Capital One for Small Business

Capital One has turned out to be one of the survivor stories of the hard recession we are in right now in America. They still continue to thrive and offer some of the best offers to business and consumer. Below are two great credit cards for small business to increase your standing in the office and productivity. Time equals money when it comes to the “no hassle” of Capital One. You earn double miles with no expiration with this first card listed with no limits. You can keep this card for a year and try it out for free but im sure it will pay for its own way once you get all these double miles.

Read about Venture Rewards from Capital One

Find offers from Chase Ink Business Cards

Compare these cards to our Advanta and Discover selections.

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Capital One Business Platinum Cards for Cash Back

The Capitol One Business Platinum Card has some excellent features for businesses using the card. It offers zero percent interest on all purchases and there is no annual fee for the card. It also gives card holders 1 percent cash back on all purchases that can be accessed whenever you want.

The Capital One Business Platinum Card provides businesses with a yearly report summarizing expenses. Since purchases are itemized it makes the accounting and monitoring of the purchases made on the card simple. Cards can be ordered for employees of the business with no additional charge.

Capital One Business Platinum Cards offer basically the same benefits as most other business cards. Card holders are protected from fraud and identity theft and also have access to the Visa Affiliates program, which provides discounts on office supplies, car rentals, and other business related items.

Businesses can also monitor their account with the security features provided with the Capital One Business Platinum Card. Their website is specially encrypted, ensuring any information entered there will not end up in other people hands. Fraud can be reported by phone or through their website, and any account activity can be delivered to a mobile device or emailed to whoever is in charge of the card.

Accounts are easily managed online and by setting up an account online the user can enroll to receive activity reports, add card holders, and monitor the spending of employees. There is a toll free customer service line that can be used for questions or any credit card issues.

The Capital One Business Platinum Card is a great option for businesses with good credit who are looking to increase their credit rating. There is no annual fee to worry about and the future interest rate increases are not near as exorbitant as some other business cards. The Capital One Business Platinum Card with No Hassle Cash is the perfect credit card for business owners who are interested in getting cash back on purchases, transferring balances, or traveling internationally.

The Cash Back rewards earned on the Capital One Business Platinum Card (see the comparison) are easily redeemed. The card holder can either request a payout, set up an award to be made at a certain date during the year, or get their cash back when it reaches a specific amount, which can be $25, $50, $100 or $200. Rewards can be redeemed by either using their website or calling the Rewards Center. Gift cards can also be purchased using your cash back bonus starting at $20.

Rewards earned on the Capital One Business Platinum Card can be transferred to other U.S. Cash rewards, miles, or points accounts. Other Visa benefits that apply to the card include:

  • Auto rental insurance
  • Visa dining discounts
  • Savings on business hotels
  • Extended purchase protection
  • Emergency and travel assistance

Capital One Business Platinum Cards offer business owners an opportunity to get a card they can use to make purchases for their business without having to pay a fee to receive the card. The cash back feature is also an attractive option for businesses that will be using the card on a regular basis. For those who are looking for a basic business credit card without all the bells and whistles and additional fees, the Capital One Business Platinum Card presents a good option.

REVIEW: Ink Plus Small Business Cards From Chase can land you 50,000 Points

UPDATE:  See Updated Post for this card here.

Ink Plus is a small business credit card, one of a suite of four different Ink cards offered by Chase. Some of the other Ink cards are really charge cards where the balance falls due each month. The Ink Plus, however, does have a revolving credit feature. It is targeted to world travelers, big spenders and international business executives.

Like most the Ink cards, the key feature of the Ink Plus is the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, one of the best membership reward programs of any brand card made for business. Membership costs $95 each year in the form of an annual fee, but this fee is waived for the first year.

Updated review of the Ink Plus (SM) Business Card is that it gives you 2 times the points on hotel accommodations. Although you can get around 1.5 automatically with the Spark from Capital One with no limit this card has a $50,000 annual spend limit on this. We do not recommend using this card for gas purchases because you should have a Freedom version of their brands for that purpose.

Membership has some real benefits for travelers, especially those who use their cards liberally. Benefits are tracked through points which are earned for various spending thresholds. One point is earned for each dollar spent using the card. You get double points when you book your travel through Chase’s travel agents. Bonus points can be received every year, as much as 25 thousand, depending on usage levels.

