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Chase has several fantastic business cards, including hotel cards, airline cards, and flexible business cards (the Ink Card family). Today, we will look at two of the top Ink cards: the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. Both the Ink Business Preferred and Ink Cash cards can make an excellent option for your business purchases and for your travel.
The one primary difference between both cards is how you can redeem your rewards points. Let’s break down the comparison category by category to help determine the best Chase Ink Business credit card for you.
120k Bonus Points: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Up to $750 Bonus Cash: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Annual Fee for Chase Ink Preferred & Ink Cash
Ink Preferred: $95
Ink Cash: $0
As you will discover in this article, the Ink Business Preferred is basically the business version of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, except you have the opportunity to earn bonus Ultimate Rewards® points on your business-related purchases. If you like the flexibility of how you can earn or redeem your points, the $95 annual fee can be well worth it.
The Ink Cash, on the other hand, doesn’t have an annual fee and can be the better option if you simply want cash rewards. Or, if you already own a Chase Sapphire card and only need a secondary business credit card to capture bonus points on the business spending categories, that would only earn one point each with the Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Earning Purchase Rewards
Ink Preferred: Earn up to 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in travel and select business spending categories.
Ink Cash: Earn up to 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined spending in select categories each account anniversary year.
Both cards offer similar purchase rewards, but there are a few differences.
Chase Ink Business Preferred
Let’s start with the Ink Preferred. You can earn 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 combined spending each year on the following categories:
- Travel
- Shipping purchases
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- Advertising through social media and search engines
After you have spent $150,000 in combined purchases for the above categories, you will only earn one point per $1. For all other purchase categories, you will earn an unlimited everyday rate of 1 point per $1.
Chase Ink Cash
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has a 5-2-1 tiered rewards system and pays purchase rewards on two different purchase categories:
Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined spending in the categories below each account anniversary year:
- Office supply stores
- Phone, internet, and cable services
Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined spending in the categories below each account anniversary year:
- Gas stations
- Restaurants
You will earn 1% on all remaining purchases and 1% on all bonus category purchases when you have spent at least $25,001 each anniversary year.
Which Chase Ink Card Has Better Purchase Rewards?
The answer depends on how much you plan to spend and on what purchases. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is better for “around town” purchases if you plan on buying a client’s lunch or buy your office supplies from your local Staples or Office Depot. Being able to earn double points on gas is also another nice touch, as this is the only Chase card that lets you earn double points year-round for this purchase type.
If you constantly travel for business and operate an online-based business, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is by far the better option.
Redeeming Purchase Rewards
Ink Preferred: Redeem for award travel (25% bonus), cash back, gift cards, and transfer to a 1:1 travel partner
Ink Cash: Redeem for award travel, cash back, and gift cards
This is where the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns its living. Why? Even though both credit cards earn Ultimate Rewards points, your points are more valuable with the Ink Preferred. Points redeemed for travel are worth 1.25 cents each (10,000 points=$125) instead of the usual value of one cent per mile (10,000 points=$100). And you can also transfer your points to a 1:1 Ultimate Rewards travel partner.
With the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, all points are only worth one cent each, regardless of how you redeem your rewards. As the name of the card implies, Ink Business Cash cash back rewards will be the best option. If you also own a Chase Sapphire or Ink Business Preferred, the points earned with your Ink Cash can be worth 1.25 cents each or transferred to a 1:1 travel partner as you can “pool” the Ultimate Rewards points earned by any Chase card you own (Sapphire, Freedom, Ink).
Additional Travel and Purchase Benefits
Both cards also have some nice benefits that will be similar to the Chase Sapphire Preferred. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is still the better option, as you can enjoy complimentary cell phone protection.
Chase Ink Preferred
Here are the highlights of the additional benefits Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card cardholders will enjoy:
- $600 cell phone protection (3 claims per year)
- Primary auto rental car damage waiver
- Up to $5,000 in trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance
- Complimentary roadside assistance
These additional benefits are virtually identical to the Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits. The one addition is that you get $600 in cell phone protection per claim. You can get up to three claims per year ($1800 per year) after paying a $100 per claim deductible.
Chase Ink Cash
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has some travel benefits but nothing to the extent of the Ink Preferred:
- Primary auto rental car damage waiver
- Complimentary roadside assistance
- Extended warranty protection
You won’t get free cell phone protection or trip cancellation coverage as you will with the Ink Preferred. But you’re not paying a $95 annual fee, either.
Additionally, cardholders may redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel, and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Fraud protection is also included with the card as well as zero fraud liability. Cardholders won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with their card or with their account information.
Sign-Up Bonus on Chase Ink Preferred vs Ink Cash
Ink Preferred: New Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card cardholders can earn 120k bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,200 cash back or $1,500 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
Ink Cash: New Ink Business Cash® Credit Card cardholders can earn up to a $750 bonus cash back! Earn $350 after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Then, earn an additional $400 after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
Ink Business Preferred
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has the most valuable sign-up bonus of any Chase credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards points. The bonus is worth $1,500 in award travel, thanks to the 25% travel redemption bonus. Of course, you can also transfer your points on a 1:1 basis to the Chase travel partners and be worth even more!
Ink Cash
New Ink Business Cash® Credit Card cardholders can earn up to a $750 bonus cash back! Earn $350 after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Then, earn an additional $400 after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
Summary of the Chase Ink Preferred vs. Ink Cash
Who wins the Ink Preferred vs. Ink Cash debate? Let’s find out:
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Wins When…
The Ink Business Preferred is the better option when you want a card that can provide the following:
- It has a much higher sign-up bonus
- You want to earn three points per $1 on travel and business-related purchases
- Redeem points for 1.25 cents for travel or transfer on a 1:1 basis
- Enjoy additional cardholder benefits like cell phone protection and trip cancellation insurance
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Wins When…
- You want to earn bonus points on business purchases without paying an annual fee
- Spend less than $25,000 for the 5% and 2% bonus categories
- Can also redeem your points with a Chase Sapphire to receive the 25% redemption bonus or transfer to a 1:1 travel partner
Both Chase Ink Business credit cards are excellent options to capture bonus rewards points on your business purchases, but the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a higher sign-up bonus. And, if you own the Ink Business Preferred, you basically get a business card version of the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which is one of the best travel rewards cards you can hold in your wallet.
120k Bonus Points: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Up to $750 Bonus Cash: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
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Ink cash is 2x on gas and dining, not 3x
Thanks! Fixed.