Product review — policy first, product second

Capital on Tap employee cards

Name: Capital on Tap — business credit card
Brand: Capital on Tap

The short answer

Capital on Tap issues additional cards to employees on a business credit card account, each with its own spending limit, plus virtual cards, real-time visibility and receipt capture. It is only available to eligible UK limited companies, LLPs and PLCs — sole traders are not currently eligible — and every card spends borrowed money that the business, and usually the director personally under a guarantee, must repay.

Key facts at a glance

Provider: Capital on Tap
Product type: Business credit card
Availability: United Kingdom only, subject to Capital on Tap's status and eligibility checks.
Terms last verified: 26 August 2026 by Kayley Hart

Who this is for

Directors of eligible UK companies with a team that buys regularly, who need both spending control and a credit facility, and who can clear the balance.

Before you read on

Write your spending rules first. A card enforces a decision; it does not make one. Build your spending policy.

Reviewed by a qualified professional

James Whitfield — FCCA, Chartered Certified Accountant — 18 years advising UK SMEs on employment costs, payroll and business finance. Reviewed 5 August 2026.

What the product actually is

The product is a business credit card account. Employee cards are additional cards on that account, not separate facilities.

Each card can carry its own limit, which is how you stop one person's purchase absorbing the whole facility.

Virtual cards can be created for a project, a supplier or a contractor and cancelled afterwards.

Transactions appear in real time and cards can be frozen. Receipts can be captured and transactions synced to accounting software.

Capital on Tap's public materials describe 1% cashback on card spending. Cashback is only a gain if you are not paying interest.

Capabilities

Features that matter for a small team

Free additional cards

Additional employee cards are advertised without a per-card fee — confirm current terms.

Individual limits

Set a limit per card so exposure is bounded by role.

Virtual cards

Issue instantly for a project or contractor, then cancel.

Real-time visibility and freezing

See spending as it happens; freeze a card immediately.

Receipt capture and accounting sync

Evidence at purchase, feeding your bookkeeping.

Costs, risks and limitations

• This is borrowing. Balances not cleared attract interest, and interest can easily exceed any cashback.
• A personal guarantee is currently required, so a director can be personally liable for company debt.
• Approval, limit and rate are subject to assessment. Nothing here suggests you will be approved.
• Sole traders are not currently eligible.
• Giving employees cards on a credit facility increases the maximum possible loss compared with a debit card.
• If the business is under financial pressure, credit will make the pressure worse. Free advice is available from Business Debtline.

Who benefits

• Eligible companies with regular, evidenced team purchasing and a facility that is cleared monthly.
• Businesses that need per-card limits and virtual cards for projects or contractors.

Who should look elsewhere

• Sole traders — currently ineligible; use debit expense cards instead.
• Businesses that only need visibility, not credit.
• Any business in arrears, struggling with payroll, or at risk of insolvency.

Alternatives

How this compares

Option	Strength	Trade-off
Capital on Tap employee cards	Credit facility, per-card limits, virtual cards, cashback.	Debt, personal guarantee, interest, companies only.
Debit expense cards	No debt; available to any structure.	No credit line; large purchases must be funded upfront.
Prepaid cards	Hard cap per card.	Top-up admin and weaker integrations.
Reimbursement	Nothing to set up.	Staff fund the business and evidence arrives late.

How to apply, in order

Complete the eligibility questions before anything else.
Write your spending policy and per-role limits.
Apply as a director or 25%+ shareholder with company and personal details; a credit assessment applies.
If approved, set individual card limits below the account limit.
Brief cardholders in writing and review transactions monthly.

Eligibility gate

This product has hard eligibility criteria. Applying involves a soft search of your personal credit file, which Capital on Tap says will not affect your personal credit score. A visible business-file search happens only if you accept and sign the credit agreement. We hide credit promotions from anyone whose answers suggest financial pressure. If cash is tight, a credit card is a cost, not a solution.

• UK private limited company, LLP or PLC, active on Companies House.
• Applicant is an active director, or a shareholder holding at least 25% of the business.
• Applicant resides in the UK.
• No unsatisfied County Court Judgments against the applicant or the business in the previous 12 months.
• The business is not in an excluded high-risk industry.
• Capital on Tap’s published eligibility information states annual turnover of at least £24,000; confirm this campaign’s current eligibility terms before applying.
• A business bank account is required.
• Sole traders are not currently eligible.
• Approval, credit limit and rate remain subject to assessment.
• A personal guarantee is currently required according to official materials.

Current offer and disclosure

This is an editorial product review. The current code, qualifying conditions, disclosure and partner destination are maintained in one canonical offer record to avoid duplicate promotional content.

Read the current offer record and disclosure

Frequently asked questions

Can sole traders get Capital on Tap?

Not under the current eligibility criteria. The product is for UK limited companies, LLPs and PLCs. A debit expense card is the practical alternative.

Is a personal guarantee required?

According to current official materials, yes. That means you may be personally responsible for the balance if the company cannot repay it. Treat that as the central fact of the decision.

Does cashback make it cheaper than a debit card?

Only if you never pay interest. At typical business credit card rates, a revolving balance costs far more than 1% cashback earns.

Sources & Citation

Cite this page

Hart, K. (2026) "Capital on Tap employee cards". The Small Team Builder. Available at: https://www.kayleyhart.co.uk/capital-on-tap-employee-cards

2 August 2026 — Eligibility, repayment risk and card controls reviewed against the current product information and partner campaign record.

Affiliate and partner disclosure: this site earns money from a small number of authorised partner campaigns, currently Tide and Capital on Tap. Partner links are tracked. We do not accept payment for a positive verdict, and we publish who should not use a product as prominently as who should.