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December 12, 2024: If you want to earn the most Ultimate Rewards® points possible, a great option is getting a new Chase Ink-branded credit card with a sign-up bonus.
The four cards that make up Chase’s Ink small business credit card lineup not only feature a suite of generous rewards and benefits, but they also offer some of the most lucrative new cardmember welcome bonuses available.
If you are in the market for a new small business credit card, you can earn a mountain of Ultimate Rewards® points or cash back with a new Chase Ink sign-up bonus. Here are the best Chase Ink bonuses for new cardmembers.
In this article…
The best Chase Ink signup bonuses at a glance
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Annual fee: annual_fees
Best bonus online: bonus_miles_full
This welcome bonus is marketed as cash back, but earned as Ultimate Rewards® points.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Annual fee: annual_fees
Best bonus online: bonus_miles_full
This welcome bonus is marketed as cash back, but earned as Ultimate Rewards® points.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Annual fee: annual_fees
Best bonus online: bonus_miles_full
With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can redeem your points for cash back or use them for travel booked through Chase Travel℠ at 1.25 cents per point.
Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
Annual fee: annual_fees
Best bonus online: bonus_miles_full
This bonus is earned as points which can be redeemed for cash back. These points cannot be transferred to other Chase cards or travel transfer partners.
More on each of the Chase Ink small business credit cards
Of course, a new cardmember sign-up bonus isn’t the only reason to pick up a new card. The Chase Ink small business credit cards offer rewards and benefits that can be useful to your small business
Which card is right for you will depend on how much your business spends on credit cards, where you spend, whether you travel, and what kids of rewards you value. Here’s a bit more on each card to help you decide which is best for you.
Chase Ink Business Unlimited®: Unlimited 1.5% cash back for small business
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers small business owners simple 1.5% cash back rewards on all their spending, with no caps or bonus categories to worry about. The card carries no annual fee.
Who should apply for the Ink Business Unlimited®: Small business owners who want decent rewards and like the simplicity of a single card to use on all of their small business spending are an ideal match for the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. If this is you, you’ll enjoy decent rewards, consumer protection benefits like extended warranty and purchase protection, and limited travel insurance protections for no annual fee.
Learn more in our review of the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® card.
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
The Ink Business Unlimited® offers 1.5% cash back rewards on all purchases for small business owners.
Sign-up bonus
Best bonus online: bonus_miles_full
This welcome bonus is marketed as cash back, but earned as Ultimate Rewards® points.
Rewards
- 5% on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.
- 1.5% rewards on other purchases made for your business.
Rewards are marketed as cash back, but earned as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.
Ultimate Rewards® can be combined across cards you hold. If you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card, you can transfer your points to Chase’s transfer partners or use your points for increased value when you book travel through Chase Travel℠. For more about using Ultimate Rewards, check out our guide on the Ultimate Rewards program.
Benefits
Consumer insurance benefits
- Extended warranty protection.
- Purchase protection.
Travel insurance benefits
- Auto rental coverage. (Primary when renting for business.)
- Baggage delay insurance.
- Lost luggage reimbursement.
- Roadside assistance. (Pay per use.)
- Travel accident insurance.
- Travel and emergency assistance.
Chase Ink Business Cash: Up to 5% rewards in business categories
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a cash back card for small business owners who want purchasing power combined with increased rewards on business purchases like office supplies, internet, cable, and phone services, gas, and restaurant purchases. The Ink Business Cash carries no annual fee.
Who should apply for the Ink Business Cash®: If your small business spends heavily in the Ink Cash 5% categories of office supply stores and internet/cable/phone services, it’s worth it to pick up the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. Like the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, with the Ink Cash, you’ll get extended warranty, purchase protection, and limited travel insurance protections for no annual fee.
Learn more in our review of the Chase Ink Business Cash® card.
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers up to 5% cash back rewards in useful business categories like office supply stores, and internet, cable, and phone services.
Sign-up bonus
Best bonus online: bonus_miles_full
This can be by far the most lucrative Chase Ink bonus if you also have a Chase Business Checking account and use the card for your business spending. It is also the easiest Chase Ink bonus to earn.
Rewards
- 5% at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services
on the first $25,000 of combined purchases each account anniversary year. - 5% on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.
