If you’ve got a small business and want to spread the word, the days of cooking up print ads and billboards with Don Draper and the gang at Sterling Cooper are long gone. These days, online advertising is king.
Whether you're the head of a major company or simply running a side hustle, you're probably eligible for a business credit card. And no matter what industry you're in, online advertising is the gold standard … but it's not exactly cheap. So if you're shilling out big bucks each month to attract and retain customers, you should make sure you're rewarded with extra points and miles by using the right credit card to pay for it.
There are lots of great business credit cards on the market these days to choose from. But the best cards for online ad spending, by far, are the new *Sapphire Reserve for Business*, *biz gold*, and the *chase ink preferred*.
Let's take a closer look at these three cards and determine which is best for your business.
Read more: The Best Business Credit Card Offers Right Now
American Express® Business Gold Card
The American Express Business Gold Card is hands down one of the most rewarding business credit cards on the market today – and it's not particularly close. No other business card helps you earn earn more points in many useful business categories as Amex does with its Business Gold Card.
With the Amex Business Gold, you'll earn 4x Membership Rewards in your two most utilized business spending categories each billing cycle. The eligible categories include:
- Purchases at US media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
The card's 4x Membership Rewards earning is capped on the first $150,000 in combined spending each year in the top two monthly categories. Even with the cap, businesses still have quite a bit of opportunity to stack up some serious rewards.
That means if you spend $100,000 a year on advertising and another $50,000 on software and cloud services for your business, you'd earn a total of 600,000 Membership Rewards points: 400,000 for your online ads and 200,000 points for software and cloud services. Even if you don't spend nearly that much on advertising, electronic goods, or one of the other eligible categories, that multiplier is tough to beat.
On top of piling up points on your ad spending, you'll also get some other useful business credits and travel related benefits with the card. The biggest of which is a monthly statement credit of up to $20 for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, GrubHub, or office supply stores. You'll also get a credit of up to $12.95 each month to cover the cost of a Walmart+ membership. If you're able to fully utilize both of these credits, they'll go a long way to offsetting the card's $375 annual fee (see rates & fees).
The card's purchase protection should give you some added peace of mind knowing that the new piece of equipment you just bought is protected against damage or theft for the first 90 days. And the card's lost or damaged baggage insurance, and trip delay protection, will protect you in the case of any future travel hiccups.
When it comes to using your rewards, you'll have the option to redeem for statement credits, gift cards, book travel through the Amex Travel portal, or our favorite option – transfer the points to one of the many Amex travel partners for even greater value.
So beyond the card being an obvious choice for your online ad spending, it's one you'll want to use for a good chunk of your other business purchases as well.
American Express® Business Gold Card Benefits
- Welcome Offer: bonus_miles_full
- Earn 4x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent in the two select categories where you spend the most each billing cycle (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each year). Eligible categories include dining, gas stations, advertising, transit, wireless providers, and electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 3x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on prepaid purchases for flights and hotels made through Amex Travel with your Business Gold Card.
- Global Assist Hotline: From lost passports, medical assistance, translation services, and missing luggage, you can call the hotline to help you when you need it the most. You're on the hook for any third-party service fees.
- The Hotel Collection: Get a $100 credit to use on eligible charges for The Hotel Collection stays of at least two nights, noon check-in, late check-out, and room upgrade, when available.
- Cell Phone Insurance: Get up to $800 per claim twice every 12 months in cell phone protection against covered theft or damage for you and your employees listed on your monthly cell phone bill when you pay for it with your Amex Business Gold card. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
- Annual Fee: $375 (see rates & fees)
Read our full review of the Amex Business Gold!
Learn more about the *biz gold*.
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
Chase has officially added a new premium travel card to its lineup – and it's one that small business owners (and points and miles aficionados) have been begging for … for years.
The new *Sapphire Reserve for Business* takes the core benefits of the bank's new-look *chase sapphire reserve* and sprinkles in a long list of perks and business-friendly benefits. Best of all, it comes with a monster bonus – plus a longer, six-month timeline to complete an (admittedly large) minimum spending requirement: Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first six months from account opening.
When it comes to earning points beyond the card's initial bonus offer, you'll earn 8x points on Chase Travel℠ purchases, 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct, 3x points on social media and search engine ads, and 1x on all other purchases.
Besides the big bonus categories for travel spending, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more rewarding card for your online ad purchases – something many businesses are spending big on these days. Unlike the other cards on this list, there's no cap to the amount of points you can earn on online advertising … it's truly unlimited.
Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Card Benefits
- Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first six months from account opening.
- Earn 8x points on Chase Travel℠ purchases
- Earn 5x points on Lyft rides through Sept. 30, 2027
- Earn 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
- Earn 3x points on social media and search engine ads
- Earn 1x points on everything else
- $300 annual travel credit that is applied towards purchases of flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises and more
- $500 credit for stays with The Edit by Chase Travel: Get up to $250 in statement credits from January through June and again from July through December for prepaid bookings made with The Edit (two-night minimum stay required).
