🏠 Credit Cards» Best Business Charge Cards UK (2026)
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Best Business Charge Cards UK (2026)
Amex Business Gold is the pick on rewards if your suppliers take Amex, and Barclaycard Select is the open-access choice with no bank account needed. Either way, you clear the balance in full every month, so you pay no interest but cannot spread a bill.
A credit card lets you carry a balance and pay interest on it. A charge card doesn’t: the full amount is due each billing period. Miss it and you face a late fee or account suspension. We cover the full difference in our credit cards vs charge cards guide.
A charge card suits a business that can reliably clear every statement and wants to remove the temptation to carry debt. If customer payments regularly arrive late, that same discipline becomes a cash-flow risk.
Amex Gold and Platinum lead on rewards in our comparison of the published UK terms. The bank cards from Lloyds, Barclaycard, Co-op and NatWest are plainer products with fewer benefits, although they avoid the supplier-acceptance gaps that can limit Amex.
Is a Charge Card Right for Your Business?
Is a Charge Card Right for Your Business?
Your situation
Charge card?
Why
You clear in full every month without effort
Yes
You get the rewards without interest cost or debt risk
Bank charge cards have no Amex acceptance issue, but fewer rewards
Verified 6 October 2026.
Every card in the main comparison requires full monthly clearance, so the useful differences are the fee, the rewards and whether you must already bank with the provider.
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Compare Business Charge Cards at a Glance
Compare Business Charge Cards at a Glance: Best For · Key Feature · Annual Fee
Provider
Best For
Key Feature
Annual Fee
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Funding Circle FlexiPay
Businesses wanting flexible repayment, no bank-account requirement and no mandatory monthly clearance
Fees and rates verified 6 October 2026 from public sources.
Charge Cards vs Credit Cards: The Practical Difference
The distinction bites hardest in a cash flow crunch. A credit card hands you a release valve: pay the minimum, carry the rest at interest. A charge card removes it. Whether that reads as discipline or as a liability depends on how predictable your month-end cash is.
One difference rarely gets explained: charge cards typically have no pre-set spending limit. We checked the Amex terms: your available spend flexes with account history and usage rather than sitting under a fixed ceiling. Not unlimited credit, but useful in variable high-spend months.
A marketing agency puts £8,000 on a credit card at 25.5% APR and clears £6,000 at the end of the month. The remaining £2,000 carries at roughly £42 in interest. Over a year, that’s around £500 on balances it couldn’t quite clear.
On a charge card, the same agency would need to find the full £8,000 every month. If the cash is there, the interest cost is zero. If it isn’t, the consequences arrive immediately, and they bite harder than an interest charge.
The Cash Flow Test: Can Your Business Handle a Charge Card?
Before you apply for a charge card, run this test against your last six months of bank statements. This framework addresses the most common reasons businesses get into difficulty with charge cards, and it comes down to three questions about your cash flow pattern.
Monthly clearance buffer: In each of the last 6 months, did your bank balance on the payment date exceed your card spend by at least 20%? If you spent £8,000, did you have £9,600+ available? That buffer covers late invoices and slipped client payments. Without it, one delayed invoice could mean a missed charge card payment.
Seasonal dip test: Does your business have months where revenue drops below average? A landscaper spending £5,000/month on supplies might see January and February revenue fall 40% below July. A credit card absorbs that dip. A charge card doesn’t. Check whether your reserves cover full clearance during lean months.
Client concentration risk: If your largest client delays payment by 30 days, can you still clear the card in full? One large client paying late cascades into a charge card problem. If more than 30% of your monthly revenue comes from a single client, the charge card risk is higher than it looks.
If you answered yes to all three, a charge card is likely manageable. If you failed on two or more, a low-APR credit card is the safer choice. The flexibility to carry a balance when cash is tight is worth more than the rewards you earn on a charge card.
A worked example: a digital marketing agency with £15,000/month revenue puts £7,000/month on a card (ad spend, software, travel). In a normal month, the clearance buffer is comfortable: £15,000 against £7,000.
But in August two clients pay late and revenue drops to £9,000. The charge card still demands its full £7,000, leaving £2,000 for everything else that month. A credit card would let the agency push part of that bill into September; the charge card gives it no such room.
