Business credit cards are designed to optimize the business world's experiences, valuable both for a one-man business up to a large corporation. All credit cards function in the same basic manner, allowing the user to charge a purchase or cash withdrawal to the credit card account, which is to be paid at a later time at a predetermined interest rate. Businesses, however, have needs different from students or average consumers.

Business credit cards often have high credit limits, sometimes over one hundred thousand dollars. Interest rates might be substantially lower than those of an average consumer credit card. Annual fees may be waived, as might limits on earned rewards.

Obtaining a business credit card requires good to excellent credit, but an individual person's credit rating may be less important than the business's credit rating. A business might have to prove itself to be profitable, and even offer sensitive financial information in order to obtain exceptionally high credit limits. Business owners may also have to personally guarantee the credit limit.

Features and rewards designed to appeal to businesses include travel incentives, quarterly and annual business account summaries, cash back on purchases, and discounts with airlines, car rental agencies, hotels, telephone and cable services, and shipping services. Accumulated reward points may be used for merchandise, travel, office equipment, gasoline purchases, and employee gift cards. Fraud liability is often waived entirely. Cards may be personalized with the user's company name or logo.

Many business credit cards offer large daily cash advances, automatic travel life insurance, and special deals on automobile insurance and business liability insurance. Multiple cards might be issued so that several employees may share one account. Each employee's card may have its own credit limit. Some cards even offer a business assistance services such as gathering business information, making travel reservations, and compiling employee-specific expense reports.

Additional incentives to a business considering such a credit card may include deferred or waived interest on balance transfers, 24/7 live customer support, free checking from the same credit card account, or a large starting balance of reward points. They may also offer immediate card replacement due to loss or theft, or special insurance coverage for legal or medical assistance.