Chase Ink Preferred Review: A Better-Than-Basic Business Travel Card

Earn bonus points on travel and other common business spending categories.
Kelsey Sheehy

Written by

Kelsey Sheehy
Kelsey Sheehy
Ryan Lane

Edited by

Ryan Lane
Ryan Lane

Edited by

Ryan Lane
Last updated on Jan 17, 2025

Fact checked and reviewed

Why trust NerdWallet

Advertiser disclosure

Kelsey Sheehy

Written by

Kelsey Sheehy
Kelsey Sheehy
Ryan Lane

Edited by

Ryan Lane
Ryan Lane

Edited by

Ryan Lane
Last updated on Jan 17, 2025

Fact checked and reviewed

Why trust NerdWallet

Advertiser disclosure

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Overview

The bottom line:

A big sign-up bonus, high ongoing rewards in common business spending categories and an array of perks make this card well worth the modest annual fee.

Credit card details

Annual fee

$95

Regular APR

20.24%-26.24% Variable APR

Intro APR

N/A

Rewards rate

1x-3x

Points

Foreign transaction fee

$0

Intro offer

90,000

Points

Pros & Cons

Pros

pros icon

New cardholder bonus offer

pros icon

Transfer partners

Cons

cons icon

Does not include lounge access or travel credits

More details from Chase

  • Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 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 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
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is one of the best — and most accessible — travel cards for small businesses thanks to the card’s balance of perks, rewards and value.
Annual fees are standard practice for business travel cards, but the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card's $95 annual fee falls on the low end of a spectrum that can swing as high as $695. Yet the Chase Ink Business Preferred still delivers a better welcome offer than some of its pricier peers and it matches or bests their rewards rates.
All of that makes the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card a simple, practical business credit card for business owners who want to earn travel rewards on everyday business expenses like shipping, advertising and internet.

This card is best for:

✔️ Earning points for travel, shipping, advertising and telecom expenses.
✔️ Booking travel via the Chase Travel℠ portal.
✔️ A low-fee business travel card.

Not a fit? Consider these business credit cards

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
You might prefer The Business Platinum Card® from American Express instead if you’re aiming for status and luxury perks, like travel credits and airport lounge access. The card comes with a hefty fee ($895), but you can still get your money's worth if you'll take advantage of its many benefits ( see rates and fees ).
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Consider The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express instead if your business spending doesn’t align with the Ink Business Preferred’s bonus categories. The American Express Blue for Business Plus earns a flat 2 points per $1 on all eligible purchases up to $50,000 spent annually. That's not a huge cap, but the card also has $0 annual fee (see
rates and fees
).
IN THIS REVIEW

At a glance: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

💳 Card type: Business travel card.
💲 Annual fee: $95.
💰 Sign-up bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
🎉 Rewards: 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 - with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Bonus categories currently include:
  • Travel.
  • Shipping purchases.
  • Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines.
  • Internet, cable and phone services.
You can redeem points for cash, gift cards, travel and eligible products or services. Points are generally worth about a penny each, with one notable exception: When you redeem your points for travel booked through Chase Travel℠, they're worth more.
📈 APR: The ongoing APR is 20.24%-26.24% Variable APR.
📍 Minimum credit limit: $5,000.
💷 Foreign transaction fee: None.
🎆 Other benefits:
  • Chase Travel℠
  • Primary auto collision coverage on rental cars in the U.S. and abroad when renting for business and paid with your Ink Business Preferred card. Terms apply.

Benefits and perks

Huge sign-up bonus

The Chase Ink Business Preferred offers one of the best sign-up bonuses for a business credit card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
That’s because the points earned with your Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are worth more when you redeem them for travel booked through Chase. That stretches the value of your welcome bonus, as well as any points you earn, if you redeem them for airfare, accommodations and more through Chase's portal. You can also combine points earned on other Chase credit cards (personal and business).

High rewards in common business spending categories

Several business travel cards offer bonus categories, but the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is one of the few that earns bonus points on non-travel related spending.
In addition to travel expenses, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 in combined annual spending in these categories:
  • Shipping.
  • Internet, cable and telephone services.
  • Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines.
All other spending earns a base rate of 1 point per dollar.
Compare that with the Capital One Spark Miles for Business, which only earns bonus miles on hotels and rental cars, and only when booked via Capital One’s travel portal.

Transfers to airline and hotel programs

You have the flexibility of transferring points on a 1:1 basis to more than a dozen popular airline and hotel loyalty programs. Depending on which partner you choose and how you redeem those points, transferring may offer outsized value.
Partners include:
  • Aer Lingus AerClub.
  • Air France/KLM Flying Blue.
  • British Airways Executive Club.
  • Emirates Skywards.
  • Iberia Plus.
  • JetBlue TrueBlue.
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
  • Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards.
  • United MileagePlus.
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
  • IHG Rewards Club.
  • Marriott Bonvoy.
  • World of Hyatt.