Amex Charge Cards vs Bank Charge Cards
Amex is the clear rewards choice among the published UK terms we compared. Gold and Platinum include Membership Rewards points, travel perks and insurance benefits that the bank cards do not match.
If rewards matter, Amex is the clear choice among the cards we compared. See our full Amex card comparison.
The bank charge cards from Lloyds, Barclaycard, Co-op and NatWest suit businesses that want to clear the bill in full each month but do not need Amex rewards.
They are simpler products with minimal rewards, but that can be enough if you already use the bank and your regular suppliers do not accept Amex. In that situation, wider acceptance matters more than a rewards rate you cannot earn on much of your spending.
The Amex acceptance question is real in the UK. Many suppliers, particularly smaller businesses and trade suppliers, don’t accept Amex. If a significant share of your spend goes to suppliers who won’t take it, the rewards earn rate is undermined by the gaps.
We ran the numbers. An IT consultancy spending £6,000/month on an Amex Gold earns 72,000 Membership Rewards points per year. At 0.8p per point, that’s £576 in reward value against a £195 annual fee. The same business on a Lloyds charge card earns nothing (£32 fee, waivable at £6k+).
If Amex acceptance covers 80% or more of your suppliers, the Gold rewards more than justify the fee. If acceptance is below 60%, the effective reward drops to under £350. Still positive, but the gap narrows.
Card-by-card reviews
Business Charge Cards
Funding Circle FlexiPay
Flexible fintech credit (not a charge card)
Annual Fee£0
Flexible fintech credit (not a charge card)
Funding Circle FlexiPay
Funding Circle FlexiPay offers flexible credit with variable repayment terms.
Best for: Businesses wanting flexible repayment, no bank-account requirement and no mandatory monthly clearance
Watch out: This isn’t a charge card. Full monthly clearance isn’t required. Paying the balance in full is fee-free; spreading a payment over 3 to 12 months costs a flat fee from 1.99%, and the smallest bill you can pay this way is £100 (fundingcircle.com, checked 7 October 2026).
Not ideal if: You specifically want the discipline of mandatory full clearance that defines a charge card
Transaction FeeFrom 1.99% per transaction Fee-free if repaid in 1 instalment
Annual Fee£0 (no interest charges) No annual fee, no interest
Payment TermsSpread over 1–12 months 1, 3, 6, 9, or 12 month options
Existing AccountNo existing account required
Eligibility: UK limited companies with at least one year of trading. No existing account required. From 1.99% per transaction fee.
Not ideal if: You specifically want the discipline of mandatory full clearance that defines a charge card
Watch out: This isn’t a charge card. Full monthly clearance isn’t required. Paying the balance in full is fee-free; spreading a payment over 3 to 12 months costs a flat fee from 1.99%, and the smallest bill you can pay this way is £100 (fundingcircle.com, checked 7 October 2026).
No annual fee and no interest charges, cost is the per-transaction fee only when spreading repayment
Flexible repayment: 1, 3, 6, 9, or 12 month terms, not mandatory monthly clearance
Fee-free when repaid in 1 instalment
No existing bank account required
Section 75 protection does not apply to FlexiPay transactions
Transaction fee from 1.99% for shortest terms; realistic multi-month rates are higher
Applications invited from limited companies
Minimum 2 years trading required, not available to newly incorporated businesses
Physical Visa card posted to you, accepted in shops and online wherever Visa is accepted
£0 annual fee; fee waived entirely if repaid in a single instalment
1, 3, 6, 9, or 12 month repayment terms
No FX fees on international payments
FlexiPay app available on App Store and Google Play
American Express Business Gold Card
Best rewards charge card
Annual Fee£0 yr 1, then £195/yr
Rewards1 Membership Rewards point per £1
Best rewards charge card
American Express Business Gold Card
The most rewarding charge card available to UK businesses.
Rewards1 Membership Rewards point per £1 (2x on Amex Travel)
Best for: High-spending businesses (£3k+/month) that reliably clear monthly and want flexible reward redemption
Watch out: Charge card structure: full balance due monthly, no exceptions. Amex isn’t accepted by all UK suppliers.
