Easiest Business Credit Cards to Get in Canada 2025

What Qualifies as an “Easy” Business Credit Card?

Search for the easiest business credit card to get in Canada, and you’ll find a flood of offers, most claiming “instant approval” or “no credit check.” But when you dig deeper, the fine print often tells a different story.

So what does “easy to get” actually mean when it comes to Canadian business credit cards?

Here's what matters most:

• Low or no personal credit check: Many founders don’t want their personal credit score tied to their business card.
• Fast approval process: Waiting days (or weeks) for underwriting kills momentum, especially for newer companies.
• Flexible eligibility: Cards that don’t require years of business history, high revenue, or personal guarantees are considered more accessible.
• No unnecessary paperwork: Banks often ask for multiple financial statements, legal documents, or even personal tax returns—many fintech alternatives don’t.

Most traditional cards still rely on your personal credit score, even if they’re branded “business.” That means if you’re a newer startup, incorporated within the last 6–12 months, or have uneven credit history, your options narrow quickly.

This is where corporate cards and prepaid business solutions come in, with streamlined onboarding, faster decisions, and no personal guarantees. They’re not technically credit cards, but for many Canadian businesses, they’re a better fit.

What Are the Easiest Business Credit Cards to Get Approved for in Canada?

In Canada, approval for a business credit card typically hinges on two factors: your personal credit score and your business structure. If you have strong personal credit and your business is incorporated with some financial history, you’ll likely qualify for most traditional business credit cards. But if your business is new, you have limited credit, or you’re self-employed, your options narrow quickly.

Here’s a breakdown of the easiest types of business cards to qualify for:

Secured business credit cards

These require a refundable security deposit, which becomes your credit limit. They’re available regardless of your personal credit score and can help rebuild your credit profile. However, they typically don’t offer rewards or business-specific features.

Fair-credit business credit cards

If your personal credit score falls in the mid-600s, you may still qualify for select no-fee or partner-based rewards cards. These cards come with fewer perks and often require a personal guarantee.

Corporate charge cards

Corporate cards like Venn evaluate your business’s financial profile, not your personal credit. There’s no personal guarantee, and you can often apply using just your business registration number. These are ideal for incorporated businesses seeking separation between personal and business finances. However, they are typically not available to sole proprietors.

To help you compare your options, we’ve reviewed the most accessible business cards for Canadian companies, including traditional, prepaid, and corporate options. Here's how they stack up:

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1. Venn Corporate Card

Overview:
The Venn corporate card is designed for incorporated Canadian businesses that want speed, control, and ease, without relying on the founder’s personal credit. Unlike traditional credit cards, it operates on a charge model (paid from balances of the account) and offers built-in cashback, automation, and multi-currency support. Approval is based on the business itself, not the individual.

Pros:

• No personal credit check or personal guarantee
• Same-day approval for eligible businesses
• 1% cashback on all spending with no caps
• Supports CAD, USD, GBP, and EUR from a single card
• No annual, monthly, or employee card fees
• Accounting integrations with QuickBooks and Xero
• Includes payment automation and FX transfers

Cons:

• Only available to incorporated Canadian entities
• Charge card model (no rolling balance or financing)

Key takeaway:
Venn offers one of the most accessible and modern business card alternatives in Canada for incorporated businesses looking to avoid personal credit risk and expand globally.

2. Neo Business Card

Overview:
Neo’s business card is aimed at sole proprietors and freelancers looking for a fast-approval, no-fee solution. Approval is based on personal credit, not business financials, and rewards are delivered via a partner-based cashback model.

Pros:

• Available to unincorporated businesses
• Fast application and approval process
• No annual fee
• Cashback at partner merchants
• Does not require business credit history

Cons:

• Personal credit check and guarantee required
• Rewards limited to select retail partners
• No multi-currency or FX support
• Lacks integrations and spend controls

Key takeaway:
Neo is one of the few business card options available to sole proprietors, but it has limited functionality and relies heavily on the founder’s personal credit profile.

3. BMO CashBack Business Mastercard

Overview:
The BMO CashBack Business Mastercard is a traditional credit card that appeals to incorporated businesses looking for straightforward rewards and no annual fees. Approval depends on the applicant’s personal credit and business structure.

Pros:

• No annual fee
• 1.5% cashback on gas and office supplies
• Backed by a major Canadian bank
• Available to incorporated businesses with fair credit

Cons:

• Requires a personal credit check and personal guarantee
• Not available to sole proprietors
• FX fees apply to cross-border purchases
• Minimal digital features or automation

Key takeaway:
A solid low-cost option for incorporated businesses with decent personal credit, but not ideal for founders seeking credit separation or faster digital tools.

