Finding the right business credit card for your company can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The perks, deals and incentives that are designed to help your business run cost-effectively can sometimes serve to make the decision process more confusing, but there are logical steps that can help you make an informed decision which will benefit your business.
In order to find the business credit card that best suits your needs, the most sensible solution is to look at the cards available on the market and compare between them. Business credit card comparison sites can help you to see which financial institutions offer the best deals for you and also identify and discard those that will not benefit your business's financial planning.
The factor that instantly attracts customers is the APR offers. An introductory offer of 0% APR is now commonplace and provides greater flexibility for a business within that time period. However, it is also worth checking out what the APR rises to once the introductory period is over. Balance this figure against what you think your company can reasonably afford to repay each month and your company's projected turnover and you could already be whittling a few business credit cards off the list. You may find yourself choosing to go with a company that does not have a 0% APR offer, but does have consistently low rates. This could work out cheaper and more beneficial in the long-term.
Once you have found a card with repayment rates that suit you and you feel that the company can comfortably make those repayments each month, you can then start to look at the 'fun stuff'. Most business credit cards come with associated deals and perks, which can range from cashback on certain product purchases to free air-miles. Looking carefully at your company's expenditure can show you where repeat payments are made and you can then hunt around to find the deals that may save your business money. For example, if your employees travel a lot, you might find petrol discounts or hotel discounts useful. Some computer companies and delivery services offer discounts to selected business credit card holders. Only by examining the products on offer can you begin to decide which will be of the most benefit to your business.
Business credit cards generally come with a degree of consumer protection, which is particularly advantageous if your business makes purchases via the Internet. However, you may wish to seek out additional security measures to cover other eventualities, such as supplementary cards for employees. Some business credit cards offer further insurance against circumstances such as employee misuse. In the case of supplementary cards, there are also facilities available to set a limit on employee spending.
A great resource for business credit card comparison is the comparison website. There are many of these available online and they condense the data available on each business credit card, displaying it in a format where it can be easily summarised and compared. Many of these sites also contain a link to the application page of your chosen card, which can also be used for further research. While comparison sites such as Moneysupermarket.com hold a great deal of information on business credit cards, they do not hold ALL the information and it is often worthwhile visiting the individual web pages of the business credit cards on your final shortlist. This way you can reinforce your decision by comparing the finer points of the business credit cards that you feel may be of most benefit to your company. A business credit card can be a dynamic tool with which to manage your business's cash flow and accounts. Taking a little time when choosing a business credit card can ensure that you make the right decision at the right time.
Business Credit Card Comparison
A small business credit card has a number of advantages. In addition to being able to help with start up costs and providing special rewards that are meaningful to business owners, business credit cards can make bookkeeping much easier. In fact, using a business credit card can take nearly all of the headaches of keeping track of expenses out of your hands, giving you time to focus on company growth.
Business Expenses
To help keep bookkeeping a snap, you can place all of your business expenditures on your business credit card. By having a separate personal credit card and business credit card, you don't have to worry about sorting through your credit card statement to determine which were for your business and which purchases were for personal reasons. In addition, this helps keep the liability for repayment on your business rather than on you personally, which is particularly important if you form any type of business configuration other than a sole proprietorship. In the eyes of the law, other business formations, such as LLCs, are their own entity. Therefore, you are not held personally responsible for the business expenditures because the company is responsible.
Itemized Statements
Generally, business credit cards also provide the cardholder with itemized statements. These may be monthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on the card. Therefore, when you compare business credit cards, you should inquire about how often these statements are issued and choose the one that best suits your business needs. This feature is quite helpful because it frees you from having to keep track of all of your receipts. Instead of sorting through numerous receipts at tax time, you can simply use your itemized statement or take the statement to your accountant. To help make things easier, some of these itemized statements will even categorize your purchases into different areas needed for filing taxes, such as Office Supplies, Entertainment, and Postage.
Earning Rewards
In addition to assisting you with bookkeeping, business credit cards can also help you save money. Many offer travel rewards, special business related discounts, or cash back rewards. When you compare business credit cards, be sure to look at the various incentives they offer in order to find the one that best suits your business. If you purchase a great deal of office equipment, for example, you will want a card that provides points or cash for making such purchases.
If your business requires you to travel frequently, you might want to get a business credit card that provides airline mile rewards. These cards typically offer other benefits that are attractive to the traveling businessperson, such as baggage protection, travel insurance, rental car insurance, and discounts at hotels. Again, these cards take away some of your bookkeeping hassles because you don't have to worry about acquiring these forms of extra protection on your own. Simply use your business credit card and you are covered.
Carrying a Balance
If you anticipate carrying a balance on your credit card from one billing cycle to the next, you should definitely look into acquiring a business credit card with a low APR. Some offer special introductory rates that can last for up to a year depending on the credit card and your credit history. Take full advantage of these cards to get your business up and running and work toward being capable of paying the balance off at the end of each billing cycle. For some businesses, however, carrying a balance is inevitable. Sometimes, paying the balance depends on customer invoicing and customers may not always be reliable about paying their invoices on time. Or, your business may have slow periods where more cash is going out than coming in. In these cases, it is best to acquire a card with a low APR, but that still provides you with all of the desirable bookkeeping features.
Both Hannah Callen & Robert Alan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Hannah Callen has sinced written about articles on various topics from Business Credit Cards, Credit Cards and Business Credit Cards. Hannah Callen has published many articles on Personal Finance issues and enjoys breaking down the jargon surrounding credit cards. Read more about a
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