Summary
Using plastic to pay contractors and other recurring business bills can be a good way to rack up rewards points and improve cash flow. But beware it does not become a crutch
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Please review our list of best credit cards, or use our CardMatch™ tool to find cards matched to your needs.
Dear Your Business Credit,
I am looking for a way to rack up more credit card points. Does it make sense to pay the contractors at my small professional services firm by credit card? Some accept credit cards. I run a one-person business and work with four contractors. — Chris
Dear Chris,
It’s always smart to maximize the rewards points you earn on business purchases. Even if you spend just $500 a month on a contractor such as a search engine optimization consultant or Web developer, that’s $6,000 worth of purchases by the end of the year that could be contributing to your total points.
The research, funded by MasterCard’s Center for Inclusive Growth, found that 89 percent of small businesses without cash-flow problems paid for purchases with credit cards or checks, while 75 percent of those with cash-flow problems used these payment methods. Paying by credit card (and, to a lesser extent, by check) gives you some extra breathing room between the date you invoice your customers and when you have to pay your own bills.
But I have to sound a cautionary note. Paying for anything by credit card can become a crutch. Some business owners rely so heavily on credit cards they neglect to do much more to improve their cash-flow management, which is very important to the long-term health of your business. CFED’s research found that 71 percent of small-business owners who used a credit card to pay for supplies for their business paid it in full every month.
Following their example is a good idea. Among the most experienced and successful entrepreneurs I know, most are elite athletes when it comes to maximizing their cash flow. They have trained their teams to prepare invoices to perfection — so payments don’t get delayed because of some small formatting problem or piece of missing information. They make sure those invoices are sent out on time. And they have set up systems to tell them exactly when their customers have paid them. They don’t hesitate to remind customers of past-due bills before they become a problem.
When you stretch your cash flow by using credit cards to pay contractors, you may not feel as great a sense of urgency to get on top of these processes. You know you’ll be able to pay them that month even if you don’t get paid by your own clients on time.
There can also be a temptation to overspend if you’re using credit cards. In my experience, it’s a little harder psychologically to write a $1,000 check to a Web developer than it is to enter a credit card number to pay for a business purchase. Rack up too many charges without paying them down and you could end up falling behind if there’s a sudden slowdown in the economy.
That said, if you have a good handle on the finances in your business, I say go for it. Many small businesses can greatly expand their capacity by relying on help from outside contractors. Why not take advantage of that situation to earn more points?
See related:Will accepting credit cards help my business’s cash flow?, When does it pay for consultants to accept credit cards?, How to pick the best rewards card for your business
Editorial Disclaimer
The editorial content on this page is based solely on the objective assessment of our writers and is not driven by advertising dollars. It has not been provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners.