Important Note: U.S. Government Stimulus Funds

All direct deposit funds, including Federal stimulus payments, are deposited once a day in the overnight hours. If deposited, funds are credited by 6 a.m. local time. If the payment does not appear in your account at 6 a.m., please check back the following day. You can find the most up-to-date information on your Economic Impact Payment at IRS.gov.

  • Personal
  • Business
  • About
  • Locations
  • Contact
  • Privacy
California Bank & Trust
  • personal
    • Home
    • Bank
      • Checking Compare
        • Anytime Checking
        • Anytime Interest Checking
        • Premium Interest Checking
        • Senior Advantage Checking
        • Debit Cards
        • Order Checks
        • Statement Options
        • Money Reserve
        Savings and Money Market Compare
        • Savings Account
        • Young Savers Account
        • Money Market Account
        • Certificates of Deposit (CDs)
        • Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
        • Safe Deposit Box
        Online and Mobile Banking
        • Online Banking
        • Mobile Banking
        • Mobile Deposit
        • Mobile Payments
        • Zelle
        Specialized Services
        • 1031 Exchange Services
        • Foreign Currency
        • Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
    • Borrow
      • Credit Cards Compare
        • Cash Back Card
        • Rewards Card
        • Low Rate Card
        • Premier Card
        • Elite Card
        • Reserve Card
        Mortgages
        • Apply Now
        • Check Application Status
        • Manage Your Loan
        • Mortgage Loan Types
        • Find a Mortgage Consultant
        • Mortgage Resources
        Home Equity Lines of Credit
        Auto, Boat and RV Loans
        Personal Loans and Lines of Credit
    • Wealth
      • Private Banking
        • Deposit Solutions
        • Private Mortgage
        • Securities-Based Lending (ILOC)
        • Lending Solutions
        Wealth Management
        • Wealth Planning
        • Investment Management
        • Trust Services
        • Insurance
        Trends and insights
        • Educational Webinars
        • Market Insights
        • Business Blog
        • Business eNewsletter
        • Family Business eNewsletter
    • Resources
      • Account Safety
        • Mobile Card Fraud Alerts
        • EMV Chip Technology
        • Identity Theft
        Trends and insights
        • Educational Webinars
        • Market Insights
        • Business Blog
        • Business eNewsletter
        • Family Business eNewsletter
        Forms and Agreements
        • Agreement Center
        • Foreign Status Documents
        Overdraft Protection
        Calculators
        FAQs
        Routing / SWIFT Numbers
        Bank Holidays
  • business
    • Home
    • Bank
      • Checking Compare
        • Business Inspire Checking
        • Business Growth Checking
        • Business Interest Checking
        • Business Connect Checking
        • Business Analyzed Checking
        • Community Checking
        • Attorney Client Checking
        • Debit Cards
        • Order Checks
        • Statement Options
        Savings and Money Market Compare
        • Business Savings
        • Business Money Market
        • Business Money Market Sweep
        • Business CD/Business Jumbo CD
        • Safe Deposit Box
        Account Access Solutions
        • Online Banking
        • Mobile Banking
        • Mobile Deposit
        • Mobile Payments
        Specialized Services
        • 1031 Exchange Services
        • Foreign Exchange Solutions
        • Treasury Management Select
    • Borrow
      • Credit Cards Compare
        • Cash Back Card
        • Rewards Card
        • Low Rate Card
        • Commercial Card
        Loans and Lines of Credit
        • Business Access Online Loans Under $175,000
        • Lines of Credit
        • Term Loans
        • Equipment Financing & Leasing
        • Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans
        • Acquisition Financing
        • Asset-Based Financing
        • Factoring
        Real Estate Financing
        • Owner-Occupied Real Estate Financing
        • Multi-Family and Commercial Financing
        • Residential Development
        Specialty Financing
        • Employee Stock Ownership Plans
        • Loan Syndications
        • Public Finance
        • Power and Project Finance
        • Municipal Underwriting
        Global Banking
        • Foreign Exchange Solutions
        • Foreign Currency Services
        • Global Trade Solutions
        • Trade Portal
    • Treasury
      • Information Management
        • Treasury Internet Banking
        • Mobile Banking
        • Image Services
        • Account Reconciliation
        • Return Items Web Delivery
        Receivables Solutions
        • Merchant Services
        • Remote Deposit Capture
        • E-Invoicing and Payments
        • Cash Vault
        • LockBox
        • ACH Collections
        Payables Solutions
        • ACH Disbursements
        • Outsourced Disbursement
        • Invoice-to-Pay
        • Electronic Funds Transfers
        • Commercial Card
        • Controlled Disbursements
        • Payroll Cards
        • Zero Balance Accounts
        • remitONE® Tax Payments
        Fraud Prevention Services
        • Positive Pay
        • Mobile Card Fraud Alerts
        • Check Block
        Capital Management
        • Investment Sweep
        • Loan Sweep
    • Resources
      • Fraud Prevention
        • Facing Fraud Today
        • Fraud Prevention Strategies
        • Layered Defense Approach
        • Business Email Compromise
        • Wire Fraud Prevention Tips
        • Online Fraud Prevention Tips
        • Identity Theft
        • Merchant Services Fraud Prevention
        Trends and insights
        • Educational Webinars
        • Market Insights
        • Business Blog
        • Business eNewsletter
        • Family Business eNewsletter
        Industry Expertise
        • Family-Owned Businesses
        • Women and Minority-Owned Businesses
        • Nonprofit Banking and Financing
        • Municipal Finance and Government Banking
        • Specialty Deposits
        Forms and Agreements
        • Agreement Center
        Business Complete
        Overdraft Protection
        Beneficial Ownership
        Calculators
        Bank-Owned Properties
        FAQs
        Routing / SWIFT Numbers
        Bank Holidays

