By Jeff Hindenach
The best business credit card to look for is one with great rewards, so that it provides capital for you to start your business and also helps cut costs by giving you a little something extra back.
“We used those rewards to further our domestic and international partnerships,” Zoldan said. “With the airline travel, cash back and discounted hotel stays available through the rewards program, we were able to fly anywhere within or outside the country at minimal cost, allowing us to follow up on business leads and build a great relationship network.”
Here are some suggestions for great rewards cards based on how you will be using the credit card:
Best card for office expenses: When you are first starting a business, one of the most important hurdles to jump is setting up your office, which can be expensive. Getting a business credit card that rewards you for spending money on office expenses is a good way to cut some of the costs of setting up your business.
The Chase Ink Cash Business Card offers you five percent cash back on office supplies, cable, Internet and telecom. It also offers two percent back on gas and dining, which is good for a small business that travels a lot by car or has a lot of client meals. In addition, you get one percent cash back on all other purchases. You also earn $200 when you spend your first $3,000 in the first 3 months. The card has no annual fee.
Best card for all other expenses: Some businesses don’t need to set up office space or may prefer to spend their capital on other expenses.
“We used the cards to finance initial orders as we built credit and terms with vendors,” Benz explains. “Our company also used credit cards for advertising like Google pay-per-click, giving us an initial boost of new customers and business. It was like a small line of credit, without the hassle from a bank.”
In this case, it’s a good idea to look for a card that has a good cash back percentage for all purchases. The Capital One Spark Cash for Business card offers two percent cash back on all purchases, as well as a $100 bonus if you spend $1,000 in the first three months. The card has no annual fee the first year, but it is $59 every year after.
Best card for business travel: If your business requires a lot of traveling, it might be a good idea to get a business credit card that lets you earn miles. The Capital One Spark Miles for Business lets you earn two miles for every dollar you spend. There is no annual fee for the first year ($59/year after that), and you can redeem your miles for any airline at any time. The card also has no foreign transaction fee, so it’s good for international travel as well.
Best card for big spenders: If your business is already established or you plan on spending a lot on your business card, consider the Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN. The credit limit on the card can go into the six figures and they have over 40 membership rewards and features that include $200 annually for incidental airline fees from a participating airline, access to several airlines’ airport clubs, 24/7 concierge service to help with entertainment and travel planning, no limits or expiration on your points, and you can earn up to 10 points per dollar if you shop their Membership Rewards site. However, be warned, this is a charge card, so you must pay off your balance each month, and it does have a $450 annual fee.
Jeff Hindenach started his career as a journalist for the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Examiner. He is currently an Editor with NextAdvisor.com, a leading consumer and small business information web site. He specializes in credit monitoring, legal services and security software.