How (Almost) Anyone Can Get a Business Credit Card

But I want you to stick with me for at least five minutes here , because opening business credit cards is a really important strategy to understand if you want to level up your miles and points earning , and almost everyone I know actually can qualify in the eyes of the banks . Welcome back to Points for Normal People .

I'm Katie and I'm here because I know that travel costs add up , especially for a family , but I believe that travel isn't just for the rich , especially for a family . But I believe that travel isn't just for the rich .

That's why , on Points for Normal People , I share the tips and tricks that my family has been using for over a decade to help you use your everyday expenses and credit card welcome offers to supercharge your travel points so that you can pay for entire vacations every year .

We've already talked a little bit about the specific business credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards , since that rewards ecosystem is our focus in Season 1 .

If you missed that , go back to Episode 12 , which is a discussion of every single card you can open to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards Essentially , how to earn Ultimate Rewards forever , and about half of the cards I featured in that episode are business cards .

Today we're going to talk about how the average person can qualify for those cards and , yes , we will talk about the tax implications , whether you own an LLC or other small business or not . I hope this episode will give you strategy tips for business cards in general and also specifically for Chase business cards . Let me first talk to you .

If you're thinking I don't have a business , this doesn't apply to me . You might be right , but almost everyone I know actually has something that they do on the side to make money , something that qualifies them for a business card in the eyes of the banks .

Maybe I just know a lot of people with a side hustle , but I also think this is very much a cultural phenomenon . The most important thing to understand first is that a business in the eyes of the IRS is not the same as a business in the eyes of a bank . So let's first use my business , katie's Travel Tricks , as an example .

Katie's Travel Tricks is incorporated as an S-Corp business in the state of Illinois . To do this , I had to and by me I mean my accountant had to fill out some paperwork , a bunch of paperwork . We had to register with the IRS as well and then receive this S-Core designation .

We also had to file for an EIN , for an employer tax ID number , and when I make estimated payments it tracks with the IRS . If you're thinking you need all that to qualify to open a business credit card , I can assure you that you don't . My business relationship with the IRS is complicated .

My business relationship with banks like Chase is not , and the banks and the IRS don't communicate . If I go open an Inc Business Preferred card , chase doesn't communicate that to the IRS . It's just like if I open a Chase Sapphire Preferred , chase doesn't communicate that to the IRS either , because that won't affect my personal taxes .

The only thing that is communicated to the IRS is if you are an interest on a bank account or if you are referring lots of people to credit cards . From your Chase credit cards you may get a 1099 form because it is essentially like earning interest in Chase's mind .

When you get a referral credit , this usually won't be sent to you until you have more than 60,000 points of referrals , but it is good to know if you refer your spouse to a few Chase cards from the cards that you have and you've earned 80,000 points , chase will send you a 1099 in January for $800 .

But as far as I understand , this is the extent of the communication between banks and the IRS . It only happens for these 1099s for interest or for lots of referrals . I like to say that up front because that's a big question I get . What are the tax implications ? And the answer is none .

For opening a business credit card Again , opening a business card doesn't notify the IRS and then they say aha , this person is telling Chase that they have a business and now we're going to go after them . It has no relation and , as I said , you don't have to have an official type business like an S-Corp or an LLC .

So if you don't have to have those , what else can qualify you ? Because most of you will fall into that . What else category and that's the fun part I have seen so many different types of side hustles approved for business cards and I think a lot of people have something that can be approved and they don't even realize it .

So I'm going to go through some of the most common ones that I see , but you're also welcome to send me a message if you are wondering if something you do qualifies for this or , even better , post a question to our Facebook group , which is full of helpful people .

I honestly think that business card deals are so good that if you don't have something that qualifies , I would actually recommend starting one of these things eventually so that you can have access to business card offers . If you're new you might think that sounds crazy , but if you've been at this a while , you probably see where I'm coming from .

Let's go over some of the more common ones . I see the way that we got started with business cards was with rental properties . We have a condo that we rent out and as a landlord we qualify for business cards for that business . A big one for a lot of people is just being a reseller .

Now I don't mean a high level reseller , I mean mean if you sell a few things a year on eBay or Amazon or Poshmark or Facebook Marketplace . Now , personally , I think Facebook Marketplace is the easiest one here , because so many people just sell old kids clothes or toys or couches and it's really easy to set up and sell a few things a year .

