Can my Online Business Receive a Business Credit Card? - Finance - Credit

Getting a credit card for your online business is not only possible, it's a very good idea. Most web-based businesses do involve some physical products and their shipment. If you have a business on eBay or on Alibris, then you will be shipping items that you sell. A credit card for your online business will help you with purchasing packing supplies and postage, and if you use that credit card exclusively for business purposes, you'll have an easy way to keep track of your spending.

Even if your online business does not involve the exchange of physical goods, you may still need office supplies. Most people need printers, which consume ink at astounding rates, and there's always that possibility that a computer will need repair or replacement. Then there are all kinds of data storage devices that come in handy, like thumb drives. Keeping this spending apart from personal spending will make tax preparation and record keeping much easier.

For traditional brick and mortar businesses, the presence of a website is pretty much expected these days, and many brick and mortar businesses do some of their business over the internet. Should these businesses have separate accounts for the online versus the "real world" arms of the business? The answer will depend on the individual. For some people, keeping the accounts separate may be easier to handle, while for others, having separate cards under the same account may work best.

The boundary between online businesses and offline businesses is more permeable and less rigid than ever. Almost all online businesses require some things to be done offline, and vice versa. A business credit card can be of great help by allowing you to track expenses easily. It is much easier to be able to log on to an account and look at spending than it is to keep a folder full of receipts that won't make much sense to you at the end of the year when it's time to do taxes.

As an online business, you will most likely use online services to help your business grow. You may hire someone to do a redesign of your website, or you may hire a copywriter to create new content. You may purchase online advertising. A credit card for your online business can be of great benefit in making these transactions simpler to handle.