Which Barclaycard business card should I get?

Select Cashback if you clear monthly and want cashback with no annual fee. Select Charge if you always pay in full and want a charge card structure. Premium Plus only if your monthly spend exceeds £5,000 and you occasionally carry a balance.

Do I need a Barclays bank account to get a Barclaycard business card?

No. Barclaycard business cards don’t require a Barclays or Barclaycard business current account. This is one of the main reasons Barclaycard is widely recommended for businesses that bank with fintech providers.

Can sole traders apply for a Barclaycard business card?

Yes. Barclaycard accepts sole traders, partnerships, and limited companies with turnover between £10,000 and £6.5 million.

What is the APR on Barclaycard business cards?

Select Cashback has a representative APR of 25.5%. Premium Plus has a representative APR of 54.3%–55.5% (it carries a £150 annual fee) but a lower purchase rate. Select Charge is a charge card with no APR as the full balance must be cleared monthly.

Can I switch between Barclaycard products later?

Barclaycard does allow product switches in some cases, but it isn’t guaranteed. Contact Barclaycard directly to discuss switching rather than applying for a second card, as a product switch avoids an additional hard credit search.

Is Barclaycard business card worth it if I already have a bank card?

Generally no. If your existing bank offers a business credit card at a lower APR, Barclaycard’s 25.5% isn’t competitive enough to justify adding a second card unless you need it for spend separation or as a backup.

Barclaycard Business Cards: No Bank Account Needed

Barclaycard Business Credit Cards Compared: Best For · Key Feature · Annual Fee
Provider	Best For	Key Feature	Annual Fee	Apply
Barclaycard SelectNo fee + cashback	Businesses that clear their balance monthly and want cashback without a fixed annual cost	Cashback	£0	View Deal →
Barclaycard Charge CardCharge Card	Businesses that will always clear the full balance and prefer a charge card structure	None	£42per account	View Deal →
Barclaycard Premium PlusHigh Spend	Businesses with regular overseas card spend where the 0.99% FX rate saves more than the £150 annual fee costs	Cashback	£150per account	View Deal →

Which Barclaycard Fits Your Business?

Which Barclaycard Fits Your Business?
Your Situation	Best Fit
Clear the balance monthly, want cashback, no bank requirement	Select Cashback
Always pay in full, prefer a charge card structure	Select Charge
High monthly spend, occasionally carry a balance	Premium Plus
Need credit limits above £25k (limited company only)	Capital on Tap (see below)
Want Membership Rewards points over cashback	Amex Business Gold (see below)
Verified 21 July 2026.

Which Barclaycard at What Spend Level?

The right card turns on two things: how much you spend each month, and whether you ever carry a balance. Modelling the effective annual cost at three spend levels shows where the lines cross.

These numbers assume a 30-day balance carried once a quarter and cleared in full the other nine months. Clear in full every month and Select Cashback wins outright: no interest to pay, and the cashback is money straight back.

Which Barclaycard at What Spend Level?
Monthly spend	Select Cashback (25.5% APR, no fee)	Select Charge (no APR, no fee)	Premium Plus (lower purchase APR, £150/yr fee)
£1,000/month	Cashback ~£120/yr. If you carry £1k for one month per quarter, interest ~£85/yr. Net: +£35	£0 cost if you always clear. Late payment penalty if you miss.	Fee £150 + lower interest ~£50 on carried months. Net: −£100. Not worth it at this level.
£3,000/month	Cashback ~£360/yr. Carried balance interest ~£255/yr (one month per quarter). Net: +£105	£0 cost, but no cashback. Good discipline tool.	Fee £150, lower interest ~£150 on carried months. Net cost: −£300 before any cashback. Breaks even only if you carry frequently.
£5,000/month	Cashback ~£600/yr. Carried balance interest ~£425/yr. Net: +£175	£0 cost. Best option if you never carry.	Fee £150, lower interest ~£250. Saves ~£175 vs Select on interest. Net: a small saving after the £150 fee.
Verified 21 July 2026.

