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Whether you have a traditional business with an EIN or not, most people are in fact eligible to apply for business cards
Business cards are one of the quickest and easiest ways to rack up a ton of points. They tend to have higher Sign Up Bonuses, and by opening yourself up to the world of business cards, you’re increasing the number of bonuses you can apply for.
But what if I don’t have a business?
Are you sure about that? You do not need an EIN, business license, or any other formal documentation to apply for business cards. Take a minute to think about all of the ways that you generate income in a year. Do you sell items on Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, or eBay? Did you bring in any income by holding a garage sale? Do you occasionally pick up odd jobs, or have you been paid for babysitting or pet sitting? Then you can apply for business cards!
On the application:
Authorizing Officer Title – owner
Total Gross Annual Income – this is your total household income with your spouse included
Legal Business Structure – Sole Proprietor
Business Legal Name – use your full name here, this is your business name
DBA – select no
Tax ID – select SSN
Business Established Date – estimate whatever date you started selling on FB marketplace, babysitting, etc
Annual Business Revenue – make an honest estimate of how much your business may bring in per calendar year
Business Category – Try to find the category that best fits. For example, a FB Marketplace business would be listed under the category Retail, with a business type of Used Merch Stores
Estimated Monthly Spend – however much you think you may put on the card per month. Remember, these expenses do NOT have to be business related, you are free to use your card however you see fit
Even better…
If you do own a business with an EIN, you and your spouse can BOTH apply for the same business card using the same EIN, once in each of your names. And this is where things get really crazy – you then can both go on to apply for the same exact card AGAIN under the same sole proprietor/SSN directions written above.
For example, let’s look at the card_name and the card_name from Chase. You can apply for both of these cards using the business EIN and legal business name, and then apply for the same cards using your SSN as a sole proprietor, listing the business name as your full name. Your spouse can do the same, applying for the same exact cards and bringing in the Sign Up Bonuses two-four more times. Don’t forget, once you have one card, you and your spouse can send your referral links to each other, which generally bring in an additional 20,000-40,000 points to the referrer.
You can see how business cards have the ability to quickly multiply your potential Sign Up Bonuses and referral points.
Things to remember
It’s important to be honest here – if you expect to make only $500 babysitting this year, be honest on the application. You’ll likely still get approved with a low credit limit, which you can request to increase over time if needed.
What if I get declined?
If you get declined from a Chase card for a reason like “not enough business history” give Chase’s reconsideration a call at 800-453-9719. You still have a good chance of being approved over the phone after answering a few questions regarding your goals to grow your business.
Click below for our list of the Best Business Card Offers right now
Have questions?
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Our Wishful Travel has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Our Wishful Travel and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Ready for the next step? Get a list of the top 12 cards we recommend in year-one, with a step by step guide on when to apply.