- Business Services Credits: Up to $1,200-plus in annual value, including
- $400 ZipRecruiter hiring credit ($200 semi-annually)
- $200 Google Workspace credit
- $100 Giftcards.com credit
- $300 DoorDash credit and complimentary DashPass (through Dec. 31, 2027)
- And $120 in annual Lyft in-app credits ($10 monthly)
- $120 statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus every four years
- Airport Lounge Access: Unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations (plus, two free guests) and entry to over 1,300 more lounges with Priority Pass Select
- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status: Cardmembers receive complimentary Platinum status through Dec. 31, 2027
- Excellent travel insurance policies for trip delay, trip interruption, rental cars, and more
- Payment Options: Pay in Full or carry a balance with “Flex for Business”
- Annual Fee: $795
Learn more about the *Sapphire Reserve for Business*.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Chase Ink Preferred is a really well-rounded card and an especially good one for racking up Chase Ultimate Rewards points – which can be much harder to earn than Amex points.
It earns 3x points in several key business categories such as travel, shipping expenses, phone & internet bills, and online advertising. Similar to the Amex Business Gold Card, the Ink Preferred's 3x points categories are limited to the first $150,000 in combined spending per calendar year.
On top of earning lots of points, the card also offers some rock-solid travel benefits and other protections for your business. And when it comes time to reap your rewards, the Ink Preferred allows you to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards in a variety of ways. You can use them to book travel at at least 1 cent per point in the Chase travel portal, or they can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to any of Chase's travel partners.
But if travel isn't your goal, you can also cash out your Ultimate Rewards at a rate of 1 cent per point, applied to your bill as a statement credit or even used for gift cards. This versatility makes the points earned on your online ad spending and all other business expenses all the more valuable.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Benefits
- bonus_miles_full
- Earn 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards for every dollar spent on travel, shipping, phone, internet, cable, and online advertising with social media sites and search engines, up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year.
- Earn 1x Chase Ultimate Rewards for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Travel Protections: With the card's trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you can be reimbursed up to $5,000 per person ($10,000 per trip) for pre-paid non refundable travel expenses if your trip is cancelled or cut short due to a covered event.
- Rental Car Insurance: Get primary rental car coverage when you're renting for business purposes and pay for your rental with the Chase Ink Preferred.
- Purchase Protection: Cover your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Cell Phone Insurance: Get up to $1,000 per claim in cell phone protection against covered theft or damage for you and your employees listed on your monthly cell phone bill when you pay for it with your Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card.
- Foreign Transaction Fees: None
- Annual Fee: $95
Learn More about the *chase ink preferred*
Which Card Is Best for Online Ad Spending?
On the surface, the Amex Business Gold Card is the best option for your online ad spending considering it can earn more points per dollar. But does that really tell the whole story?
It's tough to beat the possibility of getting 4x Amex Membership Rewards points for every dollar spent on online advertising with the Business Gold Card. But with a $375 annual fee, those additional points don't come cheap. By comparison, you could get 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards on that same amount of online advertising and only be out-of-pocket $95 in annual fees with the Ink Preferred.
If your business can max out that $150,000 in spending each year on ads or other categories, that extra point per dollar can more than offset the higher annual fee. But the math will likely be different for every business.
The Sapphire Reserve for business also earns 3x points for online advertising purchases, but there's no cap on how much you can spend. If your business spends big in this category – really big – this is likely the best option of all.
Of course, the card comes with the highest annual fee of all: $795. But you can make it much more tolerable by taking advantage of the card's annual $300 travel credit, annual $500 hotel credit (through The Edit), and the up to $1,200 in business services credits. Plus, you'll get access to Chase Sapphire Lounges (and Priority Pass Lounges), instant hotel elite status, and more.
Another thing to keep in mind: What other categories your business is spending a lot on?
If your business does some online advertising but it's not one of your two highest spending categories each month, you might be left earning 1x on all of those purchases instead of the possible 4x Membership Rewards points. In that case, you'd be much better off getting 3x with one of the Chase cards and taking advantage of its other bonus categories as well.
And really, maybe you don't need to decide which card is best. If your business spends big in online advertising, but also makes big purchases for travel, gas, dining, and other business expenses, perhaps the best move for your company is to have two of these cards at your disposal!
Still not sure which card is right for you? Read our head-to-head comparison for a full breakdown on both cards!
Bottom Line
These days, the most efficient way for businesses to reach their customers is through online advertising. That doesn't come cheap.
The American Express Business Gold, Sapphire Reserve for Business, and the Chase Ink Business Preferred are business cards that award extra points for online advertisement spending – among other big expense categories – that could easily make sense for a small business owner.