The Business Rewards Cards Making My Wallet Fat

Posted by Noob Master on May 13, 2013 in American Express, business credit cards, Chase Bank, Citi Bank, Uncategorized | 9 comments

I have a couple of businesses (or hobbies that can be explained as businesses), so I get to have a little stash of business rewards cards. Yeah, the sign-up bonuses are great, but there are some business cards that I have just to maximize my spending. Imagine that.

I get a lot of emails asking about what business cards I personally have or recommend. Business cards are always a good idea, both to maximize your spending and pad your bounty of miles. And it just so happens that there are currently some great offers to choose from. If you were quick and jumped in on the 75k Business Gold offer from last week that only lasted 12 hours, congrats to you!

As I mentioned earlier, I have a couple of hobbies that can be explained as businesses. I wouldn’t lie on a business application, but several side jobs/hobbies can make a case for the need to separate spending. That means you can apply as a sole proprietor if you don’t have an incorporated business. Here’s my full post on how to apply for a business card as a sole proprietor.

A great perk of business cards is that the only activity that will go on your personal credit report is the initial inquiry, which is only a 2-5 point ding. Your credit score will easily recover from this ding. All account history, opening, and closing will be tied to the business credit report, as long as you don’t default on your payments.

Here are the list of business cards that I currently have open.

Chase Ink Bold and Ink Plus

No shocker here. I currently have 4 Ink cards open, making my wallet fat. And when I start a new venture, it’s the first card I will apply for, for that business. Since the Ink Bold® Business Card and Ink Plus® Business Card are different products, you can have each of them for an individual business. Winning.

I love Ultimate Rewards. So any time I can inject a hefty bonus into my UR account, I go for it. Currently, the sign-up bonus is 50,000 points after spending $5,000 in 3 months. I also use my Ink cards to maximize their 5x earning opportunities (which are: office supplies, phone services, internet, and satellite), and to earn 2x points on gas and hotels booked directly. And I love using my Ink cards while traveling internationally, since they don’t carry a foreign transaction fee.

The Ink Plus and Ink Bold are practically the same cards, but the Plus is a credit card, and the Bold is a charge card. Here’s my full review of the Ink cards.

If you’re looking for a business card, I would start with either the Ink Plus or Ink Bold. No brainer. See the full details below:

Citibank AAdvantage

An old faithful card of mine is the Citibank AAdvantage business rewards card. Jordan was actually denied for it the last time she applied, so it appears that the card is harder to get multiple times. If you do hold the Citibusiness card, you can expect Citi to offer a retention bonus if you try to cancel. I’ve taken them up on their offers many times.

This is another 50,000 option, too. Can’t complain about that. The offer doesn’t show the sign-up bonus on the landing page, so it takes a little faith, but many people have been approved through the link. You get 50,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $2,500 in 4 months and the annual fee is waived for the first year.

This isn’t a card that I put a lot of spending on, since growing my AAdvantage miles isn’t my top priority and there aren’t any lucrative category bonuses. But you do get 10% back on your award redemptions, priority boarding, and a free checked bag. So it’s worth holding at least one Citi AAdvantage card for those reasons.

Link: Citibank Visa  

American Express Business Gold Rewards

You probably saw the craziness last week when the 50,000 The Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN offer was showing 75,000 for most people after clicking through. That’s 25,000 more than the already increased offer of 50,000, and the minimum spend requirement stayed the same, at $5,000 in 3 months. But in true Amex fashion, the deal only lasted 12 hours.

The current LTO is still a very good offer, but if you’re flexible, you should wait and see if the 75,000 offer comes back around. I applied for the Business Gold card last year during another 50,000 offer, and you can’t have multiple American Express business cards for separate businesses. Well, they may approve you, but will most likely deny you the sign-up bonus. Does anyone out there have a different experience?

I use my Business Gold rewards card for spending because of the 3x on airfare and 2x on gas. And if your business advertises or ships a lot, you will earn 2x points on those purchases as well. You can see the full details below.

Southwest Plus Business

I love the Southwest business card Jordan applied for last year, because the 50,000 sign-up bonus bumped her to Companion Pass status.  We have really maximized our travel by taking advantage of our Companion Pass. Whenever Jordan’s Companion Pass status runs out, I’ll be very tempted to apply for the Southwest Business card when there’s a 50,000 offer to help me reach the 110,000 threshold.

We primarily use our Southwest business card for Southwest airlines purchases. Unfortunately, there currently isn’t a 50,000 offer on the Premier or Plus versions, so I would hold out until the offer comes back around. 50,000 Southwest offers seem to always pop their heads up every couple of months, so stay tuned.

What’s next?

