The greatest credit cards for nonprofits assist in keeping more money inside your business. Features like cashback rewards, low-interest rates, no annual fee, and discounts can all help you stay within your budget when fundraising is one of your top objectives. The best credit cards for nonprofits have these things in common.
Don’t worry about how to manage multiple credit cards when you can get the best of both worlds: a business card that offers great rewards (such as cashback) and a low-interest rate. For regular travelers and charitable organizations with offices, we’ve chosen several cards with outstanding rewards programs.
What Nonprofit Organizations Should Look for in a Business Credit Card
In general, standard company expenses like office supplies, rent, and overhead are significant for nonprofit organizations.
Obtaining a company credit card that accurately represents the organization is crucial because they frequently operate on a tight budget. A decent credit limit is important. Nonprofits can avoid paying significant annual fees, but they don’t have to give up on getting paid.
With an emphasis on cheap annual fees, significant rewards for office purchases, and more, we’ll show you our picks for the best business credit cards for nonprofit organizations in this guide. The right business credit card can save a nonprofit a lot of money.
Can Nonprofits Get a Credit Card for Business Expenses?
Many nonprofits rely on donations and grants to operate. But what about those unavoidable business expenses, like office supplies or travel costs? Can nonprofits get a credit card to help cover those costs?
The short answer is yes! Nonprofits can absolutely get a credit card for business expenses. In fact, there are a few different types of credit cards specifically designed for nonprofits. Let’s take a look at a few of the different options available so you can decide which one is best for your organization.
1. Low APR Introductory Period
The first option is a business credit card with a 0% APR introductory period. This type of card can be very helpful if you need to make a large purchase for your nonprofit, like new office furniture or equipment. You’ll have a set amount of time to pay off the purchase without accruing any interest, which can save you a lot of money in the long run. Just be sure to read the fine print carefully, so you know how long the intro period lasts and what the APR will be after that period expires.
2. Cashback Rewards and Points
Another option is a business credit card that offers rewards points on purchases. These points can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, or other perks. This type of card can be especially helpful if your nonprofit often has to travel for business purposes. You can rack up some serious rewards by using your credit card to cover travel costs like airfare, hotel stays, and rental cars. And who doesn’t love getting free stuff?
3. No Annual Fee Credit Cards
The third option is a business credit card with no annual fee. This can be a great choice if your nonprofit is on a tight budget and needs to save every penny possible. Some no-annual-fee cards also offer rewards points or 0% APR intro periods, so be sure to compare the card features before you decide on one specific card.
Best Credit Cards for Nonprofits
Many nonprofit leaders are only concerned with giving back to society; they aren’t fixated on expansion or revenues. Instead, they understand the value of gradually enhancing society’s social fabric, furthering their passions, and making the world a better place.
It’s crucial to keep your nonprofit’s spending distinct from your expenses since nonprofit organizations are still regarded as businesses under the law and are subject to greater scrutiny. Qualifying for high-limit business credit cards and business expense tracking can be difficult for nonprofits.
The good news is that you don’t have to resort to a personal credit card or give up on business rewards to get the best deal.
Several business credit cards on the market offer low or no annual fees, and many have valuable rewards programs.
Utilizing a corporate credit card is the simplest approach to separate these costs. Here is a list of our top business credit cards for nonprofit organizations.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
The companion credit card of the Ink Business Unlimited card is the Ink Business Cash card. Although it has many of the same advantages and features, there are some significant variations.
The card offers the same purchase protections as other credit cards, such as no liability insurance, a low introductory APR, no annual charge, and employee cards with no additional fees.
The basic rental car collision damage waiver and travel coverage benefits are also yours to enjoy.
Let’s now evaluate the two cards about nonprofit organizations. The Ink Business Cash card can earn up to 5% cash back in some bonus areas, compared to the Ink Business Unlimited card’s standard 1.5% cash back.
You can specifically earn:
- 5% cashback will be given on the first $25,000 spent at office supply stores, internet service providers, and phone companies combined. Every year when your account anniversary comes around, you’ll get 2% back in addition to all other rewards that are offered!
- On all other purchases, receive 1% cash back.
If you have an Ultimate Rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for example, your 5%, 2%, and 1% cashback are converted to 5 times, 2 times, and 1-time Ultimate Rewards points per dollar, respectively.
It might make sense for charitable organizations to have this card if they spend a lot of money on office supplies or any of the other items on this list.
You should also be aware that the bonus categories have a $25,000 annual cap for card members; after that point, you’ll only receive 1% cashback.
Reasons We Like This Card
There are many benefits to the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card that make it an appealing option for small business owners. For up to $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores, as well as for mobile, internet, landline phone, and cable TV services each account anniversary year, the card offers a very lucrative 5% cash back.
Given that the card has no annual fee, you might be reinvesting a significant amount of value in your company with no out-of-pocket expenses.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Another excellent business credit card that you may utilize for your charity organization is the Ink Business Preferred card.
With this card, you can spend up to $150,000 every card member year and get a sizable welcome bonus in addition to 3x Ultimate Rewards points for $1 spent on specific business categories.
- Telephone, cable, and the internet
- Shipping costs
- Advertisements for travel purchased using search engines or social media
As opposed to the Ink Business Unlimited card, which requires a second card to use transfer partners, this card earns Ultimate Rewards points immediately.
Reasons We Like This Card
You will also receive excellent cell phone insurance with this nonprofit credit card in addition to the outstanding 3x points earning potential. With this plan, you are eligible for up to three claims totaling $1,500 each within 12 months, with a cap of $600 per claim and a $100 claim deductible.