- 2% at gas stations and restaurants
on the first $25,000 of combined purchases each account anniversary year. - 1% on other purchases.
Rewards are marketed as cash back, but earned as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.
Ultimate Rewards® can be combined across cards you hold. If you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card, you can transfer your points to Chase’s transfer partners or use your points for increased value when you book travel through Chase Travel℠. For more about using Ultimate Rewards, check out our guide on the Ultimate Rewards program.
Benefits
Consumer insurance benefits
Travel insurance benefits
- Auto rental collision damage waiver.
- Travel and emergency assistance services.
Chase Ink Business Preferred®: A great choice for small business owners who travel
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers small business owners bonus rewards on business category purchases like travel, shipping, internet services, and advertising, plus more robust travel insurance protections than the no-annual-fee Ink cards. The Ink Business Preferred carries an annual fee of $95.
Who should apply for the Ink Business Preferred®: If you want to get the most value out of your Ultimate Rewards® points, or if you are a small business owner who travels, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is the best Chase Ink card for you. You’ll get more rewards for travel and better travel protections with the Ink Preferred and you will be able to redeem your points through Chase Travel℠ for 25% more value.
Learn more in our review of the Chase Ink Business Preferred® card.
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers more points for travel purchases and gives you the ability to redeem your rewards through Chase Travel℠ for 25% more value and transfer points to travel partners.
Sign-up bonus
Best bonus online: bonus_miles_full
With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can redeem your points for cash back or use them for travel booked through Chase Travel℠ at 1.25 cents per point.
Rewards
- 5x on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.
- 3x points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year:
- Shipping purchases.
- Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines.
- Internet, cable, and phone services.
- Travel.
- 1x on other purchases.
Rewards are earned as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and can be redeemed for a variety of travel and cash back awards. Rewards are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠.
Ultimate Rewards® can be combined across cards you hold. If you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card, you can transfer your points to Chase’s transfer partners or use your points for increased value when you book travel through Chase Travel℠. For more about using Ultimate Rewards, check out our guide on the Ultimate Rewards program.
Benefits
Consumer insurance benefits
- Extended warranty protection.
- Purchase protection.
- Cell phone protection.
Travel insurance benefits
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver.
Ink Business Premier® Credit Card: The best card for big spenders and large purchases
The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card offers 2.5% cash back on large purchases of $5,000 and over, plus 2% cash back on other purchases. The card carries a $195 annual fee, so it is best for small business owners who spend enough to earn enough rewards to offset the annual fee.
Who should apply for the Ink Business Premier®: If you are a small business owner who spends more than $40,000 on your small business credit card, you’ll earn more cash back rewards with the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card than the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, after considering the card’s annual fee. You’ll do even better if you frequently make purchases of $5,000 or more.
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card is a great choice for small business owners who make large purchases and want simple-to-use cash back rewards.
Sign-up bonus
Best bonus online: bonus_miles_full
This bonus is earned as points which can be redeemed for cash back. These points cannot be transferred to other Chase cards or travel transfer partners.
Rewards
- 5% on Lyft rides through March 2025.
- 2.5% on large purchases of $5,000 or more.
- 2% on all other business purchases.
Rewards are earned cash back.
Benefits
Consumer insurance benefits
- Purchase protection.
- Extended warranty protection.
- Cell phone protection.
Travel insurance benefits
- Auto rental collision damage waiver.
- Travel and emergency assistance services.
Other cards that earn Ultimate Rewards®
If you’re a small business owner looking for a new Chase Ink bonus, you’re probably interested in earning Ultimate Rewards®. Here are a few additional personal cards that you might want to add to your wallet.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a personal credit card that earns bonus points on a variety of travel purchases, online grocery purchases, streaming, and dining. The Ultimate Rewards® points you earn can be combined with the points you earn from most Chase Ink cards.
Holding a Chase Sapphire Reserve® opens up benefits like a $300 travel credit, airport lounge access, best-in-class travel protections, and the most lucrative point redemptions through Chase Travel℠. With the Sapphire Reserve, you’ll get 50% more value for your points when you redeem them through Chase Travel—by far the easiest way to get the most value for your Ultimate Rewards points.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card all earn Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be used for a variety of travel and non-travel redemptions. Here’s our quick take on the best ways to use Ultimate Rewards points.
