This roundup of the best business credit cards in Canada was last verified in August 2026. Annual fees, rewards rates, and welcome bonuses change periodically — confirm current details on the issuer’s official page before applying.
Putting business expenses on a personal credit card makes bookkeeping harder than it needs to be — and it means missing out on rewards built for how businesses actually spend. The best business credit cards in Canada earn points or cash back on things like gas, office supplies, and travel, while keeping your business and personal spending cleanly separated. Here’s how ten of the strongest options compare, and how to figure out which one fits your business.
Short answer: A business credit card keeps business spending separate from personal spending, which makes bookkeeping and taxes simpler, and you usually do not need to be incorporated or have large revenue to qualify: several cards accept sole proprietors. Match the bonus categories (gas, travel, hotels, office supplies) to how your business spends, and check what the card costs from year two, since a waived first-year fee is common.Key points from this guide · last reviewed Sep 11, 2026
Best Business Credit Cards in Canada at a Glance
| Card | Best For | Annual Fee | Welcome Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMO Ascend World Elite Business Mastercard | Best overall | $175 (waived year 1) | Up to 150,000 points |
| BMO CashBack Business Mastercard | No annual fee | $0 | 10% cash back, first 3 months |
| RBC Avion Visa Business Card | New or small businesses | $120 | 35,000 Avion points |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business Card | Flexible travel rewards | $175 | Up to 100,000 Avion points |
| WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business | WestJet flyers | $175 | Up to 100,000 WestJet points |
| Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Business* Card | No foreign transaction fees | $199 (waived year 1 for some professionals) | Up to $2,600 in value |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card | Hotel stays | $150 | Up to 80,000 points |
| American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card | Frequent Air Canada flyers | $599 | Up to 95,000 Aeroplan points |
| American Express Business Gold Rewards Card | Consistent high spenders | $199 | Up to 70,000 points |
| American Express Business Platinum Card | Premium travel perks | $799 | Varies by offer |
Quick Tip: a business card’s annual fee often gets waived in the first year — factor in what it actually costs starting year two, not just the headline welcome offer, before comparing cards.
Why Use a Business Credit Card Instead of a Personal One?
In simple terms: a business credit card is issued in your business’s name (or yours as a sole proprietor) and is meant to be used only for business expenses — separate from your personal spending.
Why it matters: mixing business and personal purchases on one card makes bookkeeping and tax time significantly harder, and can complicate things if you’re ever audited. A dedicated card also means your business’s spending — not your personal spending — builds toward the rewards, and some issuers report business card activity to a separate business credit file rather than your personal one.
What this means for you: even a sole proprietor with no employees can usually qualify for a business card — most Canadian issuers just ask for your business name and structure, not incorporation. If you’re the only person spending on the card, the best business credit cards in Canada often overlap heavily with the best personal rewards cards; the real difference shows up once you add employee cards and start tracking business-specific categories like gas, shipping, or office supplies.
1. BMO Ascend World Elite Business Mastercard — Best Overall
The BMO Ascend World Elite Business Mastercard pairs a strong welcome offer with everyday bonus categories. It earns 4 points per $1 on gas, office supplies, cellphone, and internet bills, and 1.5 points per $1 on everything else. New cardholders can earn up to 150,000 BMO Rewards points (worth roughly $1,000), plus travel perks that BMO values at up to $2,175 in the first year combined. The $175 annual fee is waived for the first year.
Good to know: qualifying requires meeting one of several thresholds — $80,000 personal income, $150,000 household income, $250,000 in business revenue, or $400,000 in assets under management — so it’s more attainable than it might first appear. See the full BMO Ascend World Elite Business Mastercard review →
2. BMO CashBack Business Mastercard — Best No Annual Fee
If you’d rather skip the annual fee entirely, the BMO CashBack Business Mastercard earns 1.5% cash back on gas, office supplies, and cellphone/internet bill payments, and 0.75% on everything else — with no minimum income requirement to apply. New cardholders get 10% cash back on those bonus categories for the first three months.
Good to know: this is a reasonable default for a new or very small business that wants to start earning rewards without committing to a fee before revenue picks up. See the full BMO CashBack Business Mastercard review →
3. RBC Avion Visa Business Card — Best for New or Small Businesses
The RBC Avion Visa Business Card doesn’t publish a minimum business revenue requirement, which makes it one of the more accessible travel-rewards options for a newer business. It earns a flat 1 Avion point per $1 on all net purchases, and new cardholders get 35,000 Avion points on approval — RBC values this at up to $750 in travel. The annual fee is $120.
Good to know: the flat earn rate means there’s nothing to track by category — useful if your business spending doesn’t cleanly fall into “gas” or “office supplies.” See the full RBC Avion Visa Business Card review →
4. RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business Card — Best for Flexible Travel Rewards
Stepping up from the standard Avion Business card, the Infinite version earns 1.25 Avion points per $1 on the first $75,000 in annual spending, then 1 point per $1 after that. The welcome offer is structured in stages and can total up to 100,000 Avion points. The annual fee is $175, and qualifying requires meeting one of several thresholds, including $500,000 in business sales revenue or lower personal-income/spending alternatives.