Additionally, you will receive primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation, extended warranty protection, interruption insurance, and purchase protection.
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
The Ink Business Unlimited card is one of our preferred business credit cards for NGOs. With the opportunity to earn transferrable rewards, this credit card lets you earn straightforward incentives and build business credit.
This credit card has no annual charge, to begin with and provides an outstanding welcome bonus. And throughout it all, you will receive unlimited 1.5% cash back on all of your transactions. There aren’t any fancy bonus categories or earning caps that you need to be aware of.
Just concentrate on running your business to earn points! Employee cards may be added indefinitely and without further cost.
Another important feature of this card is its 12-month introductory APR of 0% on purchases. This might make it easier for you to manage any rolling balances that you don’t pay off right away without accruing significant interest charges, but you’ll need to make sure that your entire balance is paid off when this 0% period expires to prevent incurring excessive interest rates.
The Ink Company Unlimited card includes zero liability protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty coverage, unlike many business credit cards that don’t offer these benefits for your transactions.
Finally, when traveling for business, you can benefit from primary travel insurance advantages such as rental car coverage.
Why We Enjoy Earning Points with Chase Ultimate Rewards
Because Chase Ultimate Rewards points are so valuable, we like accumulating them.
You cannot accrue Ultimate Rewards points with the Ink Business Unlimited card alone, but if you combine it with another Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you may convert your 1.5% cashback into 1.5x Ultimate Rewards points every $1.
Through the Chase Ultimate Rewards website, you may exchange your points for gift cards, cash back, travel, and more.
The ability to transfer your points for perks such as luxury travel and reserve fantastic travel experiences, however, is the true value of having Ultimate Rewards points.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
The Amex Blue Business Plus card is our next recommendation, and we adore it since it lets you maximize your benefits! Because you can earn 2x Membership Rewards points on routine business purchases, up to $50,000 per calendar year, we believe you’ll adore this card. You will then be paid 1x.
One of your better options is this card, especially if your nonprofit is smaller. If you earned the maximum amount of points, you would receive 100,000 points annually, which are estimated to be worth $2,200.
You would also like to have free access to Amex Offers, the flexibility to add staff cards, and of course, the incredible Membership Rewards program.
Why We Enjoy Earning Membership Rewards Points From Amex
Because Amex points are the most valuable points available and are worth about 2.2 cents each, we enjoy collecting them.
Although Amex points are simple to utilize, using transfer partners for business and first-class flights is by far the best approach to maximize the value of your points.
That is where we get the most value for our points. Travel arrangements made through Amex Travel, gift cards, statement credits, and more are additional alternatives.
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business
The very final credit card we’ll talk about is a lesser-known choice. When it comes to rewards, Capital One is less well-known than Chase and American Express, but the Capone Spark Miles Select card is a fantastic option.
With this Capone card, you can earn unlimited 1.5x miles on all of your purchases in addition to a welcome bonus that can boost your balance by a sizable number of miles. In addition to earning 5x miles on hotel and rental car reservations made through Capital One Travel, this card has no annual fee.
Take advantage of zero fraud responsibility, no foreign transaction fees, extended warranty, among other benefits, no-fee employee cards, and protection, are additional benefits.
The Benefits Of Capital One Miles Earning
Because so many different airlines and hotels offer transfer services, we like Capital One points! You may exchange Capital One miles for amazing experiences like flying first class on Lufthansa.
These miles are valued at about 1.8 cents each, based on our calculations. While it won’t show up on your statement credit as often as it would with a cashback card, we believe the value is there.
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
The Amex Blue Business Cash card is a terrific way to quickly accrue cash back if you’re searching for a straightforward system that enables you to reinvest all of your rewards in your nonprofit.
Up to $50,000 per calendar year, the Amex Blue Business Cash card offers 2% cash back on all qualified purchases, followed by 1%. You don’t have to worry about using your points because the cashback is immediately credited to your statement.
Additionally, this card provides a 0% introductory APR on purchases (as displayed in the chart above), which is a clever approach to avoid paying interest on purchases.
The principal card and any staff cards don’t have an annual fee, and access to Amex Offers are additional perks.
Reasons We Like This Card
Are you looking for a solution to track your office supplies spending and business trip costs while still receiving cashback? The American Express Blue Business CashTM Card might be a suitable choice for you in that case.
This card provides cost management options that are intended to provide businesses greater control and a clearer picture of their outgoings. By doing this, you can get more cashback the more you spend.
Related Questions
Can A Charity Organization Own A Credit Card?
Nonprofit organizations may apply for and be granted business credit cards. Certain business credit cards may also be available to some charitable organizations. The PLS Xpectations Visa card occasionally offers terms that could be beneficial to nonprofit organizations.
Can NGOs Receive Rewards On Their Credit Cards?
Yes, charities can receive rewards from credit cards. Businesses that are nonprofits are eligible for business credit cards, many of which offer purchase incentives.
Are Business Credit Cards Worth It For NGOs?
Business credit cards are advantageous and can provide many benefits to charities, such as cashback credit card rewards, points programs, and 0% interest rates. Business credit cards can help manage expenses and track spending for organizations. They can also offer perks such as travel insurance and extended warranties.
Conclusion
It’s both incredibly difficult and rewarding to run a nonprofit organization. With the appropriate business credit card, you should be able to manage your company smoothly.
You probably qualify for a business credit card as a nonprofit organization because the major banks view them as real enterprises.
Because they provide exceptional benefits with a tried-and-true loyalty scheme, Chase and Amex are our top choices for charity business credit cards.
This advice should be helpful to you as you choose the finest business credit card for your charity company.
