Using a Business Credit Card

They are known for their ease and convenience, but there are pitfalls

Reviewed by Margaret James

If you’re a small business owner, you’ve probably received numerous offers and applications for a small business credit card. These cards can be a convenient way to increase your company’s purchasing power but should be used with caution.

Key Takeaways

• A business credit card gives small business owners easy access to a revolving line of credit with a set limit.
• It has an interest charge if the balance is not repaid in full each business cycle.
• The interest rate on carried charges is usually much higher than the rate on a small business loan.
• A small business owner decides which employees may have a business credit card.

What Is a Business Credit Card?

Small business credit cards provide business owners with easy access to a revolving line of credit with a set credit limit in order to make purchases and withdraw cash. Like a consumer credit card, a small business card carries an interest charge if the balance is not repaid in full each billing cycle.

A business card can be a convenient way to quickly access financing for short-term needs and increase your company’s purchasing power. It is often marketed as an attractive alternative to a traditional line of credit. However, like any source of financing, a business credit card comes at a cost and must be carefully managed.

You may be able to get a credit card through your bank or apply online. Before applying, compare card terms and features and read reviews from credible sources.

There are lots of options out there. Some cards are much more competitive than others, in terms of both fees and benefits, and many specialize in a particular benefit, such as rewards for a certain type of spending or giving customers more time to repay borrowed funds without charging interest. Do some research and choose carefully to ensure you receive the best card possible for your needs.

Important

Don’t just settle for the first credit card you come across. There are many different ones, all with their own features, benefits, and charges.

How to Use a Business Credit Card

Without a good system in place, it can be difficult to keep track of—and keep a handle on—credit card spending, which ultimately affects your bottom line. Certain strategies can be utilized to ensure good credit card practices.

Ensure Accountability

“The most important step a small business can take to make sure credit cards are used effectively is to set up a bomb-proof accountability system,” says John Burton, principal at John Burton Coaching LLC in Bryson City, N.C. “This could mean everything from preapproval of all credit card spending to rigorous requiring of receipts to pulling credit cards from those who do not report completely and on time with receipts.”

Have a system in place before the first credit card arrives, says Burton, and be consistent, rigorous, and fair while tolerating no exceptions. 

Decide Who Receives a Card

Burton acknowledges the challenges employers may face in deciding who gets a credit card. “I’ve seen businesses that lost control of credit card spending by issuing too many cards to too many people and thinking that all-important officers and travelers needed the convenience of a company credit card,” he says.

While giving everyone a credit card might seem like the right or easy thing to do, it can lead to a “dysfunctional, expensive system and a serious lack of control and accountability,” Burton explains.

Use alternatives and establish rules. “Many companies, especially with salespeople, reimburse for company spending on personal credit cards with excellent accountability—i.e., no receipt, no reimbursement,” Burton says.

It is helpful, however, to have clear rules regarding who gets a card, whether it’s based on seniority, position, or other factors. This can help avoid confusion and mitigate bad feelings from employees who would like a card but are not eligible.

Setting Credit Card Limits

Every business should have clear policies about spending, including which expenses can be put on cards, how much employees can spend, and how often they can use their cards. It’s important to put the policy in writing and have every employee who is issued a card read and sign it. After they do, give each cardholder a copy to use for reference.

Depending on the business card, you may be able to set up restrictions that limit transactions to a certain dollar amount, spending category, and even certain days and times. With some cards, you can set up individual restrictions for each employee.

For example, you may limit one employee to $50 a day any day of the week for gas purchases, while limiting another to $100 for gas and $50 for meals each day, but only on business days.

Keep Tabs on Card Activity

Many business credit cards allow you to set up activity alerts that arrive as text or email messages. The alerts can be set up to notify you each time a transaction takes place or only if an employee uses (or tries to use) a card in an unapproved manner.

Warning

Using a business credit card for large purchases that can’t be fully paid for before the interest charges kick in can be very expensive.

You can also take advantage of online and mobile banking to view up-to-the-minute account activity. Your accounting department should review each statement to make sure each line item is a charge you authorized.

Use the Card Wisely

It’s important to know when a business should use credit. It’s not always the best choice, especially for large expenditures that can’t be paid in full before interest kicks in. Even though it takes extra effort to secure a loan from a bank or other lending institution, it often makes financial sense to do so, as the interest rate on credit cards is typically much higher than for secured debt instruments.

It’s also possible that a large purchase—or a couple of large expenditures—can max out your credit card and leave you without a source of funds.

