There is a lot of little and big expenses that business owners need to deal with every day. One of those expenses is the cost of travel. It is an unavoidable cost for many business owners, and can be an expensive cost, especially if your business works with international companies. Having all of these expenses pile up can create a huge burden for your and your business.
Travel may be a necessary expense for your business, but it does not have to be detrimental to your businesses financial standing. There are some tricks you can use to lower the costs of travel for your business. By using one or all of these ideas, you can cut your travel expenses and have more money to put back into your business. Here are some ways that you can use credit cards to reduce your business travel expenses.
Airline credit card rewards points
There are many options for airline credit cards and all of them have some sort of rewards system. You will need to do a little research to find out which one is right for you, but every card will give you points every time you use it for travel via that airline or any of its affiliate companies.
“I have seen so many people get free airline trips just by using airline credit cards that it is difficult to deny how valuable the right airline credit card can be for you,” says Chris Mettler of CompareCards.com.
Discounts for using your credit card
In addition to the rewards that you are going to be receiving, many businesses will offer you discounts for using your airline credit card. Airlines co-op with various other businesses to provide you more rewards and discounts for using their card. This usually includes some hotel chains, car rentals and restaurants. Know what businesses your airline credit card is affiliated with so you can get the most discounts when you travel.
Tax deductions
It is not an instant gratification, but if you are a small business you will get tax deductions for your travel expenses. Make sure that your keep all receipts from your travels, or print out a statement from your airline credit card to give to your accountant. If you do your own taxes, you will find it easiest to use a program like TurboTax that will walk you through the process. That way you will get the most money back for what you have spent on travel.
Easier booking
It is not a monetary reward, but you cannot put a price on convenience. Booking all of your travel items will be much easier with a credit card. Most hotels will let you pay right away and check you out automatically when you use a credit card. Using the same credit card every time when booking your flight will also make the process faster. This will make traveling easier and more pleasant for your every time you make a business trip.
Image: http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2013/04/06/know-tips-for-choosing-credit-card-for-travel-benefits/SzPAFx8DM10Y5Omvuxw6SI/story.html
