Corporate cards have many benefits, like improving your business credit, having access to funds without lengthy approval processes, and grace periods on paying bills. But one major benefit is the positive effects corporate cards have on your cash flow.
Cash flow management is critical for businesses of all shapes and sizes and maximizing your business cash flow to prepare as a business can make a huge difference in your bottom line.
Problems affecting your cash flow
Problems with cash flow may arise when bills and other operating expenses are due but invoices and future profits are still outstanding. Business cash flow can also be affected by cyclical or seasonal fluctuations in profits, unexpected expenses, and opportunities for investment or growth.
Another major problem that can affect your cash flow is card sharing. Every good business owner knows that operating on a strict budget is essential to a profitable company. Unfortunately, regardless of how well you plan your monthly budget, card sharing makes business expenses a lot more difficult to monitor and restrict.
Unexpected costs arise, there are misunderstandings in what should or shouldn’t have been purchased, and memory fails. You wouldn’t have approved one purchase if you hadn’t forgotten about another unexpected expense that arose the week before. A couple employees forgot to turn in expense reports, and you thought you had more in the bank than you actually did. Card sharing is messy and when your finances are messy, your company suffers.
How business credit cards can help maximize cash flow
Improving your business cash flow to prepare for all the pain points that arise as a business can make a huge difference in your bottom line. Learn how the benefits of using corporate credit cards can maximize your business cash flow.
1. Choose the right card
First things first, you have to choose the right card to fit your business needs. Business credit cards differ in a few key ways. The issuer often allows a higher credit limit and more lucrative welcome bonus and payouts when it comes to rewards.
Any type of business can get a business credit card, even small or part-time entrepreneurs. You don’t need a certain number of employees or even an Employer Identification Number (EIN). All you need are expenses specifically for business purposes. After choosing the right card to fit your business, using your business credit card can help you smooth out your business cash flow.
2. Gain time to pay suppliers
There is nothing harder than when you have to pay suppliers before you make a proper profit from your business. That can lead to some serious problems with maintaining your business cash flow.
Business credit cards typically come with a grace period of up to 21 days, meaning that you have that long between your purchase date and payment date. Imagine what you could do with up to 51 days before you have to pay your suppliers! With a repayment period, a business credit card becomes a valuable tool to help maximize cash flow.
3. Pay bills fast and efficiently
By paying with a corporate credit card – rather than cutting a check and dropping it in the mail – you can pay your vendors faster. And with that grace period, you don’t need to wait to get paid before you settle up bills. Consistently paying quickly can also help your vendor relationships – the good will you build up may let you negotiate better pricing or secure a rush job in the future.
Consider, too, the ease in which you can cover recurring expenses – such as your phone and internet bills, insurance premiums, ongoing digital marketing costs and more. Set them up as pre-authorized payments and there’s one less item on your monthly to-do list. Best of all, the more you pay on time, the better your business credit becomes. That’s a win, win.
4. Gain more visibility into employee spend
Don’t be blind to what your employees are spending your money on. Card sharing seems easier and more convenient. But at what cost? There are always unexpected costs that drain your cash flow when handing out your corporate credit card to various employees.
To help control employee spending, every employee should have access to a corporate card. By providing each employee with a corporate card, you can actually have more visibility into their spend, more control over the budget, and ultimately improve your business cash flow.
Sharing one corporate credit card with different teams and employees can be very risky and difficult to manage, ultimately making it harder to improve your business cash flow. By giving each employee their own corporate credit card, you can better manage spend, set and control budgets, and ensure your cash flow remains positive.
5. Get better rewards
It costs money to run a business, and you’ll be spending that money either way. Using your business credit card is one way to spend money and earn perks while you do it. Depending on how you spend, you could quickly accumulate points, cash back, or perks that could further benefit your business. You might get extra points for shipping goods, or increased cash back on any eligible purchase of office supplies. If you need quick cash, you might also receive a signup bonus from certain card issuers.
Some credit cards also offer the choice of transferring your personal credit card points to your business card, allowing you to combine points to acquire products for your business or boost your overall cash flow.
In the end, utilizing the right corporate card is the best way to maximize your business cash flow. Business card solutions, like the BILL Divvy Card powered by Visa, allows you to have as many physical and virtual cards as you need, making it easier than ever to maintain your business budget and positively impact your cash flow. No longer wonder where your employees are spending, getting behind on paying vendors, or not getting rewards on every purchase. You can direct your cash flow to where it’s needed most.
Based on a 2024 survey consisting of 5,000+ BILL customers, rewards value earned each month using Spend & Expense averaged $5,122.
BILL is your sharpest tool for creating fast and visible control over your business finances to help you spend smarter. Get started today to improve your cash flow and better control your spending.
*The BILL Divvy Card is issued by Cross River Bank, member FDIC, and is not a deposit product.