Here are six questions to put to potential card issuers to compare offers and make sure your company is getting the most bang for its bucks:

1. Is there any cost for participating the rewards program? (If so, ensure you’d earn enough back to make up for the additional cost.)
2. Is there a minimum charge volume you have to reach before rewards kick in? If so, is it tiered? (Example, you’d receive 0.25% back after spending $10k; 0.5% up to $25k; 1% for any amounts over 1%, etc.)
3. What criteria are used to determine rewards? Common factors include: total volume of spending; average spending per card; amount spent in certain merchant categories, etc.
4. Are there preferred vendors with whom we can earn additional rewards?
5. Will our rewards be affected if we already have negotiated discounts with participating vendors?
6. Do we have an option for choosing different types of rewards: travel vouchers, cash rebates, perks like free shipping, etc.

Any advice to share on how to get more rewards from corporate card issuers? Share ‘em in the comments.

When it comes to Accounting software, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But asking the right questions up front can go a long way in helping you get exactly what you need. There’s a lot that goes into the decision to pull the trigger on a specific system. Asking the right questions — before you ever talk to a potential vendor — can get you all the info you need to pick the right system for your need.

Best of all, the answers you come up with amount to a checklist of what you need, and what you don’t, which helps you get the most value for your dollar.

Getting internal support & insight

First up: Talking to the people who will actually use the system.

Before you call a single vendor about upgrading or changing your accounting system, you’ll want to talk to the following groups of people — most of whom are just down the hall from your own desk.

• System users & internal customers — these are the folks who will use the software every day and/or receive reports and other data. You’ll need them to tell you which tasks/functions are most important to them. Also good to know: how well (or poorly) the current system meets their needs and what they would change.
• Upper management– this is the person or committee that will sign off on the new software. Talking to them serves two key goals: You first want to show them how the money spent to upgrade will eventually pay for itself in better efficiency, fewer errors, etc. You also want to get a sense of what your final budget will be. You may have more money to spend than you anticipated if you can show a big ROI for the project.
• IT – this department’s input is key if you want to ensure that your accounting system can “talk” reliably with the rest of the company’s programs.

Note: This is the first of a three-part series on choosing the best accounting system for your company. Check back each Thursday for the latest installment.