The best credit cards for business travel in the UK
31 Jan 2019 5 MIN READ
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Having a business credit card is a must for teams who travel. You want to make sure your employees can buy what they need to and that the card will be accepted wherever they go.
Some of the features that might matter to you are fraud protection, travel accident insurance, or the ability to withdraw cash. We’ve found cards that cover the necessities and some that offer travel rewards or cashback.
Santander Business Credit Card
Why we love it
Highest percentage of cashback for business cards in the UK, and no foreign transaction fees.
Sign up bonus
None
Ongoing bonus
1% cashback on everything
Annual fee
£30 annual account fee
Why it’s great for business travel
With no cost for additional cards, you can enjoy the 1% cashback for all spend from everyone on your team, without getting hit with annual fees. Plus, there are no foreign transaction fees on purchases abroad when paying in the local currency (so make sure to select the right currency when given the choice while paying).
No pre-set spending limit so big teams can travel hassle free.
Sign up bonus
Get 40,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points if you spend £6,000 in the first three months.
Ongoing bonus
Earn 1 Rewards Point for every £1 spent (for all cards connected to the account).
Annual fee
£450 per year
Why it’s great for business travel
Your team gets access to over 1,000 airport lounges across 120 countries with complimentary membership to the Priority Pass group of lounges. You also receive worldwide travel insurance. There’s an unlimited number of add-on cards.
Perfect for travel rewards for small-to-medium sized teams.
Sign up bonus
Get 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points if you spend £3,000 in the first three months.
Ongoing bonus
Earn 1 Rewards Point for every £1 spent (by all cards connected to the account).
Annual fee
£0 the first year and £125 per year after that.
Why it’s great for business travel
Your team gets travel accident insurance and emergency card replacement anywhere in the world, so they can breathe easy. You can add up to 99 additional cards, allowing you to collect travel rewards for everyone on the account.
Great for startups needing to keep their cash flow flexible: you get 56 days interest-free credit for every transaction.
Sign up bonus
None
Ongoing bonus
None—it’s a simple card that keeps you protected when your team is on the go.
Annual fee
£0 the first year and £32 per year after that.
Why it’s great for business travel
Withdrawing local cash at a 2.9% fee will certainly come in handy. Contactless payments for purchases under £30 make fast meals on the go even faster. Plus, your company isn’t liable for any fraudulent transactions, so you can worry less about card theft abroad.
You can add supplementary cards to the account and start building up Avios points faster as a team. The credit limit is low though, so you’ll have to pay it off regularly.
Sign up bonus
5,000 bonus Avios points when you spend £1,000 in the first 3 months.
Ongoing bonus
Earn 1 Avios for virtually every £1 spent.
Annual fee
None
Why it’s great for business travel
Travel accident insurance is included, and there’s fraud protection as well. If your team flies with British Airways often, then this card will pay off big. A round trip flight from London to Berlin is approximately 18,000 Avios.
You can get cashback! (But the max is £400 max per year, so this is best for small teams)
Sign up bonus
None
Ongoing bonus
You’ll get 0.5% cashback on all purchases up to £400 max per year.
Annual fee
£100 with £75 for each additional card.
Why it’s great for business travel
Save 2% on all foreign exchange fees and receive two free visits to Priority Pass VIP Airport lounges around the year (with additional visits just £15 each). You also get 5 days free access to Barclays Eagle Labs coworking spaces, business travel insurance and purchase protection. An initial 6-month interest-free purchase period helps you hold onto your cash.
Unlike a credit card, where you may accidentally start to carry a balance, with a charge card you must pay off your balance in full. But with this card, you can still get cashback.
Sign up bonus
None
Ongoing bonus
Receive 0.5% cashback on all purchases up to £400 max per year.
Annual fee
£100 with £75 for each additional card.
Why it’s great for business travel
Save 2% on all foreign exchange fees and receive two free visits to Priority Pass VIP airport lounges around the year (with additional visits just £15 each). You also get 5 free days at Barclays Eagle Labs coworking spaces, business travel insurance and purchase protection. You have 38 days to pay off your purchases.
Backed by Mastercard, this card has worldwide acceptance. Plus, it has the lowest cash withdrawal fee we’ve seen.
Sign up bonus
None
Ongoing bonus
None. However, your purchases are protected against fraud.
Annual fee
£32 per card on the account.
Why it’s great for business travel
You can withdraw cash for just a 2.5% handling fee for Sterling, and a non-Sterling transaction is 2.95%. Plus you get 45 days interest-free credit on purchases when you pay your balances and on time, allowing you to hold onto your cash just a little while longer.
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