3 Ways Credit Cards Can Help Your Small Business
January 25, 2012
If you run a small business, you might have considered getting a business credit card. These cards, like the CitiBusiness credit card, offer a number of benefits that could help your company. Common examples are automated recordkeeping and business rewards (like frequent flyer points if you take a lot of business trips). Business credit cards can also help you grow your business by letting you finance large purchases needed for expansion.
Here are a few other business credit card benefits you might not have considered yet.
1. You get a grace period between purchases and payments.
If you run a business where you wait a while for payments, business credit cards offer benefits through their interest free days. You get to make purchases when your business needs them even if your own sales are still in receivables. It’s like a free extension on payments, giving you time to get paid yourself.
The catch? To get interest free days, expect to pay your balance in full every month rather than financing things long-term. Otherwise you’ll be charged interest.
2. Give employees spending power.
Key employees of your company will likely need to make occasional purchases to do their jobs. For example, you might have someone in charge of ordering office supplies or paying service providers. You can add them as additional cardholders and let them make purchases.
That means you don’t have to approve every purchase as it happens, but you can keep an eye on their spending still by evaluating monthly statements. If employees travel on your company’s behalf, making them an additional cardholder also lets them charge necessary travel expenses to the company account.
3. Customer service can help with payment disputes.
Another benefit of business credit cards is that they serve as an intermediary between your business and those you pay. For example, if a vendor doesn’t provide what you ordered and they won’t fix the problem, you might be able to get a refund from the credit card company or have them put a hold on the payment if it hasn’t been processed yet.
What benefit of business credit cards matters the most to you? Or are you still unsure about whether or not to apply for one? Share your thoughts about business credit cards in the comments below.
Below are 3 of our most popular and recommended credit card offers:
Purchase Rate (p.a.) |
Cash Rate (p.a.) |
Balance Transfer |
Interest Free Days |
Annual Fee |
||
Citibank Clear Platinum |
11.99% | 21.74% | 2.9% for 12 months | up to 55 days | $49 | More Info |
ANZ Platinum Credit Card |
0% for 6 months | 21.49% | 0% for 6 months | up to 44 days | $0 first year | More Info |
Westpac Low Rate Credit Card |
0% for 6 months | 21.49% | 0% for 6 months | up to 55 days | $45 | More Info |
