Most people assume business credit cards are off limits unless you have an LLC, employees, and a revenue-generating company.
That's not how it works.
If you've ever sold anything, freelanced anything, or made money outside a W2 — you likely qualify. And business cards carry some of the best signup bonuses in the game.
What Counts as a Business
The IRS has a broad definition of "business activity," and credit card issuers follow it. Any of these qualifies:
eBay / Facebook Marketplace sales — selling items online = business income
Freelance work — design, writing, photography, consulting, tutoring
Gig economy — Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, TaskRabbit, Instacart
Side hustle income — lawn care, dog walking, babysitting, Etsy shop
Rental income — Airbnb, VRBO, renting a room
Content creation — YouTube, Instagram, newsletter monetization
Reselling — thrift flipping, sneaker resells, sports cards
You don't need an LLC. You don't need a business bank account. You don't even need to be profitable. You just need a legitimate business activity.
How to Apply
Sole proprietor, no LLC: Use your legal name as the business name and your SSN as the tax ID. This is totally normal and expected.
Have an LLC or EIN? Use those instead — same process, just swap the numbers.
Business address: Your home address is fine.
Revenue: Be honest but don't undersell. If you made $3,000 reselling last year, put $3,000. If you're just starting out, put an estimate of what you expect.
🔑 Pro tip: Write down exactly what you put on the application — business income, expenses, years in business, all of it — and save it somewhere permanent (a notes app, spreadsheet, wherever). Banks sometimes call to verify details, especially on higher-limit cards. If your answers don't match what you submitted, that's an instant denial. More importantly: when you apply for your next business card, you'll want to be consistent across issuers. Using wildly different numbers on a Chase app vs. an Amex app can raise flags down the line. Your "business profile" should be stable and repeatable. 30 seconds of record-keeping now saves you headaches on every future application.
Why Business Cards Are Worth It
They don't count against Chase 5/24. This is the big one. Business cards from any issuer — Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, and others — don't show up as personal cards on your credit report, so they don't add to your 5/24 count. You can stack them alongside your personal cards without burning slots.
The signup bonuses are massive:
Chase Ink Business Preferred: 90,000 UR (worth ~$1,800 in travel)
Chase Ink Business Cash: 75,000 UR after $6,000 spend
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: 75,000 UR after $6,000 spend
Amex Business Platinum: 150,000+ MR points (targeted offers)
Amex Business Gold: 100,000+ MR points
Earning rates are strong:
Ink Preferred: 3x on travel, shipping, advertising, internet/cable/phone
Ink Cash: 5x on office supplies and internet/cable/phone
Amex Business Gold: 4x on your top 2 spending categories (auto-adjusts monthly)
The Chase Ink Trifecta
If you're building a points stack, the Chase Ink cards are the core:
Ink Business Preferred — huge SUB, 3x on travel
Ink Business Cash — 5x on office/phone, free (no annual fee)
Ink Business Unlimited — 1.5x on everything, free (no annual fee)
All three earn Chase UR. All three are business cards — meaning they don't touch your 5/24 regardless of how many you stack.
Apply for them one at a time, spaced 3-6 months apart. Stack them with your personal CSP or Sapphire Reserve to unlock the full transfer partner network.
The One Catch
Chase will sometimes ask for documentation on business cards if something looks off. Keep a simple record of your business activity — a spreadsheet of eBay sales, freelance invoices, etc. You don't need a full accounting system. Just something to point to.
Next Step
If you've been sitting on a side hustle and not applying for business cards, start with the Chase Ink Business Preferred. It's the single highest-value card most people haven't applied for yet.
🔗 Is the annual fee worth it? → Fee Breakeven Calculator
🔗 What to do with 90,000 Chase UR → Points Valuation
— Austin 🤌