Which Business Credit Cards Do Not Report to Personal Credit?
A business credit card can provide significant benefits for your small business, but many card issuers report certain activity on your account to the consumer credit bureaus — and some report everything.
There are five major business credit card issuers that don’t report any of your account activity to personal credit, and there are a few others that only report if you’re behind on your payments.
Here’s what you need to know before you get your next company card.
5 Best Credit Cards That Do Not Report Personal Credit
Virtually all business credit cards require a personal guarantee when you apply, but not all of them report your balance, payments, and other account information to the consumer credit bureaus.
Here’s a quick summary of the major business credit card companies and how they report:
Business Credit Card Issuers and How They Report
| Card Issuer | Reports to Personal Credit |
| American Express | Only negative information |
| Bank of America | No |
| BBVA | No |
| Capital One | All account information* |
| Chase | Only negative information |
| Citi | No |
| Discover | All account information |
| PNC Bank | No |
| U.S. Bank | Only negative information |
| Wells Fargo | No |
*The Capital One Spark Cash Plus Credit Card only reports negative information. All other Capital One Spark credit cards report all account activity.
Just because a bank doesn’t report to personal credit doesn’t mean you’ll get good benefits. If you’re looking for a good card for your business and don’t want the account to show up on your personal credit report at all, here are some top options to consider:
- Bank of America Business Advantage Cash Rewards credit card
- Bank of America Business Advantage Travel credit card
- Costco Anywhere Visa Business Credit Card by Citi
- CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard
- Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card
Depending on which card you choose, you can earn cash back, points, or miles on every purchase you make. The cards also offer sign-up bonuses, which provide an incentive to start spending as soon as you open the account.
As you consider these and other business credit card options, compare rewards programs, welcome offers, interest rates, annual fees, and other features to find the best option for your business.
When Do Credit Cards Report to Credit Bureaus?
When it comes to business credit cards, credit reporting can vary depending on the card issuer and how you manage your account.
In many cases, the bank won’t report anything at all, so you can easily keep your personal and business financials separate. In other cases, the card issuer may report any late payments, or they may wait until you’re seriously delinquent before they report the account.
Finally, some card issuers, including Capital One and Discover, may report all of your account activity.
This means that the account will show up on your credit report once you open it, and your balance, credit limit, payments, and other information will all show up on your personal credit report.
If you use the account responsibly, it can help improve your credit score. However, if you regularly spend a lot and maintain a high credit utilization rate, it could damage your personal credit score, even if you pay your balance in full every month.
If you’re wondering why your personal credit is involved at all, it’s because most small business credit cards require a personal guarantee when you apply. This means that if your company can’t repay the debt it’s incurred, you’re personally liable for it.
That said, getting a card that doesn’t report information to your personal credit — or at least won’t report it unless you’ve missed a payment — may be an important way to protect your personal finances from your business dealings.
Which Business Credit Cards Report to the Business Credit Bureaus?
While having your business card report to personal credit may not be ideal, it is a good thing if it reports to the commercial credit bureaus.
In fact, business credit cards can be a great way to establish your business credit history because their eligibility requirements aren’t as stringent as traditional business financing options.
But as with personal credit reporting, business credit reporting can vary from card issuer to card issuer. Here’s a quick summary of some of the top business credit card companies and which commercial credit bureaus they report to:
Card Issuers and Who They Report To
| Card Issuer | Dun & Bradstreet | Equifax | Experian | SBFE |
| American Express | ✔* | ✔ | ||
| Bank of America | ✔ | |||
| Capital One | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Chase | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Citi | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Discover | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| PNC Bank | ✔ | |||
| Wells Fargo | ✔ |
*Amex reports only delinquencies to Dun & Bradstreet
The more commercial credit bureaus your business credit card is reported to, the better your chances of building a solid business credit score. Unfortunately, the card issuers that report to the most business credit bureaus also report some information to the personal credit bureaus.
Again, it’s a good idea to take your time to shop around and compare credit cards from various commercial card issuers to find the best fit for you based on your needs and your goals.
Build Your Business Credit History to Qualify for Business Credit Cards Without Using Your Personal Information
When you’re just starting out, you’ll have a hard time finding a business credit card that doesn’t require a personal guarantee.
However, as your business grows and your credit history improves, you may have the chance to open a corporate credit card, which typically won’t even require a Social Security number when you apply.
Using business credit cards can help you establish your business credit score, but it’s important to consider other options as well.
One of those options is a Credit Strong business credit builder account. With this account, you can create a five or 10-year loan and make on-time payments over that period. Once you’ve paid the loan in full, you’ll receive the loan funds.
Using an installment loan like a business credit builder account and business credit card can provide your business with more credit diversity, which can help you establish a good business credit score more quickly.
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