How do business credit cards work?

Business credit cards allow you to pay for your business expenses with the card, which keeps them separate from your personal expenses. When you apply for a business credit card, you’ll still be using your personal credit history to qualify because you’ll be personally responsible for any charges on the card.

How much income does my business need to qualify for a business credit card?

Your business does not need to have a substantial amount of income to apply for a business credit card. Your personal credit history and income will play a large role in whether you get approved. When you apply for the card, you’ll be asked about your business income, but you’ll also need to provide your personal information, as you’ll be personally responsible for paying for any charges incurred.

How many Chase business cards can I have?

There is not a specific limit for the number of Chase business cards you can have. Chase will consider the amount of total credit you have with Chase, your credit history and income, and other factors it deems pertinent to determine whether to approve you for a specific card. We do know that you can only be approved for 2 Chase credit cards within a 30-day period and the Chase 5/24 rule can come into play regarding the number and types of cards you’re approved for.

Are Chase business cards hard to get?

Chase is not the easiest credit card issuer for approvals, so you’ll want to be sure to fill out your application completely, accurately, and be prepared to discuss your business with a representative if necessary. The effort it may take to secure Chase business cards is worth it, however, as Chase can be a valuable asset to your business in the long run.

Can I use my Chase business credit card for personal expenses?

Technically, you can use your Chase business card for a personal expense. However, it is not recommended. One of the primary reasons to secure a business credit card is to keep business and personal expenses separate. Also, there can be confusion at tax time as you try to determine which expenses on the card were personal and which were business.

The 6 Best Chase Business Credit Cards in 2023 [100k Bonus]

Chase is a consumer credit card powerhouse but is equally dominant in its business credit card offerings. Whether you’re refereeing soccer on the weekends for a few extra dollars or running a major software sales business, there’s a Chase business credit card that can deliver a bounty of benefits to your business.

A financial relationship with Chase can be a valuable asset that can benefit your business long-term, so the decision to secure a Chase business credit card shouldn’t be taken lightly. Managing your credit wisely with Chase can reap rewards far into the future.

With the potential for ongoing value as a foundation, join us as we look at a few key Chase business cards delivering cash-back, travel rewards, and other benefits any business owner can appreciate.

Table of Contents

The 4 Best Chase Ink Business Credit Cards in 2023
The 2 Best Chase Partner-branded Business Credit Cards in 2023
- 1. United Business Card
- 2. Southwest Performance Business Card
Why Do I Need a Business Credit Card?
- Definition of a Small Business
- Top 5 Reasons You Should Have a Business Credit Card
How To Apply for a Chase Business Credit Card
- Essential Tips for Completing the Chase Business Credit Card Application
- After You’ve Submitted the Application
Final Thoughts

The 4 Best Chase Ink Business Credit Cards in 2023

Best for Travel Rewards: Ink Business Preferred card
Best for Cash-back: Ink Business Cash card
Best for Straightforward Earning: Ink Business card
Best for Big Spenders: Ink Business Premier card

Let’s explore some of the key features and benefits of these top Chase business cards.

1. Ink Business Preferred Card (Top Pick)

The Ink Business Preferred card is a prime credit card for businesses that require frequent travel.

First, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on your most common business expenses, including travel. You’ll also earn 3x points for common business expenses such as cable, shipping, internet, phone, and advertising. That makes it easy to accumulate points quickly, redeem for travel to offset business travel expenses, or even fund a family vacation.

If you take advantage of the ongoing value of the additional 25% when redeeming points for travel through Ultimate Rewards, you can potentially offset the annual fee, and that’s before taking into account the numerous other benefits such as cell phone protection.

We’ve also written frequently about the many ways that you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards for maximum value.

2. Ink Business Cash Card

Small businesses just starting out can always use more cash, so having a business credit card that earns cash-back on every business expense can be a real plus.

The Ink Business Cash card rewards generously for common business purchases. With 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services, your earnings can add up quickly and be invested directly back into the business.

Restaurant and gas station spending earns 2% cash-back (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases), so if your business requires road travel, the Ink Business Cash card could be a good fit. We found many valuable benefits of the Ink Business Cash card.

3. Ink Business Unlimited Card

The busy business owner who doesn’t want to be bothered keeping track of bonus categories and quarterly promotions will enjoy the simplicity of the no-annual-fee Ink Business Unlimited card. Every purchase earns an unlimited 1.5% cash-back that could be invested directly back into your business.

Also, if your business has a large purchase, or purchases, coming up, the 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.24% - 24.24% thereafter, could save you money when repaying the amount back over time without interest charges.

4. Ink Business Premier Card

We love the Ink Business Premier card if you’re a business owner that has large-item purchases month to month.

You’ll earn 2.5% cash-back on every purchase of $5,000 or more and 2% cash-back on all other purchases. You’ll also earn 5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Keep in mind that this is strictly a cash-back card and its rewards cannot be transferred to airline or hotel partners.

This card also has no preset spending limit, which helps high-spending business owners.

Lastly, there’s travel insurance, cell phone protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, fraud protection, and no-additional-fee employee cards.

Additional Benefits of Chase Business Credit Cards

All of these excellent Chase business credit cards come with the option to secure credit cards for your employees at no additional cost. These additional cards enable you to keep track of their spending and earn even more cash-back or travel rewards on business expenses you’d otherwise reimburse.

All Chase business credit cards come with strong travel and purchase protections, Visa Signature benefits, and there are some Chase business credit cards with 0% APR offers.

Bottom Line: Having multiple Chase business credit cards allows you to receive the maximum value for your rewards. You can do this because Chase cash-back business cards earn Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for cash or transferred to a premium Chase credit card for increased redemption value through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal.

