Weel vs Credit Cards
Credit card points make spending feel rewarding - until month-end, when the finance team or bookkeeper is stuck cleaning up the mess.
Chasing receipts, fixing coding errors, and reconciling shared cards takes hours every month. Those hidden costs often outweigh the value of the points which, in most businesses, only benefit a few senior team members anyway.
The Hidden Cost of Credit Cards
1. Points Encourage More Spend
Points are designed to drive more card use, not smarter spending. They reward volume, not discipline, often leading to unnecessary or unapproved purchases.
2. Admin Overload
The average business spends 8-15 hours per month on expense admin for shared cards - chasing receipts, fixing errors, and reconciling statements. That’s time worth $6,000-$15,000 a year in wasted effort.
3. Uneven Value
In most organisations, only one or two people redeem the points. The rest of the business pays the admin price for someone else’s free flight.
4. Compliance & Fraud Risk
Shared cards create exposure - lost receipts, weak audit trails, and potential misuse.
With Weel, every user has their own virtual card, built-in controls, and a clear approval trail.
The FX Difference
For teams with international subscriptions or spend, FX fees can quietly erode card value.
| FX Fee Example | Monthly FX Spend | FX Rate | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Credit Card (e.g. Amex) | $5,000 | 3.0% | $150 |
| Weel | $5,000 | 0.95% | $47.50 |
| Monthly Saving with Weel | $102.50 |
Try the Weel FX Calculator to compare rates.
The Real Comparison
| Scenario | Annual Card Spend | Points Value | Admin Hours/Month | Admin Cost (@$50/hr) | Net Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Credit Cards | $500K | $5,000 | 15 | $9,000 | –$4,000 |
| Weel | $500K | $0 | 2 | $600 | +$4,400 saved |
When Credit Cards Still Make Sense
If a business genuinely needs access to credit - for example, to manage cash flow gaps, project-based funding, or timing differences in receivables - then a traditional credit card or facility may still make sense for the business owner or CFO.
However, if the main reason for keeping cards is points or rewards, those benefits rarely outweigh the admin, risk, and hidden costs.
In that case, a hybrid setup works best:
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The CEO or senior executives retain one credit card for points & rewards.
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The rest of the team uses Weel for everyday expenses, subscriptions, and supplier payments - with built-in controls, instant visibility, and zero personal liability.
This gives clients the best of both worlds - strategic credit access where needed, and smarter, safer spend management everywhere else.
Key Takeaway
Points may look rewarding, but they mask the real costs: time, complexity, and risk.
With Weel, businesses trade points for visibility, control, and efficiency and the savings usually far exceed the rewards.
The real reward isn’t points - it’s peace of mind, cleaner books, and time back every month.