Key takeaways
- As a business owner, having access to credit can streamline your cash flow, enable you to grow more quickly and offer valuable rewards.
- To keep your business and personal finances separate, you may not want to apply for a business credit card with your personal Social Security number (SSN).
- Depending on the size of your business, you may be able to apply for a business credit card using your employer identification number (EIN) only, though opportunities are rare and may be difficult to qualify for.
When you apply for a business credit card, most issuers will ask for your Social Security number (SSN) as part of the application process. It means that applying for a business card will result in a hard inquiry on your personal credit report, which is something not every business owner is comfortable with.
If you’re looking to apply for a business credit card without revealing too much personal information, however, there’s a workaround that allows you to pick up a business credit card with just your employer identification number (EIN). All you have to do is apply for a corporate credit card instead of a small business credit card. Corporate cards, despite having stricter application requirements, often allow applicants to apply with an EIN instead of an SSN.
This guide will break down whether it’s possible to get a business credit card without using your SSN, as well as which cards to look into when you’re ready to apply.
Can you get a business credit card without an SSN?
In almost every case, you’ll fall short when applying for a business credit card without an SSN. Most small business credit cards require a personal guarantee, meaning you’re personally responsible for any debt that your business cannot pay off. This is why credit card issuers often check your personal credit before issuing you a business credit card or small business loan — and, in order to perform a hard credit inquiry on your personal credit, they need your Social Security number.
Leslie Tayne, financial attorney and author of Life & Debt, says that applying for a business credit card without an SSN can be an arduous process.
“If you don’t have a Social Security number, you will have to fill out a great deal of paperwork and go through some bureaucracy. Even after that, you may still have a difficult time finding a business card lender that will approve you for a card without a Social Security number.”
— Leslie Tayne, financial attorney and author
When can you get a business card without an SSN? If you apply for a corporate credit card, you may not need to provide a personal guarantee. But corporate credit cards are different from small business credit cards, and a corporate card may not be the best fit for you, especially if you’re just starting your business.
Becoming eligible for a corporate card often requires annual revenue in the millions of dollars and at least 15 or more users of the account within the organization. Certain business structures are also required for companies who want to become eligible for a corporate credit card, and sole proprietors and small businesses rarely make the cut.
Benefits of getting business credit with an EIN only
Getting a line of business credit using your EIN instead of your SSN can be more beneficial than you might realize. If you’re a business owner who’s able to do this, you can:
- Keep your personal credit score from affecting your business credit eligibility: A business owner with a lower personal credit score could find it difficult to get a good business credit card, even if their business is doing well.
- Avoid issues with your business credit card bringing down your personal credit score: Lenders report small business credit card activity to both the business credit bureaus and the personal credit bureaus. This means your business credit card could appear on your personal credit report. If you miss a payment on your business card or run up high balances during low-cash-flow months, your business credit card activity could hurt your personal credit score.
- Keep your personal and business finances as separate as possible: While a small business credit card using your SSN can still help you separate your finances, they’ll always be tied together when it comes to your credit. Having a business credit card that’s tied to your EIN only will allow you to separate your personal and business finances even more.
- Avoid signing up for a personal guarantee: Applying for a business credit card that requires a personal guarantee means that you’re personally responsible for any balances added to the card. This includes credit card debt that your business cannot afford to pay off in full. Many business owners want to avoid this liability if possible.
- Build business credit effectively: Businesses have credit scores just like individuals do, and a card that’s tied to your EIN only will allow you to build up your business credit profile.
What business credit cards can you get with only an EIN?
Some credit card issuers allow you to apply for a business credit card with an EIN only instead of an SSN, but many will require an SSN for compliance purposes even if they don’t actually use it. Here are the types of cards you should look into if you want to use an EIN and avoid a persona guarantee:
- Corporate business EIN credit cards: Generally speaking, corporate cards have stricter application rules. In most cases, only certain types of businesses are eligible, and your business may need to earn a certain profit margin each year. Many issuers extend business credit with just an EIN, but only C-corps, S-corps, LLCs or LLPs registered in the U.S. are eligible to apply. If you’re a sole proprietor, you might have to work a little harder to find the right corporate card for your business.
- Corporate store cards: Why not consider a corporate store credit card at a store you frequent regularly? Some corporate store credit cards don’t come with a personal liability requirement, making them excellent EIN credit cards. Corporate store credit cards tend to offer specific perks like discounts on purchases, cash back options and points and rewards.
- Corporate gas cards: Another option is a corporate gas card or a fleet fuel card, which may allow your company to apply without a personal guarantee. Just remember that a corporate gas card or fleet fuel card will only work for purchases across a brand of gas stations and stores, so the utility of these cards is limited.
