Rule No. 1 in the business rewards game: Make sure your business card is working for you, and not the reverse.
Rewards cards and loyalty programs should be tools that power growth — not headaches that slow you down. From avoiding surprise account freezes to turning travel into extra rewards and capitalizing on big welcome bonuses, we’re going to cover some smart ways to make your accounts work harder for you.
Today we’re going to help you:
💳 Avoid getting your card accounts shut down at the worst time.
✈️ Turn every business trip into a two-for-one earning opportunity.
💰 Score these big-value offers on no-fee cards (which are ending soon!)
CARD MANAGEMENT
How to avoid breaking your business card
If you rely on credit cards to pay your business expenses, having one suddenly shut down (even temporarily) can be a nightmare. Sadly, this is something that inadvertently happens to business owners a lot, leaving them scrambling to maintain operations.
Sometimes it’s triggered by something simple, like paying off your card too often (yes, that can look suspicious). Other times it’s a big new purchase, an international transaction, or even paying your bill from a new bank account. To you, those moves seem harmless — but to your bank, they can trigger red flags that freeze your account without warning.
Getting things unfrozen can take days or even weeks, which is the last thing you need when employees are traveling or waiting on expense approvals. And some banks handle these hiccups better than others.
The best protection? Diversify your cards across multiple issuers and build consistent usage patterns over time.
Don’t learn these lessons the hard way, though. Over more than two decades in business, Edward Pizzarello has been through this many times, and he’s put together some important do’s and don’ts that can help you avoid such disruptions.
LOYALTY PROGRAMS
Double dip on business trips: How small businesses can earn twice on every flight
If your team travels for work, those flights could be doing more than getting you from point A to point B — they could be earning your business serious rewards.
What many small-business owners don’t realize is that airlines have business-specific loyalty programs designed to reward companies, not just individual travelers.
These programs let your business earn points or miles every time an employee books a flight — on top of the rewards those travelers already get personally. That means your next work trip could help you build a balance toward future flights, upgrades or even elite status.
That could be flights to London via Virgin Atlantic Flying Club starting at just 6,000 points each way (plus taxes and fees), or four heavenly nights at the all-inclusive Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa via World of Hyatt!
Here’s a quick rundown of each card’s perks:
Ink Business Unlimited: This card offers a flat rate of 1.5% cash back on all purchases, plus added benefits, such as primary rental car insurance.
Ink Business Cash: This card earns 5% cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services; 2% cash back at gas stations and at restaurants on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases per category each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Need more help deciding which one is right for you?
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The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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