Business Credit Cards Guide

Filed Under (Uncategorized) by admin on 19-10-2009

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Business credit cards are a helping hand for those entrepreneurs who are running their own businesses. A business credit card not only acts as a line of credit but can also help to provide you enough control in managing your companys finances and cash.  When business credit cards were first introduced it was mainly aimed towards corporate executives. However, this trend has changed and nowadays even small business owners can acquire business credit cards fairly easily. Business credit cards have become a versatile tool which allows business owners to utilize effectively over time as their business needs change.

A majority of the business credit cards come with a wide range of features including cash advances, cash rewards, airline miles, one-call emergency service, and insurance coverage. The features included in a business credit card vary from one card provider to the other, but most of the credit card companies offer an attractive introductory rate for the first few months from the date of opening your account.  After that initial period the customer will be required to pay a higher ongoing APR and the card also might require an annual membership fee.

One of the major advantages of a business credit card is that it provides a significant increase in financial control. The cards allow you to simplify and manage your business expenses well, eliminating the need to use a personal credit card for business expenses. Another most important feature of a business credit card is that small business owners can make use of these little pieces of plastic to provide financing or emergency “bridge loans” for their business when stuck in cash flow shortages. And even thought it is not explicitly stated in the business card features, business owners have made use of business credit cards for start-up funding as well.

Nowadays, there are myriad small and medium sized companies which make use of business credit cards as an efficient financing tool. There is a wide variety of credit card issuers that offer business credit cards with various schemes and features. Because of the many opportunities available, it is highly recommended to thoroughly contrast and compare business credit cards to select the ideal card best suited to your specific business needs.

Tips for Choosing a Business Credit Card

Before you apply for a credit limit on a business credit, make an estimate of your monthly business expenses and your history of repayment. Make sure that you apply for a credit limit that you know is within the bounds of your expense limitations, but equally important, will also take into account the growing needs of your business.

If you have several employees working under you, you need to determine how many cards your business may need and which employees will require cards for business expenses. Obviously, before you issue cards to any employees make absolutely sure that they are trustworthy.

Also, make sure that during this process that you determine your business requirements for ancillary services. That is, if you or your employee has to travel regularly for business needs, then it is a good idea to find out those business credit card issuers who offer free air miles, travel insurance, and hotel discounts.

Be careful about the introductory interest rates offered by business credit card issuers. Most of these offers are designed to entice new customers and after an initial period of six months to one year, the interest rates will increase substantially. So when comparing business credit cards, one of the most important things to check is the regular interest rate versus the introductory APR and which card compares favorably in that regard.

So if you are planning to start a new business venture, try to utilize the entire suite of benefits that a business credit card offers that can fund, track and reward your business activities.

Business Credit Cards Can Make You Money

Filed Under (Abbey credit card) by admin on 12-08-2009

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Small business owners, more than any other credit card users, are in the best position to profit from their use of credit cards. Profit from credit cards? The idea may seem foreign, if not preposterous. However, the truth of the matter is simple: if you use your business credit card wisely and open a high yield savings account, your credit card can easily make you a few hundred pounds a month.

Let’s begin by discussing the types of small business credit cards on the market. The first and often easiest for new businesses to attain are charge cards. There are a wide variety of these available from American Express’ OPEN, the small business network. The first benefit of a business charge card is the zero percent interest you pay. Yes, you must pay your balance in full in each month. However, we’ll soon see how borrowing money interest free is a great thing.

OPEN credit cards, like other American Express business credit cards, allow you to earn Amex rewards points with every purchase. In general, you earn 1 point for every pound spent. In general, a point is worth between 12 to 1% of purchases, depending if you want to redeem your rewards for cash (12% value) or retail gift certificates and travel rewards (1%).

Now let’s assume your small business spends £10,000 a month. You will earn £100 in rewards from American Express. Plus, if you place that £10,000 into a high yield savings account with an interest rate of 4% or higher, you will earn over £30 a month in interest. Thus, the net earnings you will accrue by using an American Express small business credit card can easily equal £130 a month on £10,000 spending. Over the course of a year, that can add up to over £1500.

Small business credit cards with rewards provide similar profit opportunities, and fantastic short term profit opportunities, as many offer 0% interest rates for up to 6 months on purchases. For example, if you spend £10,000 the first month you have a 0% small business card, you can earn £100 in rewards, plus a very nice £200 in interest over the course of the introductory offer. When the 0% expires, you simply pay your bill in full and avoid all interest charges. You’ll find your business £300 richer.

Once the 0% APR expires on a small business credit card, you will have a “grace period” of around 25 days to pay off your new purchases before interest is charged. Thus, you simply treat your credit card like a charge card, and pay your balance in full each month, allowing you to earn rewards points on every purchase you make while earning interest on the money you already spent.

Over the course of a year, a small business that uses an American Express OPEN card and spends £10,000 per month can earn the equivalent of £1200 in Amex cash, travel, or retail rewards, plus over £400 in interest. That frees up over £1600 in capital that can be used to offset the cost of travel, purchase new equipment, or simply enhance your company’s cash flow.

Using small business credit cards strategically can positively affect your company’s bottom line, free up cash, and generate income through interest and rewards. With the wide range of cards on the market, it is important for each business owner to examine the interest rates, types of rewards, and fine print of small business credit cards before making a final choice. Personally, I’ve been a proud American Express OPEN Gold and Platinum small business cardholder for nearly two years and have nothing but praise for the company.

©2006, Credit Card Depot Inc. This article may be reprinted as long as the author’s bio and a live link to http:www.credit-card-depot.com remains intact.