The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a stand out cash back card for businesses with substantial monthly expenditures at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. It offers a great 5% cash back rate on these purchases. The card also offers bonus rewards on gas station and restaurant purchases.
However, even with its excellent earning rates, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card won’t be a great fit for all businesses. For starters, the card offers few travel-related benefits, and also has annual caps on its primary spending categories. For businesses that don’t spend in the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card‘s bonus categories, a card with a flat-rate cash back could be a better choice.
Sign-up bonus
The sign-up bonus in itself is a great reason to sign up for this card. You’ll earn the following bonus by meeting a fairly reasonable spending requirement: Offer ending soon: Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
Excellent Rewards Rate on Common Business Expenses
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers one of the highest cash back rates you can find on common business purchases. You’ll Earn 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. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
You earn rewards in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which are extraordinarily flexible. Not only can you redeem your points for cash back, but you can also redeem points for a variety of other rewards, including gift cards and travel.
0% Intro APR
If you need time to pay off a large purchase, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, after which an APR of 17.99% - 23.99% Variable will apply. This is an excellent introductory APR, although there are some cards that offer an even longer 0% intro period.
Primary rental car insurance
While many cards may offer car rental collision coverage, that coverage may be “secondary,” meaning this coverage kicks in after any claims are made through your insurance. However, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers primary car rental insurance on rentals for business purposes within your country of residence and for both personal and business rentals abroad. For personal rentals within your country of residence, the coverage is secondary.
Foreign transaction fee
Many cards hit you with extra fees when traveling abroad. Unfortunately, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is one of them. You’ll be charged a 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars. If you plan to travel outside the U.S., you should look for a card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
Spending Cap on Bonus Categories
Unfortunately the 5% and 2% cash back categories are each capped at $25,000 in purchases each year. After your business hits either of these caps, you’ll only earn 1% cash back in those categories for the remainder of the year. Note that these are pretty generous caps — you can earn up to $1,750 in cash back rewards from the card’s bonus categories before you hit the limit. Still, if you have a business that spends far beyond the $50,000 annual limit, you might consider a card with an unlimited cash back bonus, like the Capital One Spark Cash Plus.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a better option for business owners who travel frequently, or who spend more on shipping and advertising. The card doesn’t offer a 5% reward rate on any spending like the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, but it does earn 3X Ultimate Rewards points on other common business spending categories with a higher annual spending cap. It also has a higher sign-up bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Unlike the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card does charge a $95 annual fee — but that fee may be worth it if your business spends more in the high-earning categories that the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers. With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can Earn 3 points per $1 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. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.
You can transfer your points to a variety of hotel and airline loyalty programs — a feature not offered by the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. Your points are also worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel directly through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card also includes no foreign transaction fees, making it the better option for traveling abroad. However, it doesn’t offer a 0% intro period. For financing new purchases, you’re better off with the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Annual Fee | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Recommended Credit Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
 Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
$0 | Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening. | Earn 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. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn. | Excellent |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
$95 | Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Earn 3 points per $1 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. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn. | Excellent |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
$0 | Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business | Good / Excellent |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
|
No annual fee | Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months. | Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% | Good / Excellent |
The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is an excellent choice for businesses with substantial spending at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. The earning rates at gas stations and restaurants could also make it a great all-around card for some businesses. Plus, with its generous sign-up bonus and $0 annual fee, there’s little downside to the card.
However, if your business includes travel, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is likely a better choice. It has a $95 annual fee and similar sign-up bonus, but offers a greater suite of travel-related benefits and more flexible rewards.
If, however, neither of these cards sound right for you, check out other excellent small business credit cards.
To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by third parties such as Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as certain terms, conditions, and exclusions apply.
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