Compare UK business credit cards: every card, fee and FX charge in one table
By Chris · First published 22 September 2026
Every UK business credit card we track, on one page: the annual fee, the representative APR as the issuer states it, the rewards and their conditions, the non-sterling fee, and whether a sole trader can apply. Each figure comes from the issuer’s own page, and the table was last checked on 15 September 2026.
How to read the table
Business credit cards in the UK are hard to compare because every issuer describes them differently. One quotes cashback “uncapped” and puts the monthly threshold three lines down. Another states an annual fee per card, a third per account. American Express’s charge cards have no representative APR because you are meant to clear them every month; Capital on Tap has no representative APR because it chooses not to publish one. This page puts all of them in the same columns, using the issuer’s own wording, so the conditions are visible next to the headline.
A few conventions. “Not stated” means the issuer’s product page does not say, not that the answer is no. Representative APRs include any annual fee, which is why a card with a large fee can show a startling figure even when its purchase rate is ordinary. Eligibility is the short version; the most important line in it for many readers is whether you must already bank with the issuer. Cards with a review on this site are linked to it; the others link to the issuer’s page, and none of those links pays us anything.
I have used one card in this table first-hand, for a few years, in a small UK agency: Capital on Tap, on its free tier. Everything else is research from issuers’ pages. If you want the opinionated version, with picks for sole traders, Avios collectors and frequent travellers, that is the best business credit cards UK roundup; for lounges, Avios and travel insurance specifically, see business credit cards for travel. This page is the reference behind it.
Business credit cards
These let you carry a balance from month to month at the card’s interest rate, although the usual arrangement, and Capital on Tap’s, is no interest on purchases if you pay the statement balance in full by the due date. That is how to run any of them; our guide to avoiding business credit card interest covers the mechanics.
| Card | Annual fee | Interest / representative APR | Rewards | Non-sterling fee | Sole traders | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital on TapNew Wave Capital Limited · the card we useApplyTakes you to capitalontap.com · Referral link | £0 annual fee | as low as 13.86% APR (variable); no representative APR published | 1 point per £1 (1% cashback), uncapped, no monthly threshold | 0% non-sterling transaction fee | No | Ltd, LLP or PLC; £24,000 minimum annual turnover; no minimum trading history |
| British Airways Amex Accelerating BusinessAmerican Express Services Europe Limited | £250 | 104.9% APR representative (variable), including the fee | 1.25 Avios per £1 (cut from 1.5 on 7 October 2026); 10,000 bonus Avios per £20,000 spent (up to three times a year) | 2.99% | Yes | Sole traders and small businesses with a UK business bank account; £20,000+ personal income |
| Barclaycard Select CashbackBarclays Bank PLC | £0 | 25.5% APR representative (variable) | 1% cashback, uncapped, but only in months when you spend more than £2,000 | 2.99% | Yes | Business owner or director, UK-based, turnover £10,000 to £6.5 million; sole traders accepted |
| Barclaycard Premium PlusBarclays Bank PLC | £150 per account | 54.3% APR representative (variable), including the fee | 0.5% cashback, capped at £400 a year; travel insurance when the trip is paid on the card | 0.99% | Yes | Turnover £10,000 to £6.5 million |
| Tide business credit cardTide Platform Ltd (credit broker, FRN 718743); the card is Capital on Tap's | £0 (it is the Capital on Tap free card, brokered by Tide) | "As low as 13.86%"; no representative APR on the page | 1% uncapped cashback, Avios conversion | 0% | No | Ltd or LLP only; around £2,000 a month turnover |
| NatWest Business Credit CardNational Westminster Bank plc | £30 per card; free in year one and waived with £6,000+ annual spend | 24.3% APR representative (variable); purchase rate 16.9% | 1% cashback on fuel and EV charging only | 2.95% | Yes | Existing NatWest business current account in the same legal entity; turnover up to £2 million |
| NatWest Business Plus Credit CardNational Westminster Bank plc | £70 per card | 29% APR representative (variable); purchase rate 13.9% | 3% fuel and EV, 2% trade supplies, 1% travel, 0.5% other; capped at £600 a year per account | 0% on purchases | Yes | NatWest business current account required; turnover up to £2 million |
| Lloyds Bank Business Credit CardLloyds Bank plc | £32 per cardholder; free for the first 12 months and waived with £6,000+ annual spend | 15.95% APR representative (variable); purchase rate 14.9% | 1% on fuel and EV charging, 0.5% elsewhere, in months you spend £2,000+ | 2.95% | Yes | Existing Lloyds business current account holder; sole trader, partner or director. Limits up to £25,000 |