Best business credit cards to get with an EIN
If your business is eligible for the types of corporate cards previously mentioned, then this list can help you get started on your search for the perfect EIN business credit card:
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The Brex 30 Card* is a charge card with no annual fee that allows applications without an SSN and doesn’t require a personal guarantee. Your spending limit for the card fluctuates and is determined by your company’s equity and spending patterns, meaning it can get fairly high. Be aware, though, that it requires a linked business bank account with a minimum $50,000 balance, so it won’t be a fit for all small businesses.
The card also offers a variety of business discounts, as well as boosted rewards rates like:
- 7x on rideshares
- 4x on bookings through Brex Travel
- 3x on restaurant purchases
- 2x on software purchases
- 1x on all other purchases
These rates can be boosted by 1X points if you pay daily instead of monthly.
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The Ramp Visa® Corporate Card* is another no-annual-fee charge card that doesn’t require a personal guarantee. You don’t need to submit an SSN when applying for the Ramp Visa Corporate Card if you’re a business owner without an SSN — you will, however, need to provide a copy of your foreign passport and proof of your address. Owners who have an SSN are required to provide it for legal compliance purposes. The card does not report any activity to consumer credit bureaus, however.
With the Ramp Visa Corporate Card, you get unlimited digital and physical employee cards, plus integrated tracking software for expense matching. The card also offers a flat rate of 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases, making it a good choice for those who want straightforward rewards.
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You can get the Shell Small Business™ Card* with your EIN if your business takes in $1 million in revenue every year and has at least one year of business history.
This no-annual-fee card is part of Shell’s fleet card lineup and is the only card in that lineup that allows you to carry a balance as opposed to paying it off every month. Cardholders also get discounts at participating Jiffy Lube locations. Depending on the number of gallons purchased in a billing cycle, this card will also allow you to get up to 6 cents off per gallon at Shell stations.
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The Sam’s Club® Business Mastercard®* that doesn’t require a personal guarantee or SSN to sign up — provided your business meets certain criteria. That criteria includes being open for more than two years, having a certain number of employees and having sales revenue that exceeds $5 million annually. You must also have a Sam’s Club membership to carry the card.
With this card, you’ll earn boosted rewards rates such as:
- 5 percent cash back as Sam’s Cash on gas (on the first $6,000 per year, then 1 percent)
- 3 percent or 1 percent cash back as Sam’s Cash on Sam’s Club purchases, depending on your membership tier
- 3 percent cash back as Sam’s Cash on dining and takeout
- 1 percent cash back in Sam’s Cash on other purchases
Alternatives to help keep business finances separate
Keeping your business finances separate from your personal finances makes a lot of sense. After all, maintaining separate accounts for your business can help you stay organized for tax purposes, and it can keep you from accidentally merging business expenses with your personal ones or vice versa.
Having a separate business credit card can also help you earn rewards on specific business expenses as well as all your other spending. And some business credit cards offer perks geared specifically for businesses.
If the main driver for getting a business card with an EIN is your desire to keep your business finances separate from your personal finances, you don’t necessarily need an EIN-only card to do so. You can also consider applying for a traditional business card — especially one that doesn’t report to the consumer credit bureaus. You’ll need to list your SSN on your application, and you might still have to personally guarantee the card, but cards that fall under this umbrella won’t report your balances, your payments or other information to Experian, Equifax or TransUnion.
Reportedly, card issuers like Bank of America, Citi, PNC, U.S. Bank, BBVA and Wells Fargo do not typically report any of your business card activity to the credit bureaus — not even late payments or accounts in default.
This means that even though you’ll have to list your SSN on your business card application, a card like the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®* or the Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card* could be worth considering.
Should you apply for a business card with your SSN?
Since it’s difficult to get business credit with just an EIN, should you go ahead and apply for a business credit card using your SSN?
While doing so may not be ideal, this is often the best option for small businesses and sole proprietors who won’t be able to get a business card any other way. Not only can applying with your SSN get you access to a business line of credit, but you can also start building business credit, and the best business credit cards earn you rewards for each dollar you spend on your business.
Bankrate’s take:
You shouldn’t face a negative effect on your credit score if you use your card responsibly, never make a late payment and keep your business credit utilization ratio on the low side. Managing your credit card account this way will allow you to maximize your business credit card over the long run.
The bottom line
Technically, it’s possible to get a business credit card with just an EIN. But it’s not easy, and the eligibility requirements are stringent. It’s not a viable option for the vast majority of small business owners unless your business is large enough to be considered for a corporate card.
You’re better off applying for a top small business credit card with your SSN and either choosing an issuer that doesn’t report business card activity to the consumer credit bureaus or one that only reports delinquent behavior (which you should plan to avoid anyway).
If you apply with your SSN, you’re typically moving forward with a personal guarantee on any debt you put onto your business card. This may not be the outcome you hoped for, but you shouldn’t have to worry about that personal guarantee so long as you pay your bill on time and use credit responsibly.
*The information about the Brex Card, Ramp Visa® Corporate Card, Shell Small Business™ Card, Sam’s Club® Business Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® and the Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
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