Key takeaways
- The Ink business family of cards has a lot to offer, and which card you choose for your business will be dependent on how your business spends money.
- Consider the Ink Business Cash Credit Card over the Ink Business Unlimited if your business spends a lot on office supplies, internet, cable, phone services, restaurants and gas stations.
- If you travel a lot for business, you may want to consider pairing the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited with the Ink Business Preferred, which comes with rewards on travel, travel-related redemption options and no foreign transaction fees.
Chase is known for its wide variety of business credit cards, many of which are designed especially for entrepreneurs and small-business owners. If you’re searching for a business rewards card from this issuer specifically, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card are two good options to consider.
In a nutshell, the Ink Business Cash Credit Card offers a higher rate of rewards for spending in select business categories, while the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card offers a flat rate of rewards on all business spending. Both cards are no-annual-fee cash back cards whose redemption options expand greatly when paired with a premium Chase card like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Let’s explore more of the similarities and differences between these cards:
Main details
| Cards | Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus |
|
|
| Rewards rate |
|
|
| Intro APR |
0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, then a 17.49% – 25.49% Variable APR |
0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 Months, then a 17.49% – 23.49% Variable APR |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
Ink Business Cash vs. Ink Business Unlimited highlights
Welcome bonus winner
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When it comes to the maximum value of the welcome bonuses, the Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash even out. The Ink Business Unlimited is offering $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The Ink Business Cash offers $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 in the first six months. Once the spending requirements are met, both cards offer the same value.
However, the Ink Business Cash’s welcome bonus may be easier to earn, as it requires a total of $6,000 in spending over 6 months to receive the full $750 bonus, averaging out to $1,000 in spending each month. Cardholders who can’t meet that threshold can still receive a partial, $350 bonus after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. By contrast, earning the Ink Business Unlimited’s all-or-nothing $750 bonus requires spending $6,000 in 3 months, or $2,000 a month on average.
Rewards rate winner
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With the Ink Business Cash card, you’ll earn 5 percent cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services, as well as 2 percent cash back at gas stations and restaurants. Spending outside of these categories will earn 1 percent cash back. For the 5 percent and 2 percent categories, your cash back is capped at $25,000 in combined spending in each category, which limits how much cash back you can actually earn each year. Once you hit that limit, you’ll only earn 1 percent back for spending in those bonus categories.
The Ink Business Unlimited has a lower rewards rate at 1.5 percent cash back, but it applies to all categories and doesn’t have a spending limit. You may earn fewer rewards with this structure, but you won’t have to track categories or worry about a spending cap that drops your earnings to 1 percent back on your spending.
While the Ink Business Unlimited’s reward structure might be easier to manage for some business owners, the Ink Business Cash card still comes out ahead with a better rewards rate and more opportunity to earn cash back.It should be noted, however, that even though both business cards are marketed as cash back cards, they actually earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which can be redeemed for cash. This means that both cards have more rewards redemption options than typical cash back cards.
Annual fee winner
Why they tied
Neither card charges an annual fee, so you won’t have to worry about justifying the cost of carrying these rewards cards from year to year.
Foreign transaction fee winner
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Both cards charge a 3 percent foreign transaction fee, which means they’re not well suited for international travel. To support your business travel needs, consider pairing either one of these cards with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. With this card, you’ll avoid foreign transaction fees and earn more rewards in select business and travel categories — all for a $95 annual fee.
If you pair the Ink Business Preferred with the Business Cash or Business Unlimited, you’ll also have the ability to combine all of your Ink Business card rewards. You can move points from your Ink Business Cash or Business Unlimited to your Ink Business Preferred to gain higher-value travel redemption options.
For example, with the Ink Business Preferred, your points are worth 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed through Chase Travel — or even more with the right transfer partner. This is because Chase Ultimate Rewards can be worth around 2 cents each on average if transferred to high-value Chase airline and hotel partners, according to Bankrate’s latest credit card points valuations.
Which card earns the most?
You stand to earn more than double the rewards with the Ink Business Cash — but only if you spend in the right bonus categories. If you don’t spend that much in the Ink Business Cash’s 5 percent and 2 percent bonus categories, you could end up better off with the Ink Business Unlimited’s 1.5 percent flat rate.
Spending example: Ink Business Cash vs. Ink Business Unlimited
Ultimately, the better card for you comes down to how your business spends. We take a look at both cards in terms of the cash back they can earn.
| Category | Annual Spend | Ink Business Cash Credit Card Cash Back Amount | Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card Cash Back Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office supply | $6,000 | $300 | $90 |
| Internet | $2,400 | $120 | $36 |
| Cable | $1,500 | $75 | $22.50 |
| Phone | $3,000 | $150 | $45 |
| Gas | $4,800 | $96 | $72 |
| Restaurants | $9,600 | $192 | $144 |
| Total | $27,300 | $933 in cash back | $409.50 in cash back |
Why should you get the Ink Business Cash?
If you’re considering the Ink Business Cash, you’d likely be happy with it if your business spends a lot on office supplies, internet, cable and phone services, along with gas and restaurant spending. This card would be even better for you if you can stay just under the $25,000 annual limit for both the 5 percent and 2 percent bonus categories.
You should also get this card if you want flexibility in redemption options without committing to an annual fee. When holding the Ink Business Cash on its own, you can redeem your points for cash back (among a few other options) at a base value of 1 cent per point. Or, you can pair the Ink Business Cash with a premium Chase card — like the Ink Business Preferred or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® — to access transfer partners and higher-value redemptions in the Chase Travel portal.
Why should you get Ink Business Unlimited?
The Ink Business Unlimited is for businesses that want a no-frills, no-fuss way to earn flat-rate rewards on all business spending. It can be worth choosing this card over the Ink Business Cash if your business’s spending mostly falls outside of the Ink Business Cash’s bonus categories.
Like the Ink Business Cash, a big strength of the Ink Business Unlimited is the fact that its rewards come in the form of Ultimate Rewards points. These valuable points can be redeemed for straightforward cash back (among other options) or pooled onto a premium Chase card to unlock additional travel redemption options.
The bottom line
Both business cards offer the opportunity to earn a respectable rate of rewards on business spending. The Ink Business Cash Credit Card offers a higher rate of cash back on select bonus categories (capped at $50,000 in combined annual spending), while the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card offers a flat rate of 1.5 percent cash back and no caps on annual spending.
Take a look at your business spending and choose the Ink Business card that best matches your spending habits. With no annual fee, you may even consider getting both cards and pairing them strategically for better earning and redeeming opportunities.
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