ANZ: Winner of Canstar’s Best Business Credit Card Award 2021

For a small business, a credit card should be a beneficial tool. It should help with month-to-month cash flow and not become an additional expense. Whenever possible, you should be a business credit card freeloader, and use the card to boost your finances, not deplete them.

However, this isn’t possible if you’re paying higher than necessary fees and interest, or not maximising your possible credit card rewards. But by doing a little research, you can identify your spending and repayment habits. If you have a small business, it’s important to determine the right card for you and your company.

To help small business owners in their search, Canstar’s expert team of researchers is here to help. They use a sophisticated rating methodology to compare and rate business credit card providers in the New Zealand market. This year their research encompasses six different providers, and compares 15 different cards across a range of characteristics, including:

• Fees and interest rates
• Number of interest-free days
• Standard and premium features
• Reward and loyalty programs

On the results of their research, we award our top 5-Star Ratings to the providers of the best cards in the two categories: Low Rate Business Credit Cards and Rewards Business Credit Cards. And the best provider across both categories wins our prestigious Bank of the Year | Business Credit Cards Award.

Bank of the Year | Business Credit Cards

Coming out on top and winning our top award for 2021 is … ANZ!

ANZ was the winner of last year’s award and back-to-back victories acknowledges their continued performance in this area. The accolade comes off the back of the bank’s 5-Star performance across both the Low Rate and Awards rating profiles.

In the Low Rate category, ANZ scored highly with its Visa Business Low Rate card. The card offers a market-leading low rate of 12.9%, combined with a low annual fee of $35.

The ANZ’s Visa Business Airpoints card is again a market-leading card. On top of a competitive rate of 19.95% p.a. and an annual fee of $145, it offers:

• 1 Airpoints Dollar per $75 of eligible spend, or 1 Airpoints Dollar per $50 of spend directly with Air New Zealand (up to $25,000)
• Business Owners earns 1 Status Point for every $250 spent on eligible purchases
• No Koru club joining fee (saving of $255), plus a discount of $145 off the standard 12-month individual Koru membership fee for all principals of the business
• Airpoints Dollars do not expire during card membership

Low Rate Business Credit Cards

Finding a business credit card that offers the lowest interest rate can have a big impact on businesses that carry a revolving balance from month to month.

To determine the best Low Rate cards in the market, Canstar’s ratings look primarily at the cost of owning the card – interest rates and fees – but also takes into consideration other card features.

Here are the two providers that top our ratings by scoring 5 Stars for their Low Rate Business Credit Cards:

Both ANZ and Kiwibank offer great rates on their cards, with up to 55 days interest-free on purchases. They also come with Liability Waiver Insurance, protecting you against unauthorised use of your business visa card.

Rewards Business Credit Cards

Businesses that spend big but pay the balance of their cards each month may look for a little something extra in terms of rewards. This could be in the form of cash-back or access to loyalty schemes.

To determine the best Rewards cards in the market, Canstar’s ratings look primarily at the flight or cash/gift returns offered by a card, measured against different levels of annual spending, but also takes into consideration other card features.

Here are the three providers that top our ratings by scoring 5 Stars for their rewards programs:

These three cards all offer great rewards through cashback or Airpoints dollars, to make sure you get the most from your spending.

If you have a small business and want to find out more about our latest Business Credit Card Star Ratings, click through to our report on the link below:

Compare business credit cards with Canstar