4. American Express Business Edge®

Overview:
The Amex Business Edge® card is a points-based rewards card designed for incorporated businesses with higher monthly spend. It offers strong earning potential in select categories and travel-related perks, but approval is contingent on strong personal credit.

Pros:

• High points multipliers on dining, gas, and transit 
• Insurance and Amex Offers included
• Access to business insights and tracking tools
• Accepted by most Canadian merchants

Cons:

• $99 annual fee
• Requires personal credit check and income disclosure
• Not widely accepted internationally
• No multi-currency or FX optimization

Key takeaway:
Best suited to established businesses that can absorb the fee and benefit from high-category spending, less practical for lean or early-stage companies.

5. RBC Avion Visa Infinite Business

Overview:
RBC’s Avion Visa Infinite Business card is a premium credit card for incorporated businesses that want access to the Avion Rewards travel ecosystem. It comes with high-end perks, but the barrier to entry is also high.

Pros:

• Access to Avion Rewards and travel perks
• Strong insurance coverage
• High credit limits available
• Backed by one of Canada’s Big Five banks

Cons:

• $175 annual fee
• Slower approval process (5–10+ business days)
• Requires personal credit check and full documentation
• No real-time integrations or automation tools

Key takeaway:
A good fit for established businesses with significant travel spend and strong personal credit, this RBC card is less accessible for newer or smaller businesses.

6. Home Trust Secured Visa

Overview:
The Home Trust Secured Visa is not a business credit card, but it is commonly used by founders or sole proprietors working to rebuild their personal credit. It requires a refundable deposit and functions like a basic consumer card.

Pros:

• Easy approval with refundable deposit
• Can help build or repair personal credit
• Low barrier to entry
• Available regardless of business incorporation

Cons:

• Not a business card; no business rewards or features
• Requires upfront security deposit
• No cashback, automation, or integrations
• Only available in CAD

Key takeaway:
A useful tool for founders who need to improve personal credit before qualifying for traditional business cards, but not a viable option for managing business finances.

What Makes a Business Credit Card Easy to Qualify For?

Not all business credit cards are created equal, especially when it comes to approval requirements. The term “easy to get” often hides a range of qualifiers that aren’t always clear until you start applying.

Here are the core criteria that determine how accessible a business card really is in Canada:

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No Personal Credit Check

Most traditional business credit cards in Canada require a personal credit check, even if you’re applying on behalf of an incorporated business. This not only impacts your credit score, but also means your business’s access to credit is tied to your personal financial health.

Corporate cards like Venn stand out by eliminating this requirement altogether. Approval is based on your business’s actual cash flow, revenue, or operating history, not your personal credit score.

This is especially valuable for founders who want to protect their personal credit or who have a limited credit history in Canada.

No Personal Guarantee

A personal guarantee means you’re personally responsible for the debt your business incurs on its credit card. This is common with most traditional and secured cards, and it blurs the line between your personal and business finances.

Corporate cards that don’t require a personal guarantee, like Venn, offer true liability separation. That means if your business can’t repay the balance, your personal credit and assets aren’t on the hook.

This is a key feature for incorporated businesses looking to manage risk and maintain clean separation for legal and financial reporting.

Available to New Businesses

Newly incorporated businesses often struggle to access credit because they lack business history or formal credit files. Traditional banks may require a minimum time in operation or a personal credit backstop.

Secured and corporate cards offer more flexibility. While secured cards accept most applicants with a deposit, corporate cards like Venn look at your cash on hand and business operations, making them accessible even to early-stage startups with revenue but limited credit history.

This makes these cards well-suited for seed-stage or pre-revenue companies.

Looking to learn more about new businesses in Canada? Check out our blog: What to Expect After Incorporating in Canada now!

No Security Deposit Required

Secured business cards require a refundable deposit, often between $500 and $10,000, as collateral. While they are easier to obtain, they tie up your working capital and don’t offer much in the way of features or rewards.

Corporate and traditional credit cards don’t require a deposit, but corporate cards have the added advantage of not requiring personal guarantees either.

With Venn, you get credit-like functionality without locking up cash or exposing yourself personally.

Fast, Online Approval

Some bank-issued business credit cards in Canada still require branch visits, manual paperwork, or week-long wait times. That doesn’t work for fast-moving startups or founders who need a card issued same-day.

Both secured and corporate cards tend to have faster approval processes, with Venn offering same-day digital onboarding for incorporated businesses.

Speed matters when onboarding new employees, managing supplier payments, or activating spend controls, especially when you're scaling.

Works Without Business Credit

Business credit files in Canada are separate from personal credit, and many new businesses simply don’t have one. Fortunately, many cards, including secured, traditional, and corporate, can be accessed without needing an established business credit profile.