And as a point of reference of how much you have to do this things a year , and as a point of reference of how much you have to do this . I've seen people approved who put as little as $50 of annual business revenue as a reseller . So that's not that much stuff that you're selling on Facebook Marketplace to qualify . It's one thing a year .

Next up , we also have the category of MLMs . If you sell Beauty Counter or Young Living or Pampered Chef or have Usborne book parties , those would all qualify you .

If you're a freelance writer , if you're a consultant , if you're a tutor , if you're an Uber driver , all of these things are considered businesses from the perspective of a bank and can qualify you for a business card .

I put this question to my Instagram community to ask how they qualify for business cards and here is some of what they said Renting out a basement apartment to a disabled daughter , selling one or two vinyl records a year , selling books on Amazon through Amazon KDP , selling clothes on Poshmark , maybe making $100 a year Expenses for a W-2 job that the W-2 job

reimburses . Airbnb , travel agent , pet sitting , brewery , consulting , goat farming how fun is this ? Breeding goats and selling the babies . Vending machines , Bookkeeping , occasionally selling unwanted items on Facebook Marketplace booth at an antique mall , tax prep , private tutoring . As you can see , this is so varied .

There are so many options and a lot of them are extremely part-time . A lot of them would be easy to start if you don't do them already . So we've established that you probably qualify for business cards . Let's move on to talk more about the key advantages to business cards .

One big advantage is that it doesn't affect your personal credit score in the same way that a personal credit card does . You will generally see a hard inquiry when you apply for a business credit card . Will generally see a hard inquiry when you apply for a business credit card .

Now there is one exception here , which is that if you apply for an American Express business credit card and you already have an American Express account of any kind , even a personal kind , they often don't even pull your credit . But generally speaking , you will have a hard pull or hard inquiry appearing on your credit report when you apply for a business card .

The hard pull will show . But for most people , business cards won't end up showing as new accounts on your credit report and of course , there are some exceptions here as well . But Chase specifically does not report business cards to personal credit reports For the purpose of this season .

Then you're in the clear , because Chase business cards and some other banks as well , don't report to your credit report . That means that business cards don't affect your Chase 524 status either , even business cards from Chase .

I know a lot of you skipped episode five , which is tips and strategies on navigating Chase 524 , because I know it sounds boring , but I can tell you skipped it because I can see the download numbers compared to other episodes . But I promise you it has some really important information in there .

It's not just a recitation of the 524 rule , there's some strategy tips there in there . It's not just a recitation of the 524 rule , there's some strategy tips there . So , because these business cards don't report to your personal credit report , it also won't have any effect on your credit if you cancel them after a year .

So in terms of keeping your credit score strong , opening business cards can be a huge asset . Beyond supporting your credit score and keeping your 524 count lower , it's just going to give you a lot more card options and that means more points for you .

Now , this isn't always true , but I'd say , generally speaking , a lot of personal cards also have a business card version and usually you can get both . Like we discussed in an earlier episode , there's a Chase Sapphire Preferred as a personal card , but there's also a Chase Inc Preferred business card .

Or there might be a United personal card and a United business card , but there's also a Chase Inc preferred business card . Or there might be a United personal card and a United business card . So there are just a lot more options for earning .

And when it comes specifically to Chase Inc cards , which are the ones that can earn ultimate rewards points , these also have really generous referral bonuses . So , especially if you are in two-player mode with a spouse or a partner or a friend , you'll rack up even more points by referring back and forth to ink cards .

Now there's a few terms I want to go over as we're talking about this . I actually have a full video on YouTube walking through a business card application step-by-step so you can see what that's like , because I understand that the first business card application step-by-step . So you can see what that's like .

Because I understand that the first business card application feels really intimidating , so you can review that if you want extra help with that . But let's talk about some terms here . First let's talk type of business . This question is on the application and sole proprietorship is the designation that you will generally choose for your business card application .

If you have an LLC , you should know that and select that , and so you would do that . Instead , you are not going to be applying as a partnership , which is a category on there unless you have that specific business designation unless you have that specific business designation .

So even though my husband and I own our rental condo together , we apply for business cards as a sole proprietor for our rental condo . I actually made that mistake early on and had to call the bank and get it sorted out . Many applications also ask for an EIN . You can get an EIN if you want to . It's free to apply for one .