Travel protections

The card’s travel protections can spare you some headaches and money when your travel plans derail. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses (including passenger fares and hotels) when your trip is canceled due to sickness, severe weather conditions and other qualifying scenarios. Per person and per trip coverage limits apply.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card also includes rental car collision coverage, which reimburses you when a car rented for business purposes is damaged or stolen. The Ink Business Preferred’s coverage is primary — meaning it kicks in first, before your commercial auto insurance — if your rental car is damaged. To qualify, you must pay for the car rental with your Ink Business Preferred and decline the car rental agency’s collision insurance. Other terms apply.
» MORE: Making the most of the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Drawbacks and alternatives

There's an annual fee

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card’s $95 annual fee is certainly on low end for a business travel card, but there are a few no-annual-fee options.
The Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card , for example, has no annual fee and offers 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases. If you already have a Bank of America business checking account, you might qualify for an even higher rewards rate thanks to the bank’s Preferred Rewards for Business program. Gold tier members get a 25% rewards boost on Business Advantage credit cards; Platinum members get a 75% rewards boost.
The U.S. Bank Business Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is another top-notch option. This card does have an annual fee ($95), but it’s waived for the first year. And you’ll earn 4x points on travel, including at gas stations and EV charging stations, up to the first $150,000 in combined annual spending. No other business travel card delivers that level of travel rewards.
» MORE: Best gas cards for business.

No introductory 0% APR period

Business travel cards typically don’t offer an intro APR period. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is an exception. You'll get an introductory 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-27.24% Variable APR. This card earns AmEx Membership Rewards points: Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms apply. You can redeem points for travel or cash back, without losing any value ( see rates and fees ).

Its bonus categories might not match your spending

If you don't travel much or spend money in the other bonus categories (advertising, shipping and internet, cable and phone services), you'll miss out on most of the ongoing value of the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers a flat cash-back rate of 1.5% on all purchases, making it easy to earn a top rate no matter what your business spends on. There’s also a long intro APR period, no annual fee and stellar welcome offer: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Want a flat-rate travel card instead? The Capital One Spark Miles for Business card gives you an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase. This card has an annual fee ($0 intro for the first year, then $95) and a decent welcome offer: Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Your business spends HEAVILY on travel

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express may merit a closer look if your business spends a lot of money on travel annually. It has a $895 annual fee, but the long list of perks and benefits can offset the cost as long as you use them.
It earns 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com; 2 points on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year; and 1 point for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Terms apply ( see rates and fees ). (Learn more about the difference between The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.)
» MORE: Chase credit cards mobile app review

How we evaluated the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

NerdWallet's business credit card experts compared the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card to other business travel cards, evaluating how the card's rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its peers. We also surveyed Chase, the card's issuer, gathering information about employee cards, spending controls, credit limits and how often cardholders are considered for a credit limit increase. This data, alongside feedback from business owners — solicited directly and gathered via online forums like Reddit — helped inform our review of the Chase Ink Business Preferred.
» MORE: NerdWallet's best credit cards for small businesses
Notes from card issuers
To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, see this page.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

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 - with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Yes, the Chase Ink Preferred is a business travel card. In fact, it’s one of the best business travel cards available, with a low annual fee, huge sign-up bonus and bonus points on travel and common business expenses.
While the points you earn with the Ink Business Preferred card can be redeemed for statement credit, they're worth 25% more when you use them to book travel through Chase. You can transfer points to airline and hotel partners.
If you use them to book travel through Chase — such as for airfare, hotels, rental cars or cruises — points are worth 1.25 cents each. If you redeem them for cash, they’re worth 1 cent apiece. If you transfer your points to an airline or hotel program, the value you get depends on how you redeem them in those programs.
Yes. The annual fee is $95.
The primary difference between the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is that the Preferred is a business travel card while the Ink Business Cash is technically a cash-back business card. There are also some slight differences in bonus categories between the two cards: For the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card they're travel, shipping, telecom and advertising; for the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, they're office supply stores, telecom, gas stations and restaurants. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has a $0 annual fee, while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a $95 annual fee, but offers a larger welcome offer and additional perks.
Any business owner can apply for and get a business credit card, including the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, provided they have a good personal credit score (a FICO score of 690 or higher). You don’t need a formal business structure or even business revenue, in most cases, making it a good business credit card for new businesses, as well as freelancers and folks with side hustles. But keep in mind that card issuers also take into account your personal income, existing debts and other information when reviewing your application.
Yes. You can combine your points from multiple Chase cards you hold — including small-business and consumer cards. Plus you can transfer points to one member of your household. If you hold a Chase card like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can transfer your points to a variety of travel partners.