Your business credit card should be a profit center, not an expense
A few weeks ago, we wrote about how credit cards are a key tool for any financially healthy law firm. But with so many options for credits cards out there, how does a firm know which card to choose? Today, we’re reviewing some of the most popular that we’ve had up close and personal experience with.
The Capital One Spark Card
Spark: This one is my current favorite because the cash back (2% on everything) is good, it’s super easy to manage users online, and in my experience it’s easy to connect to a real person. I find they handle issues quickly and easily without obscene wait times (even during COVID) or god-awful phone menus. Their app is good, with useful tools to manage charges and spending, and their fraud screens are quite good without being overzealous, blocking legitimate transactions. All of my businesses, and about half my clients, are satisfied with this card. At 17%, the interest rate isn’t great, but it could be worse, making it a good fit for law firms who can pay the balance in full monthly.
The Citibank Costco Visa
Costco: Although not as easy to work with as Spark when it comes to support and getting real humans on the phone, they’re also not the worst. The rate is decent at roughly 15%, BUT, the cash back percentages are only above average (although Costco gas earns up to 4%) when you’re making purchases at Costco. Many law firms use the Costco Citi card for Costco purchases and use another card for purchases elsewhere.
The Amazon Signature Visa
Amazon Signature Visa: This one is great for Amazon purchases, but again, for those other, everyday purchases, it’s lackluster. It’s a Chase card (see warning below), which is not a bonus at all. The interest rate is between 15% and 23%, so there’s interest advantage, but be warned. It’s actually higher. The fine print says if you don’t pay off your entire balance, they charge you interest on ALL your purchases, even the new purchases since your last statement, which is very different from most other cards. Not cool.
Chase Ink Cards
And another word of warning about Chase: I’m not a fan of the Chase Ink card because the cash back isn’t great (1.5%), and Chase is a beast to deal with when issues arise. I’m actually not even sure they actually employ humans. Their interest rate is a ridiculous 30% for many of our clients. Consider abandoning that card, and going with Spark instead (full disclosure: affiliate link. It’s that good.)
Wells Fargo Credit Cards
Wells Fargo: They offer some cards with decent rewards, so if you do your research on these, you might find a gem that works for you. But, like Chase, they don’t seem to employ actual humans, so if a problem ever comes up, don’t count on being able to get a hold of someone knowledgeable who can help you.
Alaska Airlines Visa
Alaska Visa: This one is popular for firms based in the Seattle area, where Alaska Airlines’ main hub is. So depending on your flight habits, this might be a great choice for you. But, it’s a Bank of America card, and like the other big banks, humans are hard to come by when help is needed. What’s more, when you do get a human on the line, our experience with Bank of America is that they’re far less willing to offer one-time fee waivers and other courtesy concessions than other banks.
How To Sort It All Out?
Got questions about credit for your law firm? We’re here to help. Just schedule a call and we can help you on your way to that perfect world where credit cards save your firm time, money, and headache, rather than generating chaos, cashflow problems, and extra expense.