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Whether you’re running a small business with several employees, reselling items online, or tutoring out of your home, a business credit card can provide you with attractive benefits you wouldn’t get from a personal credit card.
The three Chase Ink Business credit cards all provide generous sign-up bonuses and robust rewards on business purchases, and you’ll also have the added convenience of being able to easily track your business expenses and employee spending.
But which Chase Ink Business credit card is right for you? That depends on the scope of your business and your spending needs. Consider how much you’ll spend on business-related purchases, whether you’ll travel for business, and which perks are most important to you.
The Chase Ink Business cards, compared
Do you travel internationally for business? You’ll likely want a card with no foreign transaction fees and added travel perks. Do you have expensive startup costs? You may want a card with a 0% introductory APR (annual percentage rate) and a high credit limit.
To decide which Chase Ink Business card is right for you, consider how you’ll use your card and check out our side-by-side comparison.
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Ink Business Unlimited | Ink Business Cash | Ink Business Preferred |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 | $95 |
| Sign-up bonus | Earn $500 cash back after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months | Earn $500 bonus cash back after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months | Earn 100,000 points after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months |
| Earning rate | 1.5% cash back on all spending | 5% cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable, or phone services (up to $25,000 combined annually); 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $25,000 combined annually); and 1% cash back on everything else | 5X points on Lyft rides; 3X points on the first $150,000 spent each year on travel, shipping, internet, cable, or phone services, and advertising purchases with social media and search engines; and 1X points per $1 on everything else |
| Redemption options | Cash, gift cards, travel, and more | Cash, gift cards, travel, and more |
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| Introductory rate | 0% purchase APR for 12 months | 0% purchase APR for 12 months | None |
| Foreign transaction fees |
3% | 3% | None |
| Other perks |
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How the Chase Ink Business cards stack up
The best business credit card for you will depend on what kind of purchases you need to make for your business, how much you’ll spend, and how you plan to redeem your rewards. Consider the following factors when deciding which Chase Ink Business credit card to apply for.
1. Earning rates and bonus categories
There’s no clear winner when it comes to earning rates, since getting the best bang for your buck depends on your regular expenses and redemption needs.
Frequent business travelers will likely get the most value out of the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card. Not only does it offer 3X points on travel purchases, and 5X points on Lyft rides, but your points stretch 25% further when used to book travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards. That means you can effectively get $3.75 toward travel for every $100 you spend on travel purchases.
If you’re mainly using your card for business lunches; gas; office supplies; or internet, cable, or phone services, the Chase Ink Business Cash offers the best earning rates in those categories. But if most of your business purchases fall outside those categories, you’ll likely get the best overall rewards from the Chase Ink Business Unlimited, which offers 1.5% back on every purchase.
Up to 5% Cash Back
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Benefits
- $500 cash back sign-up bonus
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months
- Up to 5% cash back
2. Welcome bonus
The most valuable welcome bonus comes with the Chase Ink Business Preferred card, especially if you plan to travel for business. The 100,000 bonus points surpass most personal credit card sign-up bonuses and are equal to $1,250 toward travel redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards. That’s enough to offset the $95 annual fee for a decade.
If you won’t be purchasing business-related airline tickets, consider the Chase Ink Business Cash or the Chase Ink Business Unlimited, both of which offer a $500 cashback bonus.
3. Introductory purchase APRs
While it’s generally ill-advised to put purchases you can’t afford on a credit card, business startup costs might be an exception.
If you need to make costly purchases to get your business up and running, you’ll likely want to opt for the Chase Ink Business Cash or Chase Ink Business Unlimited, since both of these cards come with a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months.
That gives you a full year to pay back any startup costs interest-free. The Chase Ink Business Preferred Card, on the other hand, comes with an APR of 17.49% to 22.49% (variable) right off the bat.
4. Redemption options
With any of the Chase Ink Business cards, you can redeem points for cash back, statement credits, gift cards, Apple store purchases, or travel. The Chase Ink Business Cash and Chase Ink Business Unlimited cards are virtually identical when it comes to redemption options.
With the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card, on the other hand, you’ll get more value out of your points when you use them toward travel. The Ink Business Preferred may be your best best if your goal is to earn free flights and hotel stays, as booking through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal will give your points 25% more value.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred also allows you to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to select travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. This gives you more flexibility (and possibly more value) when you redeem points.
5. Other perks
You’ll get identical perks from the Chase Ink Business Unlimited and Chase Ink Business Cash cards, and the benefits are common to most credit cards. Both cards offer you the opportunity to pick up employee cards at no additional cost; they also provide purchase and extended warranty protection along with travel assistance and rental car insurance coverage.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred, however, has some added perks for travelers. There are no foreign transaction fees, and the card provides trip cancellation and interruption insurance. You’ll also get cell phone protection included with your card, which gets you up to $600 if your phone is stolen or damaged as long as you pay your phone bill with your card.
Choosing the right card
Between the generous sign-up bonuses and rewards-earning potential associated with Chase’s business credit cards, applying for one of them is a smart move for many small business owners.
But Chase isn’t the only issuer to offer business credit cards with impressive rewards. And there are other cards you can likely qualify for, even if you’re self-employed or have a limited credit history. To choose the right card for you, consider your spending needs and how you plan to redeem your rewards. And be sure to read through our business credit card tips before applying.
Hot Sign-up Bonus
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Benefits
- 100,000 point sign-up bonus
- 3X points on travel and common business spending categories
- Flexible redemption options
- Additional employee cards at no extra cost