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There are many advantages to having a small business credit card. The key to finding the right one includes examining your goals and your business spending so you can earn relevant rewards, and what kind of perks you’d like to have (i.e., would you prefer cash back or travel rewards?). Citi Bank issues several business options, one of which might speak to you. While there aren’t as many options the consumer cards, your decision may still be difficult as you narrow down your choices. This best Citi business credit cards guide can help break down your options.
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Best Citi Business Credit Cards
While the best Citi credit cards for personal use library is expansive, Citi offers two different business credit cards. One card earns travel rewards and the other earns cash rewards.
- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi
Interestingly, neither one earns Citi ThankYou points.
CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard
The information for the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® is Citi’s lone travel rewards credit card. It’s not a bad option if you want to earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles. Air benefits include:
- The first checked bag is free for you and up to 4 companions
- Preferred boarding for you and up to 4 companions
- 25% savings on in-flight American Airlines WiFi
- 25% savings on inflight food and beverage
These benefits apply to American Airlines flights.
Additionally, cardholders can earn:
- Earn 2x AAdvantage miles on American Airlines purchases
- Earn 2x AAdvantage miles for telecom merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants, and gas stations
- Plus, earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
Free checked bags and preferred boardings are the easiest benefits to redeem. The 2x purchase rewards categories can also make it easy to earn bonus miles if you rent cars or make gas station purchases. However, note that you will need an excellent credit score for this card.
Related: Best credit cards for American Airlines fliers
$99 Companion Certificate
Another benefit worth considering is the $99 companion certificate if you can spend $30,000. With this benefit, your companion’s domestic main cabin round-trip seat only costs $99 plus $21.60 to $43.20 in taxes and fees. This certificate isn’t the only reason to make $30,000 in card purchases, but it’s a nice reward to earn.
This is partly why it’s one of the best American Airlines business credit cards.
65,000 Bonus AAdvantage Miles
New CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® applicants have the chance to earn 65,000 bonus AAdvantage miles for a signup bonus. You can earn the bonus by spending $4,000 in the first 4 months.
You qualify for this bonus when you haven’t earned the bonus for this card in the last 48 months.
This bonus can be enough to book two round-trip main cabin flights within the contiguous 48 states and Canada (50,000 miles total). You may also book one first-class round-trip ticket within the United States.
If you want to splurge, you can book a one-way premium cabin award flight to Hawaii (55,000 miles), Europe (57,500 miles), or the Caribbean (25,000 miles).
Fees
The annual fee is $0 for the first 12 months, then $99. This is a reasonable annual fee compared to some of the other best small business credit cards. Plus, the card benefits can easily be worth more if you use them several times a year.
There are no foreign transaction fees.
Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card by Citi
The information for the Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Your business Citi cash rewards option is the Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi. However, you will also need to be a Costco member to have this credit card.
An annual Costco membership costs either $60 or $120, depending on your tier. The good news is you won’t pay an additional fee to own this card. There are also no foreign transaction fees.
If you don’t shop at Costco for business, this card won’t be a good fit. Choose a different cash back credit card instead to get the most out of your card.
However, if you do shop at Costco, your purchases earn up to 4% back:
- 4% back on eligible gas, including Costco gas, and EV charging purchases (on the first $7,000 in annual spending, then 1% back)
- 3% back on restaurant and eligible travel purchases worldwide
- 2% back on all Costco and Costco.com purchases
- 1% back on all remaining purchases
Your cash rewards deposit each February as a reward certificate. You can redeem the reward for cash or merchandise at Costco.
Costco Travel
Perhaps one of Costco’s best-kept secrets is their Costco Travel online booking site.
You can book these travel purchases:
- Flights and hotel packages
- Hotels
- Cruises
- Rental cars
Select offers let you earn Costco gift cards and other carrier discounts you may not get by booking directly from the carrier.
Business travelers may appreciate the rental car benefits. In addition to earning 3% back on Costco Travel bookings, Costco waives the additional driver fee for one driver. Costco Executive members ($120 per year) earn an extra 2% back on Costco and Costco Travel purchases.
The hotel room booking tool can also be useful if you want to stay at a Fairmont, Hyatt, or Swissôtel property.
Best Small Business Credit Cards
These two Citi business credit cards can be a good option if you want a co-brand credit card. But if you don’t frequent American Airlines or Costco, you should consider one of these best small business credit cards instead. Here are some examples.
Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
One of the best overall travel rewards credit cards is the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. You have flexible options to earn or redeem your rewards points.
You can earn 3x Ultimate Rewards on the first $150,000 in combined purchases for:
- Travel
- Shipping purchases
- Search engine and social media advertising
- Internet, phone, and cable services
All other purchases on the Ink Business Preferred credit card earn 1 point per $1.
Your points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash or gift cards. Each point can be worth 1.25 cents each for award travel. You can also transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to airline and hotel partners, including British Airways, United, Southwest, Emirates, and World of Hyatt. Transferring your points to British Airways lets you book partner flights on American Airlines.
New Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card cardholders can earn 100k bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
Related: Best Chase Business Credit Cards
The American Express Blue Business Cash Card
There are plenty of American Express small business credit cards. For cash rewards, consider The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card.
Cardholders earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases of up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement.
It also comes with Expanded Buying Power which gives cardholders the ability to spend beyond their credit limit. Remember, the amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors.
This card has no annual fee (See Rates & Fees).
The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
If you prefer earning travel rewards, you might consider The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. You earn 2x Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases, on the first $50,000 annually, then 1 point per dollar.
New The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express cardholders can earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after they spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within their first 3 months of Card Membership.
Cardholders can also enjoy more flexibility to use their card for more purchases and rewards when buying above their credit limit. The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors.
Points are most valuable when redeemed for award flights. There is a $0 annual fee (See Rates & Fees).
Related: Best American Express Business Credit Cards
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is a flat-rate travel rewards credit card. You earn unlimited 2x miles on all purchases. Rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel earn 5x miles.
Your miles can be redeemed for travel statement credits, book upcoming travel, or transfer to airline partners. Transfer partners include Avianca LifeMiles, Asia Miles, JetBlue, Emirates, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines.
Capital One also offers a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck for the primary cardmember. The annual fee is $0 for the first year and then $95 each card renewal.
Learn more: Business Credit Cards
FAQs
Are Citi Business credit cards worth it?
The Citi business credit cards might be worth it if you fly American Airlines or are a Costco member.
Citi presently offers 2 small business credit cards:
- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
- Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi
The CitiBusiness/AAdvantage offers free checked bags for up to 4 companions and purchases earn up to 2x AAdvantage miles.
The Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card earns up to 4% back on purchases. However, you must be a Costco member to get this card. Plus, your cash rewards only deposit each February as a cash or Costco merchandise credit.
What’s the annual fee for a Citi business credit card?
The annual fee for the CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select is $0 for the first 12 months and then $99.
The annual fee for the Costco Anywhere Visa Business Card is $0. However, you will need to purchase a Costco membership that costs $60 (Business) or $120 (Business Executive).
Does Citi report business credit card activity to your personal credit report?
CitiBusiness doesn’t report your business credit card activity to your personal credit report. This can also be true if your Citi business credit card defaults or is no longer in good standing. However, Citi may still require a personal guarantee to recoup your unpaid business credit card balance.
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For rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
