Benefits I Wish Came With My Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Alex CramerSep 19, 2020
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The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is one of my go-to business cards. With a high sign-up bonus and easy-to-use spending categories, it provides a lot of value relative to its annual fee of $95.

But while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a good card, it's far from perfect, and there are definitely perks that I see on other business cards that I wish I could use with mine. These are the benefits that I most wish came with my Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

» Learn more: Chase Ink Preferred review: High rewards for business basics

0% intro APR

Not having to pay interest on a credit card sometimes feels like a super power. Never paying interest is the goal of every serious travel rewards collector because doing so dramatically lowers the value of your points.

The 0% intro APR for one year on the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card essentially allows the card to act as an interest-free loan. This gives card holders far greater financial flexibility when it comes to making spending decisions and not having to worry about making excessive interest payments during this period.

Other than a high sign-up bonus, no interest is probably my most coveted perk on any card.

Higher spending bonuses

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers good spending-bonus categories, but they’re not the best on the market. While the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card gives you three points per dollar spent on internet, cable and phone services, that’s not even the highest return in the Chase Ink family of cards.

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers 5% cash back or five Chase Ultimate Rewards® points per dollar spent on internet, cable and phone bills.

For frequent flyers, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers triple points travel spending, but that’s still significantly less than the 5x Membership Rewards points that The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers for the same expenses — though for a much higher annual fee. Terms apply.

More cash back

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card gives 1 point per dollar you spend for all non-bonus spending. I spend thousands every year that don’t fall into any bonus category and could be earning much more. The Capital One Spark Cash for Business, for example, offers 2% cash back on every dollar you spend, regardless of category. This perk would essentially double the value of my return for the money I spend on the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

» Learn more: Find the best cash back credit cards

Waived annual fee

Considering the benefits it delivers, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card comes at a fair price of $95 a year. The only issue is that unlike some cards, Chase doesn’t waive the fee for the first year, which does take a bite out of the card’s value.

The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®, on the other hand, charges a comparable annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $99, delivering more value for your bottom line.

Lounge access

No matter how good your seat is on the plane, you still have to battle with the crowds, noise and chaos of the airport, and a lounge can offer comfortable chairs, food, free drinks and perhaps a little peace and quiet.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card won't get you past reception at any of these locations. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, on the other hand, it gives you 10 free Priority Pass visits every year. Terms apply.

» Learn more: 6 credit cards that come with airport lounge access

The bottom line

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been a great rewards card to have, but that doesn’t mean it's perfect. Lounge access, 0% intro APR and higher spending bonuses would be a good start toward building a stronger card.

The information related to the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.

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