Chase Ink Business Unlimited Review: When Simplicity Is Key
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Our Take
5.0
This card is ideal for small-business owners seeking streamlined rewards. But other cards, even other Chase cards, can offer more value if you're OK with monitoring bonus categories.
on Chase's website
Quick Facts
Pros & Cons
Pros
No annual fee
Intro APR period
No reward caps
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
No bonus categories
Compare to Other Cards
Annual fee$0 | Annual fee$95 | Annual fee$0 |
Regular APR17.74%-23.74% Variable APR | Regular APR20.49%-25.49% Variable APR | |
Intro APR0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months | Intro APRN/A | Intro APR0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening |
Recommended Credit Score |
Recommended Credit Score |
Recommended Credit Score |
Full Review
For entrepreneurs who would rather worry about their business than their credit card rewards program, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card from Chase keeps it simple.
The card has an annual fee of $0 and offers an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. And a hefty sign-up bonus doesn’t hurt: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
But business owners willing to put some effort into learning a rewards program might find greater rewards value with a different small-business credit card, even one within Chase’s own lineup of small-business credit cards.
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Basics and benefits
Card type: Small business.
Notable sign-up bonus
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's a big cash bonus for a card with an annual fee of $0.
Easy-to-understand rewards
No spending categories to remember, just a flat rate of 1.5 points per dollar spent. Rewards come in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, worth 1 cent each when redeemed as cash back. You can get that cash back in the form of a statement credit or a direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Points can also be redeemed for:
Gift cards (1 cent per point).
Travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards® (1 cent per point).
Amazon purchases (0.8 cents per point).
It’s also possible to move your rewards to other Chase accounts that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, potentially getting more value for travel. More on that next.
Ability to pair with higher-tier Chase cards for travel rewards
Typically, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are worth around 1 cent each. But three different Chase cards — the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, along with consumer cards Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® — offer boosts to that point value if you use your points to book travel through Chase. With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel this way. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, they're worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed this way.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card isn't eligible for these more-valuable travel redemptions — but if you also have any of those other three special cards, you can transfer points to that card from your Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. If you do this, and then redeem for travel, your effective rewards rate gets even better.
Points on those three special cards can also be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to other loyalty programs, such as United Airlines, British Airways or Marriott. Potentially, that could net you an even higher effective rewards rate.
An introductory 0% APR period
The APR on this card is 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.74%-23.74% Variable APR. This makes it a good option for an entrepreneur wanting to start or grow a business by making purchases without the cash on hand.
Drawbacks and potential alternatives
Mediocre flat rewards rate
A cash-back rewards rate of 1.5% on everything is simple, but not especially lucrative, even among flat-rate cards.
No spending categories
If you have higher spending in certain categories, such as travel or office supplies, you might be better off with a card that offers a higher rewards rate on those spending categories. For example, elsewhere in the Chase lineup is the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, which offers 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on Internet, cable and phone services each year. Plus, it earns 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants annually, in addition to an unlimited 1% cash back on all other card purchases. It is comparable because it not only comes from Chase but also has an annual fee of $0.
Foreign transaction fees
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card charges a foreign transaction fee of 3%, which will hurt if you travel overseas. Frequent international travelers would be better served by a business travel rewards card with no foreign transaction fees.
Should I get the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card?
The simplicity of the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card could be a fit for entrepreneurs who don’t want to deal with cumbersome bonus category terms. And its generous sign-up bonus and introductory 0% APR period on purchases are a boon for those planning to make a major purchase and pay it down over time. But if you’re looking for lucrative rewards, you can do better, maybe even in Chase’s own lineup of small-business credit cards.
on Chase's website
