In 2009, Americans charged $140 billion to their company credit cards, covering everything from flights and hotel rooms to office supplies and party favors. Financial analysts, however, are warning consumers to monitor their spending habits closely this year, as new statistics show that they may get stuck with the bill.

ABC News reports that 35 percent of company credit cards have joint liability or individual contracts that hold the employee responsible for the debt. Surprisingly, a majority of Fortune 500 firms make their card holders pay for all charges as well.

Charley Heiges is one of many Americans who found himself stuck with a corporate credit card bill months after several expensive charges had been made — and after the company he worked for went out of business. He only discovered he was responsible for the account when he was turned down for a personal loan.

“My credit score had been destroyed. My life had been destroyed,” Heiges told ABC. “I basically lost everything.”

Corporate card charges can show up on personal credit reports, tipping consumers off to any company expenses before the debt grows out of control and inflicts credit score damage. Consumers who carry company credit cards are advised to keep an eye out during the application process: if they’re asked to provide personal information and/or to pay off the credit card charges and request reimbursement, it’s likely that their business credit card transactions will appear on their credit reports.

Tags: credit cards, credit monitoring, Credit Report, Credit Score, denied loans