What is the best way to use Ultimate Rewards®?
- Cash back. You can always use Ultimate Rewards® points for cash back redemptions. You’ll get 1 cent per point for cash back redemptions on any Ultimate Rewards credit card.
- Options available with premium cards. If you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card, you can a few additional options for using your points. Premium Ultimate Rewards cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. You can also use the points you earn on your no-annual-fee card for these premium redemption options if you first transfer your points to your premium card.
- Travel through Chase Travel℠. Premium Ultimate Rewards cards offer increased value when you use your points to book travel through Chase Travel℠. You get 25% more value for bookings through Chase Tavel with the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred. And you’ll get 50% more value for bookings made through the Sapphire Reserve card.
- Transfers to airline and hotel partners. All of the Premium Ultimate Rewards cards offer point transfers to travel partners. Transfers to partners offer the opportunity to get outsized value for your points through luxury travel redemptions. Our favorite Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners include Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, United Mileage Plus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and World of Hyatt.
The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card earns cash back rewards. The rewards you earn on this card can not be transferred to other cards for better redemptions.
How do credit card welcome bonuses work?
Credit card issuers offer welcome bonuses an incentive for new credit card customers. New cardmember bonuses are most common on premium cards that carry an annual fee. You may hear new card bonuses referred to as sign-up bonuses, welcome offers, or welcome bonuses.
Most welcome offers require a certain amount of spending within a set period to earn the bonus. Very few welcome bonuses will give you the incentive simply for applying and being approved for the card. To earn your bonus, you must spend the require amount by the bonus deadline. Some welcome bonuses offer two-part bonuses with separate incentive amounts and spending thresholds.
Usually you’ll earn points or cash back as a new cardmember welcome bonus in addition to the points you’ll earn from using your card, but pay attention to the wording of the bonus promotion—sometimes issuers will count the base points you would earn anyway in the welcome bonus amount.
A few notes on applying for Chase cards
- 5/24 rule. Chase generally won’t approve you if your credit report is showing 5 or more new credit card accounts opened in the last 24 months. This rule is knows as the 5/24 rule. If you’re unsure if you are “under 5/24” you should check your 5/24 status before applying for a Chase card. Note that recently this rule seems to have softened, especially for Ink cards. See our coverage about Chase 5/24 for more.
- Only one Sapphire-branded card. You can only hold one Chase Sapphire-branded card at a time. This means you can have either a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, but not both.
- You can get a welcome bonus on a Chase card, even if you’ve had the card previously. How often you can earn a welcome bonus on a Chase card varies by card family.
- Most cards allow you to earn a welcome bonus if it has been at least 24 months since your last received a welcome bonus on the same card.
- Chase Sapphire-branded cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can only earn a welcome bonus once every 48 months. (We published a separate article to help you determine if you can get a Sapphire welcome bonus.)
- Marriott cards have their own special rules.
- Chase will match an increased bonus. If you apply for a Chase card and the bank offers a higher bonus within 90 days, you can send Chase a secure message or call them to have your welcome offer matched.
- In-branch offers are sometimes better. Chase sometimes has better credit card welcome offers in-branch than it will publish on its own website or through affiliate networks. Check all channels to make sure you’re getting the best bonus.
- Chase business cards do not report to personal credit reports and do not impact your 5/24 status as long as they are current.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards® points worth?
You can get more value for Chase Ultimate Rewards® points if you hold certain premium credit cards. At the top end, you can get 1.5 cents of value from each point when you redeem your points through Chase Travel℠ through your Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Chase points can always be redeemed for cash back at 1 cent apiece. Read our Ultimate Rewards guide for more on how to redeem points.
Are the Chase Ink bonuses points or cash back?
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card are marketed as cash back cards while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is marketed as a points card. Behind the scenes, all of these cards earn Ultimate Rewards® points that can be redeemed for cash back, travel, and other rewards.
Do Chase Ultimate Rewards® points expire?
Chase Ultimate Rewards® points do not expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. If you want to close an account, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards® points to another card to keep them alive.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