One way to redeem these points is a 1 to 1 transfer to many of the most popular airline and hotel point programs. Another is for cash at a 1 percent rate. In other words, if you accumulate 5000 points, you can get a $50 check. They can be redeemed for gift cards or merchandise. Points never expire. In addition you get free usage of Ultimate Rewards travel bookings agents, and when used your points get you 25% more than anywhere else. There’s also a free Priority Pass membership. This gives you access to the finest private airport lounges all over the world.

The Ink Plus caters to business usage. It’s accepted wherever Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Business lines of credit can be arranged that will meet all needs, even the largest. Individual employee limits can be set and controlled. Account alerts and fraud early warning is part of the service provided. Plans can be designed to meet the cash flow needs of your organization. If your business is looking for a good business card with a better-than-average point system, the Ink Plus could be the card for you.

Small Business Credit Cards

If you’re searching for a small business credit card, there’s the good news, and then there’s the bad news. The good news is that there is, without question, the exact right credit card program designed to meet your needs. The bad news is that it can be really challenging to find it.

There is precious little consistency between credit card providers in terms of benefits. Some concentrate on flashy rewards programs while charging higher than average interest rates on balances. Others provide deep credit with competitive interest rates. Other plans offer book-keeping controls and spending definitions. Each of these can be “the perfect solution,” depending on your needs.

Therefore, the first step is to accurately assess what your needs are. Consider the type of “perk” you want, be it lower interest rates or airline miles. Determine the business tools that would best serve your company, such as user-defined expense charges, categorization of spending, and separate credit limits for business owners and their employees.

Of course, small business credit cards do not come totally free (in most cases). Look past flashy rewards programs to determine how much those “free” miles are actually costing you. Make sure that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The best way to do this is to compare multiple credit cards side-by-side. You can select a number of business credit cards–based on the criteria you determine–and compare one to the other to find the one that best serves your needs. When you’re ready, simply click through directly to the application for that business credit card, making the application and approval process as simple and streamlined as possible.

Small Business Series: Financing your dream and using the Amway Global card to enhance your entrepreneurial spirit.

Small Business Micro Loan Visa Card

At a stage in life where starting up your own business seems to be the best option; but, bank loans are not easy to come by. Also, the risks involved in setting up one’s own business are too many. Add to that the amount of hard work, dedication, time and capital required to sustain it. This is where a small business micro loan visa card comes in handy. It may not help in other matters, but a small amount of your worries regarding the capital are taken care of by providing a small loan.

The small business micro loan Visa card seems to be a normal credit card. But look deeper and you’ll realize that it is the gateway to accessing a loan through a credit account. The nature of your business is therefore required to be mentioned during the application process. This money can then be used for covering any type of expenses related to the business. With loans through the bank or through Small Business Administration taking months to come by, the card is perfect for those with a need for urgency or for more capital to meet a client’s demands.

The card has certain specifics which need to be understood. Its maximum limit is $750, so it is not a huge burden on the business in terms of repaying it. The credit requirements are relatively more lax as compared to other traditional offers. The other pros with the card are that applying is very easy. Just furnishing one’s named, business, tax id number and business banking information is all it takes to apply for it. The approval process is done rather quickly as well. Once the approval is granted, one can enjoy online banking seven-two-four. Then, the money from the loan can be used in the business in many ways including unforeseen expenditures which may crop up at the last moment or may not be expected at all.

The small business micro loan Visa card also comes with a few cons. Firstly, the APR is 23.99.There is an account origination fee as well as monthly maintenance fees. The origination fee is payable only once at $125. The monthly maintenance fee comes out to $119.40 annually. Any add on card would also draw $30. At the time of activation, the total amount charged to the account would, therefore, be $134.95.this figure includes the account origination fee and the first monthly maintenance fee. This is reflected as the difference between the credit limit and the available limit in the account.

With all these figures in mind and all the expenses accounted for, it will be much easier to take a card to tide over the initial problems of acquiring a loan.

Chase Small Business Credit Cards can be misleading if you do not read the terms carefully

The marketing of the Chase Small Business Credit Card in terms of what companies you choose to make purchases from can be confusing for some who use the card for everything related to thier company.  I haven’t been inside an Office Depot or Office Max in the last four years since I normally shop at CostCo or Target or even Amazon.com for purchases.  That is where my small business shops.  When you think of a business card you think of using it for online advertising, print media, wireless and cell phone purchases, computer hardware and software, and office supplies at warehouse clubs.  The small business cards from Chase do not reflect that.

