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The best credit cards for business travel in the UK

31 Jan 2019 5 MIN READ

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The best credit cards for business travel in the UK

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.

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Santander Business Credit Card

Why we love itHighest percentage of cashback for business cards in the UK, and no foreign transaction fees.
Sign up bonusNone
Ongoing bonus1% cashback on everything
Annual fee£30 annual account fee
Why it’s great for business travelWith 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).
Where to sign upLearn more and apply

The American Express® Platinum Business Card

Why we love itNo pre-set spending limit so big teams can travel hassle free.
Sign up bonusGet 40,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points if you spend £6,000 in the first three months.
Ongoing bonusEarn 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 travelYour 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.
Where to sign upLearn more and apply

Gold Business Card by American Express®

Why we love itPerfect for travel rewards for small-to-medium sized teams.
Sign up bonusGet 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points if you spend £3,000 in the first three months.
Ongoing bonusEarn 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 travelYour 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.
Where to sign upLearn more and apply

HSBC Business Credit Card

Why we love itGreat for startups needing to keep their cash flow flexible: you get 56 days interest-free credit for every transaction.
Sign up bonusNone
Ongoing bonusNone—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 travelWithdrawing 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.
Where to sign upLearn more and apply

British Airways American Express Card

Why we love itYou 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 bonus5,000 bonus Avios points when you spend £1,000 in the first 3 months.
Ongoing bonusEarn 1 Avios for virtually every £1 spent.
Annual feeNone
Why it’s great for business travelTravel 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.
Where to sign upLearn more and apply

Barclays Premium Plus Business Credit Card

Why we love itYou can get cashback! (But the max is £400 max per year, so this is best for small teams)
Sign up bonusNone
Ongoing bonusYou’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 travelSave 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.
Where to sign upLearn more and apply

Barclays Premium Plus Business Charge Card

Why we love itUnlike 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 bonusNone
Ongoing bonusReceive 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 travelSave 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.
Where to sign upLearn more and apply

Lloyds Bank Business Credit Card

Why we love itBacked by Mastercard, this card has worldwide acceptance. Plus, it has the lowest cash withdrawal fee we’ve seen.
Sign up bonusNone
Ongoing bonusNone. However, your purchases are protected against fraud.
Annual fee£32 per card on the account.
Why it’s great for business travelYou 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.
Where to sign upLearn more and apply
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