If you’re looking to boost your stash of Chase Ultimate Reward points, Chase Ink Business cards offer some of the best rewards and benefits in the market. And you don’t necessarily need to have a thriving small business in order to qualify (more on that later). From generous sign-up bonuses to category-based rewards, each Chase Ink card is tailored to suit different business needs and spending habits. And on top of all that, business cards can be used in conjunction with your other Chase personal cards allowing you to earn Ultimate Rewards even faster! Welcome bonuses are often higher on these cards than the personal card equivalents and they don’t count toward your 5/24 (although you do need to be under 5/24 to qualify).
This guide will walk you through the benefits and perks of each Chase Ink Business card, helping you choose the right fit for your business.
Overview of Chase Ink Business Cards
The Chase Ink Business card lineup includes four cards:
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
Each card is slightly different in their earning structures all of them earn points that can converted into Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book travel, with the exception of the Premier (this is a cash back only card). Let’s take a closer look at each card and what it brings to the table.
1. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
The Ink Business Unlimited® is a straightforward cash-back card designed for businesses that want to earn rewards on every purchase without keeping track of spending categories. While marketed as a cash back card, rewards are actually issued in the form of points so you can move them to a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or an Ink Preferred and transfer them to travel partners.
Key Benefits:
- Unlimited 1.5% Cash Back: Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, making it easy to accumulate rewards regardless of spending categories.
- No Annual Fee: This card comes with no annual fee, making it a cost-effective addition to your card line-up.
- Purchase and Travel Protection: Ink Business Unlimited offers purchase protection for eligible new purchases, as well as travel and emergency assistance services for peace of mind.
Who It’s Best For:
The Ink Business Unlimited is ideal for businesses with a diverse range of expenses that don’t want to worry about maximizing category spending. If simplicity and consistent cash back on every dollar spent appeal to you, this card is an excellent choice.
2. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
The Ink Business Cash card offers the opportunity to earn higher rewards in specific business-related spending categories, such as office supplies and internet services. It’s a perfect fit for businesses that spend heavily in these areas and want to maximize their returns. Like the Ink Unlimited, this is also marketed as a cash back card, however the points are issued in the form of Ultimate Reward points.
Key Benefits:
- Bonus Categories: Earn 5 points per dollar on the first $25,000 spent each account anniversary year on combined purchases in office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services. Additionally, earn 2 points per dollar on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants.
- Unlimited 1% Back: For all other purchases, you’ll still earn a solid 1 points per dollar with no limits.
- No Annual Fee: There’s no annual fee, which allows you to keep all your rewards without additional costs.
- Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty: Enjoy purchase protection on eligible items and extended warranty coverage, which can be especially valuable for small business investments.
Who It’s Best For:
The Ink Business Cash® card is best for businesses that frequently spend on office supplies, telecommunications, gas, and dining. If you’re looking to capitalize on these categories while enjoying no annual fee, this card could be your go-to choice.
3. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
For businesses looking for premium rewards, travel benefits, and enhanced points-earning potential, the Ink Business Preferred is probably the right choice. This card is the business version of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in that it allows you to take any other Chase Ultimate Rewards points you may have on other cards and either get more value for them in Chase Travel℠ or transfer them to travel partners.
Key Benefits:
- 3x Points on Select Categories: Earn 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, and phone services, as well as advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines.
- 1x Points on All Other Purchases: For all other spending, earn 1 point per $1 with no cap.
- Enhanced Travel Benefits: Enjoy benefits like trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, and travel and emergency assistance, which can be invaluable for business trips.
- Cell Phone Protection: Ink Business Preferred cardholders are eligible for up to $1,000 in cell phone protection against damage or theft when paying the phone bill with the card.
- Transfer Partners: You can transfer points to Chase’s travel partners, including airlines and hotel loyalty programs, allowing for even greater redemption value.
Who It’s Best For:
The Ink Business Preferred® card is perfect for businesses with high travel and advertising expenses who want to maximize rewards points and enjoy added travel perks. If your business requires frequent travel or ad spending, this card offers significant value through its earning potential and travel protections.
4. Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
I don’t often find myself recommending this card since the points earned on it are only good for cash back at a rate of 1 cent per point. Although, if you’re just looking to cover out of pocket expenses that travel rewards don’t typically work for, then the extra cash back bonus might still be a good option for you! In this case you could use the generous cash back bonus toward things like AirBnb stays, food, souvenirs, theme park tickets, or other activities.
Key Benefits:
- 5% cash back on purchases made through Chase Travel.
- Unlimited 2.5% cash back on purchases over $5,000.
- Unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases.
- No additional costs for employee cards.
Who It’s Best For:
The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card is really only a card I would recommend if you’re just looking for some extra spending money. The other 3 cards will return a far greater value when it comes to travel, but because there are more expenses involved in a vacation than just flights and hotels, the cash back offer on this card still has a lot of value for the right person or situation!
Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
One of the standout features of Chase Ink Business cards is the ability to earn and redeem points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Here are some popular redemption options in order of least to greatest value:
- Cash Back: Redeem points for cash back at a value of 1 cent per point.
- Gift Cards: Points can also be redeemed for gift cards from various retailers.
- Travel: With the Ink Business Preferred® card, you’ll get 25% more value on points when booking travel through Chase Travel, making 100,000 points worth $1,250 in travel.
- Transfer to Travel Partners: Transfer your points to Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners (e.g., United, Southwest, Hyatt), where you can often get even higher value per point on select bookings.
Choosing the Right Chase Ink Business Card for You
When choosing the best Chase Ink Business card, consider your business’s spending habits:
- Ink Business Unlimited: Ideal for flat-rate cash back on every purchase without bonus categories.
- Ink Business Cash: Best for businesses with high spending in office supplies, telecommunications, gas, and dining.
- Ink Business Preferred: Optimal for those seeking high rewards on travel, advertising, and shipping expenses, with travel protections.
- Ink Business Premier: Best for those who prioritize cash back.
How Many Ink Cards Can I Have?
You can have at least one of each type of Ink credit card for each business you have. So even if you’ve already earned the bonus on an Ink Cash, you could eventually apply for an Ink Unlimited and then also an Ink Preferred. Just be sure to keep at least 30 days in between applications, or better yet, wait 90 days to improve your adds of approval.
How to Qualify
Think you don’t qualify for a business card because you don’t have an LLC or a thriving small business? Think again! With just a small side hustle you could be instantly approved for an Ink or any other business credit card. For more on how to qualify for a business credit card with a side hustle be sure to read this post.
How to Combine Chase Business Points with Personal Points
You won’t be able to do this yourself at first. But if you call Chase and ask them to link your business and personal profiles, you should then be able to combine your points from all Chase personal cards and business cards just by logging into your account.
Further, you can combine points with one other person in your household. This will always require a phone call at first. Just tell the representative that you’d like to link your Ultimate Rewards profile with your spouse/partner and from then on you should be able to combine your points.
Can I Put Personal Expenses on a Business Card?
This is actually very common in the points and miles community. Banks do not keep tabs on the kinds of transactions you are putting on business cards, nor do they report any of this information to the IRS. Business cards are merely a record keeping tool for you and if you choose to put a few personal expenses on them, it will be ok. For those that actually report your business expenses for tax purposes, you’ll just want to be sure to keep a good record elsewhere of those eligible purchases.
What Can I Do With These Points?
The are infinite answers to this question! My favorite way to use these points is to transfer them to Hyatt where we get outsized value for our points. You can read about our stays at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve in Puerto Rico, the Andaz Costa Rica, and the all-inclusive Dreams Macao Beach in Punta Cana.
But these points also transfer to several other valuable transfer partners including:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
Final Thoughts
Chase Ink Business cards offer flexibility and value for various business needs, helping you maximize rewards on everyday expenses, enhance travel perks, and enjoy valuable purchase protections. Whether you’re after no-annual-fee simplicity or premium rewards with travel benefits, there’s a Chase Ink card that aligns with your business’s goals.
By choosing the right Chase Ink Business card, you can turn your everyday business purchases into valuable rewards, adding an extra boost to your business’s bottom line.