Chase Ink Business credit cards: Which one works for you?

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In a Nutshell

Of the three Chase small-business credit cards, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers the best value, especially for frequent travelers. But if you want to avoid an annual fee or you’d like a 0% intro purchase APR offer, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card may be the Chase business card you’re looking for.
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Compare Chase Ink Business credit cards

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit CardInk Business Cash® Credit CardInk Business Preferred® Credit Card
Annual fee$0$0$95
Intro purchase APR0% APR for 12 months0% APR for 12 monthsNone
Regular variable purchase APR18.49% - 24.49%18.49% - 24.49%21.24% - 26.24%
Foreign transaction fees3%3%None
Sign-up bonus$750 after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening$350 after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months from account opening100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Highest possible reward rate on purchases1.5% cash back on all purchases5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services3 points per $1 spent on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories

Each of these cards offers employee cards at no additional cost to help you earn rewards faster on your business purchases. But the they have their differences, too.

  1. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
  2. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
  3. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

What you need to know about each card

Here’s what you need to know about these Chase business credit cards before choosing one.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is all about simplicity. With this card, you’ll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase that you make.

You can redeem your rewards as cash back or use the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal to redeem them for gift cards, travel and more.

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers a $750 sign-up bonus after you spend $6,000 on purchases within your first 3 months from account opening with the card. And it comes with an intro 0% purchase APR for 12 months, which could be helpful if you’re hoping to finance a large business purchase. After that, the regular APR for purchases and balance transfers is 18.49% - 24.49%. There’s no intro APR offer for balance transfers.

From our partner

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

3.7 out of 5

From cardholders in the last year

See details, rates & fees

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers many of the same benefits that come with the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, including …

  • No annual fee
  • 0% intro purchase APR for 12 months, followed by a regular APR of 18.49% - 24.49% on purchases and balance transfers. There’s no intro APR offer for balance transfers.
  • $350 sign-up bonus if you spend $3,000 on purchases within your first 3 months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months after account opening
  • Access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, where you can redeem rewards for cash back, travel and more

But these cards are different in how cardholders earn rewards. With the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, you’ll earn 5% cash back on your first $25,000 spent in combined purchases in the following business categories each account year:

  • Office supply stores
  • Internet, cable and phone services

Additionally, you’ll earn 2% cash back on your first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account year. You’ll earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

From our partner

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

3.0 out of 5

From cardholders in the last year

See details, rates & fees

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you’ll earn three points per $1 on your first $150,000 spent on combined purchases in the following bonus categories:

  • Travel
  • Shipping
  • Internet, cable and phone services
  • Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines

You’ll earn one point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

This card also comes with an impressive sign-up bonus: You’ll earn 100,000 bonus points if you spend at least $8,000 on purchases within 3 months of opening your account.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card differs from some of the other Chase business credit cards in several ways. First, it charges an annual fee: $95. Second, it doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee.

The third difference is in how you can redeem your points. Your Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel through Chase Travel. This means that your 100,000 bonus points could be worth $1,250 in travel rewards. Also, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card allows cardholders to transfer points to any Chase travel partner.

From our partner

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

3.5 out of 5

From cardholders in the last year

See details, rates & fees

How to pick the right card for you

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card credit card offers the best value overall, especially if you travel a lot. It offers a 25% bonus on Chase Ultimate Rewards travel redemptions through Chase Travel℠, allows transfers to travel partners and doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee.

It’s also the only Chase business card that offers bonus points on travel, shipping and social media advertising purchases. And its sign-up bonus is the best of the three cards.

But if you don’t want to pay an annual fee or you’re looking for a 0% intro purchase APR offer, you may want to consider the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card instead. It could also be a good choice if you’re looking for a smaller minimum spending requirement to earn a sign-up bonus, or if your business spends a lot each year on office supplies, gas and restaurants.

Don’t think you’ll be able to take full advantage of the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card bonus categories? In that case, you may prefer a flat-rate cash back card like the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. Its flat 1.5% cash back means you earn cash back on all of your purchases without having to deal with the hassle of remembering which bonus categories earn what.

But keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need a Chase business credit card to earn 1.5% cash back. For example, with the consumer-friendly Chase Freedom Unlimited®, you’ll earn at a base rate of 1.5% cash back on all purchases.

Not sure any of these cards are for you? Consider these alternatives.


About the author: Clint Proctor is a freelance writer and founder of WalletWiseGuy.com, where he writes about how students and millennials can win with money. When he’s away from his keyboard, he enjoys drinking coffee, traveling, obse… Read more.