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If you travel frequently for work, a business travel rewards credit card could allow you to earn rewards for future travels, along with other benefits.
Some credit cards allow card members to earn rewards on everyday purchases. For business owners and employees who travel regularly, a card that offers travel-related rewards may be worth considering.
Key Takeaways:
- Business travel rewards credit cards may allow cardmembers to earn points that can be exchanged for travel-related expenses.
- You may be able to maximize rewards by choosing a business credit card that rewards the types of purchases your business makes most often.
- The right card for your business can depend on your spending patterns, travel frequency, and business needs.
What Are Business Travel Rewards Credit Cards?
A business travel rewards credit card is a type of credit card designed specifically for business owners or employees who travel for work. These cards can offer business travel rewards and other benefits that are tailored to business travel needs.
Business travel credit cards can offer travel rewards, allowing the user to earn points or miles each time they make purchases. These can be exchanged for travel-related expenses such as flights or hotels. They may also include benefits like access to airport lounges, trip delay or baggage insurance, and dining offers.
Some cards include employee cards with spending controls, as well as business tracking and management tools. The best card for a business may depend on the company’s spending patterns, travel frequency, and which rewards and benefits would be most valuable.
Advantages of Travel Rewards Cards for Business
One of the advantages of a business travel rewards credit card is the potential for cost savings by using rewards. By making everyday purchases for your business, you may earn points or miles that could be redeemed for discounted flights, hotel stays, and other travel costs.
The right card for your business can depend on your spending patterns, travel frequency, and business needs.
In addition to saving money on travel costs, card members may be able to also enjoy other advantages, such as:
- Travel benefits. Some business credit cards include benefits such as access to airport lounges, priority boarding on airlines, and free checked bags.
- Cash-flow management. A business credit card may allow for short-term financing for business expenses.
- Business expense tracking. Some business credit cards offer detailed spending reports and integration with accounting software, which may help to simplify the process of tracking business expenses.
You may be able to save even more on travel by participating in business travel rewards programs. For example, you may be able to use your travel rewards credit card to book lodging and earn credit card points as well as hotel loyalty points.
Using Travel Rewards Points
After you’ve built up a significant number of points on your travel rewards credit card, there are a number of ways you could use those points. For example, you may be able to redeem points for:
- Airline tickets
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Gift cards or merchandise
- Cash back on your credit card statement
Business travel rewards programs can offer a straightforward process for redeeming your points. You may be able to redeem your points by making purchases online through the card’s travel portal or by transferring to partner sites such as airlines or hotels.
Best Practices for Maximizing Travel Rewards
To get as much value as possible from your business travel rewards credit card, here are some best practices to consider:
Choose the right card. Cards may have bonus spending categories that offer 3x or 5x the points after you make purchases in those categories — consider finding one that matches your spending patterns and travel preferences and offers bonus categories that match your highest business expenses to help you earn more points.
Use the card strategically. Once you have the right card, you could use it for eligible business expenses to help accumulate more points. That might include using it to pay for office supplies, digital advertising, and recurring subscriptions.
Pay your balance. If possible, consider paying off your balance in full every month to avoid interest charges, which can negate the value of the rewards you’re earning.
Redeem rewards for travel. When you’re ready to cash in on your rewards, you may want to consider redeeming points for high-value travel rather than merchandise or cash back.
Look for bonus point opportunities. Consider booking travel through your card’s travel portal if it’s offering bonus value, and consider transferring points to airline and hotel partners if they are offering better redemption values or transfer bonuses.
Don't let points expire. If you have points left over that will expire, consider cashing them in for merchandise through your card’s shopping portal.
How to Choose a Travel Rewards Card for Your Business
Choosing the right travel rewards credit card for your business can require careful consideration of a variety of features. Consider each of the following when evaluating travel rewards cards, in order to select the one that may best meet the needs of your business.
Assess your business spending. Think about identifying your company’s top spending categories over the past three to six months, and calculate your average monthly travel expenses. Note which airlines and hotel chains you use most frequently.
Compare reward-earning rates among various cards. Consider looking for travel reward credit cards that offer bonus points in your highest spend categories, and calculate your potential annual rewards based on your spending profile. Consider checking for spending caps on each card’s bonus categories.
Evaluate sign-up bonuses. Some cards have welcome offers, so think about comparing the value of each of the ones you’re considering. Consider whether your business will be able to meet any minimum spending requirements, and check eligibility restrictions.
Prioritize travel rewards and benefits. Look closely at all the travel rewards and benefits included with each card, such as airport lounge access, trip insurance coverage, hotel or airline status benefits, and TSA PreCheck® credits.
Learn about redemption options. Find out whether the cards you’re considering allow for transferable travel points or if the points are only usable with specific brands. Some cards may adjust point values for different redemption methods. Also, consider finding out about expiration policies to help ensure you won’t forfeit any rewards.
Consider business features. If you need employee cards, research the options and any included controls. Also, confirm whether the cards offer expense tracking and reporting tools or if they integrate with your accounting software.
Elevate Your Business Travel with the Right Credit Card
Onboarding the right business travel rewards credit card can help companies reduce travel costs without giving up the strategic advantages of in-person work. Business travel can be a vital part of your company’s success, whether it’s building a stronger culture by gathering far-flung employees, expanding relationships with customers, or boosting skills through professional development events.
Taking time to carefully select the right business travel rewards credit card can be an important step in building your business travel strategy.
Photo: Getty Images
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