What Can We Help You Find?

8 tips to take control of your finances with a business credit card

May 29, 2014

If your business uses cash, checks or personal credit cards for everyday business expenses, it may be time to find a better way to pay. Using a business credit card is a smart alternative that can improve your business operations in a number of ways.

Your business wouldn’t be the only one making the switch. Between 1998 and 2009, the percentage of small firms using business cards increased substantially, from 37 percent of firms to 64 percent, according to a 2010 Federal Reserve System report. The report also found that small firms use credit cards primarily for transaction purposes — rather than borrowing — with nearly 80 percent of card users in 2009 paying off their balances every month.

A boon to your business

A business credit card can help you achieve the following objectives for your business:

1. Separate business from personal finances. If you co-mingle personal and business finances, it can make separating the two difficult at tax time. Plus, using a personal credit card can jeopardize your personal finances unnecessarily if your business is ever sued. Using a business credit card helps to establish a clear line between business and personal finances and can prevent business debts from appearing on your personal credit reports.

2. Build a positive credit history. Good use of credit will create a favorable credit profile for your business, which can help in securing loans in the future.

3. Ease cash flow. When you purchase a big-ticket item using your business credit card, you can spread out the payments to fit your cash flow. Is business slow one month? Make a smaller credit card payment. Going gangbusters the next? Pay up to the full balance.

4. Simplify purchase transactions. A business credit card makes it easy for multiple people in your company to make business purchases. It makes them easy to track, too, reducing paperwork and helping to promote transparency in your business.

5. Minimize paperwork. Take advantage of convenient features, like detailed monthly and quarterly expense tracking and annual spending reports you can download into your accounting software.

6. Make budgeting easy. Having expense information easy to access through a business credit card account can make it simple to categorize and add up your spending. This kind of tracking can also be useful for spotting tax deductions.

7. Combat fraud. In addition to detailed reporting that lets you spot suspicious items quickly, services like mobile card fraud alerts offer an additional, immediate layer of security to your card transactions. Sign up to receive a text alert whenever a questionable transaction appears on your account, and the processor waits for your response – a simple yes or no return text – before proceeding with (or blocking) the transaction. What’s more, most business card issuers offer a zero-liability policy so that you aren’t responsible for any unauthorized charges that do get through.

8. Earn rewards. Some business credit cards offer points or cash back every time you use them. The benefits of a dedicated business card are numerous – and so are the options available to business owners. Your business banker may be able to suggest the optimal card for you based on your business and industry, as well as provide additional tips for prudent management.

Before applying for a business credit card it’s always a good idea to have a conversation with your business banker to discuss terms, credit limit, interest rate, grace period and rewards to find the right product for your particular business. While credit cards have many useful features, they should always be considered as part of your larger cash management strategy and business financial picture.[cite::171::cite] [cite::172::cite]

Business,

Most Popular

What are the financing requirements for owner-occupied commercial real estate?

Should you buy or lease property for your business?

Help Safeguard Your Business From Payments Fraud

The Case for Making the Switch to ACH Payments

Most Recent

CB&T’s commitment to our clients with the Paycheck Protection Program

Is now the time to buy or refinance?

12 Days of Holiday Fraud Prevention

Retail Trends for the 2020 Holiday Season

Disclosures

FOLLOW US: #calbt

  • About
  • Locations
  • Contact
  • FAQs
  • Careers
  • Agreement Center
  • Sitemap
  • Routing / SWIFT Numbers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Online Privacy Statement
  • Online Banking
  • Data Collection and Rights
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BUSINESS E-NEWSLETTER

California Bank & Trust, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Member FDIC

Equal Housing Lender | NMLS #467014

© 2021 Zions Bancorporation, N.A. All rights reserved.