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The credit card wars continue to heat up and that spells “good news” for consumers. Despite rising interest rates, many issuers are continuing with their popular 0% introductory APR plans, giving new card holders a great way to save money and pay off their debts. One issuer, Advanta, has thrown the gauntlet down and is now offering an extremely low APR on balances until the debt is paid off. Let’s take a look at three Advanta offerings to find the one that has the best advantage for you and your wallet.
Advanta Platinum Business Card With Rewards
There just aren’t too many cards out there offering 0% APR beyond the first 12 months of issuance. And why is that? Because, credit card issuers know that interest rates will continue to head up. Fortunately, Advanta is not letting interest rate trends dissuade them from making an important marketing decision: the
Advanta Platinum Business Card with Rewards extends the 0% APR period through 16 months, a rarity in the credit card business. What’s more, as the name of the card implies, it comes with a rewards program too. Consumers can get 5% cash back on many purchases or use their points for travel rewards. For a $35 annual fee the card can be transformed into an airline miles accumulator.
Advanta Platinum Business Card
An alternative to the Business Card with Rewards is the Advanta Platinum Business Card. No, you don’t get rewards with the card, but you do get a 12 month 0% APR and a beefy credit line of up to $50,000! This can be the perfect card for business people who must charge just about everything, but don’t want to be restricted by a lower credit line.
Advanta Life-of-Balance Platinum Card
Perhaps one of the most unusual cards in the Advanta arsenal is the Advanta Life-of-Balance Platinum card. If you have balances to transfer, this card can be extremely beneficial as the 2.99% fee on balance transfers stays in effect until the card is paid off. In addition, the card pays you 6% cash back on many purchases or you can redeem your points for travel rewards. Best of all, there is no limit on earnings so you can accumulate an unlimited amount of points every year. A truly unusual offer for a truly exceptional card!
So, which business card is right for you? Well, only you can make that determination. Each of the three Advanta cards has its own special features, so weighing what is important to you against what doesn’t matter is one way to go about selecting a new credit card. Still, each Advanta card has so much to offer and getting an Advanta card gives you advantages over many ordinary business cards. Regardless, offers such as these are certain not to last forever, so taking action now will ensure that you get the best card that meets your needs.

Edward Vegliante

A business credit card might a be good option if you are a business owner looking to streamline your accounts management. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a business credit card. Look At The Interest Rate One of the most important issues is the annual percentage rate (APR). This is the interest that lenders charged on any outstanding debt. The APR varies considerably between lenders, so it is worth shopping around for one that you find acceptable. You should also pay attention to the interest rate for cash withdrawals. As with personal credit cards, the APR on cash withdrawals can be very high. This is worth considering if you intend to use your business credit card to withdraw cash. Check Out The Fees Some business credit cards charge annual fees. These can range from around £20 to as much as £75. However, there are still some business credit cards that do not have a fee, so it is worth considering these if the other factors meet your requirements. Another fee to consider is the application fee. It may be worth searching for a credit card provider who will waive this fee. The amount of credit you will get and the repayment period are crucial aspects for managing your business. You'll want to get as long a grace period (interest-free period) as possible. Business Or Personal? Like personal credit cards, some business credit cards also offer rewards. These can be points that can be applied to purchases or useful rewards such as air miles or travel points of some sort. However, the range of rewards for personal credit cards is far greater. Some business owners may be tempted to manage their business spending via a personal credit card, but this is best avoided for three reasons. First, the credit limit given will not match the kind of credit limit a business credit card might get. Second, the interest rates and repayment periods on business credit cards are designed to help with business cash flow. Third, if you find yourself in debt, any spending on a personal credit card is your personal liability. In comparison, spending on a business credit card is charged to the business rather than an individual. Credit Or Charge? Business owners also have other options for managing their finances. Some can choose debit cards. This will mean that there is no line of credit and business owners can only spend what is in the business account. Another option is a business charge card. Like a credit card, there is often a fee for having a charge card, but there is no APR and no minimum repayment. This is because any spending on the charge card must be repaid in full at the end of the pay period. Whichever option business owners go for, there are a number of good reasons to use a card for managing business expenses. This can be especially useful for businesses with a lot of employees as they can use a business credit card to track expenses and cut down on in-house accountancy.

