Chase Ink Business Cards [2023]: A Side-by-Side Comparison

The four Chase Ink Business credit cards all provide generous welcome offers and robust rewards on business purchases, and cardholders also have the added convenience of being able to easily track business expenses and employee spending.

But which 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 Ink Business card is the best credit card for you, consider how you’ll use your card and check out our side-by-side comparison.

Card name	Welcome bonus	Earnings rate	Annual fee
Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card	Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards; unlimited 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more; unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases	$195
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases	$95
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase	$0
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases	$0

How the 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 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. But all the Ink cards are part of a robust rewards program.

Card name	Earnings rate
Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card	5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards; unlimited 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more; unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases

If you often make large business purchases, you may enjoy the earning rate of the Ink Business Premier Card. This card earns 2.5% on purchases of $5,000 or more.

Frequent business travelers will likely get the most value out of the Ink Business Preferred Card since it offers 3X on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. That rate 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 common business expenses, the Ink Business Cash offers the best earning rates, including 5% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year and 2% on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.

But if most of your business purchases fall outside those categories, you’ll likely get the best overall rewards from the Ink Business Unlimited credit card, which offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase.

2. Welcome offer

The most valuable welcome offer varies depending on what's available, but the Ink Business Preferred card tends to have an excellent offer, especially if you plan to travel for business. You can earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

You may also enjoy the welcome bonus of the Ink Business Premier card. You can earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. However, this card comes with a $195 annual fee compared to the $95 annual fee on the Ink Business Preferred.

Card name	Welcome bonus
Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card	Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

If your business expenses don't align with the bonus categories on the Ink Business Premier or Ink Business Preferred, consider the Ink Business Cash or the Ink Business Unlimited, both of which also provide valuable welcome offers.

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, and these Chase credit cards can help.

If you need to make costly purchases to get your business up and running, you’ll likely want to opt for the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited since both of these credit cards come with intro APR offers on purchases. This can help you pay back any startup costs interest-free for a certain number of months.

Card name	Introductory purchase APRs
Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card	None
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	None
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable)
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable)

4. Redemption options

With any of the Ink Business cards, you can redeem points for cash back (including statement credits and direct deposits into eligible U.S. checking and savings accounts), gift cards, Apple purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and travel bookings through Chase Ultimate Rewards. 

Card name	Redemption options
Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card	Cash back, gift cards, Ultimate Rewards travel bookings, and Ultimate Rewards shopping purchases, but you can't combine points with other Chase cards
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Cash back, gift cards, Ultimate Rewards travel bookings, Ultimate Rewards shopping purchases, certain other online shopping purchases, transfers to other eligible Chase cards, and transfers to airline and hotel partners
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Cash back, gift cards, Ultimate Rewards travel bookings, Ultimate Rewards shopping purchases, certain other online shopping purchases, and transfers to other eligible Chase cards
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	Cash back, gift cards, Ultimate Rewards travel bookings, Ultimate Rewards shopping purchases, certain other online shopping purchases, and transfers to other eligible Chase cards

With the Ink Business Preferred Card, you typically get more value out of your points when you use them toward travel. That's because the Ink Business Preferred gives your points 25% more value when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

The Ink Business Preferred also allows you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Chase travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. For example, you can transfer points to Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, and the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program. This gives you more flexibility (and possibly more value) when you redeem your travel rewards.

Note that the Ink Business Premier Card doesn't offer the same benefits as the Ink Business Preferred. It does allow you to use your points toward travel bookings through Ultimate Rewards, but you don't receive any additional value. You also can’t transfer your points to travel partners or combine them with other Chase credit cards.

5. Other perks

You’ll get identical perks from the Ink Business Unlimited and 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.

Card name	Other perks
Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card	Auto rental collision damage waiver (primary coverage) Roadside dispatch Free employee cards Purchase protection Extended warranty Trip cancellation and interruption insurance Cell phone protection
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Auto rental collision damage waiver (primary coverage) Roadside dispatch Free employee cards Purchase protection Extended warranty Trip cancellation and interruption insurance Cell phone protection
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Auto rental collision damage waiver (primary coverage) Roadside dispatch Travel/emergency assistance Free employee cards Purchase protection Extended warranty
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	Auto rental collision damage waiver (primary coverage) Roadside dispatch Travel/emergency assistance Free employee cards Purchase protection Extended warranty

The Ink Business Preferred and Ink Business Premier have some added perks for travelers. There are no foreign transaction fees, and the cards provide trip cancellation and interruption insurance. 

You also have cell phone protection included with these cards, which can get you or an employee listed on your monthly cell phone bill up to $1,000 if your phone is stolen or damaged and you pay your phone bill with your applicable card.

FAQs

Choosing the right card

Between the generous welcome offers and rewards-earning potential associated with the Chase business credit cards, applying for one of them is a smart move for many small business owners. This is especially true if you already hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve^® card and want to combine your points between eligible cards.

But Chase isn’t the only credit card issuer to offer some of the best business credit cards with impressive rewards. And there are other credit card offers you may qualify for, even if you’re self-employed, are worried about your credit score, 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 application tips before getting started.