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When running a nonprofit organization, you want to focus your time and resources on your mission. The right credit card can help you do that. The best credit cards for nonprofits offer free employee cards, streamlined expense management and rewards that can offset the costs of running the organization.
While few credit cards are designed specifically for 501(c)(3) organizations, nonprofits are eligible for business credit cards. Below, CNBC Select evaluated top options so you can make the best choice for your nonprofit. (See our methodology for more information on how we made this list.)
Best for intro APR
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Rewards
Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year (then 1%); 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year (then 1%); 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
Annual fee
Intro APR
0% for the first 12 months from account opening on purchases; N/A for balance transfers
Regular APR
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
Credit needed
Pros
- No annual fee
- Free employee cards
- Cash back geared toward popular business expenses
- Special financing offer for purchases
Cons
- 3% fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S.
Best for travel rewards
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Rewards
Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
Annual fee
Intro APR
Regular APR
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
Credit needed
Pros
- Free employee cards
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase TravelSM
- 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs
- No fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S.
- Generous welcome bonus worth up to $1,125
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- No introductory 0% financing offers for purchases or balance transfers
Who’s this for? Any nonprofit looking to save on travel expenses can receive a lot of value with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Standout benefits: The Ink Business Preferred Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and allows you to transfer those points to over a dozen partner airline and hotel loyalty programs. If your nonprofit needs to put people up in a hotel or fly employees to a conference, this card can save you a lot of cash.
Best for no annual fee
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
On the American Express secure site
Rewards
Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases up to $50,000 per year, then 1X point per dollar. Terms and limitations apply.
Welcome bonus
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee
Intro APR
0% for 12 months on purchases from date of account opening
Regular APR
17.74% – 25.74% Variable; APRs will not exceed 29.99%
Balance transfer fee
Foreign transaction fee
Credit needed
Pros
- No annual fee
- Straightforward rewards program
Cons
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee
Best for cash back
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
Information about the U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
Rewards
Earn 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center, 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants, 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn $750 in cash back. Just spend $6,000 on the account owner’s card in the first 180 days of opening your account.
Annual fee
Intro APR
0% for 12 billing cycles on purchases
Regular APR
18.49%% – 27.49% (Variable)
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
Credit needed
Pros
- No annual fee
- Valuable welcome bonus offer
- Interest-free period
- Annual $100 statement credit for recurring software subscription services
Cons
- 3% foreign transaction fee
Best for balance transfers
- Intro APR applies to purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee
- No welcome bonus
- 3% foreign transaction fee
Who’s this for? A nonprofit looking to save on interest will appreciate the intro-APR on balance transfers that the PNC points® Visa® Business Credit Card offers.
Standout benefits: Introductory 0% APR offers for balance transfers are rare to find attached to business credit cards. This card comes with an intro 0% APR for purchases and balance transfers for the first nine billing cycles after account opening (then a variable 20.24% to 29.49% APR applies). For a balance transfer to qualify, it must be completed within 90 days after opening the account, and there is a balance transfer fee of 5% of the amount of each balance transfer ($5 minimum).
Compare business checking accounts
More on our top credit cards for nonprofits
Comparing the best credit cards for nonprofits
| Credit card | CNBC Select’s pick for | Rewards | Welcome bonus | Intro APR | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | Intro APR | Yes | Yes | Yes | $0 |
| Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | Travel rewards | Yes | Yes | No | $95 |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | No annual fee* | Yes | Yes | Yes* | $0* |
| U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card | Cash back | Yes | Yes | Yes | $0 |
| PNC points® Visa® Business Credit Card | Balance transfers | Yes | No | Yes | $0 |
*For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a no-annual-fee cashback business card that’s especially rewarding at office supply stores and gas stations.
