Chase Ink business credit cards offer a host of benefits and rewards for small business owners. Chase offers three Chase Ink business credit cards:
Chase Ink Business Unlimited
Chase Ink Business Cash
Chase Ink Business Preferred
Here we’ll break down the benefits to help you understand whether one of these credit card offers is right for your business.
Chase Ink Benefits Overview
Each Ink card may have somewhat different benefits, and offers may change, so always make sure you double check with the card issuer to ensure you have the most current information.
Card benefits offered on Chase Ink cards include:
Sign Up Bonuses
Generous sign up bonuses are a feature of these cards. The Chase Ink Business Unlimited credit card and the Chase Ink Business Cash card currently offer a $750 cash back bonus after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.
Chase Ink Business Preferred offers 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening, which equates to $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel rewards when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
0% APR
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited and the Chase Ink Business Cash cards currently offer an intro APR of 0% for the first 12 months after account opening. This offer will be appealing for small business owners who need a card for low-cost, short-term financing. The balance transfer rate is not 0%, however. Instead a variable APR will apply and varies, depending on what your application is approved for.
No Annual Fee
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited and Chase Ink Business Cash cards currently offer no annual fee. There is a $95 annual fee on the Chase Ink Business Preferred card.
Free Employee Cards
You can get free employee cards with spending controls. Just keep in mind that the business will be responsible for charges made by any authorized users.
Primary Rental Car Coverage
All three Ink cards currently offer cardholders primary auto rental CDW coverage, which provides reimbursement for damage due to collision or theft up to the actual cash value of most rental vehicles.
What does that mean? If you use the card to reserve and pay for the rental vehicle, and you decline the rental car company’s auto rental collision damage waiver, you may not have to file a claim with your insurance company. (If you use the rental vehicle for personal purposes within your home country it becomes secondary coverage.)
Roadside dispatch is also available for a fee. You only pay if you use the service for towing, a jump start, flat tire, lockout, empty fuel tank, etc.
Zero Liability Protection
All cards come with Zero Liability Protection which means you will not be responsible for unauthorized charges. Keep in mind that federal law limits your liability for unauthorized use to the first $50 of unauthorized charges. Also keep in mind that if you authorize employees to use a card, you will be responsible for all the charges they make, even if you didn’t approve each one.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Chase Ink Business Preferred features no foreign transaction fee. The other two cards have a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Extended Warranty Protection
Available on all three Ink cards offer extended warranty coverage, which extends the manufacturer warranty by one year on warranties of up to 3 years, with a few restrictions. Coverage maximums are $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account. It is secondary to any other extended warranty or service contract.
Purchase Protection
This coverage– available on all three types of Ink Chase credit cards– repairs or replaces covered items lost, stolen or damaged within 120 days of purchase. The maximum coverage is $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account. It is secondary to other insurance coverage you may have.
Cell Phone Protection
The Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card (but not the other two cards) offers cell phone protection which reimburse cardholders for damage, theft, or loss of eligible cell phones, up to three times a year. There is a $100 deductible per claim and the maximum benefit is $600 per claim (or the cost of replacement by your phone service provider. This benefit is not available on the other Ink cards.
Additional Travel Benefits
If you are looking for coverage for travel purchases, you’ll find several benefits with these cards. They include baggage delay coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and trip delay coverage.
Credit Card Rewards
While the focus here is primarily on non-reward benefits, it’s worth reviewing the reward structures on these cards. Note that Cash Back rewards are awarded as points ($1 = 100 points) which you then redeem for cash (statement credit or bank deposit), gift cards, Amazon purchases, travel or other purchases.
Points redeemed for cash are valued at 1 cent per point and points do not expire as long as your account remains open.
Chase Ink Business Unlimited card: This card offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases.
Chase Ink Business Cash card: This card features tiered cash back rewards of 1–5% cash back depending on the spending category. The rewards rate is 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent each account anniversary year on purchases at office supply stores; internet, cable, and phone services, then 1%; 2% cash back for the first $25,000 spent each account anniversary year on purchases at gas stations and restaurants, then 1%; and 1% cash back on everything else (as well as the categories mentioned after you reach $25,000 in annual spend).
Chase Ink Business Preferred card: This card is also a tiered reward card with basic rewards on all purchases plus higher rewards on bonus categories. The basic structure is 1 point per dollar, but you can earn 2 additional bonus points (total 3X points) on the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year on combined purchases in the following rewards categories: shipping; social media and search engine advertising; travel; internet, cable, and phone services.
Points redeemed to book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards are worth 25% more (1.25 cents each). Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned through Ink cards aren’t eligible for transfer to airline or hotel reward programs the way they are on Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve cards. However, if you hold either of those personal credit cards, you can transfer your points to that card and potentially increase your reward redemption values.
Chase Ink Business Card Pros and Cons
Pros
No annual fee on certain cards
Generous sign up bonuses
Flexible reward redemption options
Primary rental car coverage
Extended warranty
Purchase protection
Cons
Some benefits limited to specific cards
Need good personal credit score to qualify
Personal guarantee required
Foreign transaction fees on some Ink cards
Are Chase Ink Business Benefits Right For You?
Chase Ink cards can be a solid choice for many small business owners looking for a rewards card with a good welcome bonus and a variety of benefits usually reserved for premium cards.
With intro rates of 0% for 12 months, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited credit card and the Chase Ink Business Cash cards may also appeal to business owners (including startups) looking for short-term financing for business purchases.
Some perks are standard with other premium business credit cards, so your business may already be covered with cards you already have. However the primary car rental coverage is a standout.
Alternatives to Chase Ink Business Benefits
While Chase Ink cards are popular for the flexible benefits they offer, there may be other cards that are a better fit for some businesses.
Loyal Travelers
If your business pays for a lot of travel with specific travel partners (certain airlines or hotels, for example), you may want to consider a co-branded business card. Frequent fliers loyal to a particular airline could consider:
United Business Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
You’ll often get additional travel perks such as priority boarding and free checked bags with these cards, and you’ll be able to earn elite status more quickly.
If your travel involves frequent hotel stays, business cards such as the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, the World of Hyatt Business Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card can earn you additional points, upgrades and free stays.
You don’t have to use co-branded travel cards for all your business purchases, but using them for travel spend may prove worthwhile.
High Spenders
If you need high spending limits, take a look at dash.fi, which offers up to 10 - 20x higher limits than other business credit cards. There’s no personal credit check or personal guarantee on this card and you can earn up to 3% cash back. It offers unique benefits tailored to businesses with high digital ad spending.
