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There are a lot of great reasons to have a business credit card. First, you can earn valuable rewards for your spending in the form of points, miles, and cash back. In addition, it can be much easier for you and your employees to make purchases with a business card than it is to use other forms of payment. And of course, business credit cards can serve as a short term financing option to smooth out your cash flow.
But one of the less well known benefits of a business credit card is it’s cardholder perks. Most small business cards will offer basic benefits such as rental car insurance, theft and damage protection, and extended warranty coverage. Yet there are some cards that come with some special perks that you’ll want to be aware of.
Here are six business credit cards that come with some great perks that you probably didn’t know about.
1. Cell phone protection from the .
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
This card offers mobile phone insurance against theft or damage, up to $600 per claim. All you have to do is to pay your mobile phone bill each month with your card, and the insurance applies to you and your employees listed on your monthly mobile phone bill. You can have a maximum of three claims in a 12-month period, with a $100 deductible per claim. Other cardholder benefits include trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, and a price protection plan. There’s a annual fee for this card.
2. Elite status with hotel and rental car programs from .
This premium travel rewards card has many well-known perks, but many cardmembers don’t realize that you can opt-in for elite status with several hotel and rental car programs. For example, you can receive Gold status with both Hilton and Starwood hotels. And since Starwood was acquired by Marriott in 2016, your elite status will also be valid at Marriott and Ritz-Carlton properties. When renting a car, you can also have elites status with Avis, Hertz, and National. But to receive elite status, you will have to opt-in for each offer. There’s a annual fee for this card.
3. First class upgrade priority from the
Like many airline credit cards, this card comes with a host of travel benefits such as priority service and free checked bags. But in addition, this card offers a unique feature not found on any other airline credit card. Cardholders that are part of the Delta Medallion program will receive higher priority for upgraded seats than those who do not hold this card. So when you are waiting to see if you receive an upgrade, you will know that your name is higher on the list than it would have been. And if this means that you receive a few extra first class upgrades each year, then it may well be worth this card’s annual fee.
4. Hotel lounge access from the .
This card is a favorite of business travelers for many reasons, but it has an interesting feature not even found on the personal version of this card. Cardholders enjoy access to Sheraton Club lounges, where there are complimentary food and beverages available. There’s an annual fee of after for this card.
5. A companion certificate for a free airfare from the .
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®
When you use this card to spend $30,000 or more in a calendar year, you’ll receive an American Airlines Companion Certificate valid for a free ticket when you purchase a ticket. All you have to do is pay any government taxes and fees. Other benefits include a free checked bag, preferred boarding, and access to reduced mileage awards. There’s an annual fee of for this card that’s waived the first year.
6. Airline elite status from the Jetblue Business card from Barclaycard.
It’s nice to get priority service when you travel, which is a privilege airlines reserve for their most frequent customers. Nevertheless, there are plenty of regular travelers who fall just short of receiving elite status, but still want the benefits when they do. The JetBlue Business card offers Mosaic Elite status to cardholders who spend $50,000 or more on their card during a calendar year. With this status, you can waive change and cancellation fees, enjoy two free checked bags, and the ability to redeem points for seats with extra legroom. Other benefits of this status include priority check-in, expedited security screening, complimentary beverages, and bonus points. There’s a $99 annual fee for this card.
This article was originally written on March 23, 2017 and updated on January 2, 2020.
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