“Small business owners can now free up some of their personal credit with the Chase Platinum Business Card and tap into a new source of purchasing power. Your business can enjoy an Intro 0% Fixed APR for up to 12 Billing Cycles, No Annual Fee, Balance Transfer Savings, and Valuable Cardmember Services. The Chase Business Rebate Card lets card members earn up to 3% back on all business purchases, has a generous credit line for your business and no annual fee. This is a FULL 3% back on some purchases.”

We used to really praise the Chase Business Card that gives you a rebate back but now we have changed our minds after looking into it further and finding out there is much fine print to be read.  People use Chase business credit cards thinking they are getting these huge rewards but in reality if you look at your points compared to actual rewards credited to your statement then you better think again.  Below is a conversation I recently had about the Chase Business Card with 3% Cash Rebates.  In Summary, you will find that you do not get the extra two percent or full three percent on all business transactions and probably not even ONE of your business transactions per month will you get this bonus.  You should always evaluate your card statement each month and know if you are using the correct rewards card to get the maximum points for your business.

Business Owner: Do you know of a better rewards card than my chase business card?  It gives 3% for business purchase, 1% for everything else.  So, every 100,000 points I get $1000.
RewardsCards: It gives 3% for business purchases?  What specific business purchases you may ask.
Business Owner:  But you apparently already know this since it is specifically stated on your rewardscards website.  But yes it is 3% on purchases at places like office max, etc.  Among other specifically designated places.
RewardsCards:  Well I think when Chase says “business purchases” that is marketing and is probably grossly exaggerated thinking people will only shop for gas and at Office Max and Office Depot stores instead of the other 99% of real business purchases.
Business Owner:  Yeah I get 3% on whatever they deem to be “business” related.
RewardsCards:   Yeah you meant office max and office depot type places… ill have to re-read the card fine print
Business Owner:  and 1% on everything else.  But I didn’t know if there was  a card out there that gave more like 3% on everything.
RewardsCards:   well my all time favorite card is the Amex biz card it used to be 5% on gas but they reduced it.. And 1% credit ON THE CARD statement without dealing with checks and without having to hassle with programs.
Business Owner:  I used to market this particular small business card on the site but i do not remember seeing it use business purposes in such a misleading way.  If you are looking at the
“Chase Business Card with Premier Cash Rebate”

