How to Get a Business Credit Card With an EIN Only (2024)

⏰ Estimated read time: 7 minutes

Most business credit card issuers require a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to check your personal credit. Corporate cards are an exception. If you want to get a business card using just an employer identification number, or EIN, a corporate card is likely your best best — especially if your goal is to avoid a personal guarantee.

But if that isn't the reason why you want to get an EIN-only business card, you may have other options.

Trying to separate your professional and personal finances? Any business credit card can help with that, if used appropriately. The same is true for establishing business credit for a new EIN. And if you’re unsure about your personal qualifications, secured cards and those that only do only soft credit pulls may also make sense.

Here’s more information about EIN-only business cards and how to get them, as well as other options that might be a good fit for your business.

Many EIN-only business credit cards are corporate cards. These cards place liability on the company, not you as an individual, and aren't available to sole proprietors. Applications will still likely ask for an SSN or other personal info. However, issuers typically use this information to verify your identity, not to determine approvals.

Traditionally, corporate cards have come from well-known brands like Chase and American Express. These cards often have lofty revenue and cash-on-hand requirements. However, financial technology companies now offer corporate cards that may have less strict qualification requirements. Some of the best options for those EIN-only cards include:.

Best for: EIN-only card for smaller businesses

Ramp Card

includes perks like spending controls, forecasting tools and automatic receipt matching. You must have at least $50,000 in a business bank account to qualify, and you must link that account to your Ramp Card when you apply. Read full review.

Best for: Startup business card with an EIN only

Brex is geared toward professionally funded startups and requires a bank balance of $50,000 to qualify ($1 million if you're self-funded). This card carries a decent welcome bonus and the opportunity for big rewards:

Earn points on every dollar spent with industry-leading multipliers: 7x on rideshare, 4x on Brex Travel, 3x on restaurants, 2x on software subscriptions and 1x on all other transactions. Earn 3x Brex Rewards points on all eligible Apple purchases through the link or your Brex dashboard.

Read full review.

Business fuel cards with EIN only

If gas is one of your business's primary expenses, a fleet card may be a fit. These cards are best for businesses that manage at least five vehicles and care more about tracking driver expenses than earning lucrative rewards.

You can apply for AtoB's secured fuel card with just your EIN, for instance. And while Coast's application asks for a Social Security number, the card doesn't require a personal guarantee and applying for it won’t affect your personal credit.

These business credit cards will ask for your Social Security number alongside your EIN when you apply. However, they only do soft credit pulls, so applying shouldn’t impact your personal credit score.

Best for: Spend management software tools

While the

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

does a soft credit pull to help determine approval, it does not require a personal guarantee (similar to other corporate cards). The

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

offers a wide range of credit limits — anywhere from $500 to $5 million — and a lower minimum bank account balance (at least $20,000), making it a potentially more accessible option for smaller companies than EIN-only options like Brex and Ramp. Read full review.

Best for: Cash back on all purchases

The

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

issued by WebBank is a traditional credit card, not a corporate card, so users can carry a balance from one month to the next if necessary. You will also need to personally guarantee any debt on the card. The

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

offers traditional business credit card rewards, like

1.5

% cash back on all purchases and a sign-up bonus. It’s available to users with fair credit scores — but not to sole proprietors. Read full review.

Other options

A number of business technology companies may also give you the option to get a business credit card through them, usually if you already use their services. These products include:

A secured business card is a good option for business owners with bad credit who don’t meet the financial requirements of a corporate card or the other options listed above.

While secured business credit cards don’t require a good credit score, you still need a taxpayer identification number — either a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number — to apply. You can’t apply with only your EIN.

The

First National Bank Business Edition® Secured Mastercard® Credit Card

reports card activity to Dun & Bradstreet, one of the three main business credit bureaus, so on-time payments will help build your business credit score. This secured card does require a credit check (personal credit) and security deposit (between $2,000 and $10,000 in multiples of $100) which dictates your credit limit. This card charges a $

39

annual fee.

Bank of America® Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard® Secured credit card

Bank of America’s Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Secured credit card earns unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You need to put down a security deposit (minimum of $1,000), which is equal to your credit limit. Bank of America will periodically review your secured card and may upgrade you to an unsecured card if and when you qualify. This card has no annual fee.

Most small-business cards require applicants to personally guarantee the debt on the card. In other words, you are still responsible for paying back any debt, even if your business goes under.

Card issuers use your personal credit score as a basis for approval and will use your SSN or ITIN to check your personal credit even if you also provide an EIN. Many small-business cards require good to excellent personal credit (typically FICO scores of at least 690).

Using your business's employer identification number, or EIN, when you apply for a business credit card is a smart play for many reasons. First, your EIN helps draw a clear line between business and personal expenses. It is also essential for establishing business credit history.

But if you're seeking an EIN-only business credit card in order to protect your personal credit, take heart: Activity on a business credit card typically won't affect your personal credit score unless your account is seriously delinquent.

Instead, most credit card issuers report business credit card information to commercial credit bureaus.

There are a few exceptions, though. For example, Capital One reports payment activity to both consumer and commercial credit bureaus for most of its business credit cards (the Capital One Spark Cash Plus and Capital One Venture X Business are exceptions). The effect can be positive or negative: If you make your payments on time and have a low credit utilization ratio (ideally less than 30%), then the account could improve your personal credit score. But if you miss payments and accrue substantial debt, it could drag down your score.

Regardless of whether your small-business card reports to the credit bureaus, the personal guarantee still applies: If your company goes out of business, you will be responsible for paying off the card.