Not ideal if: You sometimes need to carry a balance, or most of your suppliers don’t accept Amex
Annual Fee£0 yr 1, then £195/yr
Rewards1 Membership Rewards point per £1 (2x on Amex Travel)
Card TypeCharge card with Flexible Payment Option (from Jan 2026)
Existing AccountNo existing account required
Eligibility: UK limited companies and LLPs, with a director or member as signatory. Sole traders and partnerships are not eligible (americanexpress.com, checked 7 October 2026).
Not ideal if: You sometimes need to carry a balance, or most of your suppliers don’t accept Amex
Watch out: Charge card structure: full balance due monthly, no exceptions. Amex isn’t accepted by all UK suppliers.
Flexible Membership Rewards, transfer to Avios, hotel programmes, or statement credit
£0 annual fee in year 1
1 Membership Rewards point per £1 (2x on Amex Travel)
No existing bank account required
Available to limited companies and LLPs (sole traders and partnerships are not eligible)
£195/year annual fee from year 2
2.99% foreign transaction fee on non-sterling purchases
Amex acceptance isn’t universal in the UK, particularly among smaller suppliers; check your regular suppliers before relying on it
Charge card, balance must be paid monthly (unless using Pay Over Time at 29.1% APR)
Supplementary cards capped at 20 (free of charge)
£0 year 1, then £195/year
1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent (2x on Amex Travel)
Transfer to partners including British Airways Avios, Marriott Bonvoy and Virgin Atlantic
Best for: Businesses spending £10k+/month that travel frequently and clear monthly without difficulty
Watch out: £650 a year from the start, where the Gold card waives its £195 for the first twelve months (americanexpress.com, checked 6 October 2026). Charge card: full balance monthly. Amex isn’t accepted by all UK suppliers.
Not ideal if: Monthly spend is under £5k, or you don’t value travel perks enough to offset the annual fee
Annual Fee£650/yr (employee cards included)
Rewards1 Membership Rewards point per £1
Card TypeCharge card with Flexible Payment Option
Existing AccountNo existing account required
Eligibility: Limited companies and LLPs, with a personal income of at least £35,000. £650/year (supplementary: £295). No existing account required.
Not ideal if: Monthly spend is under £5k, or you don’t value travel perks enough to offset the annual fee
Watch out: £650 a year from the start, where the Gold card waives its £195 for the first twelve months (americanexpress.com, checked 6 October 2026). Charge card: full balance monthly. Amex isn’t accepted by all UK suppliers.
Access to 1,550+ airport lounges worldwide
Employee cards at no extra cost: 1 Platinum and up to 19 Gold
Travel insurance covering the cardholder and employee cardholders
Membership Rewards points transferable to Avios, hotel, and airline partners
£650/year annual fee; includes 1 complimentary Platinum and up to 19 complimentary Gold employee cards
Amex acceptance isn’t universal in the UK, particularly among smaller suppliers; check your regular suppliers before relying on it
Charge card, balance must be paid monthly
Earns the same 1 point per £1 as the Gold card, so the extra £455 buys travel benefits rather than points
£650/year (1 complimentary Platinum + up to 19 Gold employee cards)
1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent
1,550+ airport lounges
Transfer to airline and hotel partners including British Airways, Marriott Bonvoy and Virgin Atlantic
Lloyds Bank Business Charge Card
Simple bank charge card, no rewards
Annual Fee£32/card
Card TypeCharge card
Simple bank charge card, no rewards
Lloyds Bank Business Charge Card
Lloyds offers a charge card variant for businesses that want the discipline of mandatory monthly clearance without a revolving credit line.
Annual Fee£32/card (free yr 1, waived at £6k+ spend)
Card TypeCharge card (full balance monthly by DD)
Best for: Existing Lloyds customers who want a charge card structure without a rewards programme to manage
Watch out: Free for the first 12 months, then £32 a cardholder a year unless your cards together spend £6,000 or more in the year. On a three-card account that is £96 a year riding on a spending target (lloydsbank.com, checked 27 August 2026).
