A guide to business debit cards: How can you get one for your business?

Sabrina Maly
Sabrina Maly
Published on 4 min read
how to get a business debit card – amnis business debit Mastercard held in hand

Nowadays businesses have a lot of options on how to get a business debit card. While business cards were previously offered only by banks, the market has become much more diversified. With the right service provider, you are able to pay online marketplaces and access ATMs all over the world at favourable rates: Everything you need to know about how to get and how to use a business debit card in the following article.

What is a business debit card?

A business debit card is linked to payment-processors such as Mastercard and enables companies to conduct online transactions, pay for goods and services in stores, or withdraw cash from an ATM.

Business debit cards…

    • can be physical or virtual,
    • offer all the advantages of regular debit cards,
    • and often come with extra functionalities, dedicated to an organisation’s needs.

The cards are either offered by banks or financial service providers and can be assigned to departments or individual employees. Administrator controls allow you to set spending limits and restrictions, track expenses and receive detailed transaction records.

Depending on the issuing organisation, business debit cards might have their own USPs, such as reduced FX fees or the possibility to hold multiple currencies.

As a result, business debit cards have the potential to streamline the workflow of the accounting function and to save FX margins as well as international transaction costs.

How to use a business debit card?

A business debit card offers many advantages for a wide range of businesses. Logistics companies with a big fleet can give its entire staff a debit card to pay for gas stations, road tolls or other services. In a similar fashion, debit cards are ideal solutions for delivery services, taxi or rental car companies.

Business debit cards provide you with more flexibility: Your staff can easily withdraw money abroad on business trips, while the purchasing function can buy lucrative products at online marketplaces. Additionally, with virtual cards for subscriptions, the marketing and product teams can efficiently manage recurring subscriptions for online tools and services. Further, a business debit card helps businesses control all their expenses by putting individual limits on each and every card.

Business debit cards allow you to control and monitor all your expenses, which makes it easier to track unnecessary cost factors and streamline your finances.

Can I use my business debit card for personal use?

Even though there might be overlaps between personal and business expenses, you should not use your business debit card for personal expenses.

Who can apply for a business debit card?

Business debit cards can be used by HQ, departments and even individual employees. Each card can be budgeted according to the needs.

The following points show how to use a business debit card:

    • Operations: Utilities, internet, insurance and more. High-level operations, which are used throughout the entire organisation, are usually covered by a debit card owned by HQ.
    • Technology: New laptops, IT infrastructure, upgrades and maintenance, usually covered by HQ.
    • Sales and customer service: Shipping/delivery, sales technology, such as a CRM platform or customer support technology. These expenses are usually covered by the sales function.
    • Marketing: Paid SEO or social campaigns. Marketing functions with a budgeted debit card can better execute all campaigns.
    • Human Resources: Events, HR/payroll software and training programs.

Business debit card for employees

More and more employees want autonomy at work1, which can be a major factor for leaving. Next to a corporate and functional level, companies also offer business debit cards for employees. A business debit card for employees offers more flexibility and faster decision-making, as the individual employee can take immediate action according to his budget. This is especially important for purchasing professionals or managers on business trips.

What are the advantages of business debit cards

    • Simplify expense management: Financial processes become easier, as individual employees don’t need to ask their superiors for permission, if they control an individual budget.
    • Monitoring corporate expenses: All purchases and transactions are visible to card administrators, which differ from card users.
    • Distinguishing personal and business expenses: Employees don’t need to use their personal card on business travels.
    • Immediate fund availability: Employees can react immediately, which streamlines processes and improves the reaction time.
    • Expense AI: receipts scanned, VAT extracted, categories and cost centres pre-filled, and automatically matched to the card transaction (you review before export).
    • Improved security measures: Administrators have the power to deactivate, cancel and budget the debit card, for full control and maximum security.

Top business debit cards in Europe

amnisRevolutPayPalWisePayoneerSkrill
FX fees0%0,6%-1% (amounts over allowances)About 4%Starting from 0,43%Up to 3,5%3.99%
Currencies25+25+2540+7Hold 1, send 40
Other feesSubscription planTransaction fees, FX fees, Withdrawal feesTransaction fees, FX fees, Withdrawal feesRegistration feeTransaction fees, FX fees, Withdrawal feesTransaction fees, FX fees, Withdrawal fees
Expense managementYesN/ALimitedN/AN/ALimited
Interest rateYesYesNoN/AN/AN/A

Why do you need an amnis business debit card?

Each and every business can profit from the amnis multi-currency debit card by saving transaction costs and streamlining accounting and reporting procedures.

With amnis you can hold multiple currencies at no additional costs. Even if you don’t hold a specific currency, as long as your overall balance is sufficient, the card conducts automatic exchanges at the lowest possible prices.

Different packages are available for SMEs and large corporations, so that companies of all sizes can find the fitting offers. Virtual cards are activated instantly, while physical cards will be sent to you in a matter of days.

Even better: The smart “tags” function enables you to classify and assign transactions to specific departments or projects, which speeds up the accounting and reporting process.

    • Cards are issued online and activated instantly
    • Multiple currencies
    • Transparent exchange rates without hidden fees
    • Plans with more than 500 cards
    • Smart control functionalities with custom limits
    • Seamless expense management and accounting

How to obtain a business debit card?

If your business is ready to streamline its finances and save on transaction costs, follow these steps:

    • Research and choose a provider: Before choosing a provider, check your requirements. Do you need a multi-currency debit card? Visa or Mastercard? Virtual or physical cards? Other services such as multibanking or a virtual IBAN account? Once you understand your requirements, you can select appropriate providers.
    • Understand the requirements: Understand the requirements of the provider. For instance, debit card providers are limited to certain regions.
    • Gather required documents: Most debit card providers need certain documents regarding your company in order to get verified.
    • Submit the application: Once everything is gathered, you can fill out and submit the application.
    • Wait for approval: If you opt for virtual debit cards, you can immediately use them after approval.

How to get a business debit card from amnis?

Businesses of all sizes can profit from the amnis multi-currency business debit card. We encourage you to sign up for a free demo account below to check all functions of our financial ecosystem and take the first steps to get closer to ordering and issuing business debit cards. Once the onboarding process is complete, you can immediately use the virtual debit card and receive the physical cards in a couple of days.

Create your free demo account with amnis

amnis offers an entire financial ecosystem that enables you to save money with every transaction. If you conduct frequent international payments via the SWIFT network, we highly recommend you to check out our local payment services. You can pay like a local through schemes such as SEPA and ACH and profit from lower transaction fees and faster turnaround times, no matter where your business is located.

Sources

1 – https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220831-why-some-employers-wont-give-in-to-flexibility

Sabrina Maly Profile Picture

Sabrina Maly

As CMO at amnis, Sabrina brings extensive experience in international banking and business consultancy, supported by a strong background in management and customer-focused strategy. Her deep understanding of market needs and SME challenges enables her to translate complex financial topics into clear, impactful communication that helps businesses navigate global transactions with confidence.

At amnis, she specialises in foreign exchange and international business solutions, helping companies streamline global payments, reduce FX risks, and optimise their financial operations. Her expertise ensures that businesses stay informed, empowered, and equipped to succeed in an increasingly globalised environment.

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