Chase Ink Business cards have become increasingly popular among small business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals, thanks to their tailored rewards programs and valuable sign-up bonuses.
These cards cater to various business needs and spending habits, providing an excellent way to maximize financial benefits and rewards.
There are four types of Chase Ink Business cards, each with its own unique sign-up bonus:
- Ink Business Preferred: With a $95 annual fee, this card allows you to earn 100,000 fully-transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
- Ink Business Cash: This card has no annual fee and provides a sign-up bonus of $900 or 90,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first three months from account opening.
- Ink Business Unlimited: Also featuring no annual fee, this card offers the same sign-up bonus as the Ink Business Cash, allowing you to earn $900 or 90,000 points after spending $6,000 within the first three months from account opening.
- Ink Business Premier: This card comes with an annual fee of $195 and offers a sign-up bonus of $1,000 after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Beyond sign-up bonuses, here’s what else you should know about each card to make your best choice.
The Chase Ink Business links on this page are my referral links. If you decide to sign up for a Chase Ink Business card via one of these links, I’ll also receive a bonus (the amount varies depending on the particular card). Please be assured that I’ve curated the best offers for you, and I’ll promptly replace these links if superior offers become available.
Chase Ink Business Preferred Overview
The Ink Business Preferred card stands out for its impressive sign-up bonus and the opportunity to earn 3X points in specific categories.
With an annual fee of $95, cardholders can earn a sign-up bonus of 100,000 points by spending $8,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
This card earns:
- 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, advertising purchases, internet services, cable and phone services.
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
The Ink Business Preferred card is one of the two Chase Ink Business cards (the other being the Ink Business Premier) that does not charge foreign transaction fees.
One of the unique features of this card is that it’s the only Ink card that independently earns fully-transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
That means you can transfer your points to airline and hotel partners, such as Hyatt and United, even without having another Chase card. This flexibility is significant, as leveraging them for travel allows you to extract the most value from your rewards.
For more on combining and transferring points between Chase accounts for maximum value, see “How to Supercharge Your Credit Card Rewards With the Chase Trifecta.”
| Feature | Details |
| Card: | Chase Ink Business Preferred |
| Annual fee: | $95 |
| Sign-up bonus: | 100,000 fully-transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. |
| Spending requirement for bonus: | Spend $8,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. |
| Bonus categories: | 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, advertising purchases, internet services, cable and phone services; 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. |
Chase Ink Business Cash Overview
The Ink Business Cash card offers a sign-up bonus of $900 or 90,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
The card offers 5% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores, and on internet, cable and phone services. You’ll also get 2% back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants. All other purchases earn a 1% cash-back rate.
The Ink Business Cash card does accumulate Chase Ultimate Rewards points. However, those points are not transferable to airlines and hotels; they can only be redeemed through the Chase travel portal. (Whether or not CUR points are transferable varies from card to card.)
Fortunately, there is a workaround to this problem. If you have a personal card with Chase that allows for point transfers, you can transfer the points you earn on your Ink Business Cash purchases to your personal account, and then transfer those points from your personal account to one of Chase’s travel partners. The two Chase personal cards that allow this are the Sapphire Reserve and the Sapphire Preferred.
Of course, you can also get the Ink Business Preferred card and move points earned on the Ink Business Cash card to the Ink Business Preferred to transfer. However, this strategy is more suited to those operating an established business, as the likelihood of getting approved for multiple business cards is lower if you run a small side hustle.
| Feature | Details |
| Card: | Chase Ink Business Cash |
| Annual fee: | $0 |
| Sign-up bonus: | $900 or 90,000 points. |
| Spending requirement for bonus: | Spend $6,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. |
| Bonus categories: | 5% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores, and on internet, cable and phone services; 2% back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants; 1% cash-back rate on all other purchases. |
Chase Ink Business Unlimited Overview
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited card is a straightforward, no-annual-fee card with a sign-up bonus of $900 or 90,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
With unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all eligible purchases, this card is ideal for those whose spending doesn’t fall within the Ink Preferred or Ink Business Cash bonus categories, yet still want to earn Chase Ultimate Reward Points.
Like the Ink Business Cash card, you can’t transfer points earned on the Ink Business Unlimited to travel partners without transferring them to either the Ink Business Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Sapphire Preserve.
| Feature | Details |
| Card: | Chase Ink Business Unlimited |
| Annual fee: | $0 |
| Sign-up bonus: | $900 or 90,000 points |
| Spending requirement for bonus: | Spend $6,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. |
| Bonus categories: | 1.5% cash-back on all eligible purchases. |
| Other features: | Points can be transferred to other Chase cards for redemption through the Chase travel portal. |
Chase Ink Business Premier Overview
The Chase Ink Business Premier card is the latest addition to Chase’s lineup of business credit cards.