Most people are used to making personal purchases with a credit card. It can help with money management and is useful for situations where you haven't got quite enough cash in hand. These are some of the same reasons why business owners should consider having credit cards for their businesses. A business credit card can speed up the process of doing business. This applies to both online and offline transactions. It's a good way of paying for company purchases or making payments quickly. Why Have A Business Credit Card? Business credit card deals may be better than those available for personal credit cards. For example, there may be lower annual percentage rates (APRs), waiver of annual fees, higher credit limits and other incentives. Business credit cards also offer the same incentives as personal credit cards, such as balance transfer deals and 0% interest periods. And if you don't like the deal offered, it's always possible to negotiate. Expense Tracking Business credit cards are a good way of tracking expenses. This applies to both company expenses and the expenses incurred by employees on the company's behalf. They are also a good way of improving cash flow as business owners can pay for something today and have a grace period of up to 56 days before having to settle the bill. Help For Employees Employees can use business credit cards when travelling on company business to pay for flights and other travel, accommodation, eating out and entertaining. This means employees don't have to worry about finding money and being reimbursed. It also means that businesses can keep track of company expenses through itemised credit card statements. Businesses usually get a monthly statement where all such transactions are listed. Choosing A Business Credit Card When choosing a business credit card, it is best to pay attention to: - The APR - The credit limit - The grace period - Repayment options - Annual fees - Application fees - Cash withdrawal fees Since companies get monthly statements, they have to spend less time on administration. There's no longer any need to work out and check employees' expense claims, though some businesses may prefer to have that process as a backup. Other Business Card Options Business owners can also choose to have a business debit card. This means they can only spend what is in the business account. Another option is a business charge card. There is usually an annual fee for this and the balance has to be settled in full each month. Neither of these options is as flexible as a business credit card. Some small businesses may start by financing their business with a personal credit card. However, this makes it more difficult to separate personal and business expenses. In addition, you will be personally liable for any spending on the personal credit card. A better option is to get a business bank loan or overdraft. This will offer better interest rates and will not endanger personal finances.

Business credit holds a lot of promise for small business owners, but comes with some caveats. Before anyone gets too excited, allow me to temper your enthusiasm by saying most business cards are going to be based primarily on your personal credit scores for companies with less than 1 million dollars in revenue. If you are just starting out, then your personal credit will almost certainly be the prevailing factor as far as you getting approved. For the beginner, your jaunt into the business credit realm starts with Dun and Bradstreet, the business credit bureau. Experian also has a smaller business directory as well, but D & B as they are called is king. The first thing you need to get is a DUNS number. A DUNS number is needed for any business to report, and the number is free. Your goal is to get a Paydex score. A Paydex is a business FICO that ranges from a low of 0 to a high of 100. The goal is a score of 80, which equates to a 700+ FICO. Beware of the hard sell for credit builder. The reps will call and send emails incessantly trying to get you signed on for this credit builder program. They'll tell you that you only have a marketing file and you absolutely have to buy this program. The fee for the program will change from the $700 range to the $200 range and everywhere in-between. The truth is that companies report automatically, you can easily get a Paydex score for free, and the hefty commission for hawking the credit builder product is the motivation for the reps. In general, you need 5 companies to report to get a Paydex. Credit scoring is also different than personal scoring. The main variable is how soon you pay something off. If you buy something and wait 30 days to pay it, your score will be lower than someone who pays it off in 5 days. Larger accounts count more than smaller accounts, so someone with a 100k balance will get more points for paying it off than someone with a 5k balance. Finding companies to report is fairly simple. Start with the basic office supply companies like staples, office max, office depot, and Viking. They give easy credit to just about anyone and report. Wait roughly 45 days for these companies to report. Once they report, move up to the Home Depot, Lowes, and Dell level. These are slightly harder to get credit from, as they typically want to see a few positive trade lines first. Again, wait the requisite 45-60 days for all these companies to report before moving up to the next level: general use credit cards. Getting a general use, regular credit card is much harder. Many companies look at both your personal and business credit scores, although some may only need to glance at your business scores to get an approval. Citibank generally will give you a general use card if your business credit file is strong enough. I personally got approved for three business cards with CITI and only had to endure one credit pull. Advanta offers really great business credit card offers, with a lengthy promotional APR period, low rate afterwards, and overall very favorable terms. The flipside is that Advanta is also one of the most picky credit issuers, and they base much of their approvals almost entirely on your personal score. If you have any personal credit woes, you'll probably be declined, and this includes having more than 6 inquiries in the last 6 months, too many new accounts, or balances that are too near their limits. There are two major benefits to having business credit cards. First, they don't report to your personal credit, unless you default, so expenses you may have bore that made you appear to be more risky or close to your credit limits will not show in the future. Secondly, many business cards come with travel and other rewards programs for gifts, concert tickets, or healthy cash back percentages. For success, make sure your personal credit is clear, and follow the tips listed above. It doesn't take that long to build a business Paydex of 80, probably only 4-6 months at the most.

