How to Get the Most from the Ink Business Cash Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card may be less popular than some of the other Chase Ultimate Rewards® cards, but a savvy small-business owner can still rack up major rewards by taking full advantage of this card’s benefits — especially considering there is no annual fee.

For some of these perks, it's important to understand that while the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a cash-back card, you can also redeem your rewards as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points at a 1 point to 1 cent ratio.

Here's how to get the most from your Ink Business Cash® Credit Card.

» Learn more: Our full Chase Ink Cash review: A cash-back contender for small businesses

Ways to maximize your Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Hit your sign-up bonus

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. If you take advantage of the ideas we outline below, you can push the value of that bonus even higher.

» Learn more: The best no-annual-fee cards for business

Link your Chase cards

One of the strengths of Chase credit cards is that you can move your points from one card to another instantly and without penalty. This means that you can take advantage of perks that exist on different cards.

For example, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers a 25% bonus on points redeemed through the Chase reward portal, a perk that the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card does not offer.

Here’s how it could work: Keep your Ink Business Cash® Credit Card sign-up bonus as 75,000 points rather than cash back. Transfer those points to your Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, then redeem them in the Chase reward portal. Points redeem at a value of one cent per point. Thanks to the 25% bonus on portal redemptions, your sign-up bonus is now effectively worth $937.50.

Transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to travel partners

One of the most effective ways to max out the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards® is to transfer them to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners, such as United Airlines.

For example, let’s say you wanted to book a round-trip flight between Los Angeles and New York on United through the Chase travel portal. Search results show you would need to redeem 26,620 points.

However, if you transfer your points to United Airlines and convert them to United miles, you can actually book the exact same flight for just 22,000 United miles. Bravo: You just snagged your ticket for 4,620 points less.

» Learn more: How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards®

Spend at least $25K

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers 5% cash back on the first $25,000 you spend at office supply stores and on phone, cable and internet services. However, even for a thriving small business, it can be hard to hit that $25,000 threshold and max out your perk.

Don’t be afraid to stock up on basic, reliable business materials — like paper or printer ink — to nudge your business expenses closer to the threshold.

Add employee cards

If your employees need to make business-related purchases or take clients out to dinner, you can issue them an employee card at no additional expense. You’ll be responsible for covering the bills, but charges made on an employee card will help you earn rewards even more quickly.

» Learn more: Advanced tips for redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards®

Spend on high-return bonus categories

Another feature of the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card worth highlighting is that its bonus categories are useful. The card offers 2% cash back on spending at restaurants and gas stations for up to the first $25,000 you spend in these categories each anniversary year, plus unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

The bottom line

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers strong rewards for users who know how to take advantage of all its perks. With a high sign-up bonus and lucrative bonus categories, it can be a smart choice for small-business owners looking for a no-fee cash-back card.

If you can handle a larger annual fee, consider the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and its bigger sign-up bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.. Plus, earn 3x points on travel and other select business categories.