Key takeaways

  • Barclays business credit cards can be a good choice for business owners seeking mileage rewards, as you can often earn two welcome bonuses on them by meeting both spending requirements within the promotional period.
  • Barclays business cards earn American AAdvantage miles, JetBlue TrueBlue points and Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles — if these aren't reward currencies you're interested in, you may want to consider other business credit cards instead.
  • Whether or not a Barclays business credit card is worth applying for also depends on your willingness to pay an annual fee and whether the additional perks each card provides make sense for your travel and spending habits.

Barclays is known for celebrating the success of small businesses with its numerous local community partnerships. These partnerships support a variety of initiatives, including training and financing small-business leaders.

Barclays also offers small-business owners the chance to earn rewards and other benefits through its many business credit card offerings, all of which are co-branded with airline or hotel brands. But which business card would be the best fit for you? Here, we’ll compare Barclays business credit cards to see how they stack up.

AAdvantage Aviator World Elite Business Mastercard*: Best for American Airlines

The AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® is one of the best business cards for American Airlines, and it makes earning American AAdvantage miles easy. It starts off with a welcome offer of up to 75,000 bonus miles. You earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days of account opening, as well as additional 25,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 in the first 12 months.

With this card, you’ll earn 2X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases; 2X miles at eligible office supply, telecom and car rental companies; and 1X miles on all other purchases. In addition, you can enjoy a 5 percent AAdvantage mileage bonus every year after your account anniversary (terms apply).

Other card benefits include your first checked bag free (for you and up to four companions on domestic American itineraries), an annual companion certificate for one guest (worth $99) when you spend $30,000 or more each year, preferred boarding (for you and up to four companions on domestic American itineraries), 25 percent in-flight savings on food and beverages, no foreign transaction fees and complimentary employee cards. A $95 annual fee applies.

JetBlue Business Card*: Best for JetBlue

The JetBlue Business Card from Barclays lets your business earn points on every JetBlue purchase. This card comes with a $99 annual fee and offers 6X points on JetBlue purchases, 2X points on restaurant and office supply purchases and 1X points on all other purchases. This card also comes with a limited-time welcome offer of up to 75,000 bonus points. Cardholders earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days of account opening, as well as an additional 25,000 bonus points after spending a total of $10,000 in the first year as a cardmember.

JetBlue TrueBlue points can be redeemed for JetBlue or Hawaiian Airlines flights — and if you can’t find the flight you’re looking for, your points won’t expire. In addition, JetBlue TrueBlue lets you easily pool points with other people to make the most of your rewards.

Other card benefits include complimentary employee cards, a free first checked bag for you and up to three companions on JetBlue flights, 5,000 bonus points each year after your account anniversary, 50 percent in-flight savings on cocktails and food, Group A boarding on JetBlue flights and an annual $100 statement credit each year after purchasing a JetBlue Vacations package.

Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Business Mastercard*: Best for Hawaiian Airlines

The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard® lets you maximize bonus earnings in numerous ways. You’ll start off with a welcome offer of up to 70,000 HawaiianMiles — you can earn 60,000 miles after spending $2,000, plus an additional 10,000 miles after a purchase is made on an employee card, both within the first 90 days of account opening.

Additionally, you can earn up to 40,000 bonus miles each account anniversary — you can earn 20,000 miles if you spend $50,000 to $99,999 in annual purchases or 40,000 miles if you spend $100,000 or more in annual purchases. A $99 annual fee applies.

This card also comes with a one-time, 50 percent off companion discount for a roundtrip coach flight between Hawaii and North America on Hawaiian Airlines, complimentary employee cards, and no foreign transaction fees. As for rewards rates, you’ll earn 3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases, 2X miles on gas, dining and office supply store purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases. You can also share miles with friends and family with no transfer fee.

A Barclays business credit card is a good option for small-business owners who want to earn rewards for business spending redeemable for travel. All of Barclay’s business cards are co-branded travel cards, making them less flexible than general travel rewards business cards. If you don’t typically travel on the airlines within the suite of Barclays business cards, then you should look for a business card that aligns better with your needs and spending habits.

Further, all of the Barclays business cards featured charge an annual fee. There’s nothing wrong with paying an annual fee if you’re able to squeeze enough value out of a card through rewards-earning and card perks. But it is another business expense to consider, especially for startups and smaller businesses.

How to choose the best Barclays business credit card

When it comes to choosing the best business credit card from Barclays, consider the following factors:

  • Which airline do you prefer? If you never fly with Hawaiian Airlines, getting a card that earns rewards in this program doesn’t make sense.
  • How much are points and miles worth? According to our points and miles valuations, HawaiianMiles are worth 0.7 cents, AAdvantage miles are worth 1.0 cents, and JetBlue TrueBlue points are worth up to 1.3 cents on average, each toward high-value transfer partner travel.
  • Rewards potential. If you’re looking to earn high-value rewards as quickly as possible — and if any of the above airlines would work for you — the JetBlue Business Card is likely your best bet. If you want to earn the most miles possible as quickly as possible, choose the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard for the upfront bonus and annual spending rewards.
  • Card benefits. If any of the above airlines work for you, which card benefits interest you the most? Make sure that the card you choose has the benefits you’re interested in.

Frequently asked questions about Barclays business credit cards

  • Yes, in many cases, Barclays provides an instant response after submitting an application for a business card.
  • Barclays doesn’t disclose credit score and other requirements for its credit cards. When you apply for a card, Barclays considers your personal and business credit history.
  • You can request a credit limit increase online through your Barclays account. Select “Request a credit line increase” under the “Services” menu. Barclays may perform a hard credit inquiry to determine eligibility for a limit increase, which may negatively impact your credit score.

The bottom line

Barclays cards can offer you the chance to earn great travel rewards and benefits for your business, all for annual fees between $95 and $99 per year. The best Barclays business credit card for you depends on your spending habits and needs. But if you don’t see a good fit among the above options, check out other top business credit cards from other issuers to see if one of those would work better for you.

*All information about the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®, JetBlue Business Card and Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.