U.S. Bank is partnering with online retail giant Amazon on two new credit cards tailored to small-business owners.

The Minneapolis-based lender hopes the new partnership with the world’s biggest retailer will offer better credit options and expand its client base, said Courtney Kelso, U.S. Bank’s head of payments. Both cards are set to become available as early as late spring.

“It’s a really big deal for us,” Kelso said.

U.S. Bank offers credit cards under its own banner. But about half of its card business comes through co-brand partnerships, Kelso said, and through Elan Financial Services, a division of U.S. Bank that provides credit cards on behalf of smaller banks and credit unions around the country.

U.S. Bank has more than 1.4 million small-business clients.

The new Amazon credit cards come with special rewards for shopping on the Amazon platform. Customers enrolled in Prime, Amazon’s subscription service, can get 5% cash back with Amazon purchases, and those without the subscription will be eligible for 3% cash back.

Neither card has an annual fee. More details will be announced in the coming months, the companies said in a joint statement Tuesday, March 31.

Kelso said U.S. small-business owners are balancing economic uncertainty and inflation with the desire to grow. She expects the new Amazon cards will help owners manage expenses, and the cards will stand out in an industry that is ”more competitive than ever.”

The cards will be on the Mastercard network. Eimear Creaven, Mastercard’s president of global partnerships, said income volatility is very present for small-business owners today.

“How we help them navigate that with resilience is really critical for us,” said Creaven. She said that includes helping small-business owners manage spending, strengthen cash flow and tap into new rewards.

Tai Koottatep, Amazon’s director of worldwide business to business payments and lending, said the idea for the new cards came from listening to customers.

“Small businesses told us they wanted more ways to earn rewards wherever they shop and better tools to manage cash flow,” Koottatep said in a statement. “We partnered with U.S. Bank and Mastercard to build a card program that delivers exactly that.”

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