Having a business credit card or charge card means that you can often get discounts off goods and services. This can be as much as one-third off the normal cost, which means big savings for your business. It's worth looking at information from individual suppliers to see what discounts you might qualify for. There may also be rebates on the purchase of certain products. That means more money going back into the business.
Driver Incentives
Some of the discounts may apply to petrol, possibly in the form of rebates. Some business credit cards or charge cards offer discounts on car hire, which may be a great saving if business employees travel a lot. Many card issuers also offer worldwide emergency cover and travel assistance. This can give peace of mind when employees are travelling on business.
Travel Discounts
Travelling on business can be a different experience for business credit card holders. Some credit cards offer help with itineraries and bookings, emergency assistance and free travel accident insurance. Some travel incentives also cover public transport in the countries where you travel on business.
Travel discounts might also cover phone calls from abroad, as many card issuers have deals with telephone service providers. This can be a big saving for the business owner who wants regular telephone or email updates from employees. Best of all, some business card accounts offer preferential foreign exchange rates and upgrades to seats and lounges that can make business travel a pleasurable experience.
Points Of Interest
Some business card issuers also have reward programmes similar to those offered for personal credit cards. Business card holders can earn air miles or other travel points, nectar points or other reward points. These are usually awarded at anywhere between one and four points per pound spent. Where this adds up is when company employees are also using business credit cards. The business owner earns points for all of their transactions too and can soon have a large store of points to use on further rewards.
Other Reasons To Have A Business Credit Card
But business credit cards are not just about rewards. They are also useful because of the administrative time they can save. Instead of spending long hours tracking expenditure, business owners can let card issuers do it for them. Monthly statements contain itemised lists of all spending and some card accounts allow spending to be categorised. They may also provide an annual reckoning of business spending for tax purposes.
With all of these advantages, having a business credit card seems to be a good choice for many businesses. However, it is not the only option for improving cash flow. Business owners should also look at debit cards, charge cards and business loans as other options for financing their business.
