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The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is part of Chase's Ultimate Rewards program, allowing small business owners and entrepreneurs to earn travel rewards on all their company expenses. There's a lot to like about this card, and it's a fantastic alternative to the more expensive premium credit cards. Dive into the pros and cons in this Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review -- so you can find out if it's right for you.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Score:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Earn 120k bonus points after you spend $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℠. Offer expires at 9 AM EST on 9/5/2024.
Credit Score
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.24%-26.24% Variable
Rewards
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Earn 3 points per $1 in select business categories
Annual Fee
N/A
$95
Welcome Offer
Earn 120,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 120,000 bonus points
This business card gets you access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, and you'll start with 120,000 Ultimate Rewards points by qualifying for its eye-popping welcome bonus. Earning 3Xx points per $1 on popular business expenses means you can cover your bills and be generously rewarded in the process.
Huge sign-up bonus
Advertising rewards
Shipping rewards
Cell phone protection
Flexible travel points
Card perks
Annual fee
No intro APR offer
Spending minimum for sign-up bonus
Earn 120k bonus points after you spend $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℠
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Member FDIC
Full Chase Ink Business Preferred review
This credit card is a good fit for: Business owners with high spending in advertising, shipping, and travel, as well as internet, cable, and phone services.
Top perks
This Chase business credit card has several great benefits, including excellent bonus offers.
120,000 bonus points
You earn 120,000 bonus points by spending $8,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of having the card. That's one of the biggest sign-up bonuses you'll find. It's worth $1,500 in travel through Chase's travel portal, and potentially even more if you transfer your points.
As part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, this business card offers great ways to redeem your points. You can transfer points to any of Chase's airline and hotel partners to make an award booking.
Alternatively, you can use points to book cash travel purchases through the Chase Travel portal. You get 25% more value per point this way over the standard cash back value ($0.01 per point). That means you get $0.0125 per point.
That last coverage, cellphone insurance, is an underrated perk that many credit cards don't have. You just need to pay your monthly cellphone bill with your Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card for this protection to apply. Even better, it also covers any employees listed on your bill.
Free employee cards
If you have any employees who need company credit cards, you can make them authorized users and get cards for them free of charge. Their cards will have the exact same benefits and rewards rate.
This may be my favorite business credit card. The welcome offer is incredible, especially considering how affordable this card's annual fee is. It also has a great mix of bonus categories, including travel as a whole. And travel is where the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card shines. I love being able to transfer points to Chase's travel partners -- I've used this option to save a ton of money on airfare with United, Air France, and Iberia, as well as hotel stays with Hyatt.
What could be improved
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a couple downsides to know about.
Annual fee
This Chase credit card has an annual fee of $95. Considering the perks it offers, you can easily come out ahead in terms of value. See if you'll be able to use those benefits to figure out whether the card is a good deal.
The sign-up bonus alone is worth $1,500 toward travel. Cellphone insurance for you and any employees with company phones can save you $100 per year or more. And if your business has high spending in this card's bonus categories, the extra points you earn could save you hundreds to thousands of dollars every year.
Some business credit cards include a 0% intro APR on purchases, which is nice if you want to finance big expenses. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card doesn't have this kind of offer. It only makes sense to apply for this card if you'll be able to pay your bill in full every month and avoid interest charges.
High spending minimum for sign-up bonus
The sign-up bonus is incredible, but it does come with that steep spending minimum in a relatively short amount of time. If your business doesn't spend at least $2,667 per month, then the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card probably wouldn't be a good choice. In that case, check out other credit card reviews to find one with a lower spending minimum on its welcome bonus.
Want to get an idea of what other people think about this Chase card? We checked professional reviews and social media to find out.
What our competitors think
Average competitor rating: 4.6 / 5 stars
We read five reviews from our competitors, and there's no argument: This is an excellent business card. Everyone praised the huge welcome offer, all the options to redeem your points, and the value this card delivers for such an affordable annual fee.
There were some critiques, but nothing major. Here are the main potential drawbacks that were mentioned:
This card doesn't have a 0% intro APR. If you want to finance business expenses or refinance business debt, you'll need to look elsewhere.
