Best Instant-Approval Business Credit Cards

There are numerous reasons why opening a small business credit card can be beneficial. From travel rewards and benefits to financial flexibility in the face of the unexpected, the right credit card can help you manage cash flow, grow your business, and potentially earn you a few perks along the way. In this article we’ll talk about instant approval business credit cards—or at least nearly-instant approval.

But what if you don’t already have a card on hand and you need to make a purchase or want to take advantage of a particularly appealing welcome offer?  Do you have to wait a few days, or even weeks, before you find out if you’re approved?

Thanks to advancements in technology and the increasing speed and efficiency of the digital world, there are several business credit cards on the market with quick application and approval processes. Some of the leading business credit cards are listed below.

What Does Instant Approval Really Mean?

Technology has made nearly-instant credit card approvals possible, but only in some cases. Most credit card issuers won’t even label their credit cards “instant approval” because some applicants may be approved with the click of a button, while others may require a manual review or an automated review that can take hours or days to complete.

There are a few things you can do to make the approval process as fast as possible for credit card issuers. 

  1. First, be sure that none of your personal credit reports have a freeze or fraud alert on them. This can make for a longer application process as you may need to provide the issuer a code to allow them to review your credit history or you may need to lift the freeze entirely. If you’re unsure whether there is a freeze or fraud alert on your credit reports, you can call the major consumer credit bureaus to find out.
  2. Second, ensure your credit reports are in tip-top shape. Items like bankruptcies and judgments will throw a red flag up for the issuer, even if they’re from years past and could have a negligible impact on your scores today. And if there’s any inaccurate information on your credit reports, you should take the time to dispute it. 
  3. Lastly, pre-approved or pre-qualified offers can help speed up the approval process, as the lender has already taken a peek at a sample of your data and deemed you potentially a good match. Still, you should never take a pre-approval or pre-qualification as a guarantee of approval.

Before you apply, keep in mind that “instant” also doesn’t mean guaranteed. In some cases, a credit card application may go into pending status while it’s reviewed or the credit card company requests additional information.

If a quick and easy approval process is just one factor that may drive your decision, you may want to also peruse our business credit card marketplace to help you filter and search through top options based on additional qualifiers like credit score and issuer.

Instant Approval vs. Pre-Approval

Instant approval means that the process of reviewing your application is very quick. While not literally instant, these applications should result in a decision within a minute or so. On the other hand, a pre-approved credit card application is one that’s been sent to you based on your credit history and credit score meeting a pre-defined profile. 

For example, a card issuer could be looking for new applicants in your state who are small business owners and who have a credit score of 700 or above. The card issuer will purchase a list of qualified people from one of the consumer credit bureaus, and send you a pre-approved offer. 

Being pre-approved doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to be approved, it just means that what the card issuer knows about you is consistent with the profile of those they would like to acquire as new customers.

Business Credit Cards with Fast Approval

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card – Best for Hotel Stays

If you’re looking for a business credit card to cover some upcoming travel expenses, and you want to stay in the American Express family, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card may be a good fit. Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 11/1/23.

With this card, you can earn 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. 2x points on all other eligible purchases.

The card does have a $125 annual fee, but with membership perks like a free night stay after your card anniversary and automatic Silver Elite status in the Marriott rewards program, it’s easy to merit the annual fee. The cardholders also access basic Amex benefits like extended warranties, purchase protection, and dispute resolution.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business – Best for Everyday Use

Prefer miles to points or cash back? Then you may want to consider the Capital One Spark Miles for Business. With this card, you can earn 2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere.. There are no seat restrictions, blackouts, or minimum redemption requirements.

This card also offers a solid sign-up bonus including 50,000 Miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. Capital One miles can also be redeemed for airline miles or hotel points. Plus, new cardholders have an annual fee of $0 intro for first year; $95 after that.

With a Capital One Spark Miles for Business, you’ll also be able to take advantage of other perks including fraud coverage and alerts, free employee cards, and travel and purchase protections like an auto rental waiver and extended warranties.

Capital One Spark Classic for Business – Best for Fair Credit 

Don’t have excellent credit but still want a business credit card with instant approval? When it comes to business cards for fair credit, there aren’t a lot of options, but Capital One Spark Classic for Business may meet your needs.

The Capital One Spark Classic for Business, which is designed for borrowers with average credit, offers users 1% Cash Back on every purchase and 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.. And, like the other Capital One Spark Cards, there’s no redemption minimum. That makes it a great starter business card that can be used for everyday purchases while building your credit.

Though there aren’t any flashy welcome offers, the annual fee is $0 and the foreign transaction fee? None!  You’ll also be able to take advantage of travel and emergency assistance services, the auto rental damage waiver, purchase security, and an extended warranty on eligible purchases. For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card – Best Airline Miles Welcome Offer

It’s not very often that you see credit card offers that feature six figures of bonus miles from a business credit card, but this card features a limited time offer. Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.

Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. There’s a $550 annual fee for this card. 

How to Get Instantly Approved for a Business Credit Card

Nearly all credit cards will offer online applications, which will offer approval to most qualified applicants in a matter of seconds or minutes after submission. However, there are several ways to help ensure that your application has the most chance of being approved. 

First, make sure that you’re applying for a card account that you’re qualified to be approved for. For example, many business credit cards will require excellent credit, and you won’t likely be approved if your score isn’t that good. However, there are business credit cards for those with good, fair or even bad credit that you can apply for. 

Regardless of your personal creditworthiness, there’s a business credit card that you can qualify for. For example, there are even secured credit cards for business that require the payment of a refundable security deposit before you can open an account. 

Next, make sure that all of your information is correct. For example, if you apply for a business credit card using an address not associated with your business, then it’s unlikely that you’ll receive instant approval. For instance, if your business is registered to your office address, but you apply using your home address, it could be a problem. And if your business has recently moved to a different office, then your application could be rejected if you haven’t updated your business address with the state your business is incorporated in. 

And if you fail to receive instant approval, you can quickly call the card issuer. Most major card issuers have a reconsideration line that you can call to discuss your application, and often receive approval over the phone. 

How Long Does it Usually Take to Get Approved?

Many credit card issuers will offer nearly instant approval when you submit an application online. If you’re not approved instantly, then you’ll often receive a letter in the mail within 7-10 business days. That letter may offer you approval, or it may give you reasons why your application wasn’t approved. However, if your application wasn’t immediately approved, you don’t have to receive the letter. You can call the card issuer’s reconsideration line to speak with a representative who often has the ability to approve your application. 

Can You Get Instant Approval with Bad Credit?

You can, but only if you apply for a secured card that offers approval to those with bad credit. Even then you must be able to document your identity, and have no pending bankruptcies or foreclosures.