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What's in the Cards, Part 1
Credit cards for small business offer a menu of options. Here's a sampling of
leading national cards, ranked in order of most favorable terms*
NAME OF CARD/ ANNUAL INTEREST MANAGEMENT
PHONE # PER-CARD FEES RATE REPORTS
AMERICAN EXPRESS No fee for 0-9 cards 15.4% Monthly
GOLD CORPORATE OPTIMA
800 782-2377
SPECIAL FEATURES
15% off Hertz rentals,
10%-25% off Hilton hotels,
10%-20% off UPS delivery
FIRST USA PAYMENTECH $25/year 15 Quarterly
BUSINESS CARD
800 881-3166
SPECIAL FEATURES
Discounts on office supplies,
copy services, software
purchases/training, airfares,
car rentals, and publications
FIRST UNION VISA $20/year 15.5 Quarterly
BUSINESS CARD
800 704-0883
SPECIAL FEATURES
FUNMiles program for
discounts on air travel
offered at an additional
cost
ADVANTA None for first year; 15.5 Quarterly
BUSINESS CARD otherwise 1, $30/year; each
800 705-7255 card thereafter $20/year
SPECIAL FEATURES
20% discounts at selected
restaurants nationwide
BANK ONE 1-3, $45/year; 4-10, $40/year; 15.4 Quarterly
BUSINESS CARD 11-24, $35/year; 25-49,
800 346-5538 $30/year; 50+, $25/year
SPECIAL FEATURES
5% off lowest Avis promotional
rate; 10% off Alphagraphics;
20% rebate on Transmedia
dining; discounts on hotels
GE CORPORATE PLUS 1-9, $45/year; 10-99, 15.7 2-9 cards
VISA CARD 100+, $15/year $25/year; quarterly;
800 438-2583 10+ monthly
SPECIAL FEATURES
3% rebate at Exxon, 5% on air travel
through the GE Corporate plus Travel
Center; discounts on office products,
overnight delivery, computer leasing
U.S. BANK VISA 1-5, $45/year; 6-24, $40/year; 15.9 Monthly
BUSINESS CARD 25+, $30/year
800 796-4650
SPECIAL FEATURES
Northwest Airlines frequent-flyer
miles offered through related card
AT&T UNIVERSAL 1 at no charge/year; up to 17.9 Yearly
BUSINESS CARD 4 additional at $20; above 5,
800 682-7759 each additional card at $5/year
SPECIAL FEATURES
10% discount on calling-card calls
NATIONSBANK VISA 1-5, $45/year; 6-49, $35/year; 18.4 Yearly
BUSINESS CARD 50-99, $25/year
800 538-8788
SPECIAL FEATURES
None
BANK OF AMERICA Flat rate of $25/year for basic 19.65 Basic
BUSINESS CARD card; 1-24, $45/year; 25-49, yearly;
800 300-3084 $40/year; 50-99, $35/year; otherwise
monthly
SPECIAL FEATURES
20% discount off standard rates
on Hilton, Conrad International,
and Vista Hotels
with management reports
* The weighted-average cost analysis takes into account the interest rate,
annual card fees, late-payment fees, returned check fees, and the minimum
amount that must be paid off the balance per month.
DATA: BEACON RESEARCH INC., BUSINESS WEEK
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Updated Nov. 6, 1997 by bwwebmaster
Copyright 1997, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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