Business cards aren't covered by the CARD Act, a loophole that merits extra attention for anyone with a so-called corporate or business card. That means these cardholders won't receive advance notification when interest rates rise, and payments won't be allocated to highest-interest rate debt first. Some issuers have voluntarily adopted some of the law's provisions on their business cards, but note that the word "voluntarily" is key. "These protections could go away at any time," says Curtis Arnold, the founder of CardRatings.com . And although rates on personal cards have stabilized in recent months, business card APRs are continuing to rise, and now charge an average 16%, says Schwark Satyavolu, the founder of comparison site BillShrink.com .

Better business cards on the market require payment in full each month, offer free extra cards for employees and have some rewards. Cardholders of The Plum Card from American Express get a 1.5% discount on purchases when they pay within 10 days of their statement closing date. The balance must be paid in full each month, but cardholders can opt to defer paying the full balance for two months without incurring the usual 1.5% to 2.99% past-due penalty. And while the $185 annual fee is more than double what's typical, with the 1.5% discount on purchases for on-time payments, a business owner would recoup it with $12,335 of spending. (A spokeswoman for American Express says the issuer has adopted a number of CARD Act provisions, including 45 days' notice of term changes and a fixed monthly due date.)

Chase Ink Bold with Ultimate Rewards offers unlimited points for spending, redeemable for cash (including a $100 bonus with your first purchase) and requires payment in full each month. There's a $95 fee after the first year; a different version, the Ink Cash Business Card, has no fee but charges a rate of 13.24% to 19.24% if you carry a balance. The Ink Cash Business also offers unlimited 1% cash back, and 3% back on up to $2,000 in monthly spending in bonus categories including office supplies and dining. (A spokeswoman for Chase says business cards get the fixed payment dates and extended payment times provided for under the CARD Act.)