ATLANTA — Credit unions seeking to market their credit cards more effectively to their entrepreneurial members or credit card issuers looking for a competitive boost for the small business cards should consider offering one with a cash back and/or gasoline discount reward structure.
That is one of the conclusions drawn from a study of small business card rewards conducted by SYNERGISTICS, a leading market research firm. The "Tailoring Card Services For Small Businesses" report found what the firm called a "gap" between the card rewards that small businesses said they want from their cards and the rewards that they actually have available, according to an announcement of the survey's findings.
"Rewards marketing has become an increasingly important aspect of small business card programs," said Genie Driskill, chief operating officer for SYNERGISTICS.
Recommended For You
"Results from the study reveal that, while many small businesses have cards with rewards, these rewards are not necessarily those that are valuable or needed. There is a real opportunity for a small business credit card issuer to differentiate themselves from their competition through emphasizing rewards that are highly valued by small business owners and executives," she said.
SYNERGISTICS said it conducted the survey by phone with 600 small business owners and executives of firms with annual sales of $50,000 to $5 million, representing four major industry segments–manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, and selected services. This study examines small business usage of business and corporate cards, as well as reaction to rewards, fraud and liability protection services, premium cards, and specialized services for small businesses.
The survey found the biggest gaps exist for cash rebates and gasoline discounts. Slightly more than 25% of those surveyed said they receive cash rebates through their small business credit card, while about 66% indicated this would be a valuable reward for them. Less than 20% received gasoline discounts of any kind, while almost 60% said this would be valuable. About 25% said they receive travel discounts, but almost 60% cited this reward as valuable. Likewise, 25% said they have travel discounts on their small business credit card, while more than half value this reward.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
