How financial flexibility can help drive growth for your business

Running a business means your money is constantly being pulled in two directions.

There’s the day-to-day: paying suppliers, covering rent, and making payroll.

Then there’s the future: that new piece of equipment, the bigger marketing campaign, or the extra staff member who could really help your business move forward.

Too often, the future gets put on hold.

You hesitate on a smart investment because you’re worried about the immediate impact on your books.

Or you’re forced to choose between two strong growth propositions because you only have the funds on hand to activate one of those.

It’s a frustrating cycle that can keep a great business from reaching its full potential.

Breaking that cycle is about having true financial flexibility. It means having a toolkit that gives you the confidence to manage the present and seize the future.

American Express Payment Flexibility options can provide that toolkit, with a suite of smart options designed to turn hesitation into decisive action.

Here's how this works in common business scenarios.

Navigating the realities of cash flow

The gap between paying for supplies and getting paid by customers is a universal challenge.

For a caterer, this means they can purchase all the food and supplies for a large corporate event on their Card, cater the event, and receive the client's full payment in the bank before the bill for those initial supplies is due.

Businesses of all size can benefit from a more flexible approach to their expenses.

Making strategic investments manageable

Growth often requires investment in new assets.

Plan It® Instalments is an American Express Business Credit Card feature that lets you pay off transactions or a portion of your balance in equal monthly payments¹. There’s no interest but a fixed monthly fee applies.

A graphic designer needing a new high-end computer, for instance, can get that essential equipment while still maintaining a healthy cashflow.

The purchase becomes a predictable operating cost, turning a one-off expense into a manageable part of their budget.

Instalment payments turn a sizeable one-off expense into manageable monthly chunks.

Responding to a sudden surge in business

A large project or a last-minute opportunity can lead to a sudden spike in monthly expenses.

Flexible Payment Option (FPO) helps you free up cash flow by paying off your charge card balance over time (up to your FPO Limit)². So rather than paying the full closing balance every statement period, you can carry a portion of your balance from month to month.

T&Cs and interest charges apply. The Flexible Payment Option is built-in and ready to use for American Express Business Charge Card Members.

A consultant who has to book unexpected last-minute flights and hotels for a crucial client meeting can use it to manage the higher-than-usual statement balance.

Instead of paying your balance in full each statement period, you can choose to carry forward a portion of it over time, up to your FPO Limit

Acting decisively on opportunities

Sometimes an opportunity is time-sensitive, and this is once again where flexibility comes into play.

A bottle shop owner, for example, could get a 24-hour offer from a supplier for a pallet of premium wine at 50% off.

With the right tools at hand, you can take advantage of business opportunities for growth.

In today’s landscape, scaling a business is about making confident, strategic decisions.

Having flexible payment solutions on hand can help streamline a company’s finances to give leaders the assurance to handle whatever comes next and focus on what they do best: building the future.

This article was produced in collaboration with American Express.

Terms and Conditions

1. Plan It® Instalments
* You can create an Instalment Plan as long as your account is in good standing. We may withdraw this offer, prevent you from creating any new Instalment Plans or cancel any of your existing Instalment Plan(s) at any time if your Card Account is overdue, or if you do not comply with your Card Conditions.
* The minimum Plan amount is AUD$100. We may also limit the amount that can be transferred to an Instalment Plan.You will be charged a Monthly Plan Fee for each Instalment Plan created. This fee will be charged each month your Instalment Plan is active and will be disclosed to you at the time of creating your Instalment Plan.
* Each Instalment Plan will begin from the date it is successfully created, as communicated to you in your Online Account.
* Payment of your first Monthly Instalment will be due in your next payment cycle.
* You may request to cancel your Instalment Plan(s) at any time through your Online Account or the Amex App. Any billed Monthly Plan Fees will remain payable, but no further Monthly Plan Fees will be billed after cancellation is effective. As cancellation can take 24-48 hours to process (“Processing Time”), you may be charged a further monthly plan fee after requesting cancellation if the Processing Time occurs on your payment date.
* View the full Plan It® Instalment Terms and Conditions here.

2. Flexible Payment Option
With Flexible Payment Option, you will be charged interest if you do not pay your Closing Balance in full by the due date each month. Please refer to your monthly statements for the current interest rate. Please refer to the full Flexible Payment Option Terms and Conditions.