Corporate cards often go a step further by evaluating real-time business performance instead of legacy scores. This helps growing but thin-filed businesses access financial tools faster.

Multi-Currency Support

Most Canadian business cards only support CAD transactions, with 2.5–3% foreign transaction fees on USD or other currencies.

Venn is true international card,‍ including support for CAD, USD, GBP, and EUR. This is critical for businesses that invoice or pay vendors internationally, or that have operations across North America and Europe.

Built-in FX optimization and multi-currency infrastructure also help reduce cross-border costs and manual reconciliation.

Understanding Business Credit Card Interest Rates in Canada

When evaluating business credit cards, one of the most overlooked, but potentially costly, factors is the interest rate. For Canadian businesses, this can vary significantly depending on the type of card, issuer, and how your business manages its balances.

Here’s what to consider:

Traditional Credit Cards: High APRs and Revolving Balances

Most traditional business credit cards in Canada come with annual percentage rates (APRs) between 19.99% and 22.99%. These rates apply to any balance you carry past the statement due date. If your business relies on short-term financing through credit, these interest charges can quickly erode any cashback or rewards earned.

These cards also often charge higher rates for cash advances or over-limit usage, and most are not transparent about penalty APRs for late payments.

Secured Business Cards: Fixed Limits, Same Risk

Even though secured cards are positioned as low-barrier options, they typically charge standard or even higher APRs than traditional cards, despite being backed by your own cash deposit. These cards don’t usually offer better rates just because you’re putting down collateral.

They’re useful for credit-building, but not ideal for carrying a balance or managing recurring operational expenses.

Corporate Charge Cards: No Interest, pay directly from your balance

Corporate charge cards like Venn operate differently. Rather than charging interest, they require the full amount of the transaction to be paid at the point of sale. This eliminates the risk of interest accumulation but requires responsible cash flow management.

The advantage is clarity: there’s no hidden cost for carrying a balance, because you simply don’t carry one. This model encourages financial discipline and makes forecasting spend simpler.

Why Interest Rate Isn’t Always the Most Important Factor

If your business pays off balances monthly, the interest rate becomes less relevant than features like:

• FX fees on cross-border transactions
• Rewards on recurring spend
• Approval and liability structure
• Speed of onboarding and integrations

That’s why businesses with strong financial controls often opt for corporate cards, even without the ability to carry a balance as the cost savings from high rewards and additional control are so valuable.

Fees and Hidden Costs: What You’re Really Paying for a Business Credit Card

While many business credit cards advertise “no annual fee” or introductory perks, the real cost of ownership often hides in the fine print. For Canadian businesses, understanding the total cost of operating a card can mean the difference between managing spend efficiently and absorbing unnecessary overhead.

Here’s what to watch for:

Annual and Monthly Fees

Some of Canada’s most well-known business credit cards charge annual fees ranging from $99 to $175 or more. In some cases, fees apply per card issued, which adds up quickly if you’re onboarding team members.

Even so-called “free” cards may have monthly account maintenance charges, especially with traditional banks.

By contrast, corporate cards like Venn charge no annual or monthly fees, no matter how many cards you issue to your team.

Foreign Transaction (FX) Fees

Most traditional and secured cards in Canada charge 2.5%–3% on every transaction made in a foreign currency, even if that spend is in USD or EUR.

These charges are often buried in statements and can be easily missed unless closely tracked. For businesses with international vendors or U.S. revenue, this can quickly become a major cost centre.

Venn charges just 0.25% on FX, and even allows multi-currency spend from a single card, eliminating conversion costs entirely if you hold balances in multiple currencies.

Inbound Wire and Interac Fees

While most business cards don’t charge for receiving payments, many business accounts linked to cards do. For example, receiving a U.S. wire into a Canadian bank account can incur fees as high as $17 per transaction, even if it’s from a U.S. sender. This will often be charged to the receiver, cutting into your bottom line metrics.

Venn eliminates these pain points with no Interac e-transfer fees and free inbound wires, making it a more cost-effective platform for both spend and receivables.

Late Payment and Overlimit Fees

Credit cards that allow revolving balances often include steep penalty interest rates if you miss a payment, up to 29.99% APR. Others charge overlimit fees or restrict usage until balances are paid down.

While corporate cards like Venn require full repayment monthly, they don’t charge interest or late fees, creating clearer guardrails around responsible spend.

Additional Team Member or Employee Card Fees

Some providers charge an added fee for each supplementary card, typically $50–$100 annually per user. That makes scaling your finance stack costly as your team grows.

With Venn, employee cards are free, and you can issue and manage them in real time through a digital dashboard, without needing to contact support or visit a branch.

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Which Types of Businesses Benefit Most From Easy-Approval Cards in Canada?

