 TITLE: Will Your Business Credit Card Show Up on Your Personal Credit Report? CONTENT: How Can Business Credit Cards Affect My Personal Credit?\n--------------------------------------------------------\nThere are some instances when a business credit card will almost certainly affect your individual credit, and others when it depends on the company that has issued you the card.\nBusiness credit cards could affect your credit when:\n*   **You apply for a business credit card.** Issuers will check your personal credit when deciding whether to approve you for a business credit card. That will result in a hard inquiry on your credit report, which could have a brief negative effect on your credit score. It's more troubling to lenders if you have multiple hard inquiries on your credit report in a short time frame (except in cases when you're shopping for the best rate on a single loan type, such as an auto loan). Choose the business credit card you apply for carefully so you have the best shot at getting approved the first time around.\n*   **The issuer reports business card activity to consumer credit bureaus.** Any debt you incur on the card, and the payments you make toward it, may appear on your individual credit report if the credit card company you choose sends that information to the three consumer credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If your business credit card behavior makes its way to your personal credit report, it will affect your credit score in the same way as other credit cards do. On-time payment history and a low credit card balance will help your credit. Any missed payments will negatively impact your score; so will a high credit utilization rate, or the amount of available credit you're using.\nSeveral issuers don't report business credit card activity to consumer credit agencies, though, and others only report negative information, such as when you pay late. Ask the company you're interested in working with about its policy before applying for a card.\n*   **Your company falls behind on payments.** To get a business credit card, you'll likely be required to make a personal guarantee, which means you're on the hook to pay for the charges on the card if the business can't. If at that point you aren't able to pay the bills yourself, missed payments will appear on your credit report, and you could be sued for the debt. When applying for a business credit card, read the terms and conditions and look for language that says you could be responsible for the debt, even if you leave the company. END