Hot Tips to Compare Business Credit Cards
As a business owner, every decision of yours can have a long standing impact on your business. You may not know this, but even choosing your business credit card can have profound implications for your business sustainability. So it is important for you to compare business credit cards and select one that suits your business needs. Because wisely chosen business credit cards may well turn out to be the secret weapons that given your business a cutting edge over the competition.
Credit Limits on Your Business Credit Card
First, compare the credit limit of the card. Since, many business credit cards have a minimum and a maximum credit limit, you should have a sound idea of how much your credit limit needs to be. If the maximum credit limit is not enough, or if the minimum credit limit is too little, you might want to pass.
Both extremes are not good for a business. A credit card without a high limit will force you to use more than one card, which will make accounting a nightmare. At the same time, too much credit makes it tempting to splurge, and that could potentially bankrupt your business. Think smart when evaluating a business credit card and find one that offers a credit limit that is just apt for your business.
Compare Interest Rates
While comparing business credit cards, you must consider the interest rates charged by the cards. Generally, start-ups and small offices may not be able to pay the entire balance each month. This is because money is tied up and becomes unavailable for paying off small debts. Therefore, identify a business credit card with the lowest possible interest rates. However, if your business is financially stable, then you might like to consider a card that offers freebies or air mile discounts perhaps. If you see you can pay off balances every month then don’t even bother evaluating the interest rate because you know you can afford to pay off the balances every month. So assess your business situation and your attitude towards credit cards honestly in order to select the best possible card for yourself and your business.
Rewards Programs
Many business credit cards offer rewards like free or discounted goods and services. These rewards may include air miles or discounts on office supplies, for example. However, such business credit cards always have higher interest rates. Therefore, ignore these cards if you generally carry a balance every billing cycle- even though the offers may be very tempting. Gauge the interest rate in comparison to the rewards and you will see that you may pay more interest than the amount of the rewards you have accumulated.
Business cards, much like regular credit cards, offer additional benefits like extended warranties, travel insurance, and purchase protection. The exact value of these benefits, however, can differ from one card to another. The same company can have different schemes on different cards. When you compare business credit cards, evaluate these benefits in detail. Find out as much as possible about these benefits – by questioning the salesmen, scouring the web site of the card, asking for references and actually following up on them. For example, if two cards offer travel insurance – one may only offer a hundred thousand dollars while the other offers a million dollars in insurance. If you travel frequently and you are absent minded, then the latter card is good for you. However, if your business is local in nature or if you travel only a few times per year, then perhaps you should opt for the first card.