I can recall the day almost 10 years ago when I unwittingly discovered one of the most unexpected ways to earn points and miles that also made sense for our business.
I was on a phone call with our national Coca-Cola account rep when the conversation took a turn to payment terms. That’s when I learned we could charge all of our Coke flavor cartridges to a credit card with no fee.
I did a double take. “There’s no fee?” I asked.
By the next morning, we were putting all of those purchases on a credit card. With 10 restaurants, that meant a significant amount of previously untapped credit card spending, and a lot more points and miles.
Ever since, our team has made a habit of asking vendors whether they'll accept credit cards without a fee — and we've found opportunities in some surprising places.
Of course, the math matters. Vendors can change their payment policies, and a typical 3% credit card surcharge can easily outweigh the value of the rewards you earn.
But when the numbers work, you could be leaving a lot of rewards on the table by assuming a vendor won't take a card. Here are some business expenses you might be surprised you can charge to a credit card — and in some cases even earn bonus points on.
Construction materials and hardware suppliers
When The Business Platinum Card® from American Express refreshed its benefits in 2025, I was delighted to see we'd earn 2 points per dollar on U.S. construction material, hardware suppliers and shipping providers* (among other categories on up to $2 million in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
Beyond the more obvious Home Depot and Lowe’s uses, I’ve earned bonus points on things like plumbing repair services and faucets from a local parts supplier.
*Select shipping providers beginning Feb. 17, 2027.
Utility bills
Utility bills can be another big opportunity to earn more points and miles — but you’ll want to pay close attention to fees. Utilities often used to charge a flat fee for a credit card payment, but in recent years I’ve noticed some shift toward the percentage fee model.
But I’ve still found plenty of exceptions. At several shopping centers, our landlords use third-party services to consolidate some utilities. In some of those cases, we’ve found flat fees or even no fees for paying with a credit card.
Insurance policies
When I asked our insurer whether we could pay our business insurance premiums with a card, not only was the answer yes, but I was surprised to learn there was a substantial discount for paying in full ahead of time on a card.
I should note though that this has been the case with major insurers, not necessarily smaller insurance providers.
Restaurant equipment
Our team is pretty well programmed to ask new vendors about paying with a credit card. Our longtime restaurant equipment supplier charged a fee on credit card purchases, but when we recently tried a new vendor, we discovered its policy was more flexible.
While they still charged a fee on large purchases, we could pay for everyday smallwares on a card without incurring a fee. (Thankfully, they also turned out to be a more affordable vendor than our previous choice.)
Paying employees’ bills as an advance
One of our best practices involving employee advances also helps us earn miles and points. When an employee asks us for an advance to cover an unexpected expense, we typically try to pay their bill directly rather than cut them a check. This ensures the bill gets paid, avoids the risk of fraud and, yes, allows us to earn rewards on the transaction.
For example, recently, an employee asked for an advance to cover a significant amount of dental work. Thankfully, the dentist accepted our Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see ), and we were able to pay directly while also earning Ultimate Rewards points.
Lawyers
For the most part, you can expect a law firm to ask for a retainer when you engage their firm to help you. While most firms I’ve done business with haven’t accepted credit cards, in recent years, I’ve found a couple that did. And these were not small firms, so I was especially surprised to learn they did not charge a fee.
Commercial rent
I saved one of the biggest surprises (to me, anyway) for last. Being in the restaurant business during the COVID-19 pandemic was a challenging time. Some landlords were more understanding than others when it came to monthly rent. One particular landlord wasn't offering rent relief but did give tenants another option: We could pay our rent by credit card with no fee.
Given how much we spend on rent each month, we were happy to take advantage and earn rewards on one of our largest business expenses. The biggest surprise? Years later, that landlord still allows us to pay by credit card without a fee.
Before you pay
Before you start swiping for these or any other expenses you want to be earning rewards on, it’s important to do your homework. Here’s a quick list of things to consider as you’re researching your ability to pay with a card.
- Processing fees and surcharges. First and foremost, do these outweigh the value of the rewards you stand to earn?
- The value of the rewards you’ll earn. Check our valuations to do some quick math on whether the value of your rewards outweighs any hassle or small expense you might incur by paying with a card.
- How the transaction codes. Make sure your transactions will actually code how you expect them to. It’s no fun to put a $10,000 charge on a card expecting to earn 2 points per dollar, only to find you didn’t earn anything because the merchant code wasn’t what you expected.
- Any discounts for ACH/check payments. Make sure you’re not giving up valuable discounts you’d otherwise get for paying directly from your bank account.
- How refunds or disputes are handled. Merchants may handle refunds or disputes on credit card payments differently than they do other forms of payment.
Bottom line
I’ve found plenty of surprising opportunities to earn rewards on some of my business’s bigger expenses — and this isn’t unique to the restaurant industry. No matter what industry you’re in, odds are you at least occasionally have to pay some expenses on this list.
The important thing is to always look at the bottom line and make sure paying those expenses on a card is worth it in the long run.
