Get All Access for $5/mo

Powerful Plastic: The 10 Best Credit Cards of 2013 Most small-business owners rely on plastic at some point in the process of launching or growing their businesses. If you're in that crowd, be sure you're making the most of it.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A personal finance expert will always advise against running up a credit-card balance. But as a small-business owner trying to launch or grow your company, that may not always be a reality.

If you do have to turn to plastic, be reminded that some cards are better than others. Credit-card comparison site CardRatings.com today released its list of the 10 best credit cards for 2013 thus far. The cards were chosen based on the quality of their customer service and their value for people with good to excellent credit.

Credit-card issuers are having to work extra hard these days to win over consumers, many of whom are working to pay down debt, says CardRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Curtis Arnold. "This puts consumers in the driver's seat and I would encourage folks, particularly those with good credit, to be very discriminating when shopping for a new card," he says in a statement.

Here's a look at the full list:

Discover It

Barclaycard Ring

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature Card

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

Citi Simplicity MasterCard

Chase Sapphire Preferred

American Express Blue Cash Preferred

American Express Platinum Card

Citi Forward Card for College Students

Catherine Clifford

Frequently covers crowdfunding, the sharing economy and social entrepreneurship.

Catherine Clifford is a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Catherine attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Email her at CClifford@entrepreneur.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Productivity

6 Habits That Help Successful People Maximize Their Time

There aren't enough hours in the day, but these tips will make them feel slightly more productive.

Franchise

7-Eleven Stores in the U.S. Will Introduce Some Japanese-Inspired Changes. Here's What to Expect.

You'll soon be able to pick up some fresh sushi or a new type of snack at your local 7-Eleven — but the Big Gulp isn't going away.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Marketing

Launching Your First Paid Product? Here's How to Successfully Turn Your Expertise Into Profit

Are you ready to launch your first paid product but feeling nervous? Don't worry — starting small with the right type of product is the secret to success. Read on to learn how to outline clear benefits, value price, leverage social media marketing and deliver excellent customer experience.

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.