Rewards
- 5% cash back on Lyft rides (through March 2025)
- 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year (then 1%)
- 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year (then 1%)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
There is no additional cost to add employee cards to your Chase Ink Cash account. Eligible purchases are covered by purchase protection, extended warranty protection, travel and emergency assistance and auto rental collision coverage. You can also take advantage of roadside dispatch and travel and emergency assistance.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is one of the most rewarding business cards for shipping and advertising expenses, as well as certain utilities.
Rewards
- 5X points on Lyft rides (through March 2025)
- 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in these categories each account anniversary year: travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines
- 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Annual fee
$95
Notable perks
While this card has an annual fee, but there is no additional fee for adding employee cards and no foreign transaction fees. You can transfer the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you earn with this card to any of Chase’s travel partners at a 1:1 ratio.
If you prefer a more straightforward travel redemption, points are worth 25% more (1.25 cents per point) when you redeem them for travel through Chase TravelSM. This card also comes with a long list of insurance perks, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, travel and emergency assistance, roadside dispatch, rental car collision coverage, cell phone protection, purchase protection and extended warranty protection.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a versatile business credit card and its intro-APR offer (see rates and fees) is an excellent way to avoid interest.
Rewards
- 2X points on all purchases up to $50,000 per year, then 1X points
Welcome bonus
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership.
Annual fee
$0 (see rates and fees)
Notable perks
New Blue Business Plus Card members can take advantage of a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening. After the intro APR expires, the ongoing APR is a variable 17.74% – 25.74% . APRs will not exceed 29.99% (see rates and fees).
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
The U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card has no annual fee and earns generous returns in numerous useful bonus categories.
Rewards
- 5% cash back on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center
- 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas stations and EV charging stations
- 3% cash back at office supply stores
- 3% cash back at cell phone service providers
- 3% cash back at restaurants
- 1% cash back on all other eligible net purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn $750 in cash back after you spend $6,000 on the account owner’s card in the first 180 days of opening your account.
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
Every year, you can earn a $100 credit for recurring software subscriptions such as QuickBooks, FreshBooks and more. To qualify for the credit, you’ll need to make 11 months of eligible software service purchases directly with a software provider.
PNC points® Visa® Business Credit Card
The PNC points® Visa® Business Credit Card is a fairly no-frills card, but stands out among other business cards for offering introductory APR offers for purchases and balance transfers.
Rewards
- 5X points on all qualifying purchases
Welcome bonus
None
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
On top of its intro-APR offer, this card comes with a few Visa credit card benefits, including extended warranty protection and purchase security. While this card has an intro balance transfer offer, its rewards may not be as noteworthy as they appear. You can redeem five points for one cent in cash back, which means you’re effectively earning 1% in cash back rewards on every purchase.
Find the best credit card for you by reviewing offers in our credit card marketplace or get personalized offers via CardMatch™.
Pros and cons of credit cards for nonprofits
Pros
- Expense tracking: With the right credit card, you can easily keep track of spending and many cards sync with popular accounting software programs.
- Rewards: These cards offer rewards on every eligible purchase, which is a great way to earn value on your organization’s credit card spending.
Cons
- High APRs: If you’re financing a purchase or need to carry a balance, credit cards aren’t the best choice because the APRs are typically higher than other financing options.
- Personal guarantee: Many of the best small business cards that your nonprofit may be eligible for require a personal guarantee and will result in a hard pull on your personal credit.
FAQs
Do nonprofits have to pay credit card processing fees?
When a nonprofit accepts donations or payments through a credit card, it will have to pay a credit card processing fee. This fee varies depending on the payment network of the card and the payment processor the nonprofit uses.
What type of bank account should a nonprofit have?
A nonprofit should have a business checking account for paying expenses and receiving payments and donations. You’ll also most likely want a business savings account, which can provide a higher APY on the money you don’t need for your day-to-day operations.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards for nonprofits.
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Our methodology
To determine which cards offer the best value for nonprofits, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.
We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back).
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
For the cards that offered a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for cash-back.
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For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