Not ideal if: You want a rewards programme alongside the charge card structure (Amex Gold is better)
Annual Fee£32/card (free yr 1, waived at £6k+ spend)
Card TypeCharge card (full balance monthly by DD)
Interest-Free PeriodUp to 56 days on purchases
Existing AccountLloyds business account required
Eligibility: Lloyds business current account required.
Not ideal if: You want a rewards programme alongside the charge card structure (Amex Gold is better)
Watch out: Free for the first 12 months, then £32 a cardholder a year unless your cards together spend £6,000 or more in the year. On a three-card account that is £96 a year riding on a spending target (lloydsbank.com, checked 27 August 2026).
Up to 56 days interest-free on purchases
Annual fee waived when card spend reaches £6,000 per year, potentially free to run
First year free regardless of spend
Full monthly clearance via direct debit removes missed-payment risk
Lloyds Bank business current account required
No rewards programme, charge card with no cashback or points
£32/card annual fee applies on any card spending under £6,000/year
LLPs not listed as an accepted entity, and Lloyds publishes no ruling either way
Up to 56 days interest-free on purchases
£32/card annual fee (free year 1; waived at £6,000+ spend)
Mandatory full monthly clearance by direct debit
Lloyds business account required
Barclaycard Select Charge Card
Barclaycard charge variant
Annual Fee£42 per account
Card TypeCharge card
Barclaycard charge variant
Barclaycard Select Charge Card
Barclaycard offers a charge card product in addition to its standard credit card.
Best for: Businesses wanting a charge card structure without an existing bank account requirement
Watch out: The balance clears in full every month, with no option to carry any of it. Your business needs a turnover between £10,000 and £6.5 million a year (barclaycard.co.uk, checked 7 October 2026).
Not ideal if: You want a rewards programme. Barclaycard’s charge card has limited rewards.
Annual Fee£42 per account
Card TypeCharge card (pay in full monthly)
FX Fee2.99% on non-sterling transactions Cash fee 3% (min £3)
Existing AccountNo existing account required
Eligibility: Sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, LLPs, with turnover of £10,000 to £6.5 million. £42/account. No existing account required.
Not ideal if: You want a rewards programme. Barclaycard’s charge card has limited rewards.
Watch out: The balance clears in full every month, with no option to carry any of it. Your business needs a turnover between £10,000 and £6.5 million a year (barclaycard.co.uk, checked 7 October 2026).
No existing bank account required, sole traders, partnerships, LTDs, and LLPs eligible
Full monthly clearance removes revolving balance and associated interest risk
Accepted wherever the card network is accepted
£42 annual fee per account with no rewards programme included
Full balance must be paid monthly, no option to carry
2.99% FX fee on non-sterling transactions makes overseas spend expensive
No cashback or points compared to the standard Select cashback credit card
Charge card structure (mandatory full monthly clearance)
£42 per account annual fee
2.99% FX fee on non-sterling transactions
No existing bank account required
Co-operative Bank Business Charge Card
Co-operative Bank charge card
Card TypeCharge card
Co-operative Bank charge card
Co-operative Bank Business Charge Card
The Co-operative Bank offers a charge card for business customers.
Best for: Existing Co-operative Bank business customers wanting its values positioning and a charge card
Watch out: Free for six months, then £2 per card per month, so £24 a card a year. You also need a Co-operative Bank business current account. The basic Business Bank Account has no monthly fee; Business Bank Account Plus costs £10 a month (co-operativebank.co.uk, checked 7 October 2026).
Not ideal if: You want rewards, or you don’t already bank with the Co-op
Monthly FeeFree for 6 months, then £2 per card/month
Card TypeCharge card (pay in full monthly) Up to 48 days interest-free
Interest-Free PeriodUp to 48 days
Existing AccountCo-op business account required
Eligibility: Co-operative Bank business current account required.
Not ideal if: You want rewards, or you don’t already bank with the Co-op
Watch out: Free for six months, then £2 per card per month, so £24 a card a year. You also need a Co-operative Bank business current account. The basic Business Bank Account has no monthly fee; Business Bank Account Plus costs £10 a month (co-operativebank.co.uk, checked 7 October 2026).