Good to know: Avion points transfer to a range of airline and hotel partners, so this suits a business that wants travel flexibility rather than being tied to one airline. See the full RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business Card review →
5. WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business — Best for WestJet Flyers
Built for businesses that fly WestJet regularly, this card earns up to 6 WestJet points per $1 on WestJet flights, 3 points per $1 on WestJet Vacations, telecommunications, shipping, and electronics, and 1.5 points per $1 elsewhere. The welcome offer can total up to 100,000 WestJet points across several spending milestones. The annual fee is $175, with qualification based on business revenue (from $250,000) or personal income/asset alternatives.
Good to know: WestJet points are most valuable if your business already books WestJet flights regularly — free checked bags and priority perks add up fast for a team that travels. See the full WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business review →
6. Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite +* CardBusiness Card — Best for No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card stands out for eliminating the 2.5% foreign transaction fee most Canadian cards charge on purchases made in other currencies — a meaningful saving if your business buys from U.S. or international suppliers. It earns a flat 1.5 points per $1 on all purchases, and the welcome offer can be worth up to $2,600 in the first year, including up to 40,000 Scene+ points. The annual fee is $199, waived the first year for physicians, dentists, lawyers, and accountants.
Good to know: qualification includes a $500,000 business revenue option, or lower personal-income and spending-based alternatives. See the full Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card review →
7. Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card — Best for Hotel Stays
For a business that books a lot of hotel stays, this card earns 5 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3 points per $1 on gas, dining, and travel, and 2 points per $1 on everything else. The welcome offer is up to 80,000 points (70,000 after $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 after $1,000 in month 13), and the annual fee is $150. American Express doesn’t publish a minimum income requirement for this card.
Good to know: Marriott Bonvoy points can push you toward elite status faster, which unlocks free breakfast and room upgrades — a real perk for a business that travels often. See the full Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card review →
8. American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card — Best for Frequent Air Canada Flyers
This is a premium card built around Air Canada’s Aeroplan program: it earns 3 Aeroplan points per $1 on travel purchases and 1.25 points per $1 elsewhere, with a welcome offer that can reach up to 95,000 Aeroplan points. It carries a $599 annual fee ($199 per supplementary card) — a real cost that only pays off if your business regularly flies Air Canada and can use lounge access, priority boarding, and free checked bags.
Good to know: this card makes the most sense for a business owner or team that flies Air Canada often enough to use its travel perks — for occasional flyers, a lower-fee option on this list will likely earn out ahead. See the full American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card review →
9. American Express Business Gold Rewards Card — Best for Consistent High Spenders
This card rewards steady, high spending rather than specific categories: it earns 1 Membership Rewards point per $1 on everything, plus a bonus 10,000 points in any calendar quarter you spend $20,000 or more (up to 40,000 extra points a year). The welcome offer can total up to 70,000 points, and the annual fee is $199. American Express doesn’t publish a minimum income requirement.
Good to know: the quarterly bonus only pays off if your business consistently spends $20,000+ per quarter on the card — below that, the flat 1-point rate is fairly modest compared to other cards on this list. See the full American Express Business Gold Rewards Card review →
10. American Express Business Platinum Card — Best for Premium Travel Perks
The Business Platinum Card is a premium charge card built around airport lounge access, travel credits, and elite hotel status rather than category bonuses. It earns a flat 1.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 on all purchases, and carries a $799 annual fee — American Express advertises up to $520 in potential annual credits that can offset part of that cost if you use them.
Good to know: this card is worth the fee mainly for a business owner who travels often enough to use lounge access and travel credits regularly — otherwise the fee is hard to justify next to lower-cost cards on this list. See the full American Express Business Platinum Card review →
How to Choose the Best Business Credit Card for Your Business
- Match the card to how you actually spend. A card that earns extra on gas and office supplies is only valuable if those are real categories in your budget — look at your last few months of business expenses before picking a card.
- Check the qualification criteria. Several premium business cards on this list qualify based on business revenue, personal income, household income, or existing card spending — you often don’t need six figures in business revenue to apply.
- Weigh the annual fee against year-two value. A waived first-year fee is a nice bonus, but the rewards need to justify the fee every year after that.
- Consider employee cards. If you have staff who’ll also spend on the card, check the supplementary card fee and whether the issuer lets you set individual spending limits.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Business Credit Cards in Canada
Do I need to be incorporated to get a business credit card? No. Most Canadian issuers, including the ones on this list, accept sole proprietors — you typically just need a business name and some basic details about your business, not formal incorporation.
Will a business credit card affect my personal credit score? It can. Many Canadian business card issuers still require a personal guarantee and may check (and report to) your personal credit file, especially for a small or newly-formed business — check the specific card’s terms before applying.
Can I get a business credit card with no revenue yet? Often, yes. Several cards on this list — including the RBC Avion Visa Business Card, BMO CashBack Business Mastercard, and Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card — don’t publish a minimum revenue requirement, and premium cards often accept personal income or spending history as an alternative to business revenue.
Are business credit card welcome bonuses taxable? Points and cash back earned as a rebate on your own spending are generally not treated as taxable income, but rules can vary by situation — the Canada Revenue Agency is the authoritative source, and it’s worth checking with an accountant if your business is redeeming large amounts.
Key Takeaways
- A business credit card keeps business spending separate from personal spending, which makes bookkeeping and taxes considerably simpler.
- You usually don’t need to be incorporated or have six-figure revenue to qualify — several of the best business credit cards in Canada accept sole proprietors and offer alternative qualification paths.
- Match the card’s bonus categories (gas, travel, hotels, office supplies) to how your business actually spends, rather than picking the card with the flashiest welcome offer.
- A waived first-year annual fee is common — check what the card actually costs starting year two before committing.