I want all my business cards to be Ink cards, but that’s just not feasible. The next business card that I’ve identified is the Starwood Preferred Guest card, but I may hold out until the end of the summer to see if they bring back the 30,000 offer like the last two years.

The Club Carlson Business Visa is always a very tempting option, but I’m not sure I want to mess with US Bank and the hassle of “too many inquiries.” I may give the Citi AAdvantage Business Visa another go around in a couple of months, but still not sure. I may just keep the one I have open. I’ll let you know.

But for now, I’m pretty happy with the business cards we’re using. The sign-up bonuses were a nice addition to our personal stashes, and the spending perks of the Ink cards and Business Gold cards work well with our spending habits. Plus, I’m all about Ultimate Rewards and Membership Rewards points.

 Disclaimer: I receive a referral credit for the Ink and Business Gold cards, but not the SW, Club Carlson, or Citibusiness cards.)

— Noob Master

(Deal is Off) American Express Business Gold Offer

Posted by Noob Master on May 8, 2013 in American Express, Amex, business credit cards, Uncategorized | 8 comments

Update Alert: the 75,000 offer is no longer available, so I’ve removed the links for the offer from my post. The current offer is below:

The Business Gold Rewards Card link is showing the sign-up bonus being 75,000 instead of 50,000 after spending $5,000 in 3 months.

The 75,000 offer comes around every few months, but the spending requirement is always $10,000. It’s nice seeing a 75,000 offer that only has a spend requirement of $5,000.

Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have had this product or any Business Gold, Green or Platinum Card account within the last 12 months.” So if it hasn’t been 12 months since you canceled your OPEN business card, you wouldn’t eligible for this one. Personal Amex cards don’t disqualify you, and it’s possible to get a personal Amex card and business card on the same day. Good personal American Express card offers are the:

Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express, Mercedes- Benz Platinum card, or you can see if you’re eligible for the 45,00o Delta offer through the CARDMATCH^TM tool, but ymmv.

Make sure you’re signed out of your American Express account before trying to click on the link. Also, if it doesn’t pull up the first time, try clearing cookies, cache, or opening a different browser. Safari seems to work great, and don’t forget to take a screen shot.

This is my affiliated link, but I didn’t receive any information about the offer changing. I’m not sure how long it will be around, but if you were thinking about pulling the trigger on the Business Gold card then today might be a great day.

I hope this helps if you’re planning an App Party!

This content is not provided or commissioned by the company whose products are featured on this site. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or evaluations provided here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the Advertiser. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser’s affiliate programs.

(HT: Mommy Points)

— Noob Master

Sick Deal Alert: 50,000 American Express Business Gold Rewards Card

Posted by Noob Master on Apr 16, 2013 in American Express, business credit cards, Uncategorized | 0 comments

This just in: Another Limited Time Offer with The Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN! Shocking, I know. But keep reading, because there’s something different about this one.

(Disclaimer: I receive a referral credit if you apply through my link. Thanks for the support if you do!) 

American Express has made a habit of releasing LTO offers, so this isn’t unexpected. They will often have one day offers on the Business Gold card for 75,000 Membership Rewards points with a hefty minimum spend requirement of $10,000 in 3 months.

BUT, the new offer comes with a sign-up bonus of 50,000 Membership Rewards points after spending just $5,000 in 3 months. Balling. I applied for this offer last year when American Express ran the same promotion.

Here are the full details on the Business Gold offer:

• Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card membership†.
• Earn points even faster to get more rewards for your business.
• 3X points on airfare purchased from airlines. 2X points at US gas stations.
• Up to $100,000 in each category per year, then 1 point.
• Terms and limitations apply.
• Reduce travel costs, show appreciation for employees and clients, and offset everyday expenses by using points to get something back and grow your business.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $175.
• †Apply online to qualify for this offer. See offer terms for details.

I like that sign-up bonus, and I definitely like that spend requirement being cut in half. $5,000 in 3 months is definitely attainable. And even though I’m addicted to collecting Ultimate Rewards points, diversifying is key.

Also, the annual fee is waived for the first year, and you get 3x points on airfare, and 2x points on gas and advertising. Pretty solid perks.

I prefer to transfer my Membership Rewards points to one of their many loyalty partners when there is a bonus. Last year, I transferred most of my Membership Rewards points to British Airways during a 40% bonus promotion. That’s getting some serious value out of your points. And I’ll be flying to Dublin in a month in business class for only 25k Avios!

Anyway, if you’re having an App Party soon and are eligible for the Business Gold, then it’s a card definitely worth thinking about.

Link: The Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN

This content is not provided or commissioned by the company whose products are featured on this site. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or evaluations provided here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the Advertiser. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser’s affiliate programs.

— Noob Master