Free for the first 6 months, then £2/month per card
Up to 48 days interest-free on purchases before the monthly statement is due
Best for: Existing NatWest customers who want mandatory monthly clearance discipline
Watch out: NatWest charges a £45 annual fee per onecard cardholder. You also need a NatWest business account (natwest.com, checked 6 October 2026).
Not ideal if: You don’t bank with NatWest, or you want a rewards programme alongside the charge card structure
Annual Fee£45 per cardholder
Card TypeCharge card (full balance monthly)
Travel InsuranceUp to £100,000 on public transport Up to £25,000 general business travel
Existing AccountNatWest business account required
Eligibility: Limited companies, public sector bodies, charities and partnerships of four or more partners, with turnover of £2 million or more. NatWest business current account required.
Not ideal if: You don’t bank with NatWest, or you want a rewards programme alongside the charge card structure
Watch out: NatWest charges a £45 annual fee per onecard cardholder. You also need a NatWest business account (natwest.com, checked 6 October 2026).
Travel insurance included: up to £100,000 on public transport journeys, up to £25,000 general business travel, verified against natwest.com
Charge card structure enforces full monthly clearance, no revolving debt accumulates
£45/cardholder annual fee
NatWest business current account required
No cashback or rewards programme
Full balance due monthly, no option to carry
Limited companies, public sector bodies, charities and partnerships of four or more partners, with turnover of £2 million or more
Up to £100,000 travel insurance on public transport journeys
£45 per cardholder annual fee
Mandatory full monthly clearance
NatWest business account required
Also Compared: Not Charge Cards, But Often Listed Alongside Them
Do not assume every product grouped with charge cards follows the same repayment rules. We checked the published structure of each one: the BA Amex is a credit card, the Amex Business Basic Card is a no-fee charge card without rewards, and Moss is a fintech spending platform rather than a traditional charge card. We list them to show the differences, not as recommendations.
British Airways Accelerating Business Card
Avios credit card for BA flyers (not a charge card)
Annual Fee£250
Avios credit card for BA flyers (not a charge card)
British Airways Accelerating Business Card
The BA Amex is a credit card, not a charge card: you can clear the balance in full or pay over time with interest.
Best for: Businesses with regular BA travel that clear monthly and want Avios on every pound spent
Watch out: Interest applies to any balance you carry past the interest-free period. The £250 annual fee applies from the first year. Only valuable for BA flyers. Amex acceptance gaps.
Not ideal if: You don’t fly BA, you want the discipline of a charge card, or your suppliers don’t accept Amex
Annual Fee£250
Avios Earn Rate1.25 Avios per £1
Bonus Avios10,000 per £20k spend (up to 30k/year)
Existing AccountNo existing account required
Eligibility: Sole traders and small businesses with a UK bank account, personal income of at least £20,000. £250/year (americanexpress.com, checked 7 October 2026).
Not ideal if: You don’t fly BA, you want the discipline of a charge card, or your suppliers don’t accept Amex
Watch out: Interest applies to any balance you carry past the interest-free period. The £250 annual fee applies from the first year. Only valuable for BA flyers. Amex acceptance gaps.
1.25 Avios per £1 on general spend
10,000 bonus Avios per £20,000 spend (up to 30,000/year)
Up to £200 a year back on Avios Hotels and Car Hire bookings from 7 October 2026
The only Avios business card open to sole traders
Earn rate drops to 1.25 Avios per £1 from 7 October 2026, and On Business points stop entirely
£250 annual fee with no year-1 waiver
Amex acceptance isn’t universal in the UK, particularly among smaller suppliers; check your regular suppliers before relying on it
Avios value depends entirely on BA route availability and pricing
Need significant spend to offset the annual fee
£250 annual fee
1.25 Avios per £1 on general spend
On Business points end 7 October 2026
10,000 bonus Avios per £20,000 spend (up to 30,000/year)
American Express Basic Business Card
No-fee Amex charge card, no rewards
Annual Fee£0
RewardsNone
No-fee Amex charge card, no rewards
American Express Basic Business Card
The Amex Business Basic Card is a charge card with no annual fee and no pre-set spending limit.
Best for: Businesses wanting Amex card infrastructure with no annual fee and occasional payment flexibility, but not needing rewards
Watch out: No Membership Rewards at all. Amex’s business card comparison page lists only the Gold and Platinum, so the Basic card is harder to find. The annual fee is nil, which is the whole appeal.
Not ideal if: You want Membership Rewards or any rewards programme (Gold or Platinum are better)
Annual Fee£0 No annual fee
RewardsNone (no-fee card)
Card TypeCharge card: pay in full each month (up to 42 days) No preset spending limit
Existing AccountNo existing account required
Eligibility: Limited companies and LLPs; Amex’s Business Basic Card agreement also covers the individual cardmember. £0 annual fee. No existing account required.
Not ideal if: You want Membership Rewards or any rewards programme (Gold or Platinum are better)
Watch out: No Membership Rewards at all. Amex’s business card comparison page lists only the Gold and Platinum, so the Basic card is harder to find. The annual fee is nil, which is the whole appeal.
No annual fee, the only Amex business card with no annual cost
Up to 42 days to pay; balance paid in full every month
No existing bank account required
No Membership Rewards programme, earns no points or cashback
Amex acceptance gaps, some UK suppliers do not accept American Express
£0 annual fee
Charge card: pay in full each month (up to 42 days)
No Membership Rewards
No existing bank account required
Moss Business Credit Card
Fintech spend card (not a charge card)
Fintech spend card (not a charge card)
Moss Business Credit Card
Moss is a fintech spend management platform with company cards.
Best for: Businesses wanting virtual cards, team spend controls, and fast onboarding rather than a traditional charge card
Watch out: Moss sells a software platform first. Repayment runs daily, weekly or up to 30 days, and eligibility and credit checks apply (getmoss.com, checked 7 October 2026).
Not ideal if: You want the specific repayment discipline and rewards structure of a formal charge card
Interest0% if repaid in full Charge-style: repaid in full each cycle
RepaymentDaily, weekly or up to 30 days Flexible repayment cycle
Existing AccountNo existing account required
Eligibility: Established businesses; Moss asks for company documents and selected financial statements, and credit checks apply. 0% interest when repaid on time.
Not ideal if: You want the specific repayment discipline and rewards structure of a formal charge card
Watch out: Moss sells a software platform first. Repayment runs daily, weekly or up to 30 days, and eligibility and credit checks apply (getmoss.com, checked 7 October 2026).
Multiple employee cards with per-card spend limits
Real-time spend tracking and controls built in
No existing bank account required
Repayments daily, weekly or up to 30 days
Charge-style card repaid in full each cycle, not a revolving credit line; no published representative APR
Platform subscription pricing on top of card fees, quoted rather than published
Limited companies and LLPs only, sole traders excluded
Less suited for single-card use
Multiple employee cards with per-card spend limits
Repayments daily, weekly or up to 30 days
Real-time spend tracking and receipt matching
What Happens If You Can’t Clear Your Charge Card Balance?
Late payment on an Amex charge card triggers a £12 fee. Amex can also suspend the account in the cases its terms list. You can ask for reinstatement once the reason no longer applies.
No minimum payment option is the defining feature of a charge card, with one caveat. Amex now offers Pay Over Time on the Gold and Platinum, letting you carry eligible purchases at 29.1% variable APR. That effectively makes it a revolving credit facility on those purchases.
Opt in and use Pay Over Time regularly, and you’re paying credit card rates on a product built for full clearance. If your cash flow is variable, the Amex Business Card gives you Membership Rewards with credit card flexibility at rates designed for revolving use.
A large one-off expense such as conference sponsorship, equipment or an office deposit can turn a manageable statement into one the business cannot clear from that month’s cash.
A credit card lets you spread that over two or three months. A charge card demands the full amount. Factor this into cash planning before putting a large expense on the card.
Does a Charge Card Affect Your Business Credit Score?
Charge cards are reported to credit reference agencies, but the reporting differs. Because there’s no revolving credit limit, charge cards don’t contribute to your credit utilisation ratio the way a credit card does.
We checked with Experian: charge card accounts are reported as “open” accounts, not revolving credit lines.