But if you don't have an EIN , you can also just use your social security number where it asks for an EIN , because as a sole proprietor , your tax ID is your social security number . I also want to touch on business name . Generally speaking , you can just use your first and last name . If you're a sole proprietor , your name is essentially your business name .

Occasionally , you'll be applying for a business card and you'll get a letter back that seems very intimidating asking you to verify the business information . If you're a sole proprietor , you won't necessarily have all the information or the documents that they initially asked for , but that's okay .

The first step if this happens is just to call the bank and remind them that you're a sole proprietor , so you don't have some of the documents that they're requesting , and that's why putting your name as the business name is the easiest , because it might be a matter of just sending in a copy of your social security card or your driver's license , and that can

verify your identity and your business . If this happens to you the extra verification again feel free to post a message in our Facebook group . A lot of our members have had this happen to them and can tell you exactly what documents they used to help push their application through .

Another very frequently asked question is about putting non-business spend on a business card . Is it legal or what are the implications ? And I'm going to explain this to you . As far as I understand it , sometimes you will see terms when you apply for a business card that says you must use the credit card for only business spending .

As far as I understand it , when banks are asking you to not do this , they are basically covering themselves for lawsuits due to some legislation I personally know . Almost everyone I know does put personal spend on business cards , and I've done this for 10 years and I've never had a problem . Remember the IRS and the banks .

Personally no , almost everyone I know does put personal spend on business cards , and I've done this for 10 years and I've never had a problem . Remember the IRS and the banks are not communicating . That being said , here's the legislation so you can make your own decision .

We wouldn't really be able to apply for business cards if we were limited to just putting business spend on them because we don't have enough business expenses to meet those minimum spend requirements . The big thing , as far as my understanding goes , is that business cards aren't protected by the Credit Card Act of 2009 .

That act focused on consumer or personal credit card protections . Personal cards now have more protections than business cards , like they don't have to alert you on a business card for certain rate increases . On business cards , they can retroactively increase rates .

These are some of the things that banks used to do on consumer or personal credit cards that banks are no longer allowed to do anymore due to the 2009 Credit Card Act , and my understanding is that banks tell you to not use these business cards for personal expenses because they have to make it clear to you that these aren't protected by the Credit Card Act in

the same way that a personal card is . Now , if you are a smart points earner , you should never be carrying a balance , so you shouldn't really care what your rates are or whether or not they increase , so that shouldn't matter to you .

I do have some more information in my article about business cards , about the credit card act and about business expenses , which I will link in the show notes , and you should , of course , always do what you're comfortable with . I've also noticed anecdotally that a lot of credit card offers will appear on business cards that aren't business related .

So a lot of those Chase offers or Amex offers that you see on your cards for a percentage back will be something that can't be a business expense , which sort of indicates to me that the banks expect that people are doing a mix of spending on them .

The most important thing that you do is keep your bookkeeping straight for your business , because your bookkeeping is what is most important to make sure you're doing your taxes properly for the IRS if you do have an LLC or other business where you're paying taxes . Let's wrap up with some key strategy tips that are specific to the Chase Inc cards .

First , how do you know which card to open and when ? There are three to mention , two of them don't have annual fees . Those are the Inc Cash and the Inc Unlimited . So , if you remember , these will technically earn cash back , but if you have a Sapphire card or an Inc Preferred card , earn cash back .

But if you have a Sapphire card or an ink preferred card , you'll be able to combine the points from the cash back inks and then transfer them out to travel partners . As of July 2024 , the Ink Cash and the Ink Unlimited have similar but not the same offers .

If you don't have a lot of spending in the next few months , you'll want the ink cash . That's because the welcome offer is a tiered bonus . At least it is right now . This could change . But with the tiered bonus that means that you earn your first half . So you earn $350 cash back when you spend $3,000 in the first three months .

And remember that $350 cash back is essentially 35,000 points as long as you have a Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred and you can move the points onto those cards . But then the Ink Cash , you can get another $400 cash back or 40,000 points after you spend another $3,000 .

So you have a total of six months to spend $6,000 , and that comes out to just $1,000 a month , which is doable for most people . So the ink cash is the card I'd suggest for a business card if your monthly expenses are about in that range $1,000 a month .

Now if you have a season coming up where you know you have more expenses , then you'll want to look at the ink unlimited . The ink unlimited also has no annual fee and as of July 2024 , you'll need to spend $6,000 in three months to earn a $750 cashback offer . Again , that can become 75,000 points .

