Review: Chase Ink Business Cash

Before I started writing for Travel Update, I had a short-lived bookkeeping business (only to find that bookkeeping was not for me). One of the ways that I funded my business was with my Chase Ink Business Cash Card. This no annual fee business credit card helped me through some tough months when I had a plethora of expenses. I also earned lots of Ultimate Rewards (UR) points in the process.

Furthermore, I already had a Sapphire Preferred and a Freedom Unlimited before I started my business. And both cards earn UR points. My decision to apply for the Ink Business Cash was a smart one because of the card’s bonus categories, lack of annual fee, and my business expenses.

The Ink Business Cash is great for entrepreneurs and business owners who spend within its bonus categories. Even though it lacks in benefits, it practically prints Ultimate Rewards (UR) points for category purchases.

Earning

The Ink Business Cash Card is a very powerful one. It earns 5x UR points (or 5% cash back) at Office Supply Stores and for Internet, TV, and Phone bills. The Ink Business Cash also earns 2x UR points (or 2% cash back) on Dining and at Gas Stations. In fact, the Ink Business Cash is the only UR-earning card that currently has a designated gas station bonus category.

Furthermore, the Ink Business Cash Card’s potential can be maximized for those who have multiple UR point-earning cards. Cardholders who also have a Chase Ink Business Preferred or either Sapphire card can transfer the points from their Ink Business Cash account to one of those accounts. This feature is the most powerful that Chase has to offer as it’s vital for many earning strategies. UR points cannot be earned directly without a premium Chase card. In other words, the Ink Business Cash earns cash back as a standalone credit card.

Plus, Chase is offering a sign-up bonus worth a whopping 75,000 UR points (or $750 cash back) for the Ink Business Cash. This amazing bonus can be earned after spending $7,500 within the first three months. This bonus is one of the highest in the industry for any no-annual fee card. However, the spend requirement might be out of reach for individuals and small business owners.

Burning

Earning points is fantastic, but points earned are useless if you cannot redeem them for anything of value. Chase has multiple options for points redemption:

Cash Back, Travel, & Gift Cards

Cash back is one of just three redemption options for those who have the Ink Business Cash alone. Points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back. Furthermore, cardholders can also redeem UR points for travel via Chase’s travel portal. Points are worth 1 CPP when redeemed them this way.

The final option is to redeem points for gift cards. With this option, UR points are worth 1 CPP. Sometimes, Chase discounts some of their gift card options, enabling cardholders to redeem for more than 1 CPP.

Redeeming points for any of these options is not optimal, but not terrible either. Any credit card that gives you 5% cash back in multiple categories is a winner. But moving points to Chase’s transfer partners is the most valuable redemption option if you can do it.

Transfer Partners

Transfer partners are by far Chase’s most valuable redemption option. But they are only available if you also have either Sapphire card or the Chase Ink Business Preferred. Chase has the following transfer partners:

Hotels

• IHG
• Marriott
• World of Hyatt

Airlines

• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• British Airways
• Emirates
• Iberia
• JetBlue
• KLM Flying Blue / Air France
• Singapore Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic

Benefits

Despite being a no-annual fee card, the Chase Ink Business Cash comes with a few handy travel benefits:

Primary Car Rental Insurance

This benefit covers the entire loss, damage, or theft of your car rental. Because Chase offers Primary coverage with this card, you don’t have to accept the car rental company’s insurance policy if you use your Ink Cash. Having this perk makes the Ink Cash rare because very few no annual fee cards come with this perk.

Purchase Protection

Newly bought items are covered for 120 days after they’re purchased. This benefit kicks in if your item is stolen or damaged. Each account has a limit of $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account each year.

Extended Warranty

If you buy something with a warranty using your Ink Cash, Chase will add one year to the warranty. This is fantastic for businesses that purchase electronics and other fragile or breakable items.

Similar Cards

Chase Ink Business Unlimited

Despite the similar name, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited is more simple than it “sibling”. That’s because it earns 1.5x UR points (or 1.5% cash back) on all purchases. And it comes with the same sign-up bonus as the Ink Business Cash. This card is the business equivalent of the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Furthermore, the Ink Business Unlimited Card is great for business owners that have varied business expenses but want to earn Chase UR points. It can also be a great complement to the Ink Business Cash and the Ink Business Preferred. All three cards earn UR points, but in different categories. Plus, you can transfer points earned to the Ink Business Preferred or a Sapphire card. Such transferring gives you access to Chase’s transfer partners, which could be very lucrative.

American Express Blue Business Plus

The American Express Blue Business Plus Card is best suited for business owners that want to earn Amex Membership Rewards (MR) points for no annual fee. It earns 2x MR points on the first $50,000 in purchases each year. Thereafter, it earns just one MR point per dollar.

Owners of businesses that have varied business expenses will like the Blue Business Plus more than the Chase Ink Business Cash. However, it can also be a complement to the Ink Business Cash. Business owners who like both UR and MR points can earn both points if they use both cards in tandem.

A huge advantage of the Blue Business Plus is that cardholders can transfer points to partners without a premium Amex card. The Ink Business Cash does not have this option as a standalone card. However, Amex is not offering a sign-up bonus for the Blue Business Plus because of its earning structure.

Final Draw

The Chase Ink Business Cash is a points-earning machine! It’s one of my favorite business credit cards for earning because of its many and broad categories. I was excited to use this card to help fund my bookkeeping business and earn more than 50,000 UR points in the process. I still use my Ink Business Cash for my cell phone bill and gas purchases despite switching to a cash back dominant setup.

Apply Today: Chase Ink Business Cash