Case study: How business charge cards can help day-to-day

Unsure if a business card would help? We caught up with one Aussie business owner to find out why she loves hers.

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Imagine this: you graduate from university with a degree in chemical engineering. Then, 4 years later, you're in a high-flying job at an international energy giant. So far, so predictable.

Fast forward 8 years and suddenly you're spearheading your own womenswear line and you've become a spokesperson for body positivity.

Not so predictable anymore.

And yet that's what Susie Taaffe has managed. Queensland-based Taaffe launched womenswear line Missy Massy in 2016 with a mission of making women feel more comfortable in their bodies.

Now, she has several employees on the books and is on the verge of international expansion. We caught up with her to talk about how she uses her business charge card day-to-day.

👋 Hey there! We've partnered with American Express to bring you this article and, since Taaffe has an American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card, we'll be using that for the example throughout. However, you should always compare your options to see what's right for you.

Tracking spend

There's often confusion around when it's really worth using a charge card but, for Taaffe, she opts to pay with hers whenever possible, largely because it makes tracking expenses easier.

"I have all my freight, postage, marketing, Facebook ad spend plus daily operational expenses linked to my card," she told Finder.

"I also have my Amex bank feed linked directly to my Xero accounting software, making it so simple to reconcile all my business expenses."

This extends to her staff members too, who all have access to employee cards at no extra cost.

"It makes it easy for them to purchase additional business items without me and I love how the employee cards are consolidated by employee name so I can see who has spent what and where," said Taaffe.

Improving cash flow

Freeing up cash flow is one of the major benefits of business credit and charge cards as they can give business owners a bit of breathing space between purchasing goods or services and actually paying for them.

This leeway enables business owners to begin earning money from their own goods or services sold, and the revenue can be used to cover or contribute towards the initial costs.

The American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card offers card members up to 51 days to pay for purchases – something Taaffe says she regularly makes use of.

"I request my international suppliers align the invoice due dates with the first day of my billing cycle to maximise the 51 cash flow days," she told Finder.

"This is extremely beneficial for my cash flow cycle as inventory cannot earn money until I receive it, which can be 1-4 months post-payment."

Paying for international transactions

With suppliers in China and plans to expand into the US, Taaffe is regularly making international payments and says her charge card makes a massive difference when it comes to foreign exchange fees.

"Paying for international transactions without international transaction fees is an absolute game changer," said Taaffe.

"Compared with my business bank's international transfer foreign exchange rates, it is actually either break-even or cheaper to use my American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card."

Using her card to pay for international transactions also means Taaffe can collect points on her inventory purchase, which brings us nicely to our final point.

Helping offset business expenses

Business owners who have a rewards credit or charge card can collect points on everyday spend and then redeem them for a variety of items, services or experiences that can offset other business expenses.

In Taaffe's case, she uses Qantas Points to mitigate the cost of business travel, which has enabled her to expand her business quicker.

"Every time I have expanded my company, it has started with a rewards points booking. The initial set up and development of my unique product, Pettipants Underwear, was centred around 3 trips to China booked with Qantas Points," she told Finder.

"Recently, I did the same with my expansion to the US. It started with 2 trips booked to the US this year with Qantas Points."

🔥 Hot tip: Offsetting business expenses can sometimes be an indirect benefit of a particular card, too. For example, the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card allows you to get up to $100 credit twice a year with Dell Technologies -- a total of up to $200 back per card account.

Learn more about the American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card

Compare other business cards here

• Extra info about American Express

  You can check out the Membership Rewards T&Cs here, but there also a few key things we thought you should know.

  ¹ You can earn 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent on Qantas products and services, up to 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 of everyday spend, and up to 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent on 'utilities', including gas, water, electricity, and insurance providers, and government departments including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation.

  ² You can extend your cash flow by up to 51 days, depending on your method of payment, when you make a purchase, when your statement is issued and whether or not you're carrying forward a balance on your account from your previous statement period. If you pay by direct debit, your payment will be processed 10 days after your statement is issued.