| HSBC Commercial CardHSBC UK Bank plc | £32 per card, waived in year one | 22% APR representative (variable); purchase rate 15.9% | None | 2.99% | Yes | HSBC business current account required |
| Santander Business Cashback Credit CardSantander UK plc | £30 | 23.7% APR representative (variable); purchase rate 18.9% | 1% cashback, uncapped, paid monthly | 0% on purchases in the local currency | Yes | Existing Santander business current account; sole trader, partnership, LLP or Ltd with up to two partners or directors. Limits £500 to £25,000 |
| Metro Bank Business Credit CardMetro Bank PLC | £0 | 18.9% APR representative (variable) | None | 0% in SEPA Europe; 2.99% elsewhere | Yes | Metro Bank business or commercial current account required |
| Zempler Bank Business Credit CardZempler Bank Limited | £0 | 21.9% APR representative (variable) on the web page; the linked summary box says 29.9% representative and a maximum limit of £5,000 | 1% cashback on the first £100,000 of eligible spend a month | 2.99% | Yes | Sole traders accepted |
| Funding Circle Cashback Business Credit CardIssued by Monavate Ltd (EMI, FRN 901097) for Funding Circle | £0 | 34.9% APR representative (variable); from 14.9% | 2% cashback for 6 months (capped at £2,000), then 1% uncapped | 0% | No | Limited companies only; at least one year trading; £30,000+ turnover |
| Virgin Money Business Credit CardNationwide Building Society (trading as Virgin Money) | £0 in year one, then £28 per card | 27.7% APR representative (variable); purchase rate 21.9% | 1% cashback on eligible spend, uncapped (exclusions apply) | 2.95% (not charged on euro, Swedish krona or Romanian leu spend in the UK or EEA) | Yes | Virgin Money business current account required; trading for at least 12 months |
| The Co-operative Bank Business Credit CardThe Co-operative Bank p.l.c. | £24 | 21.8% APR representative (variable), including the fee; purchase rate 15.9% | None (the bank gives £1 per account per month to its Customer Donation Fund) | 2.75% | Not stated | Co-operative Bank business account holder required (closing it closes the card) |
| Bank of Scotland Business Credit CardBank of Scotland plc | £32 per cardholder; free for cards added in the first 12 months and waived with £6,000+ annual spend | 15.95% APR representative (variable); purchase rate 14.9% | 1% on fuel and EV charging, 0.5% elsewhere, in months you spend £2,000+ | 2.95% | Yes | Existing Bank of Scotland business current account holder; sole trader, partner or director |
| iwoca Credit CardIssued by Enfuce UK Limited (FRN 993783) for iwoca Ltd | £0 | 35.40% APR representative (variable); rates from 14.99% | 1% cashback on all spending, credited to the balance | 0% (Visa exchange rate) | No | UK limited company (the FAQ also says partnership), registered at Companies House |
Business charge cards
A charge card has to be paid in full each month. In exchange, the issuer can be more flexible about how much you spend, and the rewards and perks are usually richer, with an annual fee to match. In the UK this category is American Express. The practical differences are covered in business credit card vs charge card, and the two Amex cards are weighed against each other in Amex Business Gold vs Platinum.
| Card | Annual fee | Interest / representative APR | Rewards | Non-sterling fee | Sole traders | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Business GoldAmerican Express Services Europe Limited | £0 in year one, then £195 | Charge card: pay in full monthly. Optional Flexible Payment Option at 29.1% p.a. variable; no representative APR shown | 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 (2 per £1 with Amex Travel) | 2.99% | No | Ltd or LLP only; director or member; £20,000+ personal income. Sole traders are not eligible |
| American Express Business PlatinumAmerican Express Services Europe Limited | £650 | Charge card: pay in full monthly. Optional Flexible Payment Option at 29.1% p.a.; no representative APR shown | 1 point per £1 (2 per £1 with Amex Travel); £600 Amex Travel credit, £300 Indeed and £150 Dell statement credits | 2.99% | No | Ltd or LLP only; £35,000+ personal income. Sole traders are not eligible |
Debit and expense cards people compare with credit cards
These are not credit cards. They spend money that is already in the business account (or, for Pleo, money you have loaded), so there is no credit application, no interest and, with one or two exceptions, no rewards. They belong here because they are what many businesses use instead, and some are excellent for foreign-currency spending. Tide appears in the credit table rather than here because its business credit card is Capital on Tap’s card, brokered by Tide. The trade-offs are in business credit card vs debit card.