Easy-approval business credit cards are designed for companies that may not meet the stricter requirements of traditional banks. These cards are particularly useful for startups, freelancers, seasonal businesses, and companies with international exposure. Below are common scenarios where easy-approval cards make sense.

Can startups with limited credit history get approved for business credit cards?

Scenario: A SaaS startup incorporated less than a year ago, generating $25,000 in recurring monthly revenue but without an established credit file.

Why easy-approval helps: Traditional banks often require two years of operating history or personal credit backstops. A corporate card like Venn evaluates business cash flow instead, enabling access without years of financials.

Key takeaway: New businesses can unlock credit tools faster with cards that base approval on real-time performance instead of credit history.

Can freelancers or sole proprietors qualify for business credit cards in Canada?

Scenario: A freelance designer recently registered as a corporation wants to separate business and personal expenses.

Why easy-approval helps: Secured cards may offer a first step, but corporate cards without personal guarantees provide stronger liability separation.

Key takeaway: Freelancers transitioning to incorporated status benefit from cards that recognize early-stage operations while protecting personal credit. Venn also supports sole propietors.

Which business credit cards are best for seasonal industries?

Scenario: A Canadian travel agency sees strong summer sales but low winter revenue, creating cash flow gaps.

Why easy-approval helps: Traditional lenders demand consistent annual revenue. Corporate cards like Venn adjust limits dynamically based on cash on hand, making approvals faster and more aligned to seasonal cycles.

Key takeaway: Seasonal businesses gain stability with cards that flex with their revenue patterns.

Can businesses with bad credit or financial setbacks still get approved?

Scenario: A small retailer recovering from high debt during economic downturns wants to rebuild trust with vendors.

Why easy-approval helps: Secured cards allow access with a refundable deposit, while corporate cards provide spend controls and liability separation without relying on perfect credit.

Key takeaway: Companies rebuilding after setbacks can use easy-approval cards as a stepping stone to stronger financing.

What’s the best business credit card for Canadian companies with international customers?

Scenario: An e-commerce brand sells to U.S. and European markets, but faces steep FX fees on supplier payments.

Why easy-approval helps: Most Canadian cards charge 2.5–3% on foreign transactions. Venn supports CAD, USD, GBP, and EUR in a single account, with FX at just 0.25%.

Key takeaway: Internationally active businesses save significantly on cross-border fees with multi-currency support.

Why Scenarios Matter for Choosing the Right Card

Each of these examples highlights the gap between what traditional issuers require and what small businesses actually need. By framing decisions around real-world use cases, business owners can choose a card that not only fits approval requirements but also supports growth, expense management, and global operations.

FAQ

What’s the easiest business credit card to qualify for in Canada?

The easiest business credit cards to qualify for are typically secured cards and corporate cards that don’t require a personal credit check. Secured cards are accessible with a deposit, while corporate cards like Venn approve based on your business’s cash flow or operating history, not your personal credit score.

Can I get a business credit card in Canada with no personal credit check?

Yes. Some corporate cards, including Venn’s, do not require a personal credit check. Approval is based on your business’s financial profile, such as cash on hand, revenue, and incorporation status.

Do I need to be incorporated to get a business credit card?

Not always. Sole proprietors can qualify for secured or traditional business credit cards. However, corporate cards like Venn typically require incorporation, since they separate business and personal liability entirely.

What’s the best business credit card for points in Canada?

Traditional points-based business cards are available from providers like Amex and BMO, but often require strong personal credit and high spend. If your business is newly incorporated or wants cashback instead of travel rewards, Venn offers 1% unlimited cashback with no FX markups.

Are there instant-approval business credit cards in Canada?

Yes. Some fintech and corporate card providers offer same-day or near-instant digital approvals. Venn, for example, allows you to apply online and get approved in hours, not days, no branch visits required.

Can freelancers get a business credit card in Canada?

Yes. Freelancers operating as sole proprietors can qualify for many business credit cards, especially secured cards. If incorporated, they may also qualify for corporate cards like Venn with no personal credit checks or guarantees.

What business credit card is best for a new company?

The best card for a new company depends on its revenue and structure. If your business is incorporated and has some operating cash, a corporate card like Venn provides early access to credit tools without personal risk or deposits.

Is it easier to get approved for a personal or business credit card?

Personal credit cards are often easier to get if you're applying as an individual, especially with good credit. However, for incorporated businesses, corporate cards that skip personal credit checks (like Venn) can be easier to access, and offer better business-specific features.

_{The comparative information provided on this page is based on publicly available sources and is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of September 20, 2025. Features, pricing, and terms may change without notice. For the latest information, please consult each provider’s official website directly. All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners. Their use does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by those brands.}