With a $195 annual fee, it targets business owners with higher expenses who want to maximize cash-back on their purchases. The sign-up bonus for this card is $1,000, which can be earned by spending $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of account opening.
The card earns:
- 5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 2.5% cash-back on purchases of $5,000 or more.
- 2% cash-back on all other eligible purchases.
This card is a solid choice for businesses using these generous cash-back rates to offset the annual fee. However, it’s not the best fit for those interested in earning points that can be transferred to airline and hotel partners, because it’s a true cash-back card that doesn’t earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
| Feature | Details |
| Card: | Chase Ink Business Premier |
| Annual fee: | $195 |
| Sign-up bonus: | $1,000 |
| Spending requirement for bonus: | Spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of account opening. |
| Cash back earned: | 5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 2.5% cash-back on purchases of $5,000 or more, 2% cash-back on all other eligible purchases. |
Eligibility Criteria for Chase Ink Business Cards
Many people are surprised that they may qualify for a Chase Ink Business card, even if they only have a side hustle that generates a few thousand dollars annually.
If you’re in this situation, you can apply for the card using your name as the business name and your Social Security number instead of an EIN (Employer Identification Number).
While there’s no guarantee you’ll get accepted, applying this way is allowed, and you can get approved if you do it legitimately or plan to have income outside of a traditional job and business expenses. You can state your estimated revenues if you’re starting your business.
Credit Score and Chase 5/24 Rule
You’ll need a good credit score (typically 680 or higher) to get approved for a Chase Ink Business card.
Additionally, Chase follows the 5/24 rule, which means that if you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards in the past 24 months, you may be ineligible for a new Chase card. This includes all types of personal cards, including branded cards from individual retailers (like the Target Red Card). So keep this in mind if you plan on applying.
The good news is that Ink Cards do not take up a 5/24 slot once approved.
So, if you do plan to apply for a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred soon, and you’re close to 5/24, it’s wise to apply for business cards first, get approved, and then get a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred, which do take up a 5/24 slot.
Application Process: What You Need to Know
When applying for a Chase Ink Business card, you’ll need to provide some basic information about your business, such as:
- Business name and address.
- Type of business entity (e.g., sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation).
- Business tax ID (EIN) or Social Security number.
- Annual business revenue.
- Number of employees.
If you’re a new business, be honest with your answers. You’re not necessarily guaranteed to get approved if you report a higher annual business revenue or have an EIN instead of a Social Security number. A lot of it comes down to your credit score, as the Ink cards are considered a personal loan and not a business loan, which you are personally liable for.
Earning the Sign-Up Bonus/Meeting Spending Requirements
Each Chase Ink Business card comes with a sign-up bonus, which you can earn by meeting specific spending requirements within the first three months of account opening.
Make sure you understand the requirements for the card you choose and plan your spending accordingly.
To meet the spending requirements and earn your sign-up bonus, consider the following:
- Time your application. Apply for the card when you know you’ll have significant business expenses, such as equipment purchases or marketing campaigns.
- Use the card for everyday business expenses. This can include office supplies, utility bills, and even household items like computers and phones used for your business.
- Prepay expenses. If you have recurring expenses, such as software subscriptions or insurance premiums, consider prepaying for several months or the year to help meet the spending requirement.
- Ask vendors to accept credit card payments. If you work with vendors who don’t typically accept credit cards, ask if they’d be willing to make an exception to help you meet your spending goal.
Chase Ink Sign-Up Bonuses: Summary and Final Thoughts
Chase Ink Business cards are widely recognized as among the best in the class. Their high welcome bonuses and great spending categories are perfect for helping your business earn money back and can even help you take a personal trip using travel rewards.
My household has every Chase Business Ink card except for the Ink Business Premier, and it’s an important part of our strategy of earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which we redeem for travel.
If you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred card, pick the business card that will likely earn you the most points over the next 12 months.
To find out what card that is, look at the sign-up bonus and spending categories and estimate a number based on your business’s expenses.
If you don’t have a Reserve or Preferred card, and access to travel partners is important for you, I’d go with the Chase Ink Preferred card, which does allow you to transfer points to airline partners. Then, build out the rest of your strategy for earning points, such as applying for another Chase card, once you’ve been approved.
