Are you a small business owner or are you thinking about starting a business? You could earn lots of miles, points, and cash back for business purchases, like advertising, that you already make.
Certain credit cards, like the Chase Ink Business Preferred and AMEX SimplyCash Plus, earn a bonus for online advertising. And lots of folks use the internet to promote their business!
Earn a Bonus With These Small Business Cards for Spending on Social Media Advertising
I’ll show you 3 small business cards that earn bonuses on online advertising expenses!
Best Business Credit Cards for Online Advertising
Small business owners like dentists, attorneys, real estate agents, freelancers, and vacation rental owners, for example, often advertise online (or could!) to grow their business. There are even entrepreneurs who sell items through Instagram and Facebook.
So wouldn’t it be nice to earn bonus points or cash back for online advertising?
The good news is, you can with cards like the Chase Ink Business Preferred, AMEX Business Gold Rewards and AMEX SimplyCash Plus!
You’ll need to have a small business to get any of these cards. But you might qualify for a small business card without realizing it. If you earn income for performing a service or selling goods, you could have a small business.
Do You Sell Items on Amazon? You Could Qualify for a Small Business Credit Card!
And folks who operate their business as a sole proprietor can apply using their Social Security Number instead of an EIN (Employer Identification Number) or tax number.
Just remember, you should always tell the truth about your income and business when you fill out the application!
And don’t forget, with Chase’s stricter approval rules, if you have opened ~5 or more credit cards (from any bank) in the past 24 months (excluding certain business cards), you’re unlikely to get approved for most Chase cards.
So it’s easier for lots of folks to be approved for American Express cards.
Here are details of 3 great cards that earn bonuses for advertising.
1. Chase Ink Business Preferred
Link: Chase Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card
Link: My Review of the Chase Ink Business Preferred
The Chase Ink Business Preferred card is the only Chase card that offers a bonus for advertising. But it’s very specific – advertising purchases made with social media sites, like Facebook and Instagram, and on search engines, like Google, are the ONLY type of advertising that qualify for the bonus.
Thanks to Million Mile Secrets reader Matt who commented that monthly Etsy store fees count as an advertising purchase made with social media sites and search engines. That’s a terrific way to earn bonus points!
Spending for advertising on the TV, radio, or on billboards, for example, do NOT count.
Unfortunately You Will NOT Earn Bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for Billboard Advertisements With the Ink Business Preferred Card
With the Chase Ink Business Preferred card, you’ll earn 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
You’ll also get:
- 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points for every $1 you spend on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites, and search engines (up to a maximum of $150,000 in combined purchases per account anniversary year)
- 1X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on all other purchases
- Up to $600 in cell phone insurance when you pay your cell phone bill with the card
- 25% bonus when you redeem points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal
- Primary auto rental insurance (CDW) when renting for business purposes, plus purchase and extended warranty protection
The card has a $95 annual fee, which is waived for the first year when you apply in-branch.
Here’s my review of this offer.
This is a good option for lots of small business owners, because not only will you earn 3X bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards points for advertising on social media sites and search engines, you’ll earn the same bonus for travel, shipping, and internet services too! These are categories that small business owners tend to spend a fair amount on.
Plus, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are my favorite kind of points because they’re flexible and offer great redemption options.
If you use your points for Big Travel, the sign-up bonus alone from the Ink Business Preferred card is worth $1,000 in paid travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal. And even more by transferring to Chase’s terrific airline and hotel transfer partners.
You can also redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for cash back, but you won’t get the best value.
2. AMEX Business Gold Rewards
Link: The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN
Link: My Review of The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN
Currently, you can earn 50,000 American Express Membership Rewards points with the The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account.
You’ll also earn:
- 3X AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 you spend in 1 of 5 categories of your choice
- 2X AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 you spend on the 4 remaining categories
- 1X AMEX Membership Rewards points per $1 you spend on other purchases
- Terms and limitations apply
The $175 annual fee is waived for the first year. And there are NO foreign transaction fees, so it’s a good card to use when you travel abroad.
That’s double the normal sign-up bonus, but we don’t know when this offer will end. So if you’re considering this card I’d recommend applying sooner rather than later.
If You Advertise Your Small Business On the Radio, Make Sure You’re Earning Bonus Points for Your Advertising Expenses With a Card Like the AMEX Business Gold Rewards Card!
To earn the 3X bonus AMEX Membership Rewards points for advertising with the AMEX Business Gold Rewards card, you MUST select advertising purchases as your bonus category from the 5 available bonus categories. And you can change your preferred bonus category once per year in January.
According to American Express, any advertising purchased with your AMEX Business Gold Rewards card in the US to promote your business online, on television, or on the radio, will qualify for a bonus.
This card could be a good choice if you can’t get any more Chase cards because of their stricter approval rules, and are looking for a card with a good sign-up bonus that earns bonus points for advertising.
And unlike the Chase Ink Business Preferred card, you’ll earn a bonus for ANY online advertising, not just on ads on social media sites. Plus, the bonus category also includes TV and radio advertising, which can be beneficial for some small businesses.
3. AMEX SimplyCash Plus Business Card
Link: SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express
Link: My Review of the SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card from American Express
The AMEX SimplyCash Plus small business card is currently offering $250 cash back (in the form of a statement credit) after spending $5,000 or more on purchases within the first 6 months of opening your account. Plus an additional $250 statement credit after spending an additional $10,000 on purchases on your card within the first year of card membership.
You’ll also get perks like:
- 5% cash back at office supply stores in the US and on your US wireless phone bill (up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year)
- 3% cash back on eligible purchases (up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year) in 1 of the following categories of your choice (like computer hardware & software, US gas stations & restaurants, US purchases for advertising in select media, and airfare & hotel stays purchased directly with the airline or hotel)
- 1% cash back on everything else
- The ability to “buy above your credit limit”
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee after conversion to US dollars
- No annual fee
- Terms and limitations apply
Like the AMEX Business Gold Rewards card, you can earn a bonus on US purchases for advertising in select media. This includes advertising online, on television, or on the radio. But you MUST select advertising as your bonus category.
Earning 5% Cash Back at US Office Supply Stores Can Really Add Up With the AMEX SimplyCash Plus Small Business Card
This card has no annual fee. So it’s a good option for folks who want a card they can keep long-term without having to worry about an annual fee.
And in addition to the 3% back you’ll get for eligible advertising purchases, you’ll get 5% back at US office supply stores and on your cell phone bill. Two expenses that can really add up for small business owners!
Bottom Line
If you’re a small business owner or are considering starting a business, you should consider applying for a credit card that earns a bonus for online advertising purchases.
Because lots of folks use the internet to promote (and grow!) their businesses.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred card, for example, earns 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points for advertising on social media sites like Facebook and on search engines, like Google.
And the AMEX SimplyCash Plus card offers folks 3% cash back for all online, TV, and radio advertising expenses when you choose advertising as your 3% cash back category!
Just remember, when deciding which card is best for you, consider Chase’s stricter approval rules and that AMEX only allows you to get the sign-up bonus ONCE on ALL their cards.
