Business travel credit cards can offer fantastic benefits to entrepreneurs and companies whose employees have to travel on a regular basis.
The benefit of business travel cards hinge largely on the features of the card. When business owners start to research travel credit cards, they will see that cards that are available vary greatly. And sometimes it can be difficult to know which features are the most important.
If you are having difficulty choosing the right business travel credit card for your company, here are six factors you will want to keep in mind when making your decision:
Bonus Points
As you may have already noted, many travel credit cards now feature introductory bonus point opportunities for their cardholders. These bonuses often are enough for two or three complimentary nights at a nice hotel. You will want to closely examine these offers to see what criteria you need to meet before you are awarded your bonus points.
Points Accrual
Some cards award accounts one point or one mile per every dollar spent. Other cards will award additional points when cardholders use their credit card to make purchases in certain categories like airfare and gas.
Some even award extra points for business expenses like advertising.
 | | - FOR A LIMITED TIME: Earn 5X points on shipping and advertising for the first 3 months of Card membership.
- Earn points even faster to get more rewards for your business
- 3X points on airfare | 2X points on advertising, gas, and shipping |1X points on everything else*
- One million rewards from over 500 brands
- 24/7 support for everything from identity theft to travel emergencies
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $175
- Get unlimited Additional Gold Cards for an additional annual membership fee of $50 - and this fee is waived for the first year
- Terms & Restrictions Apply.
| | | | Intro APR for Purchases | Intro APR for Balance Transfer | APR as low as | Annual Fee | | - | - | N/A | $175 |
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Taking the extra time to identify a card that will reward you additional points for your most common purchase categories will pay off. Your company will be able to accrue points quicker so you can cover more of your business travel expenses through rewards points.
Flexible Redemption
If your company has certain airlines or hotel chains that you prefer to utilize in your travels, then those companies’ rewards credit cards are likely to be sufficient for your purposes. However, if you like to have the ability to choose among a wide variety of companies depending upon your destination, then you will want to find a business credit card with that flexibility.
Also, while it may be hard to believe, many travel credit cards still have blackout dates when you will not be able to utilize your rewards for airline travel or for hotel stays. You will want to ensure that the card you choose do not have blackout dates.
Airport and Hotel Perks
These days, business travel credit cards are about more than just free airfare or hotel stays.
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| Intro APR (P) | Intro APR (BT) | APR as low as | | - | - | N/A | | - Earn up to 50,000 bonus points - 25,000 after your first purchase, plus an additional 25,000 after you spend $10,000 in 3 months - that's $500 in rewards of your choice, or $625 towards airfare when you redeem online through our Ultimate Rewards booking tool
- Earn up to 5X points per dollar on eligible business purchases, and points do not expire
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free Employee Cards
- No interest charges because it's a pay-in-full charge card
- Transfer points you've earned to participating frequent travel programs at a 1:1 value
- No Annual Fee in the first year - a $95 savings
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| Intro APR (P) | Intro APR (BT) | APR as low as | 0% for 12 months | 0% for 12 months | 10.24% (Variable) | | - Up to 25,000 bonus points - 10,000 bonus points after your first purchase, plus an additional 15,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months!
- 5X points per dollar on the first $25,000 spent annually at office supply stores, and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services
- 2X points per dollar on the first $25,000 spent annually at gas stations and for hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel
- 1 point per dollar on all other card purchases with no limit on the amount you can earn
- Points do not expire
- 0% Introductory APR for 12 months
- No Annual Fee
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| Intro APR (P) | Intro APR (BT) | APR as low as | | - | - | 15.24% - 19.24% (Variable) | | - Earn up to 25,000 Starpoints® – Receive 10,000 Starpoints after your first purchase, and another 15,000 bonus Starpoints when you spend $5,000 in 6 months – enough for up to 6 free nights at a Category 1 or 2 hotel.
- Redeem Starpoints at over 1,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries, and for flights on more than 350 airlines through SPG Flights. No blackout dates.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65
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Many cards also provide their cardholders with complimentary perks like membership to airport club, discounts on certain purchases, and access complimentary access to resort gyms and spas. While these features aren’t essential, they certainly help make your business travels more comfortable.
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| Intro APR (P) | Intro APR (BT) | APR as low as | | - | - | N/A | | - FOR A LIMITED TIME: Earn 25,000 Membership Rewards® points by spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.
- Enroll and select an airline to receive up to $200 annually in statement credits for incidental fees such as checked bags, in–flight refreshments, and change fees.*
- 20% Travel Bonus when redeeming with Membership Rewards® Pay with Points
- Take advantage of 40 premium benefits and rewards, including 24/7 concierge service and dedicated business consultants
- Complimentary airport club access to 600+ partner lounges, a $950/yr value
- By Invitation Only: Receive exclusive access to events, ideal for entertaining clients or treating staff, worldwide that aren't available to the general public
- No pre-set spending limit*
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| Intro APR (P) | Intro APR (BT) | APR as low as | | - | - | 15.24% - 19.24% (Variable) | | - Earn 30,000 bonus miles toward Award Travel – when you spend $500 on the Card in the first three months from account opening
- Check your first bag free– for up to 8 people on your reservation– on every Delta flight
- Receive double miles on Delta purchases and 1 mile for all other eligible dollars spent
- Priority Boarding and 20% In-Flight Savings
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
- No annual fee for Additional Cards
- Save 3% to 10% automatically on business expenses from FedEx, Hertz®, OfficeMax®, and more with OPEN Savings®
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Concierge Service
Another fantastic feature you will want to seek out is concierge service. These credit card services will help make your business travel stress free. With a simple phone call, you can get your important client dinner reservations squared away and get car service lined up for the week. They will also help you get any forgotten or last minute details handled.
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| Intro APR (P) | Intro APR (BT) | APR as low as | | - | - | N/A | | - FOR A LIMITED TIME: Earn 25,000 Membership Rewards® points by spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.
- Enroll and select an airline to receive up to $200 annually in statement credits for incidental fees such as checked bags, in–flight refreshments, and change fees.*
- 20% Travel Bonus when redeeming with Membership Rewards® Pay with Points
- Take advantage of 40 premium benefits and rewards, including 24/7 concierge service and dedicated business consultants
- Complimentary airport club access to 600+ partner lounges, a $950/yr value
- By Invitation Only: Receive exclusive access to events, ideal for entertaining clients or treating staff, worldwide that aren't available to the general public
- No pre-set spending limit*
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| Intro APR (P) | Intro APR (BT) | APR as low as | 0% for 6 months | - | 14.24% (Variable) | | - Designed for businesses with an established credit history
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 6 months. After that, 14.24% variable*
- Earn 5 ThankYou Points® For Every Dollar You Spend On Eligible AT&T Products and Services
- Earn 3 ThankYou Points® For Every Dollar Spent On Purchases at Certain Office Supply Merchants, Gas Stations, and On Professional Services and 1 ThankYou Point® For Every Dollar Spent On Other Purchases
- Additional Cards For Employees With Credit Limits You Set
- No Annual Fee*
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Costs
As with any type of credit card, you will want to pay close attention to the various costs that are associated with your travel card. Pay special attention to the interest rates and any annual fees.
Keep in mind that annual fees don’t have to be deal breakers. If the card will make it easier to accrue rewards and comes with other perks that you know your business will utilize, then the annual fee may be worth the investment. However, if you are uncertain if your company will take full advantage of the benefits, then they might not be worth the annual fee that you will be paying every year.
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Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by Chase. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of Chase, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Chase. This site may be compensated through Chase Affiliate Program.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by Citi. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of Citi, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Citi. This site may be compensated through Citi Affiliate Program.