| Card | Annual fee | Interest / representative APR | Rewards | Non-sterling fee | Sole traders | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revolut BusinessRevolut Bank UK Ltd (FRN 981170) / Revolut Ltd (EMI, FRN 900562) | Plans: Basic £10, Grow from £30, Scale from £90 a month | No credit: "we don't provide credit, credit cards, or overdrafts" | None on card spend | Interbank rate within a monthly allowance (Basic £1,000, Grow £15,000, Scale £60,000), then 0.6%; +1% outside market hours | Yes | Sole traders and companies |
| PleoPleo Financial Services UK Ltd (EMI, FRN 1020730) | Start £8, Build £14, Optimise £18 per user per month (Build and Optimise billed yearly, 3-user minimum) | Prepaid e-money cards funded from your bank; an optional credit limit (£5k / £20k / £100k by plan) for eligible customers | None | 2.00% / 1.75% / 1.49% by plan | Yes | Companies of any size; priced per user |
| Monzo BusinessMonzo Bank Limited | Lite free; Pro £9 a month; Team from £25 a month | No business credit card | None | 0% on card spend | Yes | Sole traders and limited companies |
| Starling BusinessStarling Bank Limited | £0 account fee | No business credit card | None | 0%, Mastercard rate | Yes | Sole traders and limited companies |
| Wise Business cardWise Payments Limited (EMI, FRN 900507) | No subscription; one-off £50 set-up fee for full account features | No credit | None | Mid-market rate plus a conversion fee from 0.24%; free to spend a currency you already hold | Yes | Sole traders, freelancers, limited and public companies |
Compare by what you need
Most people arrive with one requirement that rules out half the table: they are a sole trader, they pay for software in dollars, they do not want to move their bank account, or the company was only incorporated last month. These pages start from that requirement and compare only the cards that meet it.
- Cashback cardsUK cashback business credit cards compared on rate, monthly thresholds, annual caps and fees, with the effective rate at different spend levels.
- No FX fee cardsUK business credit cards that charge 0% on non-sterling spend, the ones that charge 2.95% to 2.99%, and what the difference costs on USD software and travel.
- No annual fee cardsUK business credit cards with no annual fee, the waivers on £30-a-year bank cards, and the conditions that decide whether a free card is really free.
- For startupsWhich UK business credit cards a newly incorporated company can get: trading-history rules, turnover floors, bank-account requirements and personal guarantees.
- No bank switchMost high-street business credit cards require that bank's current account. These UK cards work alongside the account you already have.
- Employee cardsWhat UK business credit cards charge for employee cards, how many you can have, and the spend controls each issuer offers.
- Travel and Avios cardsUK business credit cards for travel compared: lounge access, Avios per pound, FX fees and travel insurance, with worked examples and who each card suits.
- For sole tradersCapital on Tap does not accept sole traders. Here are the UK cards and charge cards that do, what they cost and how to keep business spend separate.
- For limited companiesHow business credit cards work for UK limited companies: eligibility, personal guarantees, director liability, bookkeeping and choosing a card.
Head-to-head comparisons
When you are down to two, these go line by line through fees, rewards, FX, eligibility, employee cards and credit limits, and end with a table of who should choose which.
- vs Amex BusinessCapital on Tap against American Express Business Gold, Platinum and BA Accelerating Business: fees, points, acceptance, FX and who each suits.
- vs BarclaycardCapital on Tap compared with Barclaycard's business credit cards: fees, cashback, FX charges, eligibility and interest-free periods.
- vs Funding CircleCapital on Tap against the Funding Circle Cashback Business Credit Card: the 2% intro rate, eligibility, APR, cash withdrawals and who each suits.
- vs iwocaCapital on Tap vs the iwoca Credit Card from a business that holds both: the published APR, cash access, staff cards, Apple Pay, Xero sync and who each suits.
- vs high-street banksCapital on Tap compared with NatWest, Lloyds and HSBC business credit cards on fees, FX, rewards, eligibility and application effort.
- vs TideHow Capital on Tap compares with Tide's business cards and credit options: fees, rewards, FX, eligibility and what each is really for.
- vs Revolut BusinessCapital on Tap against Revolut Business: plan fees, FX allowances, rewards and why they solve different problems for a UK company.
- vs PleoPleo's expense-management cards against the Capital on Tap credit card: pricing, credit, receipts, FX and which suits a growing team.
