As your comfort level in the miles and points scene increases, you might be looking for the next best opportunity to increase your balances. While there are many opportunities with personal credit cards that you can take advantage of, the small business credit card market is the other half of the equation to being able to step up your game and truly increase your miles and points earnings.
Listed below, we present the best business credit cards in Canada based on a variety of factors such as overall value (including welcome bonus), benefits, perks, and annual fees.
Am I Eligible to Apply for Business Credit Cards Without a Business?
Before we jump to our list of the best Canadian business credit cards, the quintessential question often is “But I don’t have a business, how can I get a business credit card?”. Regardless, you are eligible as a sole proprietorship with your business name being your legal first and last name. You do not need a business to qualify for a business credit card.
If you really think about it, I’m sure you can find something in your life that you can classify as a “side business”. Furthermore, most business credit cards qualify you based on personal income anyway and don’t require your business to have income. Ultimately, you are eligible to apply for business credit cards as a sole proprietor, so don’t shy away if you have an eligible side business.
The Best Business Credit Cards in Canada
American Express Business Platinum Card
The American Express Business Platinum card has always been a titan in the Canadian business credit card market as it comes with a wealth of benefits and a hefty welcome bonus of up to 120,000 Membership Rewards points.
The American Express Business Platinum Card is a premium card that offers benefits including a $200 travel credit, airport lounge access, a $100 NEXUS membership credit, and more.
Check out our American Express Business Platinum card review for more details.
120,000 Membership Rewards points
$15,000
$2,400+
$799
Yes
–
The $799 annual fee is the biggest negative about this card and often scares new credit card rewards enthusiasts away, but the value you can extract from this card makes it completely worth it.
For starters, cardholders will receive a $200 annual travel credit, a $200 annual Dell credit, a $300 annual Indeed credit, and a $120 annual wireless credit. Cardholders can also benefit from a $100 NEXUS credit usable every four years.
With this card, you will also gain access to the American Express Centurion lounges for yourself and two guests. For access to a wider variety of airport lounges, you will also have access to the American Express Global Airport Lounge Collection, which will give you access to many airport lounges worldwide.
The American Express Business Platinum card also grants Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status and Hilton Honors Gold Elite status. While the value of Marriott Gold Elite status is limited, Hilton Gold is much more valuable as it unlocks the powerful Hilton Honors breakfast benefit.
Finally, if you are earning miles and points with any friends or family members, the Business Platinum has one of the best credit card referral bonuses of up to 20,000 Membership Rewards points for each referral. Considering you can earn up to 225,000 Membership Rewards in referral bonuses per calendar year, this can add up quickly.
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
The American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve card is one of the best ways to earn Aeroplan points in Canada with its high welcome offer of up to 90,000 Aeroplan points, in addition to a suite of Air Canada related perks.
The American Express® Aeroplan®* Business Reserve Card offers several Air Canada benefits including priority boarding, free checked baggage, and complimentary Maple Leaf airport lounge access.
90,000 Aeroplan points
$14,000
$1,890+
$599
Yes
–
The Air Canada benefits are pretty good as they include a first free checked bag, priority check-in, priority zone 2 boarding, and priority luggage (all good for the cardholder and up to eight guests on the same itinerary).
The real stand-out benefit of the American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve card is the complimentary Maple Leaf Lounge access. If you are someone who often redeems Aeroplan points for economy flights or does a large amount of domestic travel, you may be able to get more value out of this benefit, as Maple Leaf Lounges are available in most domestic airports.
Cardholders will also receive a $100 NEXUS membership credit every four years, good for a new membership or membership renewal. While this doesn’t cover the entire cost of NEXUS membership, obtaining a NEXUS membership is one of the most cost-effective ways to save time at the airport.
Between the elevated welcome bonus and the Air Canada perks, paying the $599 annual fee can make sense – but I can understand if the annual fee scares some away since it is a substantial cost. If you are an Air Canada loyalist, whether for personal or business travel, this is definitely a card that is worth adding to your wallet.
American Express Business Gold Rewards Card
The American Express Business Gold Rewards card is a great middle-of-the-road option, as the card has a solid welcome bonus of up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points with a very reasonable annual fee of $199.
The American Express Business Gold Rewards Card earns Membership Rewards on all eligible purchases which can be transferred to various frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs for travel redemptions.
40,000 Membership Rewards points
$7,500
$800+
$199
Yes
–
American Express Business Gold Rewards cardholders can earn an additional 10,000 Membership Rewards points for each quarter in which they charge $20,000 CAD in net purchases to their card. If you are running a business with a big spending output, this can be a great card to use for those purchases.
Overall, the American Express Business Gold Rewards card is an excellent choice as a result of its simple value proposition: it has a great output of Membership Rewards points for a reasonable annual fee.
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business card is the only non-American Express card on this list, but it packs a punch. This card offers a welcome bonus of up to 40,000 Scene+ points for a reasonable annual fee of $199.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card offers benefits such as no foreign transaction fees and six annual complimentary airport lounge access passes.
Check out our Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business card review for more details.
40,000 Scene+ points
$60,000
$400+
$199
No
Oct 31, 2026
Where this card shines is with the benefits it offers, as one powerful benefit is unique to only a handful of cards in Canada.
That benefit is the fact that this card charges no foreign exchange fees, meaning you will save 2.5% on all transactions made in foreign currencies, whether transacting online or abroad. This benefit is so rare that the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business card made our list of the best credit cards in Canada that have no foreign transaction fees.
The card also offers six free airport lounge passes through the Dragonpass airport lounge program, usable by the cardholder and their guests. Plus, cardholders will also receive Avis Preferred Plus status in the Avis Preferred rental car loyalty program, in addition to receiving access to a suite of insurance coverages.
American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
The American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business card is one of the business cards that I recommend to everyone, thanks to its excellent Marriott Bonvoy perks. This card offers a welcome bonus of up to 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points with a low annual fee of $150.
The American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business Card offers benefits that include an annual Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate and 15 elite qualifying nights towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status.
60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
$5,000
$540+
$150
Yes
–
The best benefit this card offers is that it awards an annual free night certificate worth 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points upon the cardholder’s anniversary.
This benefit makes it one of our favorite credit card combinations, as if you hold it with the American Express Marriott Bonvoy card, you will receive two annual free night certificates. These free night certificates can also be topped up with 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points if you want to redeem at a higher-cost hotel.
This card also awards 15 elite qualifying nights annually, which are counted towards Marriott Bonvoy Elite status. Considering you only need 50 elite qualifying nights to earn Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, this card is a great way to get on the fast track to gaining access to the Marriott breakfast benefit.
Conclusion
There are many Canadian business credit cards that present strong travel rewards earning opportunities in addition to valuable benefits and perks. While some of them may come with a higher minimum spending requirement and higher annual fees, they are absolutely worth signing up for, and many are worth keeping in your wallet year after year.
If you are interested in seeing the full suite of business credit cards available for Canadians, consider looking at our credit card browser tool for more details.
Josh Bandura
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