New Chase Ink Business Offers Better Rewards, Signup Bonus

The Chase Ink Business just became even more attractive. We were fans (and users) before, lured by the 3% bonus/1% base rate. Now, though, Chase sweetened the deal further, kicking up the bonus rewards rate and adding a signup bonus.

The new offer: better bonuses overall

The old Chase Ink Business offered 3% back on business-friendly categories like office supplies and 1% back elsewhere. The new offer gives 5% back on cable and telecom services as well as office supplies on the first $25,000 spent annually, plus 2% on gas and dining on the first $15,000 spent annually. It keeps the base 1% rate, and has no limit on the 1% rewards you can earn.

There’s also a new signup bonus: $250 cash back after your first purchase and 10,000 points (worth $100) for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. Finally, the Ink Cash Business has a 0% introductory APR offer on balance transfers and purchases for the first six months. It also gives free cards to employees, and has no annual fee.

How does the Chase Ink compare to other business cards?

We generally considered the Ink to top the business credit card category even before the upgrade. We still think it’s number one: if you max out on the 5% and 2% bonus categories and spend an additional $15k, you’ll get an average rewards rate of 3%. The closest card to that rate is the Capital One Venture for Business, which gives a flat 2% rate. The CapOne Venture also loses out in terms of signup bonuses and annual fees. The Venture gives 10,000 No Hassle Miles for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months and 5,000 for adding an employee card, for a total of $150. It has a $59 annual fee, waived the first year. It also has no 0% intro period on purchases or balance transfers, but waives the balance transfer fee while the Ink charges the industry standard 5%.

Pretty much all of the other business credit cards offer a 1% base rate and vary in their signup bonuses. The third and fourth place cards are both Ink Business cards, the Ink Bold ($95 annual fee, waived the first year, and a 25k-point signup bonus) and the Ink Reward Yourself (no annual fee, 15k-point signup bonus). Far and above, the Chase Ink is the best small business credit card.