The pattern is clear: Premium Plus only makes sense if your monthly spend is £5,000+ and you regularly carry a balance. Below that, you’re paying £150 for an interest saving you could avoid by clearing in full.

If you’re a consultancy billing £8k/month with clean monthly clearance, Select Charge costs zero and is your best accounting tool. When seasonal purchases push you into a carried balance, Select Cashback earns more than interest costs at £3k+ monthly spend.

Larger businesses that will carry a balance regularly should choose Premium Plus for the lowest Barclaycard rate.

Below £5k monthly spend, the £150 fee rarely pays back.

Can You Switch Between Barclaycard Products?

If your spend grows, contact Barclaycard directly to discuss upgrading. A product switch avoids the hard credit search that a fresh application triggers. Barclaycard does allow switches in some cases but doesn’t guarantee them. Check before applying for a second card.

Card-by-card detail

Everyday spending card

Representative APR 25.5% variable

Cashback 1% on monthly spend over £2k Uncapped

Annual Fee £0 No annual fee

Existing Account No existing account required

Best for: Businesses that clear their balance monthly and want cashback without a fixed annual cost

Watch out: 25.5% APR makes carrying a balance expensive. Cashback rates and caps apply. Check current terms on barclaycard.co.uk.

Not ideal if: You regularly carry a balance, or your monthly spend is high enough to justify Premium Plus

Eligibility: Sole traders, partnerships, LTDs. £10k–£6.5m turnover. No Barclays business current account required.

Monthly clearer card

Annual Fee £42 per account

Card Type Charge card (pay in full monthly)

FX Fee 2.99% on non-sterling transactions Cash fee 3% (min £3)

Existing Account No existing account required

Best for: Businesses that will always clear the full balance and prefer a charge card structure

Watch out: You must pay in full monthly. There is no option to carry a balance.

Not ideal if: You need the flexibility to carry a balance occasionally

Eligibility: Check barclaycard.co.uk/business for current eligibility.

Higher-spend card with lower purchase rate

Barclaycard Premium Plus Business Credit Card

Premium Plus carries a representative APR of 54.3%–55.5% and a £150 annual fee. The trade-off is a discounted FX fee of 0.99% (versus Select’s 2.99%) and 0.5% cashback capped at £400 per year. This is a card for businesses with regular overseas spend where the FX saving justifies the fee and higher APR. If you don’t spend internationally, there is no case for Premium Plus over Select Cashback.

Representative APR 36.2% variable

Annual Fee £150 per account

Intro Offer 6 months 0% on purchases from account opening

Cashback 0.5% (capped £400/yr)

Best for: Businesses with regular overseas card spend where the 0.99% FX rate saves more than the £150 annual fee costs

Watch out: 54.3%–55.5% representative APR is among the highest of any UK business card. £150 annual fee. Cashback capped at £400/year.

Not ideal if: You have no overseas spend (Select Cashback is cheaper), or you carry a balance (the APR is punishing)

Eligibility: Check barclaycard.co.uk/business for current eligibility.

If No Barclaycard Fits Your Business

If you’re locked out of both Barclaycard and Amex, check our full business credit card comparison covering every major UK provider. Barclaycard trades lower rates for broader access. This trade-off only makes sense if you can’t get a bank-locked card.

The real Barclaycard use case: you bank with Starling, Monzo, or Tide and can’t get a Lloyds card at 15.95% APR because you don’t hold a Lloyds business current account. HSBC and NatWest cards are also closed to you.

That leaves three realistic options: Barclaycard (no account requirement), Capital on Tap (limited companies only), and Amex (acceptance gaps). For a sole trader at a fintech, Barclaycard Select Cashback is effectively the only traditional credit card option.

When you bank with a high-street provider, check your own bank’s credit card first: the APR is almost certainly lower than Barclaycard’s 25.5%. We cover this in our guide to business credit cards.

Is Barclaycard Worth It If You Already Have a Bank Card?

If your existing bank offers a business credit card at a lower APR, there’s no reason to add a Barclaycard unless you want a second card for spend separation or a backup. The cashback won’t claw back the difference in APR.

