I know this may be a dumb question, but do cc companies use the same criteria for issuing corporate cards?
Yes, your personal credit is used to determine eligibility. Since you'll be accountable for whatever the company won't cover.
It's usually a little more lenient - i.e. you may not qualify for a green Amex, but you may be able to qualify for a corp. card. A lot depends on how well your company has maintained it's accounts (and all corporate cardholder's accounts). In some cases, if declined, the program administrator can call the Amex account rep. and get it approved - perhaps with specific limitations (retail restricted, max. outstanding limit, etc.). Keep in mind - it won't report (unless you default) but Amex does consider how you've handled a corporate card if you apply for a regular card later on. Good luck, mj