The 2 Best Chase Partner-branded Business Credit Cards in 2023

Best for United Flyers: United Business card
Best for Southwest Flyers: Southwest Performance Business card

If your business involves travel, you’re sure to benefit from these Chase partner-branded business credit cards that earn points or miles you can use to offset your business travel expenses or fund a personal vacation.

1. United Business Card

You can’t go wrong with the United Business card if your business has frequent travel on United Airlines.

Just the savings from not having to pay for a checked bag may offset the annual fee, and the rewards travel earned from the welcome offer just adds to the value of securing the card.

2. Southwest Performance Business Card

For elevated earnings on Southwest Airlines and on common business expenses, the Southwest Performance Business card will cover those bases.

The card earns 4x points on Southwest purchases, 3x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, and 2x points on rideshare, social media and search engine ads, internet, cable, and phone services.

The card comes with 4 Upgraded Boardings for Southwest flights and Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee statement credit. Plus, you’ll receive 9,000 bonus points after the card’s anniversary.

Bottom Line: A partner-branded Chase business credit card is a good choice if you frequent that brand; otherwise, select a business credit card that rewards all travel purchases and offers favorable redemption values on travel, such as the Ink Business Preferred card.

Why Do I Need a Business Credit Card?

Definition of a Small Business

The IRS is the most reliable source for determining what constitutes a business, so we’ll use its definition of whether you have a legitimate business that could potentially qualify for a business credit card.

According to the IRS, “Generally, an activity qualifies as a business if it is carried on with the reasonable expectation of earning a profit.”

Even if your business activity is small, it can still qualify as a business as long as it has “the reasonable expectation of earning a profit.” Whether the credit card issuer will approve you is another matter. Your personal credit will play a significant role in getting approved, you can still qualify with little or no initial business income.

Bottom Line: No matter how small your business, you may still be approved for a business credit card if your personal credit history is strong.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Have a Business Credit Card

Keep Personal and Business Expenses Separate: Separating expenses is the primary reason to have a business card.
Cleaner Records: Business credit cards offer annual statements and tracking tools that make record-keeping easier.
Employee Spending: Chase business cards provide free employee cards that help you keep track of employee purchases.
Rewards: A rewards-earning business credit card brings more value back into your business in the form of cash-back, free travel, or benefits and perks.
Cash Flow: In months of low revenue, a business credit card can help temporarily bridge the gap until cash flow improves.

How To Apply for a Chase Business Credit Card

Before you apply for a business card, you’ll want to look into the following:

The Chase 5/24 Rule

This unwritten rule, confirmed by data points from actual credit card applicants, refers to Chase’s practice of not approving certain new Chase credit cards for applicants who have opened 5 or more total credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months.

Before you apply for any Chase credit card, you’ll want to review our complete guide to the Chase 5/24 rule.

Gathering Your Business Information

Before you complete the Chase business credit card application, you’ll want to be prepared and gather the necessary information in advance:

The legal name of your business, if it has one (if not, use your personal name)
Your business entity type (sole proprietor, partnership, S corporation, or limited liability company)
Tax ID number or your Social Security number if you don’t have an Employer Identification Number
The number of years you’ve been in business
Estimated business income and total personal income (you can put zero for business income if the business is new)
Business address, even if it’s your personal address
Business phone number
Category of business plus the business type and sub-type (for example, business category: professional; business type: accounting; business sub-type: tax preparation)
The number of employees
Possible additional personal information

Know Your Credit Score

Your personal credit plays a huge role in whether you’ll qualify for a business credit card, so you should know your credit score before applying for a Chase business credit card.

You can access your credit score for free from several sources. Credit Karma and Credit Sesame provide options for obtaining your credit score without charge. You should also monitor your credit score regularly.

Hot Tip: Our expert guide gives you everything you need to know about how your credit score is determined and how to view your credit score for free.

Essential Tips for Completing the Chase Business Credit Card Application

Don’t wing it. Chase is discerning when it comes to issuing credit, so take the application seriously and be as accurate as possible.
Print a copy of the application. If for any reason your application is not approved, or Chase requests more information, you might need to speak with a representative. You’ll want to have all of the information in front of you during the conversation.
Document the offer you’re applying for. Take a simple screenshot of the credit card offer for your records. For example, if you’re applying for an 80,000-point welcome bonus for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months after card approval and the points don’t show up, you’ll have documentation of the offer.
You may want to apply in person. If you have a current business relationship with Chase, you should leverage that relationship by applying in person at your local branch.
Complete the application in full. Don’t leave any spaces blank. If the information does not apply to your business, write “N/A.”

After You’ve Submitted the Application

You may not receive an immediate decision once you apply, as your application may require manual review. Here’s how to handle each possibility.

Denied: Call the business credit card reconsideration line. You may be able to move around credit limits from other cards and get approved, or you may be able to provide additional information that changes the decision.

Pending: It doesn’t hurt to call, as there might be information needed to facilitate approval.

Approved: Once you’re approved, the clock starts ticking. You will have limited time to complete the spending required to receive your welcome bonus. Once you receive your card (usually in 7 to 10 business days) you can call and confirm your offer and the cut-off date for your welcome bonus spending.

Final Thoughts

With Chase’s diverse portfolio of card offerings, it’s possible to select a combination of Chase business cards that rewards all of your business spending.

You’ll want to make sure you’re considering Chase’s 5/24 rule during the process, and also include one of its premium cards in the mix to gain additional redemption value for your Ultimate Rewards points through the travel portal.

You can also read our guide on “Comparing Chase Business Credit Cards” to give additional insights into these credit card products.

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