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.
December 4, 2024: The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card can be a great choice for small business owners who want simple cash back rewards and an uncommonly useful suite of benefits.
Our quick take on the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card credit card
Cards and Points Rating:
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers a fantastic combination of rewards and benefits that any small business owner can appreciate.
First, the card advertises unlimited 1.5% cash back everywhere with no annual fee, which offers both simplicity and the ability to earn great rewards for small business owners.
But where we really think that the card shines is in its suite of benefits. Not only does it offer extended warranty protection and purchase protection, but is also offers baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and a rental car insurance benefit. Better yet, the rental car insurance offers primary coverage within the United States when renting for business and primary coverage abroad with no stated country exclusions.
And if you’re into earning Ultimate Rewards®, the card’s rewards can be even more valuable when paired with a premium Chase card. Read more about Ultimate Rewards® for details.
This card is one of our favorite cards and should be on any small business owner’s short list.
Pros
- Simple 1.5% cash back rewards
- Extended warranty and purchase protection
- Travel insurance benefits, including primary rental car coverage when renting for business
- Great welcome bonus
- No annual fee
Cons
- No bonus categories
- Requires having a small business
Sign-up bonus: One of the best bonuses available
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card consistently offers one of the largest sign-up bonuses available on a credit card with no annual fee. It frequently tops our list of the best cash back sign-up bonuses and is one of our editor recommendations for the best Ultimate Rewards sign-up bonuses.
Here’s the current sign-up bonus on the Ink Unlimited:
Annual fee: annual_fees
Best bonus online: bonus_miles_full
This welcome bonus is marketed as cash back, but earned as Ultimate Rewards® points.
Rewards: 1.5% cash back everywhere
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase and currently has a promotion that offers bonus rewards with Lyft:
- 5% cash back on Lyft rides
through March 2025. - 1.5% cash back on every other eligible purchase made for your business.
What makes the card’s rewards particularly interesting is that they are only marketed as cash back. Behind the scenes, the Ink Unlimited earns Ultimate Rewards®, which opens up a whole bunch of opportunities to get additional value if you hold other Ultimate Rewards credit cards. You can read more about this in our guide to Ultimate Rewards.
Benefits: Generous consumer and travel protections
Frankly, the consumer and travel protections of the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card are market-leading. The card offers everything we could reasonably ask for on a credit card with no annual fee—and several benefits that would be unreasonable to ask for.
Here’s what you need to know about the card’s benefits, but be sure to see your Guide to Benefits for details.
Note that Chase changed many of the benefits on this card on October 1, 2024. This guide reflects the updated benefits, including coverage limits and benefit administrator information.
Consumer insurance benefits
Extended Warranty Protection
Extended warranty extends the original manufacturer’s U.S. repair warranty by one additional year on eligible purchases.
- Applies if your cumulative warranty (manufacturer’s, plus service contracts or other purchased warranties) is three years or less.
- Coverage begins at the end of all cumulative warranties and purchased service contracts.
- You must charge all or a portion of the item to your card and/or use rewards associated with your account.
- Benefit limit is $10,000 per item, and $50,000 per calendar year.
- Some items, such as computer software, items for resale, medical equipment, and used items, are excluded.
How to start a claim: Visit chasecardbenefits.com or 1-800-349-4814.
Purchase Protection
Purchase protection provides coverage against theft, damage, or involuntary and accidental parting for 120 days from the date of purchase.
- Coverage is secondary to other applicable insurance policies.
- You must charge all or a portion of the item to your card and/or use rewards associated with your account.
- Benefit limit is $10,000 per item, and $50,000 per account.
- Some items, such as food, animals, collectibles, computer software, and items being shipped by common carrier, are excluded.
How to start a claim: Visit chasecardbenefits.com or 1-800-349-4814.
Travel insurance benefits
Auto Rental Coverage
Chase auto rental coverage provides reimbursement for damages caused by theft or collision of a rental vehicle.
- You must initiate and complete the entire rental transaction with your card.
- Covers theft, damage, damage, loss-of-use charges, administrative fees, and towing charges only. Does not cover liability or any other charge.
- Covers the cardmember and and any additional drivers permitted by the rental car agreement.
- Primary coverage for commercial or business rentals in the United States; secondary coverage otherwise. Primary coverage outside of the United States with no stated country exclusions.
- Covers rentals up to 31 days.
- Coverage limit of $60,000 per claim applies.
- Some types of vehicles are excluded, including exotic cars, vehicles with a MSRP over $125,000, industrial vehicles, and antique cars.
For questions on if a vehicle is covered: Call 1-800-349-4814
How to start a claim: Visit chasecardbenefits.com or 1-800-349-4814.
Baggage Delay Insurance
Baggage delay insurance provides reimbursement for essentials when your baggage is delayed during a trip
- Baggage must be delayed or misdirected by a common carrier for more than six hours to receive reimbursement for expenses.