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Business Owner:  well the chase freedom sounds like it gives more cash back
RewardsCards:   of only $12 a month.   Unlimited 1% though.   I also use a Household card for 2% cash back unlimited.
Business Owner:  i wonder if Chase deems my PayPal stuff as “business”.  I should be getting 3% on all my advertising.
RewardsCards:   if that were the case id have that card.  The only card that does that is the  AMEX card on Yahoo Search Marketing 5% back.  Plus Marriott Courtyard hotel stays 5%
Business Owner:   i guess i could get the PayPal card
RewardsCards:   the PayPal card doesn’t give you any points extra for using PayPal so that makes no sense.  If l you use the chase 3% card call their customer service and see exactly what business expenses they give you 3% back on.. I think it’s only office supply stores and highly limited gas and dining out purchases.
Business Owner:   I spend so much that I get about $1000 every 3 months or so, but I am sure 99% of that is 1% cash back. I could probably double my earnings if I had 2% on everything.
RewardsCards:   The card I use is called the Simply Cash from American Express where you can Earn 5% cash back on wireless service and office supplies, earn 3% cash back on automobile gas purchases of up to $12,000 per year; 1% thereafter and 1% cash back on virtually all other purchases.*
Business Owner:   really isn’t any better than my Chase card. i mean, i buy office supplies MAYBE once a year.  And I never drive anywhere.
RewardsCards:   well the reason its better is because of the OPEN Network and where you get 5% back on wireless which includes Sprint and AT&T and T-mobile cell phone providers.  Anything you purchase
Business Owner:   “You will earn 1 base point for each $1 of net purchases. In addition, you will earn 2 bonus points for each $1 of eligible net purchases made at retail establishments that classify their merchant locations for Visa/MasterCard as gas stations, restaurants, hardware stores, home improvement stores, and office supply stores. Purchases not eligible to receive the 2 bonus points include, but are not limited to, purchases made at convenience stores, superstores, warehouse clubs, and discount stores. We do not determine whether merchants correctly identify and bill transactions as being made at gas stations, restaurants, hardware stores, home improvement stores, or office supply stores. However, we do reserve the right to determine which purchases qualify for the 2 bonus points. You do not earn points on balance transfers, cash advances, any checks that are used to access your account, travelers checks, overdraft advances, interest, unauthorized or fraudulent charges, or fees of any kind, including fees for products that protect or insure the balances of your account. Maximum point accumulation on net purchases earning 2 bonus points is 4,000 points per billing cycle. There is no maximum base point accumulation on purchases earning 1 point. See Rewards Program Rules and Regulations which will be mailed after your account is established. ”
but it is so vague!
RewardsCards:   Maximum point accumulation on net purchases earning 2 bonus points is 4,000 points per billing cycle
Business Owner:   but it does say 2 points for retail, gas, restaurants, it doesn’t even mention the 3 points for business purchases
RewardsCards:   so that is 2% extra: $2,000 worth of purchases at “retail establishments” that classify their merchant locations for Visa/MasterCard as gas stations, restaurants, hardware stores, home improvement stores, and office supply stores.  Only thing we would use is restaurants and gas stations. So no other retail locations.
RewardsCards:   sounds like a card to use to get gas and dine out.. I’d use other cards for maximum rewards
Business Owner:   yeah I am looking at my statement for February. I spent $14,818 on my card, and I got 14,818 points.  I got only 1 point for my PayPal purchases.  I don’t see any indication of getting 2 points or 3 points on anything
RewardsCards:    if you used the card at Jason’s deli you would get 2 extra points but all your normal business transactions you get a measly 1%.
Business Owner:   well a billing cycle is 30 days i assume.  or 1 month.  4,000 points per month, or 48,000 points per year
RewardsCards:    yeah that’s a rip off.. Time to change cards lol they mislead you in the “business purchases” bullet
Business Owner:    March, $13,139 spent.  Earned 12, 204.  That definitely is rip off –  not even a point per dollar.  Well the 12,204 is rebate for purchases, then there is 1,304 in “bonus rebates”.  it still works out to be right at 1 point per dollar. So I should be earning more with the amount I spend
RewardsCards:    My recommendation is that you should either use the Chase Freedom Card or goto the Amex Simply Cash Card.  The business card just does not help out in any situation that I see from any business.   I don’t have affiliate links to those cards anymore though (which is too bad because they are my favorites).
Business Owner:    I am afraid to apply for any cards. I haven’t applied for any credit since I bought my new car in October. And my credit scores range from 705 to 780 depending on which credit bureau you look at. But with banks not giving credit, I fear it would be a wasted inquiry to even apply for AMEX.  They might give me some piddly little $3000 credit line.  I had an AMEX card a year or two ago and never even activated it because it was a little bitty credit line.
I spend so much money that I really should be getting more rewards than 1 point. The problem is, I don’t have any particular thing I spend more on than others.  I mean I buy a lot of dog supplies, but I also buy a lot of advertising.  I don’t use a lot of gas at all. Maybe 2 tanks a month. I spend $15k a month on that MasterCard through Chase.

My Chase investment guy is looking at the new business card they have, and going back over my past several statements to see how much more I would have earned. He admits the statements are so confusing. The new card gives you more points for the top 5 places you spend each month, and it can change month to month based on your spending. I dont think the AMEX card is ideal for me unless and until I do yahoo marketing or something in one of the OPEN Business categories.

Thinking of opening up a Chase Small business checking account?

I recently paid a visit to a local Chase branch and not only did it take almost two hours to open up an account but they told me that you cannot get interest with small business checking now.  They have taken away the interest bearing accounts because they claim the interest was so small it would be best to give business owners credits such as paying their monthly fee if they keep a certain amount in the account.  In reality, that is not much of a credit it is what you used to get for free at WaMu.

Did you throw away an offer you received in the mail?

Did you throw away a Chase credit card offer for small business owners you received in the mail? Do not panic. I have received this offer in the mail at least ten times last year. The online version of the offer of the Chase Business 3% card which is easier and faster than applying by mail.

[This article does not include the new “Ink” related cards.]