Jaded by a routine 9 to 5 job? Stifled by your thankless work? Have you bartered your dreams away for an emotionally unsatisfying life? If you have finally decided to wrench yourself free from your shackles, it is time to take stock financially and see how small business credit cards can actually help you in starting your and running your own business. When you set out on this exciting new journey, you are likely to face a number of challenges, and with them, teething troubles. You can avoid such stress if you make good use of the various tools specially designed to assist entrepreneurs in their ventures. Small business credit cards are by far one of the most important accounting instruments made available to you. Small Business Credit Cards are Valuable Accounting Tools One of the major problems that small businesses face is detailed accounting of their monetary transactions. Finances of any business must be immaculate and readily presentable, and if you haven not done such accounting before, be prepared for a tough task. Usually, a small business suffers from insufficient manpower. Business owners assume various roles and are often under tremendous pressure to perform efficiently in a frenetic race against time to meet deadlines. Thus, opportunity for human error creeps in. But when it comes to finances, even the minor errors can spell disaster for your new baby. Small business credit cards offer an opportunity to ease this tension and minimize errors. Whenever a transaction is done through a small business credit card, it is automatically reflected in a monthly statement. Your books can then be easily updated on time with the help of these all-inclusive statements showing specific details. A thorough account of all purchases can easily be maintained in this manner. Managing Your Business with Small Business Credit Cards Small business credit cards generally offer features such as online banking and round-the-clock technical assistance. This is especially handy when it comes to bill payment, downloading data, viewing expense reports, redeeming points, and overall maintenance and monitoring of transactions. Add-on Benefits of a Small Business Credit Card Credit card companies have bettered the deal by offering additional benefits on small business credit cards. As a business owner, you cannot afford to ignore these benefits. For example, obtaining incrementally higher credit limits can provide you with additional liquidity when required and more opportunities to expand your business products and services. A small business credit card can also have a cash back offer that entitles the cardholder to rebates on purchases made with collaborating businesses. The refund may be reflected on the customer’s account statement or just be provided by way of a periodic rebate check. Some cards also come with airline and travel reward incentives and you can even earn frequent flyer miles with your purchases that can also be redeemed for discounts and rewards. Small business credit cards have revolutionized the way fledgling businesses approach finance. Card statements that are usually made available online can help remove tedious accounting paperwork. Small business credit cards empower even those with the most rudimentary knowledge of accounting, freeing them up to focus on growing their respective businesses.

The Advanta Platinum Business Card is designed for you if you are a business owner looking to consolidate business expenses onto one credit card account. You don't have to pay any annual fee and the introductory APR is set at 0% on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months. After the expiry of the introductory APR, the APR for purchases and balance transfers is 14.24% variable which is Prime plus 5.99%. The APR is calculated on the maximum Prime Rate during a 90 day period. The APR for cash advances will vary according to your credit history and will be 5.99% or 11.74% + Prime Rate. Through the reward program, you earn one point for every dollar spent on all purchases made with the Advanta Platinum Business Card and these points can be redeemed for various travel rewards or pre-paid bonus cards. Though there is no yearly limits to the number of points that you can earn yet the points expire in three years. If you prefer cash rebates instead of travel rewards, there is a rebate program available for you that gives cash back for purchases. Whether you choose the rebate program or cash back one, both are free. Many common Platinum Business features are found with this card, including auto rental insurance, extended warranty coverage, itemized expense reports and online account access. You can also take advantage of the discounts that are offered on various products and services from participating retailers and merchants. With the Advanta Platinum Business Card you get a grace period of 20days and an exceptional business credit line of up to $50000, you also get $0 dollar fraud liability making life easy for you. If you are late in paying the bill you have to pay a late fee of $19 if your balance is less than $250 and if it is $250 or more then you have to pay $39 as the late fee. The over limit fee of the Advanta Platinum Business Card is $15 on balances under $501 and $29 if the balance crosses the $501 mark. The cash advance fee is set at 3%, a minimum of $5 and for convenience checks a maximum of $50. the same is set as the balance transfer fee as it is with the introductory offer. To apply for the Advanta Platinum Business Card you only require very good credit and you can enjoy special savings on business products and services like discounts of up to 25% or more through the preferred arrangements with companies like Penny-Wise Office Products, IBM, Palo Alto Software and Ramada Inn. The Advanta Platinum Business Card provides you with various internet account related services as well as online statements and management reports. The online account access helps you manage your account like requesting credit line increases; adding cardholders; requesting balance transfers and updating account information. You can pay your bills online and that too is free of cost, thus you not only save you time but money as well. You also get a personalised business design, personalised business checks and a personalised billing date; hence with the Advanta Platinum Business Card you are the boss. The Advanta Platinum Business Card is accepted at over 28 million locations worldwide and with it you can access cash instantly from any ATM displaying the MasterCard, Cirrus or Maestro logos, so now you don't have to worry about carrying cash whenever you are on a trip, the whole world is your home. To top it all, the Advanta Platinum Business Card protects you automatically against theft and damage.

