The Best Business Card for a Big Purchase
The rate winner: Ink Business Premier
For pure cash return on a big buy, the Ink Business Premier leads. It earns 2.5% cash back on every purchase of $5,000 or more and 2% on everything else, which beats the flat 2% cards on any large transaction. The catch is that its rewards are cash back only and do not transfer to travel partners, and it carries a $195 fee, so it is a cash play, not a points play.
When the credit limit matters more than the rate
A very large purchase can exceed your credit limit, and that is where no-preset-limit cards win regardless of rate. The Spark Cash Plus has no preset spending limit and earns a flat 2%, and Amex business charge cards like the Business Platinum also flex to large amounts. For a five- or six-figure purchase, simply being able to put it on the card can matter more than the last half percent of rewards.
If you want transferable points instead of cash
Cash is not always the goal. The Amex Business Platinum earns 1.5x Membership Rewards on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to a yearly cap), and the Venture X Business earns 2x transferable miles on everything. At Cardocrat flat 1-cent valuation, 2.5% cash beats 1.5x points, but if you reliably get more than about 1.7 cents per Membership Rewards point on transfers, the Business Platinum can come out ahead on a big spend. See transferable points.
Frequently asked questions
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