- Amex Gold vs PlatinumAmerican Express Business Gold against Business Platinum: fees, statement credits, points, lounge access and the spend at which Platinum pays for itself.
Card reviews
The Capital on Tap review is first-hand. The iwoca review is mostly research with two first-hand findings, since we took the card out after launch. The others are researched reviews built from each issuer’s own pages, and they say so at the top; I have not held those cards and will not pretend to have.
- ReviewA first-hand Capital on Tap review from a UK agency owner: cashback, employee cards, accounting sync, and the credit-limit problem nobody mentions.
- Amex Gold reviewA researched review of the Amex Business Gold charge card: the fee after year one, Membership Rewards, acceptance, FX and who it suits.
- Barclaycard Select reviewA researched review of Barclaycard Select Cashback: 1% cashback only in £2,000+ months, the 2.99% FX fee, sole-trader eligibility and the published APR.
- Funding Circle reviewA researched review of the Funding Circle Cashback card: the intro rate and its cap, 0% FX, no cash withdrawals, eligibility and the representative APR.
- Santander Cashback reviewA researched review of the Santander Business Cashback Credit Card: the £30 fee, 1% uncapped cashback, no FX fee on purchases and the account requirement.
- iwoca reviewWe hold the iwoca Credit Card: four times our Capital on Tap limit, 1% cashback and 0% FX, but no Apple Pay and no automatic Xero feed. Who it suits.
What the table shows
Read across enough rows and some patterns stand out, and they are more useful than any single figure.
Bank cards usually require the bank’s current account. Of the 16 credit cards in our data, 9 say you must already hold a business current account with the issuer: NatWest Business Credit Card, NatWest Business Plus Credit Card, Lloyds Bank Business Credit Card, HSBC Commercial Card, Santander Business Cashback Credit Card, Metro Bank Business Credit Card, Virgin Money Business Credit Card, The Co-operative Bank Business Credit Card, Bank of Scotland Business Credit Card. If you are happy where you bank, the choice is often made for you, and it is worth checking your own bank’s card first. If you are not, the cards that stand alone are listed on business credit cards that don’t need you to switch bank.
Sole traders have options, just not the specialist ones. 12 of the credit cards accept sole traders. Capital on Tap and Funding Circle do not, and neither do the Amex charge cards. The sole trader guide goes through what is left.
The non-sterling fee is the most expensive line most people never read. Only a handful of the cards charge nothing on foreign-currency purchases: Capital on Tap and NatWest Business Plus Credit Card, Santander Business Cashback Credit Card, Metro Bank Business Credit Card, Funding Circle Cashback Business Credit Card, iwoca Credit Card. The rest charge around 3%, which on a business paying for US software, hosting or advertising can cancel out a 1% cashback rate several times over. The FX fee calculator puts a number on it for your own spend.
“Free” has conditions. 7 credit cards, including Capital on Tap, have no annual fee at all; several bank cards charge around £30 a card and waive it in year one or above a spending threshold. Cashback often comes with a monthly minimum or an annual cap. Both are spelled out on free business credit cards and cashback business credit cards.
How we keep it accurate
Every figure in these tables is held once, in a data file, with the URL of the issuer page it came from and the date it was read. The pages on this site import from that file, so when a bank changes a fee it changes everywhere at once. Capital on Tap’s figures are re-checked monthly against its card page, FAQ and credit agreement; other issuers are re-checked each quarter. Where an issuer’s page contradicts its own summary box, as Zempler’s did when we last looked, we show both rather than choose.
We do not quote comparison-site figures, and we do not fill gaps with guesses. If you spot something out of date, email us and we will check it against the source and correct it; the editorial policy explains how.
Frequently asked questions
How many UK business credit cards are there?
This page tracks 16 business credit cards (counting Capital on Tap once, since Tide’s card is the same product), 2 charge cards and 5 debit or expense cards that UK businesses commonly weigh against them. That covers the high-street banks, American Express, the specialist lenders and the app-based accounts. Some banks sell more than one card; we list the ones a small business is most likely to be offered.
Which UK business credit cards accept sole traders?
Most bank cards do, provided you hold that bank’s business current account: British Airways Amex Accelerating Business, Barclaycard Select Cashback, Barclaycard Premium Plus, NatWest Business Credit Card, NatWest Business Plus Credit Card, Lloyds Bank Business Credit Card, HSBC Commercial Card, Santander Business Cashback Credit Card, Metro Bank Business Credit Card, Zempler Bank Business Credit Card, Virgin Money Business Credit Card, Bank of Scotland Business Credit Card. Capital on Tap is not available to sole traders, and neither are the Amex Business Gold and Platinum charge cards or the Funding Circle card. Our sole trader guide goes through the options.
