If you want a simple business card with no annual fee and easy ways to earn rewards, take a look at the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card.
Unlike other business cards, you don’t need to worry about tracking bonus rewards categories or caps on the cash back you can earn. You simply earn a flat 1.5% cash back on all spending — with one exception: Lyft rides will net you 5% cash back.
This cashback credit card also comes with a nice sign-up bonus as well as an introductory APR offer on purchases so it could be a solid choice if you’ve got some big spending planned soon and need the equivalent of cash for business purchases. And all this with no annual fee.
Keep reading this Chase Ink Business Unlimited review to find out if this business credit card is a good fit for you and your business expenses.
Who should get the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card?
The Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card is an ideal choice when your business spending isn’t focused on any one particular category, such as dining or office supply purchases.
Unlike other business cards that may give you 3% or more back for gas, restaurants, travel, telecommunications, or other specific bonus categories — and only 1% for everything else — the Ink Business Unlimited just gives you a flat 1.5% cash back on all spending. However, it does offer 5% cash back on Lyft rides, so if you use rideshares often, this card could be worth considering.
If you have a lot of business expenses, you’ll appreciate the fact that there are no spending limits on the cash back you can earn. Plus, the 0% intro APR for new purchases means you won’t have to worry about paying off your balance for 12 months after account opening. Just be sure to pay off the card before that intro rate expires, otherwise, you could be stuck with interest fees once the regular APR of 17.74% - 23.74% Variable kicks in.
If you have big business purchases pending, this cashback card might be the ideal choice — especially since you can earn a $750 cash bonus by spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.
Card basics
Card type | Business |
Card issuer | Chase |
Annual fee | $0 |
Intro bonus | Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening |
Reward rate | 1.5% cash back on all spending |
Recommended credit score | Excellent, Good |
Intro APR | 0% for 12 months on purchases (then 17.74% - 23.74% Variable) |
Foreign transaction fee | 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars |
Ink Business Unlimited benefits and perks
- Generous welcome offer: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- No annual fee: A lot of business credit card offers might seem lucrative, but those cards also come with a hefty annual fee. This is not the case with the Ink Business Unlimited card.
- Introductory APR: You’ll pay 0% interest on purchases for 12 months from the time you open the account (then 17.74% - 23.74% Variable).
- Simple rewards program: This flat-rate rewards card makes like easy. 1.5% cash back on all spending, plus 5% cash back on Lyft rides.
- Flexible rewards redemption options: The Ink Business Unlimited effectively earns you both cashback rewards and travel rewards. That's because you can redeem rewards earned with this card through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program for cash back (as a statement credit or deposited directly into a bank account), travel, merchandise, or gift cards.
- Primary rental car insurance: Receive primary rental car insurance for theft or collision damage when you pay for a rental car with your credit card. If you find yourself frequently renting cars for business purposes, this perk could quickly save you money on rental companies’ insurance fees.
- Free cards for employees: Equip your staff with cards at no additional cost and even set individual limits on spending for each employee card. The ability to get free employee cards can be a big perk for small business owners especially.
Drawbacks of this card
- Foreign transaction fee: If you or your employees will be traveling overseas, then this card may not be a fit for you. It has a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
- No lucrative rewards bonus categories: The simplicity of this flat-rate rewards card is both its best strength and biggest weakness. While spending with the Ink Unlimited is easy, you're also potentially missing out on earning even more bonus points for your business expenses.
Earning & redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Best ways to earn
The easy rewards program is one of the best features of the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card. Unlike other cards, which may offer 1% cash back on most purchases and bonus cash back on a few select categories, you simply receive 1.5% cash back on all spending with the Ink Business Unlimited. Though there is one exception: with this card, you also get 5% cash back on Lyft rides.
Plus, there’s no cap on how much cash back you can earn, so you can spend as much as you’d like on your card and get fully rewarded for each dollar you charge. You earn your cash back in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards, but that's a good thing as they are a very powerful form of credit card rewards.
Maximizing your redemptions
Redeeming points is also simple with the Ink Business Unlimited. You can opt for cash back as a statement credit, which gives you maximum flexibility since you can then use your rewards to reduce the cost of any new purchases you make. If you’d prefer to redeem for travel, merchandise, or gift cards, you can do that, too, through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
If you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, then you can also change your cashback rewards into lucrative travel rewards. That's because you can transfer rewards earned with your Ink Business Unlimited card over to one of these other cards. This also allows you access to all of Chase's transfer partners and you can get a higher redemption value for each of your points when redeemed through the Chase travel portal as well.
Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card FAQs
Do Chase business credit cards count toward the 5/24 rule?
When it comes to opening Chase credit cards, there’s an unofficial guideline commonly called the 5/24 rule. It gets its name because those who have opened five or more new credit cards over a 24-month period are unlikely to be approved for any Chase card. Chase business cards do count towards the 5/24 rule, and in fact, opening a credit card from any credit card issuer will count toward your five card limit — even if those cards aren’t from Chase.
Does a Chase business credit card report to personal credit?
While Chase indicates it may report your business credit cards on your personal credit report, some cardholders indicate their business credit card doesn’t show up when they check their individual reports. This is one of the reason Chase business credit cards can unlock more options for you if you're dealing with the 5/24 rule.
Is there such a thing as an “unlimited” credit card?
Credit cards generally all have limits on how much you can spend. But there are cards that really do provide unlimited rewards without caps. The Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card will impose a credit limit as far as the credit line you are extended, but it doesn’t impose any limits on your cashback rewards for using the card.
Which Chase Ink business card is the best credit card?
The answer to which Chase Ink business credit card is the best one really depends on you. Every business owner will have different business expenses and a different lifestyle as well. If you are looking for cashback rewards with bonus points for your business expenses, then the Ink Business Cash might be your best choice. This is especially true if a lot of your spending happens at office supply stores. If you are looking for purchase protection and travel coverages, then the Chase Ink Business Preferred will be the card for you.
What credit score do you need for the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card?
For a business owner to qualify for the Ink Business Unlimited, you will need a good to excellent credit score.
Other cards to consider
The bottom line is that the Ink Business Unlimited card is a great option if you’re looking for a straightforward rewards credit card, but there are other options that may provide more value depending on your spending habits. Check out our list of the best cash back credit cards for more information.
The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card dials things up a little bit in comparison to the Ink Business Unlimited card, increasing the value of your points by 25% when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. On top of that, new cardmembers can earn a lucrative bonus offer worth $1,250 in travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and 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.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a top-rated premium rewards business card and can be a great option if you're looking for an earnings structure created with the business traveler in mind. New cardmembers can find immediate value by earning up to 120,000 Membership Rewards points with the new cardmember welcome offer. While there is a higher annual fee of $695, the luxury travel benefits — Global Lounge Collection access, $200 airline fee credit, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit — should easily offset this cost. Select benefits require enrollment.