Commercial Cards

Commercial cards are credit cards or debit cards a business gives to employees, authorizing them to purchase supplies on their employers’ behalf. The business would serve as the primary account holder, making that entity responsible for managing the cards and making sure the debts are paid.

The employees in this case are simply authorized users, and therefore have no legal liability for purchases. For that reason, commercial cards are often co-branded with specific retailers, such as an office supply store or a fuel station.This limits the card to purchases at those merchants only.

Commercial credit cards are linked to a specific line of credit which must be repaid, often at a higher rate of interest than a consumer card. Commercial debit cards are directly linked to a business’s merchant account, with purchasing amounts subtracted from the account balance. Some businesses use prepaid cards, which are front-loaded with an amount the employee can spend.