Which business credit cards have no foreign transaction fee?
In our table: Capital on Tap (0% non-sterling transaction fee), NatWest Business Plus Credit Card (0% on purchases), Santander Business Cashback Credit Card (0% on purchases in the local currency), Metro Bank Business Credit Card (0% in SEPA Europe; 2.99% elsewhere), Funding Circle Cashback Business Credit Card (0%), iwoca Credit Card (0% (Visa exchange rate)). Most other bank cards and American Express charge around 2.95% to 2.99%. The no-FX-fee page compares them properly.
Why does Capital on Tap show no representative APR?
Because it does not publish one. It advertises rates as low as 13.86% APR (variable), and your rate depends on your personal and business credit history and the Bank of England base rate. We do not repeat the third-party figures that circulate for it. Every other APR in the table is the issuer’s own representative figure, which for cards with an annual fee includes that fee.
Is this table sponsored?
No card pays to appear. The site earns a referral bonus from one card, Capital on Tap (7,500 points to each side when someone applies through our link), and says so on every page. Other cards are linked to their issuer’s own page with no tracking. Capital on Tap sits at the top because it is the card we use and the reason the site exists, not because the table is ranked.
Sources
- Capital on Tap Business Credit Card page
- Capital on Tap FAQ
- Capital on Tap Rewards Terms and Conditions (source last updated 8 June 2026)
- Capital on Tap homepage
- Capital on Tap: Business credit card rates and fees (guide, 22 April 2026) (source last updated 22 April 2026)
- Capital on Tap Revolving Credit Facility Agreement
- Capital on Tap Help Centre: Eligibility criteria for a Capital on Tap card
- Capital on Tap Refer a Friend Programme terms (source last updated 29 April 2025)
- American Express Business Gold: product page (American Express Services Europe Limited)
- American Express Business Platinum: product page (American Express Services Europe Limited)
- British Airways Amex Accelerating Business: product page (American Express Services Europe Limited)
- Barclaycard Select Cashback: product page (Barclays Bank PLC)
- Barclaycard Premium Plus: product page (Barclays Bank PLC)
- Tide business credit card: product page (Tide Platform Ltd (credit broker, FRN 718743); the card is Capital on Tap's)
- Revolut Business: product page (Revolut Bank UK Ltd (FRN 981170) / Revolut Ltd (EMI, FRN 900562))
- Pleo: product page (Pleo Financial Services UK Ltd (EMI, FRN 1020730))
- NatWest Business Credit Card: product page (National Westminster Bank plc)
- NatWest Business Plus Credit Card: product page (National Westminster Bank plc)
- Lloyds Bank Business Credit Card: product page (Lloyds Bank plc)
- HSBC Commercial Card: product page (HSBC UK Bank plc)
- Santander Business Cashback Credit Card: product page (Santander UK plc)
- Metro Bank Business Credit Card: product page (Metro Bank PLC)
- Zempler Bank Business Credit Card: product page (Zempler Bank Limited)
- Funding Circle Cashback Business Credit Card: product page (Issued by Monavate Ltd (EMI, FRN 901097) for Funding Circle)
- Monzo Business: product page (Monzo Bank Limited)
- Starling Business: product page (Starling Bank Limited)
- Virgin Money Business Credit Card: product page (Nationwide Building Society (trading as Virgin Money))
- The Co-operative Bank Business Credit Card: product page (The Co-operative Bank p.l.c.)
- Bank of Scotland Business Credit Card: product page (Bank of Scotland plc)
- iwoca Credit Card: product page (Issued by Enfuce UK Limited (FRN 993783) for iwoca Ltd)
- Wise Business card: product page (Wise Payments Limited (EMI, FRN 900507))
Figures last checked 28 October 2026. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it.
Related reading
- Best cardsThe best UK business credit cards compared on fees, rewards, FX and eligibility, with a clear view of who should choose something other than our pick.
- ReviewA first-hand Capital on Tap review from a UK agency owner: cashback, employee cards, accounting sync, and the credit-limit problem nobody mentions.
- FX fee calculatorWork out how much a typical 2.75% to 2.99% non-sterling fee costs your business on USD software and overseas suppliers, against a card with no FX fee.
- For sole tradersCapital on Tap does not accept sole traders. Here are the UK cards and charge cards that do, what they cost and how to keep business spend separate.