Small Business Credit Cards

Choosing a Good Small Business Credit Card

Wondering how to choose a good small business credit card? For small business owners, a credit card in need can be a friend indeed. We discuss how to select a good small business credit card.

Choosing the right credit card for your business is no longer a simple choice.

These days, small business credit cards come with a variety of features, many of which are quite attractive.

Here are a few credit card perks to consider, as well as some basic distinguishing characteristics of small business credit cards. With regard to business credit card perks, compare the costs to the benefits. Sometimes the perks don't compensate for the higher fees and higher interest rates.

Small Business Credit Card Perks

• Cash Back Credit Cards - Many business credit cards now offer cash back rewards. Cash back business credit card are nice because they reward you for spending, something you've got to do anyway if you own a business. For certain purchases you make, you get a cash reward or a rebate. Be sure to read the fine print. There are many limitations on business cash reward credit cards.
• Frequent Flyer Mileage Credit Cards - Travel awards have become a very popular business credit card perk. United Airlines, American Airlines, and other airlines have partnered with credit card issuers in a way that lets you earn frequent flyer miles whenever you use your business credit card. Sometimes there are limits on how many miles you can earn - be sure to ask about that.
• Expense Tracking - Many business credit cards allow you to categorize your expenses and provide end-of-year spending reports. This makes doing your business taxes much easier.
• Business Credit Cards for Employees - Most business credit cards will let you issue cards to employees. This is a nice feature because it lets you track employee spending better. Employees also like it because it lets them avoid having to put business expenses on their personal credit cards and ask for reimbursement later. Don't worry - you can define limits on how much each employee can charge.
• No Annual Credit Card Fees - Many business credit cards now waive the annual credit card fees. Your credit has to be pretty good to get these cards. If you are the type that pays your balance in full every month, this is definitely the way to go. In effect, if you pay your balances, you get the credit card for free.
• % APR Balance Transfers - A zero percent balance transfer is effectively an interest-free loan and it's a nice perk that many business credit cards now offer. Mind you, if you miss a payment, you'll immediately lose your interest free terms and have to pay the full rate.

Now that you have a list of credit card features, you can be a smart consumer of business credit cards, evaluating only the business credit cards that make sense based on your needs.

Remember that the number of credit cards you can have is often limited. After you've got a few, it can become harder to get the next one because credit card issuers may have concerns about your credit exposure across multiple credit cards.

For this reason, it's especially important to pick a business credit card that has features that are right for you and your business.

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