- Provides reimbursement for essential personal items such as toiletries, a change of clothes, and chargers for electronic devices.
- Benefit limit is $100 per day, up to a maximum of three days.
- You must charge all or a portion of your common carrier fare to your card or use the rewards associated with your account.
How to start a claim: Visit chasecardbenefits.com or 1-800-349-4814.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Lost luggage reimbursement can cover the difference between your common carrier reimbursement and the repair/replacement cost for checked and carry-on baggage that is lost, damaged, or stolen.
- You must charge all or a portion of your common carrier fare to your card or use the rewards associated with your account.
- Provides coverage for you, your family members, or people employed by your company.
- You must report your lost, stolen, or damaged luggage to your common carrier in order to be eligible for this benefit.
- Maximum benefit is $3,000 per covered traveler per trip.
New York residents have additional limits.
Some high-value items have lower sub-limits. - Some exclusions apply. (e.g. cash-like items, high-value items, and documents and papers)
How to start a claim: Visit chasecardbenefits.com or 1-800-349-4814.
Roadside Assistance
Chase roadside assistance provides a single number to call for pre-negotiated per-service fees on certain roadside assistance services.
- All services are provided on a per-service fee basis. Cardmember is responsible for the cost of service.
- Coverage is provided in the United States and Canada
How to get roadside assistance: Call 1-800-349-4814.
Travel Accident Insurance
Chase travel accident insurance provides a fixed payment amount for certain injuries or losses of life when traveling when you book your travel with your card.
- To get coverage, you must charge all or a portion of your common carrier fare to your card or use the rewards associated with your account.
- Coverage is provided up to $500,000 when traveling on a common carrier.
- Coverage is provided up to $100,000 during your trip.
- See the Guide to Benefits for specific coverage amounts.
How to start a claim: Visit chasecardbenefits.com or 1-800-349-4814.
Travel and Emergency Assistance
When traveling away from home, you can use travel and emergency assistance to coordinate services like medical referrals, legal assistance, emergency translation services, and document delivery.
- Services are referral only.
- Cardmember is responsible for the costs of all services provided.
How to use this service: Call 1-800-349-4814. You can also call collect internationally to +1-214-503-2951.
Our experiences: How we use the card
Our guides to cards are thoroughly researched using primary sources, but members of our team often have these cards as well. Here’s how we use our cards.
My Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is my go-to card for every business expense that isn’t travel related, an office supply store expense, or an internet/cable/phone service. (I have the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Ink Business Cash® Credit Card for these expenses.)
I like having small business cards to keep my small business expenses separate from my personal expenses. But I’ll admit that the generous sign-up bonus on the Ink Unlimited was a great enticement to pick up the card.
Since I have the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, I can transfer the Ultimate Rewards® points I earn to that card, which enables me to use them for high-value travel redemptions through travel transfer partners. Lately, I have gotten the most value out of transfers to Hyatt, United, Flying Blue, and Virgin Atlantic.
If I could make one wish for the card, it is that the rewards would mirror the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which offers 3% rewards on dining and drugstores in addition to 1.5% cash back on general purchases.
Other cards to consider
As a small business owner, you probably want the most rewards on your purchases, with decent consumer insurance benefits and low hassle. Your spend patterns will likely dictate which card is best for you.
Here are a few other cards that should be on your radar.
- The Capital One Spark Cash Plus has offers 2% cash back rewards for a $150 annual fee, which you’ll get refunded each year when you spend at least $150,000 on the card. The Capital One Spark Cash Select offers a similar card with no annual fee and 1.5% cash back rewards.
- If you can put your business expenses on a personal card, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® will match the Ink Unlimited’s 1.5% rewards, but adds 3% rewards on dining and drugstores. The card also earns its rewards as Ultimate Rewards® points.
- Office supplies, telecommunications. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is perhaps the best card to use for office supply purchases because it earns 5% cash back on the first $25,000 you spend in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services.
- Travel. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns 3x points on the first $150k you spend on shipping; advertising with social media sites and search engines; internet, cable and phone services; and travel each account anniversary year. The card also features premium travel insurance protections and lets you redeem your Ultimate Rewards® points for increased value through Chase Travel℠.
Who is the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card best for?
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is best for the small business owner who wants a single card to use as their default business credit card for most business expenses. Here’s who will benefit most from the Ink Unlimited:
- Small business owners looking for simplicity and cash back rewards. The Ink Unlimited provides 1.5% cash back rewards on an unlimited amount of spending. Other small business cards can offer more cash back rewards, but they very frequently come with annual fees or reward caps. The Ink Unlimited keeps it simple: No annual fees and no caps.
- Business who have an Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and want to earn more Ultimate Rewards®. The Ink Unlimited is perhaps most powerful as part of a Chase Ink small business wallet. When you also hold the Ink Preferred card, you can get more value from your points. See the cards that complement the Ink Unlimited, below.
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.
