What is the Best Small Business Credit Card for Establishing Creditworthiness?

With fast access to cash, convenience and all the perks that come along with it, a business credit card is a standard tool used by business owners.

But did you know that less than 50% of the credit cards obtained by business owners nationwide are actually in the company’s name?

It’s a shocking reality, to say the least, but the good news is there are plenty of business credit cards that cater to savvy business owners like you who understand the importance of establishing business credit.

The majority of cards one can obtain for a business also have a great deal of benefits such as cash back rewards, rewards points, travel rewards and detailed reports.

Those aiming to strengthen the credit of a business must understand that it’s vital to obtain cards that report payment activity to a business credit agency.

When applying for credit, one of the ways to identify a non-reporting issuer is by what’s required on the application. If all that is required is to supply personal information, a social security number and business name, then this card issuer in most cases will solely report to a consumer credit agency.

Take it a step further and simply read the disclosure section on the application. It will read something like, ‘I Authorize the receipt and exchange of credit information on the business signer, including the exchange of information between XYZ credit card issuer and its affiliates.’

Nowhere here does it disclose that the ‘Business’ will be included in the receipt and exchange of credit information it just states the business signer. (That’s you!)

If this is the case, then be aware that you will be personally liable for all debt your company incurs on this card and all payments and any revolving debt will be reported to a consumer credit agency. This type of business credit card is nothing more than a glorified personal credit card with your company name on it.

Now don’t get discouraged, because there are cards that may require a personal credit check. But the good news is payment activity is reported to both consumer and business credit reporting agencies.

While credit cards that fall right into this category may not be my first recommendation, at least it helps establish company creditworthiness because it reports to several business credit agencies.

The downfall is that your company’s revolving credit card debt is still reporting on your consumer credit reports, resulting in a negative impact on your personal credit scores.

Ideally, the best small business credit card is one that reports only to business credit reports. Thankfully, there are issuers offering these types of cards despite the challenges in the economy.

But before you get too excited, know that most issuers will require a personal and business credit check. The most important thing to remember with these cards only your business credit reports will reflect your revolving debt, therefore protecting your personal credit scores.

About the Author

Marco Carbajo is CEO of the Business Credit Insiders Circle (www.businesscreditblogger.com), a step-by-step business credit building system providing lines of credit, trade credit and funding sources.