate of either 15.90% or 23.90%

What limit could you get on a line of credit?

Learn More

5. Office Depot OfficeMax Business Credit Account

Image of the Office Depot OfficeMax Business Credit Account card

Office Depot and OfficeMax merged in 2013 when Office Depot purchased OfficeMax, forming one of the largest office supply retail companies in the world. The Office Depot OfficeMax Business Credit Account is available without a personal guarantee and it comes with a card, but it doesn’t work as a traditional credit card. It only works at Office Depot and OfficeMax locations.

Features of the Office Depot OfficeMax Business Credit Account

  • No annual fee
  • Save $50 on your first purchase of $150 or more
  • Monthly detailed statements 
  • Free additional cards for other people at your business
  • Variable APR for purchases of 23.99%

6. Shell Small Business Card

Image of the Shell Small Business credit card

Royal Dutch Shell is an oil and gas company most recognized for its gas stations, which feature its iconic shell logo. The Shell Small Business Card is available for use at Shell gas stations and is another small business credit card with no personal guarantee required.

Features of the Shell Small Business Card

  • No monthly or annual fees 
  • Balance doesn’t have to be paid in full at the end of the month 
  • Rebates of up to 6 cents per gallon
  • Discounts on certain preventative maintenance services at participating Jiffy Lube locations

How Do You Apply for a Credit Card with No Personal Guarantee?

To apply for a business credit card with no personal guarantee, you’ll first need to ensure you meet the card’s requirements. Some providers list these requirements online, but you may also need to ask for more information.

If you believe your business meets the requirements for the card you want, simply fill out the application and submit it. You might need to fill out a paper application, but most providers allow you to apply online. In some cases, you could be approved in a matter of minutes and immediately start using your card.

Why Are Business Credit Cards with No Personal Guarantee Scarce?

Issuing business credit cards is risky because businesses fail so often. If there is no guarantee that the credit account will be paid off in full, the issuer could suffer a loss. Most issuers require one or more people within the business to guarantee they’ll pay off the balance on their credit account with their personal funds, even if the business goes under.

As such, business credit cards without a personal guarantee are rare. Most of the cards that are available are only for specific types of purchases, and many can only be used at a single retail location, such as a gas station or supply store.

Nonetheless, if you qualify for a business credit card without a personal guarantee, you might be able to access a substantial line of credit without putting your personal wealth at risk. Even if you don’t qualify for a card that can be used for any type of purchase, you can still take advantage of perks at the stores your business uses most often.

Erin has more than 15 years’ experience writing, proofreading and editing web content, technical documentation, instructional materials, marketing copy, editorials, social copy and creative content. In her role at Fast Capital 360, Erin covers topics of interest to small business owners, including sales, marketing, business management and financing.
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