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For businesses looking for a no-annual-fee cash back credit card, check out the new Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM Card. Earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business, plus other business boosting benefits.
New cardholders can enjoy a welcome bonus of $500 after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
You could get away with solely cashing out your rewards, but you can boost the value of your Ink Business Unlimited points when you pair it up with other credit cards. Take a look at how you can use the Ink Business Unlimited to your business advantage in this in-depth review.
* The Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card is issued by Chase Bank. They also offer great sign-up bonuses for their Checking/Savings accounts. You can also compare this card with other credit card bonuses!
Table of Contents
- 1 Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card Summary
- 2 Editor’s Alternate Pick
- 3 Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card $500 Bonus Cashback
- 4 Redeeming Your Rewards
- 5 Maximizing Your Rewards
- 6 Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card Benefits
- 7 Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card Pitfalls
- 8 Benefits Built For Your Success
- 9 Earning Cash Back
- 10 Pair It Up With Another Chase Credit Card
- 11 What About Other Options?
- 12 Bottom Line
- 13 What’s the Competition?
Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card Summary
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| Bonus Available | Earn $500 bonus cash back after you make at least $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. |
| *Bonus Value | $1,000 |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back rewards on every purchase made for your business.
Employee cards at no additional cost. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | 3% |
| Annual Fee | $0 |
* Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by HustlerMoneyBlog and not the card issuer.
View the latest valuations here.
Recommended Free Credit Score (Get Free Score)
690 – 850 (Good – Excellent)
PROS
- No annual fee
- Simple rewards
- Free employee cards
CONS
- Good-Excellent credit needed to qualify
- Foreign transaction fees
Editor’s Alternate Pick
 The Chase Ink Business PreferredSM Card offers 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You'll earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year; 1 point per $1 on all other purchases - with no limit to the amount you can earn. Furthermore, points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. This card does come with a $95 annual fee but does not have any foreign transaction fees. |
Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card $500 Bonus Cashback
Take advantage of the Ink Business Unlimited card’s $500 bonus cashback offer! To qualify, you need charge at least $3,000 to your card within the first three months of opening your account.
Here are some ideas on meeting the spending requirements:
| • Plastiq - Using Plastiq allows you to pay for your personal expenses such as rent, tuition, mortgage, auto lease etc. Although they charge a 2.5% processing fee for using your credit card, this will contribute to the card bonus that you will receive. There is also a referral program that allows you to earn "Free-Free Dollars" that goes towards processing fees as well. |
| • Funding Checking Accounts - When it comes to funding a checking account, opening your initial deposit with a credit card is the usual way to go about it. However, if you want to have more opportunities, you should open a checking account that offers a sign-up bonus. This allows you to work towards bonuses from not one but two different sources instead. Banks like Chase, Huntington Bank, TD Bank and BBVA offers credit card funding, and for your opening deposit, you can often fund anywhere from $50-$1000 with a credit card, depending on the bank. |
| • Gift Card Purchases With Using a Credit Card - Another way to acquire the bonus is using your credit card to purchase gift cards. Buying a a gift card or an individual merchant card typically do not require a purchase fee and are used towards leisure, so gift cards are ideal. However, gift cards such as a Visa or American Express do incur purchase fees because they can be spent anywhere, but gift cards that are specifically for a certain online shopping site such as Amazon or eBay don't. |
| As for a Citi Credit Card, you should call customer service and ask them to lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before making any purchases because Citi tends to read gift card purchases as a Cash Advance. Ideally, you should do this with any card just to be safe. Lastly, there is such thing as a discounted gift card which can be purchased on Raise or eBay. If you use a credit card often for everyday purchases, it can build your credit score that will contribute towards paying for things such as bills and taxes. |
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Redeeming Your Rewards
With Ink Business Unlimited, the rewards you earn come in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can redeem them for:
- Cash: As statement credit to apply toward your balance, or directly deposited to most United States checking and savings accounts.
- Travel: For premium vacation packages, cruises or fly any class on most major airlines. There are no restrictions or blackout dates on airfare booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- Gift cards: Over 70 gift card options available including Home Depot, iTunes, Amazon and Staples.