A charge card with a clean payment history builds your business credit profile. A missed payment damages your credit file faster than a missed minimum on a credit card: full clearance is expected every month. Consistent on-time clearance sends a clear signal to lenders.
Can You Get a Charge Card as a New Business?
We reviewed the eligibility criteria: Amex Business Gold and Platinum accept newer businesses that are limited companies or LLPs, but not sole traders, and don’t publish a hard minimum trading history.
The spend limit offered will be lower for a new business, and Amex assesses applications against personal credit history as well as trading record.
Bank charge cards from Lloyds, Co-op and NatWest require an existing business current account with that bank. Barclaycard does not, but it asks for turnover of at least £10,000 a year. For a limited company under a year old, Amex is one route that needs no existing bank relationship. Barclaycard Select is another, if turnover is at least £10,000.
Business Charge Card FAQs
What is the best business charge card in the UK?
Amex Business Gold offers the highest rewards value of the UK charge cards we compared, provided your suppliers accept Amex. Membership Rewards points transfer to airlines, hotels, or statement credit. If your suppliers don’t take Amex, bank charge cards from Lloyds or Barclaycard are the alternatives, though with fewer rewards.
How is a charge card different from a credit card?
A charge card requires the full balance to be cleared every month. There’s no option to carry a balance, no revolving credit, and no interest charged on purchases. If you miss the payment deadline, you face late fees and potential account suspension rather than interest charges.
Can I get a charge card for a new business?
Amex Business Gold and Platinum accept newer businesses that are limited companies or LLPs, not sole traders, and don’t publish a hard minimum trading history requirement. Your initial spending allowance will be lower for a new business. Bank charge cards from Lloyds, Co-op and NatWest require an existing business current account with that bank.
Does a charge card affect my credit score differently from a credit card?
Yes. Charge cards are reported as open accounts rather than revolving credit, so they don’t count towards your credit utilisation ratio. A clean charge card payment history shows lenders you can manage full monthly clearance consistently, which carries more weight than minimum payments on a credit card.
What happens if I miss a charge card payment?
Late payment fees apply immediately and the missed payment is recorded on your credit file. Repeated missed payments can lead to account suspension. The consequences are typically more immediate and severe than missing a minimum payment on a credit card.
Is the Amex Business Gold annual fee worth it?
At £3,000+ monthly spend with good Amex acceptance among your suppliers, the Membership Rewards value exceeds the £195 annual fee (free in year one). Below that spend level, or if fewer than 60% of your suppliers accept Amex, the fee is harder to justify.
Do I need a bank account with the same provider for a charge card?
Amex charge cards don’t require an account with any particular bank. Bank charge cards from Lloyds, Co-op and NatWest require a business current account with that specific bank. The Barclaycard Select Charge Card does not.
How we reviewed business charge cards
What we covered. We looked at how business charge cards actually work, what you pay to hold one, and who each issuer will approve, working from the card agreements and fee tables alongside FCA guidance current in October 2026.
Data sources. We pulled every fee, reward rate, and eligibility rule straight from the issuers’ own pages in October 2026, modelled the real annual cost, and cross-checked regulatory status against the FCA register.
Update cadence. We re-verify this page at least monthly, and whenever a provider changes pricing, eligibility, or terms. The verification date on the page reflects the most recent full review. Some links on this page are affiliate links, see our editorial policy.
Regulatory note. This page is editorial content, not regulated financial advice. Credit products are subject to status and approval. Compare offers directly with providers before you apply.
Funding Circle FlexiPay
Flexible fintech credit (not a charge card)
Annual Fee£0
American Express Business Gold Card
Best rewards charge card
Annual Fee£0 yr 1, then £195/yr
Rewards1 Membership Rewards point per £1
American Express Business Platinum Card
Premium perks for very high spenders
Annual Fee£650/yr
Rewards1 Membership Rewards point per £1
Lloyds Bank Business Charge Card
Simple bank charge card, no rewards
Annual Fee£32/card
Card TypeCharge card
Barclaycard Select Charge Card
Barclaycard charge variant
Annual Fee£42 per account
Card TypeCharge card