There is no limit to the cash back you can earn with the American Express SimplyCash Business Credit Card. You get Cash back is automatically credited to the statement each month and you can get Fee-free employee additional cards at no cost. It has never been so easy to earn cash back on the business purchases you make when you use the American Express SimplyCash(SM) Business Credit Card. You also get access to the services of OPEN® the small business team at American Express. This service is all about small business as it provides you the resources to help you run your business, including these perks and services: Financing Get unlimited fee-free Additional Cards, 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months, and pay no annual fee. OPEN Savings® Ongoing savings with FedEx, Delta®, Hertz®, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts® and more just by using your Business Card. The savings will automatically appear on your statement, and the savings are in addition to other discounts your business may already receive. Online management Manage your account with Summary of Accounts and track charges with Expense Management Reports. Community Chat, pose questions, get insights from other small business owners, and attract new business. Advice Ask an expert a question, use an online tool, and read articles by other business owners. Do also note that when you use the OPEN Savings® scheme that is associated with this card that payments must be made with an American Express® Business Card at the time of purchase. If you are a cardholder, your savings will be credited to your SimplyCash Business Credit Card from American Express billing statement. It is important to also remember that all savings referenced are in addition to any offers made by participating companies. Participation and offers are subject to change without notice in regards to these conditions as it is with just about any other business credit card as well, so be certain that you have read and understood the latest terms and conditions before applying for this card if you wish to do so. Also it must be noted that the Simply Cash Business Credit Card from American Express comes with the very best Card protection and services to make it easier for business minded folks to concentrate on running their business. Never no need to worry about fraudulent charges on your account online or in the brick and mortar world. The insurance protection plan that comes with the SimplyCash Business Credit Card from American Express covers your eligible purchases and there is a buyer's assurance plan featured with the card as well. You can also enjoy emergency services to help you with emergency card replacement, check-cashing, and hotel check-in if desired. You also get great customer service that provides help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the SimplyCash Business Credit Card from American Express. So if you are looking for a great credit card featuring a great rewards scheme and other useful benefits from the Small Business Team at American Express; the SimplyCash(SM) Business Credit Card might be the right choice for you.

Do you need a business credit card? That is a very important question and one that business owners should consider seriously. Many business owners, especially small business owners and sole proprietors, use their personal credit cards to make purchases for their business needs. There is nothing illegal about this and if one keeps meticulous records, it can be a way to conduct business purchase via credit card use. However, there are a couple of drawbacks to using personal credit cards for business. One of the most important drawbacks is record keeping. Generally speaking, most business expenses are tax deductible and, depending on the amount one spends on these expenses, the deductions can be hefty. By using a business credit card to make your purchases, you can easily keep those expenditures separate from personal expenditures. This can be a great help when tax time rolls around and the business owner has to identify what is personal and what is business. The amount of time that this can save is worth the use of a business card alone. As well, it can greatly reduce mistakes and omissions. Another good reason to use a business credit card is that it allows the business to establish its own credit history. This can be especially useful for those businesses that are not incorporated. By establishing its own credit history, a business can often find it easier to approach lenders when additional credit is needed. Showing lenders that you have worked hard to get credit for the business and that you have been reliable in paying the credit debt off will go a long way in assuring lenders that your business is a good candidate for additional credit. Business credit cards can also be useful because of the various perks and programs that they sometimes offer. Personal credit cards also carry several programs but these are most often designed for vacations or consumer type discounts. Business cards, on the other hand, will often promote discounts that are specifically designed to help business owners. These programs can often save the owner a lot of money during the course of a year. Lastly, you can designate the people or departments that are allowed to use the card. This can save you from having to do this yourself. Again, the savings in time can be worth the effort it takes to get a new business card all by itself. You can begin researching companies that offer business cards online. As with all types of credit cards, there will be variances between the companies and you will want to make sure that you deal with the company that offers what you need. You will also want to check the interest rates that are being offered and apply for the ones that are the lowest. One tip is companies that offer the most promotions often offer the higher interest rates as well. Be sure you check on that before applying. This can be especially important if you do not plan to use the various perks and promotions throughout the year. You don't want to pay for something that you won't use very much