It's only a good choice if the bonus categories are places where your business spends regularly. In all fairness, that's true of any rewards card with bonus categories.
It doesn't have many business perks beyond the rewards program and free employee cards.
Social media consensus
The Chase Ink cards are well-liked on social media, largely because of the bonuses they offer. Rewards enthusiasts love the welcome offers on the Chase Ink cards, but especially the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, since it offers the most bonus points. These cards also have big referral bonuses, so they're popular among couples who earn rewards together and refer each other to cards.
People often recommend the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card as part of a "Chase Trifecta" -- a combination of three Chase Ultimate Rewards cards. While the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a more common choice, some people prefer this Chase Ink card because it earns more on travel (1X points).
A few users mentioned that while this Chase card has useful travel protections, they may only be valid on business trips. If you use your card to pay for personal travel expenses, those protections might not apply.
Find the best credit card for your needs
Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.
What types of business owners would benefit most from the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card?
The right business card depends on your business needs and your financial goals. Here are the signs that you could get a lot of value out of this Chase Ink card.
You travel often
If you frequently book flights, hotel stays, or any other type of travel, this card is probably a match. It earns 1X points on travel purchases, and that's any type of travel. Spend $10,000 per year on business travel? You'll earn 30,000 points, just from that spending category alone.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are also arguably the best type of travel points. They're worth 25% more ($0.0125 per point) with this card when you use them for Chase Travel bookings. That's why the 120,000-point welcome offer is worth at least $1,500 in travel. You can also transfer points to any of Chase's many airline and hotel partners.
Your business spends heavily on shipping or online advertising
These are two more of the bonus categories on this card. Specifically, you earn bonus points on paid advertising through search engines and social media sites. That makes the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card excellent for online business owners with big marketing spend.
You'll also earn bonus points on shipping. It's practically the perfect mix of bonus categories if you sell products online. You'll earn bonus points on your advertising spending when you market your products and your shipping costs when you send out orders.
Just keep in mind that you earn 1X points up to your first $150,000 in yearly spending combined across all this card's bonus categories. If you spend over $12,500 per month in those categories, you'll hit the bonus cap.
You'd like to maximize your business card rewards
The Chase Ink credit cards are most popular with consumers who want to maximize rewards. If you're open to carrying multiple cards, keeping track of their bonus categories, and looking for high-value ways to use your points, you could get lots of value.
To be clear, you don't need to do this. You could still save money with this Chase Ink card alone, assuming the bonus categories fit your spending habits. But it works even better as part of an advanced rewards strategy.
Suggested credit score
A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is suggested to apply for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Cardholders usually have good credit or excellent credit. However, your credit score isn't the only important factor, and it doesn't guarantee an approval or a denial.
This is a business credit card, but businesses of all sizes and types qualify. You could get it with a traditional small business or as a freelancer.
Before you apply, make sure you understand Chase's 5/24 rule. Chase generally rejects all applicants who have already opened five or more credit cards within the previous 24 months.
Credit cards that pair well with the Chase Ink Business Preferred
Chase credit cards tend to work well together, and the Chase Ink cards are no exception. There are two Chase Ink cards, each with no annual fee, that make for a powerful combination with this one:
TheInk Business Cash® Credit Card earns 5% back on your first $25,000 spent at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services each account year. It also earns 2% back on your first $25,000 spent at gas stations and restaurants each account year.
The earns an unlimited 1.5% back on purchases. It's perfect for all your business spending that wouldn't fit into any bonus categories on your other cards.
Like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, these cards have generous welcome offers. They also have something it doesn't -- a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first . That could come in handy if you want to pay down expenses over time.
Another reason these cards work well together is because you can combine all your rewards onto one card. Technically, all these cards earn Ultimate Rewards points, but they don't all have the same redemption options. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has travel redemption options that the other two don't. If you have all three cards, you can move your points to the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card to redeem them for travel.
What to know before applying
Chase Ink Business Preferred credit score
A FICO® Score of 670 or higher is recommended to apply for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. It normally takes good or excellent credit to get approved, although this isn't a hard-and-fast rule. While this is a business credit card, you can apply with any type of business, including sole proprietorships.
