I believe business cards do have slightly different (higher) fee structure internally--that is, the Visa association charges (both merchants and the card-issuing bank) higher transaction fees for business cards than for personal cards--so perhaps that is a contributing factor to the higher annual fee. As to why they don't offer the business card in a Signature "trim package," well--that may have to do with contracts signed between BofA and Alaska and/or Visa. Perhaps they'll add it to their lineup eventually.

In any case...all of your replies have generated only this question - when you say "easily tracked separately", is there some sort of tracking and itemization that the business version does that the signature does not do? Or could my parents each apply for a signature, and use one of their accounts strictly for business purposes, and the other for personal use, thus accomplishing the same "tracking" goal?[/QUOTE]

In a small business like your dad's, yes, that would be a rough equivalent. There is no IRS law stating that a business has to have its own card--it's mostly to keep the accounting simpler for tracking spending. Two separate cards would serve that function. As I said before, the business line of cards allows better control and flexibility for larger businesses, but in your dad's case, it's not going to do much.

Of course, your dad could get a personal signature, your mom could get a personal signature, and then your dad can get a business card for the business, giving them a total of THREE companion certs! Now that's the way to go!!

(Offer to pay the annual fee for one of the cards if they don't want to in exchange for letting you use the certificate...)