If the bank-linked cards are closed to you, the picture flips: Barclaycard becomes the primary card rather than a duplicate, and the 25.5% APR is the price of getting any card at all.

Capital on Tap Business Credit Card

Higher limits, no bank requirement

Rep. APR34.9% variable

Annual Fee£0 / £299

Higher limits, no bank requirement

Representative APR34.9% variable

Annual Fee£0 (free card) / £299 (Pro card)

Best for: Limited companies that need credit limits above what Barclaycard offers

Watch out: Limited companies, LLPs and PLCs only. Sole traders and partnerships are excluded.

Not ideal if: You’re a sole trader or partnership, or your Barclaycard limit is sufficient

Credit limits up to £250,000

No need to switch banks or providers

1% cashback on all spend

No FX fees on overseas purchases

Instant virtual card on approval

No annual fee (free tier)

The 13.86% floor is the published minimum, not your likely rate; the representative APR is 34.9% and your rate is priced individually and shown during the application

Sole traders excluded, limited companies and LLPs only

Pro card carries £299/year annual fee

Minimum £24,000 annual turnover required

American Express Business Gold Card

Premium rewards alternative

Annual Fee£0 yr 1, then £195/yr

Rewards1 MR point per £1

Premium rewards alternative

Annual Fee£0 yr 1, then £195/yr

Rewards1 MR point per £1 (2x on Amex Travel)

Best for: High-spending businesses that clear monthly and want Membership Rewards over cashback

Watch out: Amex acceptance isn’t universal. Some suppliers, particularly smaller UK businesses, won’t accept it.

Not ideal if: If your suppliers won’t take Amex, or you need the option to carry a balance

Flexible Membership Rewards, transfer to Avios, hotel programmes, or statement credit

£0 annual fee in year 1

1 MR point per £1 (2x on Amex Travel)

No existing bank account required

Available to limited companies and LLPs (sole traders excluded since Jan 2026)

£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 at additional cost

Barclaycard FAQs

Which Barclaycard business card should I get?
Select Cashback if you clear monthly and want cashback with no annual fee. Select Charge if you always pay in full and want a charge card structure. Premium Plus only if your monthly spend exceeds £5,000 and you occasionally carry a balance.
Do I need a Barclays bank account to get a Barclaycard business card?
No. Barclaycard business cards don’t require a Barclays or Barclaycard business current account. This is one of the main reasons Barclaycard is widely recommended for businesses that bank with fintech providers.
Can sole traders apply for a Barclaycard business card?
Yes. Barclaycard accepts sole traders, partnerships, and limited companies with turnover between £10,000 and £6.5 million.
What is the APR on Barclaycard business cards?
Select Cashback has a representative APR of 25.5%. Premium Plus has a representative APR of 54.3%–55.5% (it carries a £150 annual fee) but a lower purchase rate. Select Charge is a charge card with no APR as the full balance must be cleared monthly.
Can I switch between Barclaycard products later?
Barclaycard does allow product switches in some cases, but it isn’t guaranteed. Contact Barclaycard directly to discuss switching rather than applying for a second card, as a product switch avoids an additional hard credit search.
Is Barclaycard business card worth it if I already have a bank card?
Generally no. If your existing bank offers a business credit card at a lower APR, Barclaycard’s 25.5% isn’t competitive enough to justify adding a second card unless you need it for spend separation or as a backup.

Methodology and Disclosure

How we reviewed Barclaycard Business Cards

Cards covered. This page covers all three Barclaycard business card products: Select Cashback, Select Charge, and Premium Plus. We include Capital on Tap and Amex Business Gold as alternatives where we found the Barclaycard range has a clear gap.

What we verified. We trawled Barclaycard’s own product pages and terms documents in July 2026 and cross-checked annual fees, representative APRs, cashback structures and caps, non-sterling fees, and headline eligibility line by line.

Data sources. No comparison sites, no press releases, no affiliate material. FCA register cross-checked for regulatory status. Five figures were not available in publicly accessible documentation and are marked accordingly.

Update cadence. We re-verify every provider on 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.

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