That's a really good one if you have $6,000 in three months to spend , and then the next level would be if you have $8,000 of spending to do in three months . If that comes up , you'll want to jump on getting an ink preferred . The ink preferred does have a $95 annual fee , but it tends to always have the highest offer .

But with that high offer comes the highest spending required . For a few years the standard offer for this card has been 100,000 points , and that's a lot of points . But as I film this , we're seeing the highest ever offer for 120,000 points . This is actually the highest ever public offer for any Chase Ultimate Rewards card .

I'm planning to do a quick bonus episode explaining it more , but even if by the time you listen to it , that has passed the 100,000 point offer is a great way to earn a bunch of points . Ultimately , I think the guiding strategic factor here is which card can you comfortably meet the spending on ?

Don't push for a card that's above your spending threshold , but if you see a bigger expense on your horizon , apply for one of the higher spend cards . If you realize you can put daycare on a credit card , or tuition or maybe your property taxes , that's a good time to plan to open one of these whenever those bills are due .

Insurance would be another good time to think about these . I often pay my quarterly estimated taxes on a credit card , even if I'm going to pay a fee , because the return I'm getting the welcome offer I'm getting far outweighs this fee that I'm paying . So that's the first strategy component Get the card that matches your spending over the next three months .

It's nice right now because there are these three different options . So you can get the ink cash if you have lower monthly spending . If you have a medium monthly spending , you can get the ink unlimited and higher monthly spending , you would go for the ink preferred .

Next , a tip on velocity Even though these cards won't add to your 524 count , you shouldn't open one every 30 days . The general consensus is that you should not open more than four cards from Chase in any 12-month period . That includes business cards and personal cards .

So you still need to pace yourself and spread these applications out , even though they're not reporting to your credit report . In the same way , even if you have to do a ton of spending , if you're in a two-player household , that still leaves room for up to eight Chase cards in a 12-month period . And when I say 12-month I mean a rolling 12 months .

I don't mean apply for four Chase cards in December 2024 and four Chase cards in January 2025 , because technically they're different years . I mean applying for them no more often than about every 90 days .

One of the reasons I need to say these things is that , at least currently , the ink cards don't actually have specific terms on how long you have to wait to apply for another one . They also don't have terms on how many you can get .

So , if you remember , with the Sapphire cards , you can only get a welcome offer every 48 months , and if you have a Sapphire Preferred , you can't get a welcome offer on the Sapphire Reserve . These restrictions don't exist on the ink cards . You can get all of them and you can get all of them more than once .

So a lot of people are tempted to go application happy , but I still don't think this is the best practice . Personally , I think if you want to apply for the exact same ink card you already have , you are best off applying for it for a different business . To me , this is the easiest way to justify to the bank that you have different businesses .

And this is actually what a customer service rep told me . He was reviewing my application for a business card from Chase and said well , I can see that your business has three cards . Why do you need another ? And I explained that it was for a different business and I wanted to keep my bookkeeping expenses straight and separate .

And he was able to approve me but told me in the future that it helps on his end if he can see a distinct , different business name . So at some point you may want to differentiate like this .

And in fact , I did tell you to start off using your name as the business card , but you can also get an EIN for free and then you could have that as proof of your new name .

So I could create an EIN for Micah Holden RN , for my husband to differentiate , a credit card we are opening for his expenses related to his job , specifically as a contract nurse . I have a YouTube video with tips on applying for multiple ink cards and we'll link that in the show notes for more info there .

And the last strategy tip here is refer , refer , refer . Of course , if you are applying for your very first ink card , I appreciate it so much if you use my affiliate link to apply .

These are always in the show notes , but after that , after that first one , you can refer back and forth in your household and you can rack up so many points with these ink cards . So , like so many of these cards , if you are in two-person mode , you really need to think of your overall household strategy .

My action step today is simply to encourage you , if you've never opened a business card , to start to brainstorm if it might be possible for you . What little ways do you earn money that might qualify you ? Check out the resources I'm linking in the show notes if you're ready to apply Again . I have a full walkthrough of a business card application on YouTube .

I also have it in my free course and you can follow along with that on an application . Thanks so much for being with me today . I look forward to seeing you next time , where we can continue to unlock these secrets of travel points together .