Tillful Business Credit Card Review 2024
Is It the Best Credit Card for Your Startup?
Last Updated: By TRUiC Team
The Tillful Card is a secured credit Mastercard designed for small businesses that lack credit history. It offers an excellent way for a startup or other small business to build business credit, and the card is linked to a platform that offers free, fast, and transparent credit scores.
Cardholders will also have access to a Funding Advisor who will offer guidance on obtaining optimum funding. The card requires a security deposit, but has 0% APR, no bank balance minimum requirement, no annual fee, and its use won't affect your personal credit. It must only be used for business purposes and not to pay personal expenses.
So, is the Tillful Business Credit Card the best fit for your small business? Read on to find out!
Recommended: Get started with Tillful Business Credit Card.
Tillful Eligibility Requirements
The Tillful Card is inclusive; there are practically no obstacles to getting one. There's no requirement for a balance in a business bank account of any amount. It also doesn't require a personal guarantee for approval and it won’t impact your personal credit score or potentially lead to bad credit.
To qualify for the Tillful credit card, your business must:
- Have a valid EIN and be incorporated in the US;
- Have been in existence for at least three months;
- Not be in a restricted industry outlined by Sutton Bank; and
- Have an existing Tillful credit bank account.
However, since the Tillful Card is a secured credit card, you must make a deposit to back the credit line, dollar for dollar. The credit limit is the dollar equivalent of the security deposit (e.g., a deposit of $1,000 translates into a credit limit of the same amount). The card requires a minimum deposit of $500.
Pros and Cons of Tillful Business Credit Card
Pros of Tillful Card
- 1.5% rewards rate
- Ideal for building business credit
- Free business credit score
Cons of Tillful Card
- Requires a minimum security deposit of $500
- New company (founded October 2020)
- Even newer card (launched June 2022)
- Cannot carry a balance
Should You Apply for a Tillful Business Credit Card?
We recommend Tillful's business credit card for it's credit building features, accessible pricing, and user-friendly app.
Tillful Business Credit Card Fees and Features
The Tillful Card offers an easy way for new businesses and businesses with no credit history to build credit and demonstrate creditworthiness. Every account that is paid off on time improves your credit status. Tillful says its card turns business expenses into credit-building assets.
Tillful reports to the business division of Experian. Very soon it will begin reporting to Dun & Bradstreet and Equifax, the two other major business CRAs. The Tillful Card doesn't report to the consumer credit bureaus. The card must only be used for business expenditure.
The Tillful Card carries a rewards rate of 1.5%. For every $1,000 you spend, you’ll earn 1,500 points, equivalent to $15. Users can also access the card through the iOS app or through their web browser.
The Tillful Card improves the credit standing of small businesses by providing owners with an accurate business credit score. This allows them to know the financial health of their businesses and track their report without having to put their personal credit on the line. Tillful also makes available Intelliscore Plus, Experian’s business credit score.
Rewards and Benefits
- 1.5% rewards rate
- Free credit scoring
- Access to the best possible credit offers through a Funding Advisor
Interest Rates
- 0% APR
Fees
- Inactivity Fee: $10.00 per month
- Expedited Card Issuance or Replacement: $25
- Foreign Transactions Fee: 2% of the US dollar amount
- Merchant Fees: 1.15%–2.50%
The Tillful credit card is a secured card, meaning the balance must be paid in full every month, and there will be no interest charges, since there's no balance carried forward.
How Does Tillful Compare?
The Tillful Card has many attractive features, but it may not be suitable for your business circumstances. Let’s take a quick look at another card, the Rho card, and see how it stacks up against the Tillful Card.
The Rho Card is another Mastercard meant for small businesses holding at least $50,000 in a bank account or that spend a monthly minimum of $5,000 through corporate cards.
Tillful
$0 Annual Fee
Open to the smallest of businesses, with a low deposit requirement of $500.
Best For: Very small businesses that want to control spending
Rho
$0 Annual Fee
Offers an associate suite of commercial banking services that include checking and treasury accounts.
Best For: Businesses undergoing or expecting rapid growth.
Final Thoughts on Tillful Business Credit Card
The Tillful Card is one that many businesses will find useful, particularly small companies that don’t yet have a credit history. Ordinarily, many entrepreneurs starting out fund their early efforts by drawing down on personal credit cards. The result is that a business may be in operation for years and still be without any credit status. The Tillful Card is an easy way for a business to establish its creditworthiness.
Its facilities, which include free credit scoring and access to a range of funding sources, are accessible to the smallest of businesses. You can get started with just $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tillful?
Tillful is a credit card designed for small businesses. It’s a secured credit card that a small business can use to build credit, since the card will report to the major business credit reporting agencies, Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.
The card requires no personal guarantee from the owner(s), and there's no minimum bank balance requirement nor an annual fee. The card actually operates like a charge card rather than a regular credit card and, therefore, there are no interest charges.
Who is the Tillful Business Credit Card best for?
The Tillful Business Credit Card is best for very small businesses that want to control spending. It has very few eligibility requirements. The person authorized by the company to manage the card account, known as the Business Administrator, as well as authorized users, must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States and be at least 18 years old. Also, the Card Account must only be used for business purposes and not for personal, family or household purposes.
Since the Tillful Card is a charge card rather than a credit card, the balance must be paid in full every month. This may act as a form of control on your spending. Knowing you’ll have to pay the balance at the end of the month may curb spending.
Does Tillful make loans?
Tillful works with a network of over 30 lenders to provide funding. When you sign up for a free account, Tillful can get you pre-approved for the most appropriate credit options based on your Tillful Score.
Does Tillful have a mobile app?
Yes. There is a Tillful for iOS app, but there is currently no Android app.
Will checking my Tillful credit score affect my business or personal credit scores?
No, checking your Tillful credit score won't have an impact on your personal or business credit scores.
How is the Tillful business credit score computed?
Tillful employs an AI-powered credit model that factors in “thousands of data points,” including but not limited to business industry, size of business, credit utilization, payment history, and promptness of payment.
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