Chase Ink Preferred Review: High Rewards for Business Basics

The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card from Chase is firmly entrenched in the ranks of the best credit cards for small business thanks to a jumbo sign-up bonus, a high rewards rate in common business categories and a slew of valuable perks. If you do a lot of traveling for business or your spending otherwise matches the bonus categories, then the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card may be well worth its $95 annual fee.

Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card: Benefits

• Card type: Small business.

• A huge sign-up bonus. Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. This bonus is among the highest available on any card in any category. It could be enough to pay for an entire business trip. Or think of it this way: The bonus can cover the cost of carrying the card for the first 10 years.

• High rewards in common business spending categories. The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card gives you 1 Chase Ultimate Rewards® point per dollar spent — but that jumps to 3 points dollar on the first $150,000 in combined spending in these categories:

  • Travel

  • Shipping

  • Internet, cable and telephone service

  • Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines

• 25% boost in point value for travel redemptions. When you redeem your points for travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, they're worth 1.25 cents apiece. (That's the same high redemption value that helps make the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card so popular with leisure travelers.) Other redemptions, including for statement credit, generally give you a penny per point.

• Transfers to airline and hotel programs. You can transfer points on a 1:1 basis to a dozen popular airline and hotel loyalty programs, including United, Southwest, British Airways, Marriott and Hyatt. Transfers may give you even more value per point.

• Travel protections. These include trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary rental car coverage when renting for business purposes and no foreign transaction fees.

• Purchase protections. Purchases are covered for up to 120 days against damage or theft, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account. You'll also get an extra year tacked on to manufacturer's warranties of three years or less.

• Cell phone coverage. The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card pays up to $600 per claim for damage or theft of cell phones for you and your employees when the bill is paid using your card. There’s a maximum of three claims in a 12-month period, and there is a $100 deductible for each claim.

• Free cards for employees.

» MORE: Chase credit cards mobile app review

Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card: Drawbacks

The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card is an excellent card, but it's not going to be perfect, or even appropriate, for every business.

• Bonus categories might not match your spending. If you don't travel much or spend money in the other bonus categories, you'll miss out on most of the ongoing value of the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card. In that case, consider a flat-rate card — one that pays the same rate on all purchases, regardless of category. The Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business card gives you an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase. Miles are redeemable for credit against any travel expense at a rate of 1 cent per mile. This card offers a nice sign-up 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. The annual fee is $0 for the first year, then $95.

• You prefer cash rewards to points. There's no reward more flexible than cash back, right? If cash is king with you, consider one of these cards:

  • The Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card earns 5% cash back on up to $25,000 a year in combined spending at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services; 2% back on up to $25,000 a year in combined spending at gas stations and restaurants; and 1% back on everything else. You also can earn one of the biggest sign-up bonuses on any card with a $0 annual fee: Earn $500 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

  • If keeping track of bonus categories isn't your thing, the Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business card pays an unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase. It also comes with a solid sign-up offer: Earn a one-time $500 cash bonus once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. The annual fee is $0 for the first year, then $95.

Visit our list of the best credit cards to apply for to see more information on business credit cards.

Is the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card right for you?

The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card checks about as many boxes as a card can for business travelers without charging an annual fee in the hundreds of dollars. Check your books to see how well your expenses jibe with the bonus categories. If there's a lot of overlap, don't be afraid to pull the trigger.