Whether you’re starting a new business or just looking for some additional financing for an existing venture, you’ve probably been wondering “what’s the best business credit card?”  With such a bewildering array of options to consider, you’ll need to consider a variety of different factors to narrow down your choices.

How Will You Use the Card?

Before even beginning your search for the best business card, you’ll need to have a sense of how you are most likely to use this card.  You may plan to charge daily expenses but will pay off the balance at the end of every month.  Or, you may need carry a balance for an extended period of time.  You might even want to consider two different types of cards – one for the day-to-day purchases of your business and the other to act as a “capital line” to help you finance larger equipment and materials purchases.  Regardless, your first step will be to determine your own likely spending pattern.

What is your Credit History?

Even with business cards, the better your personal history with credit, the more choices you’ll have – it’s that simple.  Lenders look at the people behind the business in question and use their credit history (including a credit score) to determine which business credit cards are appropriate.  If you have great personal credit history, you’ll find that your alternatives are virtually limitless.

What are the Options?

Armed with that information, you are ready to compare and contrast all the different features inherent to the best business credit card products.  For example, you should look at:

- Interest rates:  Do you want a fixed interest rate?  Or are you feeling lucky and want to consider a variable rate card?  If you are sure you will pay off the balance every month, the interest rate may not matter as much as other issues, such as annual fees and transaction fees.  On the other hand, if you will be carrying a balance, you’ll want to get the lowest rate possible.

- Fees:  Often, there’s a trade off between interest rates and transaction fees when considering the best business credit card for your situation.  Lower rate cards may have high annual and / or transaction fees and vise versa.  Find the balance that works best for you and your situation.

- Bonus features:  Cash back, miles, savings contributions – all are options for many of the credit card offers out there.  Think about which features would be most useful for your situation.  For example, if you travel a fair amount and want to collect additional miles, a credit card that offers mileage points might be a good option for you.

One great site for comparing all the choices and helping you find the best business credit card for you is this one.  Here you can search by credit rating, features or vendors.  The site also offers a wealth of information on the successful use of credit cards.  In addition, a variety of information about calculators are available to help you determine the true costs of using (and abusing!) credit.

The best business credit card for you and your business is just a few internet clicks away!