Business credit cards help you keep your business and personal finances separate, and the interest and fees on the card are usually tax-deductible if you use the card only for business purposes. Furthermore, corporate credit cards offer rewards, benefits, and bonuses that are comparable to (and, in many cases, exceed) those offered by consumer credit cards.

For example, some corporate credit cards provide cardholders with airport lounge access and travel insurance, making life easier for business owners. 

Business cards aren’t confined to business owners who have a physical shop or an office either. You might be eligible for a small-business credit card if you work as a freelancer or operate an online store. 

We’ll walk through 5 of the best corporate and business credit cards in Hong Kong in terms of rewards and offerings, and how you can apply to each of them.

Airwallex Borderless Card

Airwallex is a global payments platform that is revolutionizing how businesses operate and handle their money on a local and global scale. They offer a multi-currency business card that enables transactions in 140+ currencies, with lower global transaction costs and ease of use standing out as the card’s key benefits. 

Rewards and Offers

  • You can create free virtual cards online and instantly for your employees. 
  • Save on foreign transactions and FX by paying with your multi-currency balance.
  • 1% cash rebates on local card spending
  • Automatically sync expenses with Xero every hour 
  • Set flexible transaction limits for each card to track your budget and reduce the risk of unexpected purchases 

Customer Service

Airwallex offers local customer support across 7 locations, enabling global customer service wherever you go:

  • Hong Kong
  • Singapore
  • China
  • Australia
  • Europe
  • the United Kingdom
  • the United States

You can get the customer support information on their website or call their service hotline (from 9am to 6pm). 

In addition, Airwallex offers a Help Center that answers frequently asked questions and provides how-to guides for self-help. 

Requirements

You’ll need an Airwallex account to apply for the Airwallex Borderless Card. Fortunately, it’s easy to open an account with Airwallex – as long as you’re a registered business, you’re eligible for a business account there. 

American Express Gold Business Card

The American Express Gold Business Card is tailored to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that reward membership points for every HK$1 spent on qualified transactions. In addition, you can enjoy up to 51 credit-free days as well as complimentary travel insurance that covers up to HK$8,000 luggage delay and up to HK$10,000 for lost luggage, as well as up to HK$2,000,000 in business travel accidents insurance.

Rewards and Offers

  • 51 credit-free days
  • No pre-set spending limit
  • Get 2.5 membership points for every HK$1 spent locally
  • Get 3 points for every HK$1 spent through foreign currency
  • Access to the World Trade Centre Club Hong Kong
  • Access to Airport Lounges
  • Complimentary business insurance and travel insurance 
  • First-year annual fee waiver of HK$980 including 3 complimentary supplementary cards for your staff

Customer Service

American Express is renowned for its excellent customer service. You can always contact customer support via their local hotline with information available on their website.

Requirements

  • Applicant is over 21 years of age
  • Hong Kong or Macau resident or citizen 
  • >HK$200,000 annual gross personal income 
  • Being an owner, partner, stakeholder, CEO, managing director, or executive of a company

You can apply for the American Express Gold Business Card on their official website here.

American Express Cathay Pacific Elite Corporate Card

The American Express Cathay Pacific Elite Corporate Card is Hong Kong’s sole corporate card that rewards you with Asia Miles, with a reward rate of HK$7 to 1 Asia Mile for local and overseas spending. 

You can enroll three or more credit cards to receive a bonus of 15,000 miles. Benefits include a consolidated online report system for controlling costs, 51 credit-free days, complimentary travel insurance and more.

Rewards and Offers

  • For HK$7 local and overseas spending, you’ll receive 1 Asia mile
  • Earn 1 Asia mile for every HK$10 company spend on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon flights
  • First-year annual fee waiver of HK$590
  • Earn 5,000 miles for every HK$25,000 spent for up to 50,000 miles within the first three months of registration
  • 51 credit-free days
  • Complimentary business insurance and travel accident insurance of up to HK$2,000,000 in value and more.

Customer Service

Again, American Express provides excellent customer service for all cardholders and there are additional benefits – you’ll have access to a 24-hour customer care hotline and global emergency support. 

Requirements

  • Minimum annual revenue of HK$8 million 
  • Minimum 5 employees
  • Valid Hong Kong business registration
  • Business in operation for at least 2 years

You can apply for the American Express Cathay Pacific Elite Corporate Card on their official website here.

HSBC Business Mastercard

HSBC Business Mastercard is an excellent business credit card for HSBC business account holders to enjoy a longer repayment period and earn cash back for local, overseas and online purchases. It also offers complimentary access to airport lounges globally. 

Rewards and Offers

  • Earn HK$2 RewardCash for every HK$250 spent on overseas and online purchases
  • Airport Limousine Service at exclusive rates
  • 56 days interest-free repayment period
  • Free travel insurance (up to 7 days) when you buy your travel tickets with this card
  • Complimentary access to 70+ Plaza Premium Lounges globally
  • 0.4% cash rebate on local spending

Customer Service

You can find customer support on the HSBC HK Business Express Mobile App to receive real-time online support. In addition, you can call the commercial banking service hotline. More information is available here on the HSBC website.

Requirements

You need to have an HSBC corporate account to apply for the Mastercard. The specific requirements are not publicly available.

You can apply for the HSBC Business Mastercard on HSBC’s official website here.

ICBC Corporate Mastercard

If you often travel with the high-speed railway, then you might like the VIP lounge service that comes with ICBC Corporate Mastercard. Although it doesn’t provide attractive cash back, it does provide smart data to help you manage company expenses more efficiently. 

Rewards and Offers

  • 0.5% cashback on local retail spending and overseas spending
  • Purchasing travel tickets with your corporate credit card makes you eligible for complimentary on-flight personal accident travel insurance coverage of up to US$150,000.
  • Handling fee for foreign exchange waived
  • VIP lounge service is available at airports and high-speed railway stations.
  • Smart data, a one-stop transaction data management system is available to monitor and manage company expenses and access analytics reports. 

Customer Service

You can contact ICBC via their hotline. Contact information is available here on ICBC’s official website.

Requirements

No specific requirements are stated on their website. 

You can download the application form on the ICBC website here.

Best business credit card in Hong Kong: Conclusion

To get the most out of your business credit card, use a reward or cashback credit card for all your business expenses possible as those points and cashbacks add up quickly. However, it’s also important that you understand the terms and conditions, APR, and fees associated with your business credit card so you don’t get caught off guard with card limitations and hidden fees. Happy spending!