Pre-approval process
You may be able to see if you're pre-approved for Chase cards on its website. There's sometimes a pre-approval tool there, but it isn't always available. When it is, you can check for Chase credit card pre-approvals in under a minute, without any impact on your credit score.
Regular APR
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a 21.24%-26.24% Variable APR. If you need to pay off business costs over time, you're better off with a business card that has a 0% intro APR, such as one of the other Chase Ink cards.
Fees
Here are the fees for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card:
Annual fee: $95
Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Cash advance fee: Either $15 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee: $0
Credit limit
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a minimum starting credit limit of $5,000, according to the pricing and terms. Chase bases your Ink card's credit limit on several factors, most importantly your income and credit history. Some cardholders get approved for much larger amounts, but the terms mention that Chase may request additional information to approve a credit line over $25,000.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred is right for you if:
You want a business credit card with ample bonus opportunities that costs under $100 per year. Here are a few good signs the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card could be a winner for you:
You have high spending in its bonus categories (travel, shipping, social media and search engine advertising, and internet, cable, and phone services).
You want to earn flexible travel points with a variety of redemption options.
You're looking for a big sign-up bonus -- and you plan to spend enough to earn it.
Assuming you spend enough to get the sign-up bonus, this card deserves a place near the top of your list. With a wide range of benefits and a reasonable annual fee, it's not just a great business card, it's right up there with the very best credit cards that we've found. Anyone interested in a travel rewards card should give the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card a look.
Alternatives to consider
If you want to finance business expenses with a 0% intro APR: The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has a 0% intro APR for purchases for 12 months. While the sign-up bonus is a bit smaller, the card has no annual fee and still packs in a robust rewards program.
If you want bonus gas and travel rewards: The Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi earns 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging spending (up to a $7,000 per year spending cap). It also earns 3% back on eligible travel and restaurant spending.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Excellent (740-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Excellent (740-850)
Welcome Offer:
Earn 120,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 120,000 bonus points
Welcome Offer:
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
Earn up to $750 bonus cash back
Welcome Offer:
N/A
Rewards Program:
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Earn 3 points per $1 in select business categories
Rewards Program:
Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Earn 5% cash back in select business categories
Rewards Program:
4% back on gas and EV charging ($7,000 annual spending cap), 3% back on restaurants and travel, 2% back on Costco purchases, 1% back on other purchases
1% - 4% back
Intro APR:
N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Intro APR:
0% Intro APR on Purchases
Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 12 months
Balance Transfers: N/A
Intro APR:
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR:
21.24%-26.24% Variable
Regular APR:
18.49% - 24.49% Variable
Regular APR:
20.49% (Variable)
Annual Fee:
N/A
$95
Annual Fee:
N/A
$0
Annual Fee:
$0 for Costco members
Highlights:
Earn 120k bonus points after you spend $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℠
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Member FDIC
Highlights:
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
10% Business Relationship Bonus If you have the Ink Business Cash card plus a Chase Business Checking account on your first card anniversary
With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
No Annual Fee
Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
Member FDIC
Highlights:
Discover the only business credit card designed exclusively for Costco members
4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging purchases for the first $7,000 per year and then 1% thereafter
3% cash back on restaurants and eligible travel purchases
2% cash back on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com
1% cash back on all other purchases
No annual fee with your paid Costco membership and enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, enjoy no foreign transaction fees on purchases
Receive an annual credit card reward certificate, which is redeemable for cash or merchandise at U.S. Costco warehouses, including Puerto Rico
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
The minimum starting credit limit for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is $5,000. Credit limits depend on a cardholder's income and credit history, and they can range from $5,000 to over $20,000. Chase may request additional information for a credit line of more than $25,000.
No, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card does not charge a foreign transaction fee.
This card is harder to get than most Chase credit cards. It's aimed at applicants with good or excellent credit, and Chase tends to be more selective about approvals for its business credit cards. If you have a FICO® Score of at least 670, then you have a good chance of approval.
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Discover Financial Services is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Citigroup is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale, JPMorgan Chase, Target, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Discover Financial Services and Hyatt Hotels. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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