Chase Ink Cash Review: A Cash-Back Contender for Small Businesses
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Our Take
5.0
With a $0 annual fee and a sign-up bonus worth $900, this card is a good fit for any business that spends significant money on office supplies and telecom services.
Quick Facts
Pros & Cons
Pros
No annual fee
Intro APR period
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
Requires good/excellent credit
Low rate outside bonus categories
Spending caps on bonus rewards
Compare to Other Cards
Annual fee$95 | Annual fee$0 | Annual fee$0 |
Regular APR20.49%-25.49% Variable APR | ||
Intro APRN/A | Intro APR0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening | 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
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card can be a lucrative card for small-business owners who spend heavily in its top bonus categories and want a card with an annual fee of $0. And it welcomes new cardholders with a generous sign-up bonus.
But its most lucrative rewards are capped, which hurts big spenders. And while its other rewards and features are decent, better options exist for heavy travelers willing to pay an annual fee.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a capable cash-back rewards card, but some business owners will find a better fit elsewhere, even among other Chase business credit cards.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Basics
Card type: Small business.
Annual fee: $0.
Sign-up bonus: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Ongoing rewards:
5% cash back on up to $25,000 a year in spending at office supply stores and on cable, internet and phone service.
2% cash back on up to $25,000 a year in spending at gas stations and restaurants.
1% cash back on all other spending.
Your cash will come in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. One point equals one penny.
Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 17.74%-23.74% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fee: 3%.
Key benefits of the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Notable sign-up bonus
The sign-up bonus is enough to pay for several client lunches and is especially generous for a card with an annual fee of $0.
Bonus rewards in common business categories
The 5% categories are valuable and align with typical small-business spending. It’s especially good for smaller spenders who won’t blow through the $25,000 rewards cap midway through Q1. Spending up to that cap reaps a cool $1,250 per year.
Double cash back on gas stations and restaurants (2% instead of 1%) isn’t special nowadays, but it’s a fine return if you don’t want to fiddle with other credit cards to earn higher rewards.
An introductory 0% APR period
It's rare to find a business credit card with a 0% APR offer, making this a good option for an entrepreneur looking at startup costs and needing extra time to pay.
Pair your Ink Business Cash® Credit Card with other Chase cards
For more cash back
A common strategy is to use a card like this for its high-value spending categories, in this case to get 5% or 2% cash back. Then, use another card for everything else that offers a better return than this card’s 1%. You don’t even need to leave the Chase family to do that. The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers 1.5% cash back on everything. The extra half a percentage point will add up, especially with typical business spending.
For high-value travel rewards
Typically, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are worth around 1 cent each. But three 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 Cash® Credit Card isn't eligible for these more-valuable travel redemptions, but you can transfer points from your Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to any of those other three special cards. If you do this, 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.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Drawbacks and alternatives
5% categories that don’t fit your business
If your business spends relatively little on office supplies or cable-internet-phone services, you’re missing the primary reason to use this card long-term.
Examples of cash back business cards with different and simpler rewards, also with no annual fee:
The Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus gives you 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no limit. You can also earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. It has no foreign transaction fees. There's also a sign-up bonus.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card also pays 1.5% cash back with no limit. Its sign-up bonus: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Poor choice for traveling abroad
If you're traveling internationally, the 3% foreign transaction fee is punitive. The Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus has no such fees. For other options, see our list of the best travel credit cards for businesses.
Is the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card right for you?
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card costs nothing to carry. So if your business spends significant money in the bonus categories, it makes sense to get one, especially with a lucrative sign-up bonus and the ability to pair strategically with other cards. But if it’s not a match for your business spending, other good choices abound.