- Amazon items: Instantly redeem your points to pay for all or part of your eligible Amazon order, including tax and shipping.
Each Chase Ultimate Rewards point is worth $0.01, except for Amazon items which has a lesser value.
Maximizing Your Rewards
If you want to get the most out of your points, move them to other credit accounts that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards. Cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred® card and the Chase Sapphire ReserveSM Card. This will help boost your points value when you book for travel through Chase:
- Sapphire Preferred + Ink Business Unlimited = $0.0125/point
- Sapphire Reserve + Ink Business Unlimited = $0.015/point
Additionally, you’ll also be able to transfer to other loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio if you have either of the cards above. So the 10,000 UR points = 10,000 points/miles with the transfer partner. You can get up to an average of 2¢ per point value by doing this.
Ultimate Rewards Airline/Hotel 1:1 Point Transfer Partners
| Airline Transfer Partners | Hotel Transfer Partners |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | IHG Rewards Club |
| British Airways Executive Club | Marriott Bonvoy (Previously Marriott Rewards) |
| Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM | The Ritz-Carlton Rewards |
| Iberia Plus | World of Hyatt |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | |
| United MileagePlus | |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club |
Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card Benefits
The Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM Card is the go-to card for these reasons:
- A good sign up bonus. Enjoy $500 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Take note that you can convert this cash to Ultimate Rewards points to earn even more value for your rewards.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back. This applies to every purchase made for your business.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months. Then a variable rate applies afterwards. This applies to purchases.
- Employee cards at no additional cost. Earn cash back when your employees use their card. If employees are allowed to use the account, they will be authorized users. Thus, they’ll have equal charging privileges unless you established individual spending limits.
- Purchase protection and extended warranty. This covers your new purchases for up to 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account. In addition, extended warranty extends the time period of a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver. Decline the rental car company’s collision insurance when you rent car for business purposes using the Ink Business Unlimited. The card will cover up to the cash value of the vehicle in the case of theft or collision damage. This is valid on most rentals in the U.S. and abroad. Best of all, you’ll receive primary coverage.
- Transfer points. With Ultimate Rewards points, you can pool your points with your other Chase credit cards if you like to travel or go on a lot of business trips. In fact, you can get more out of your Ink Business Unlimited points if you pair it up with another Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points. Then, either transfer the points 1:1 to a travel partner or get 25% off travel when you redeem your points for airfare, hotels, and car rentals through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
- No annual fee.
Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card Pitfalls
You may not like the Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM Card due to these reasons:
- A foreign transaction fee. The Ink Business Unlimited will charge a 3% foreign transaction fee for each non-U.S. transaction in U.S. dollars. Use the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card instead as it does not have a foreign transaction fee.
- High APR. You may do better looking for another card with a lower interest rate if you find yourself needing to pay off your business expenses in installments. Interest charges can add up quickly if you don’t pay off your balance in full each month.
- Better rewards programs elsewhere. If you’re not digging the 1.5% cash back across the board, and you tend to put more spending in a specific business category, other business credit cards may better suit your business and offer bonuses.
Benefits Built For Your Success
- Fraud Protection: Safeguard your account with real-time fraud monitoring.
- Travel and Emergency Assistance Services: If you run into a problem away from home, call the Benefit Administrator. You can get legal and medical referrals or other travel and emergency assistance. You will be responsible for the cost of any goods or services obtained.
- Extended Warranty Protection: Extend the time period of your U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year. This benefit is eligible warranties of three years or less.
- Zero Liability Protection: For unauthorized charges made with your card or your account information, you won’t be held responsible.
- Purchase Protection: New purchases are covered for 120 days against damage or theft. This benefit will cover up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your Ink Business Unlimited card. Coverage is primary when renting for business purposes. Receive reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage. This benefit is available for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.
Earning Cash Back
Similar to the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card, the Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM Card offers 1.5% cash back per dollar spent on all purchases. Its rewards structure is simple.