Pros

• Easier to qualify for a card than for a loan

• Convenience

• Provides a financial cushion

• Useful online

• Helps with bookkeeping

• Rewards and incentives

• Tool to build credit

Cons

• More expensive than a loan or credit line

• Personal legal liability

• Security issues

• Less protection than consumer credit cards offer

• Fluctuating interest rates

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Business Credit Card

Advantages

Business credit cards can offer these advantages:

• Easier way to access credit: It can be easier for business owners who do not have a well-established credit history to qualify for a revolving line of credit with a credit card, especially if it’s secured, rather than a traditional line of credit or bank loan.
• Convenience: Credit cards are the ultimate financing convenience. Business owners can access funds for purchases or cash withdrawal much more quickly and easily than having to find cash and/or use a checkbook.
• Financial cushion: A credit card can provide business owners with a much-needed financial cushion when accounts receivable are behind or sales are slow and the business is short on cash.
• Online Ease: Increasingly, business owners make purchases and do business online with vendors, contractors, and suppliers. Using a credit card makes online transactions easier.
• Bookkeeping assistance: In addition to receiving a monthly statement, most cards provide small business cardholders with online record-keeping tools to manage their accounts, including a year-end account summary, which can help a bookkeeper track, categorize, and manage expenses. It can simplify bookkeeping, help when using outside professionals to navigate an audit and pay taxes, and provide an easy way to monitor employee spending.
• Rewards and Incentives: Many cards offer business owners rewards programs—including airline miles and shopping discounts—for using the card. Some also provide cash-back incentives, repaying cardholders a percentage of their purchases.
• A tool to build credit: Responsibly using a small business credit card—which means paying the bill on time, paying more than the minimum due, and not going over the credit limit (which can trigger an over-limit fee)—can be an easy way to build up a positive credit report for your business. That, in turn, can boost your chances of qualifying for a loan or line of credit, and at a potentially lower interest rate, in the future. Keep in mind that irresponsible use of the card can damage your credit, however.

Disadvantages

Before rushing to apply for a business credit card, it’s important to consider these potential downsides:

• More expensive: The convenience and ease of business credit cards come at a price: you will typically be charged more to borrow money this way than if you took out a small business loan or fixed line of credit offered by a bank. Interest can add up quickly if card activity is not repaid on time and in full each month. In addition, without a system to regularly and carefully monitor card usage, it can be easy to accidentally overextend your firm financially by going over its credit limit or incurring late fees and penalties. 
• Personal legal liability: Many cards require a personal liability agreement (your personal security) to repay debt. This means that any late or missed payment could result in a negative personal credit report and the inability to personally borrow money. You also may have to pay more with a higher interest rate.
• Security issues: Security measures should be introduced to ensure that cards or card information are not stolen by employees, vendors, contractors, and others who come through the office space. It’s also important to make sure that employees who are authorized to use the card do not use it for personal spending, and that they take precautions when making online transactions to avoid being hacked.
• Less protection: Small business credit cards often do not carry the same protection as consumer credit cards. For example, many cards will not provide the same level of assured services when disputing billing errors or needing to make merchandise returns. Be sure to review the level of protection and services a card offers before applying.
• Fluctuating interest rates: Unlike with a loan or fixed line of credit, the company that issues your credit card can reset its interest rate depending on how you use and manage your account. Keep tabs on all communications from the issuer and be aware of how rates work and can change.

Can I Use an EIN to Obtain a Credit Card?

An employee identification number (EIN) is a tax number that the IRS assigns to your business. You can use it to apply for a small business credit card; however, you will most likely also have to provide your Social Security number to obtain the card.

Can You Get a Credit Card With an LLC?

Yes, many limited liability companies (LLCs) have business credit cards. To apply for and get a credit card with an LLC, you must be an owner, officer, or authorized representative of the LLC. Once approved, you can then, if you wish, get additional cards for employees.

What Is a Corporate Credit Card?

A corporate credit card is a credit card that a business issues to employees. It works in the same manner as a personal credit card but is only meant to be used for business-related expenses, such as business travel, business dinners, and other client-associated expenses. The corporate credit card allows for these expenses to be made so that an employee doesn’t have to pay out-of-pocket and wait to be reimbursed.

The Bottom Line

A business credit card comes with many benefits. It provides easy access to credit, a financial cushion, and a way to separate business expenses from personal credit card expenses. That said, it can also be potentially dangerous and should be used with caution. Interest rates on cards are high, more so than a loan, and business credit cards have less security than personal credit cards.

Read the original article on Investopedia.