However, this may not be the optimal card if you tend to spend more on specific categories. For example, if you purchase airfare with this card, you may be missing out on rewards of up to 5X points per dollar spent, such as with the Business Platinum® Card from American Express.
Or if you pay more for office supplies or internet service, you may be interested in the Chase Ink Business CashSM Card that pays 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services each account anniversary year.
Thus, it’s better to use another business credit card that could offer you better returns before using this one.
Pair It Up With Another Chase Credit Card
If you’re interested in applying for Chase’s other credit cards, you could pair this card up with one.
The Ink Business Unlimited card is surprisingly best complemented with its sister cards – the Chase Ink Business CashSM Card and the Chase Ink Business PreferredSM Card.
While the Ink Business Unlimited card offers the best return on everyday non-bonus spending, the other two Ink Business cards have great bonus categories.
The Ink Business Cash card also doesn’t come with an annual fee and offers 5% cash back on the first $25,000 of combined purchases per anniversary year on office supply stores, internet, cable TV, mobile phones, and landlines and 2% cash back on the first $25,000 of combined purchases per anniversary year on restaurants and gas stations.
In comparison, the Ink Business Preferred card has a $95 annual fee and offers 3X points on the first $150,000 spent each anniversary year on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines. With the Ink Business Preferred card earned points increase in value. Plus, the card has some sweet perks itself, such as a cell phone protection benefit.
Also check out the personal cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire ReserveSM Card. You’ll earn more value out of your points when you redeem for travel rewards.
What About Other Options?
Here’s how the Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM Card stacks up against the Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business Card, another top-rated business credit card offered by Capital One.
The Ink Business UnlimitedSM Credit Card offers $500 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business and you'll receive employee cards at no additional cost. This card carries no annual fee and you'll have the opportunity to take advantage of a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases |
 The Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business offers a one-time $500 cash bonus once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. You're able to earn an unlimited 2% cash back could mean thousands of dollars each year going back into your business. Use Spark Cash across all your business spend, with no categories to limit your purchasing. This card does come with a $95 annual fee, however, there is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year. |
If your business spends over $19,000 per year, the Spark Cash for Business gets you more value than with the Ink Business Unlimited. With this amount spent, the increased rewards of 2% unlimited cash back on all purchases makes up the $95 annual fee (waived for the first year).
Unfortunately, the Spark Cash for Business doesn’t synergize with other Capital One credit cards. So, your 2% rewards rate is capped. Depending on what you’re looking for, it may be enough.
But, for others who want to collect points and redeem them for flights or hotels, I highly recommend the Ink Business Unlimited card paired up with the Ink Business Preferred card.
Bottom Line
The Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM Card is an excellent addition to the Ink collection to aid in the gaps that the Ink Business Cash card and Ink Business Preferred card don’t cover.
Use it to its fullest potential by pairing it up with a Chase card that offers Ultimate Rewards points. This way, it offers one of the best returns on non-bonus spending for any business card.
This card is a great option for business expenses that don’t fall into the spending bonus categories other cards have. It’s especially beneficial with the unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases and no annual fee. If you’re interested in what more Chase has to offer, take a look at our list of the best Chase Bank promotions and the best Chase credit cards currently being offered. For more credit cards, see our latest list of the best credit card bonuses.
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See rates & fees here.
What’s the Competition?
* Below are some of the top competitors to the Chase Ink Business UnlimitedSM Card to consider.
 The Chase Ink Business CashSM Card offers $500 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll 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, 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year, & % cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn. This card comes with no annual fee. You'll be able to take advantage of employee cards at no additional cost & the 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases. |
The Capital One® Spark® Cash Select for Business offers a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. You'll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back could mean thousands of dollars each year going back into your business with no categories to limit your purchasing. This card comes with no annual fee and employee cards at no additional cost. |
The Chase Ink Business PreferredSM Card offers 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You'll earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year; 1 point per $1 on all other purchases - with no limit to the amount you can earn. Furthermore, points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. This card does come with a $95 annual fee but does not have any foreign transaction fees. |
Hustlermoneyblog has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Hustlermoneyblog and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.
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