Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, deta...
A long-time points and miles student, Jessica is the former Personal Finance Managing Editor at U.S. News and World Report and is passionate about helping consumers fund their travels for as little ca...
Juan has been involved in credit cards, loyalty, travel, and personal finance for more than 10 years. He has worked for several outlets including The Points Guy and Forbes and was previously Editor-in...
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
As a small business, it’s prudent to look for ways to operate efficiently and leverage any opportunity to bring more value to your bottom line.
A business rewards credit card can help you accomplish these objectives by keeping your business and personal expenses separate and letting you utilize cash-back, points, or miles to offset bottom-line costs.
If you’re looking for a Chase business credit card that compliments and supports your small business operation, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card are especially good choices since they may reward many of the business-related purchases you’re currently making.
But which one is best for your business? Let’s find out now.
Ink Business Cash Card vs. Ink Business Unlimited Card — Overview
NEW OFFER: Earn $900 cash-back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
NEW OFFER: Earn $900 cash-back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Earning
5% cash-back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases every cardmember anniversary year at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services; and Lyft (through March 31, 2025)
2% cash-back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases every anniversary year at restaurants and gas stations
1% cash-back on other purchases
5% cash-back on Lyft through March 31, 2025
1.5% cash-back on other purchases
Top Redemption Options
Chase travel portal bookings
Gift cards, Statement credits/cash-back, Apple purchases, Amazon.com, PayPal.com
Top Travel Benefits & Protections
Primary rental car insurance, travel and emergency assistance services, roadside dispatch
Shopping Benefits & Protections
Purchase protection, Extended warranty
Annual Fees & Authorized Users
$0 annual fee
No additional annual fees for employee cards
$0 annual fee
No additional annual fees for employee cards
Reasons You Need a Business Credit Card
A business credit card can help with organizing your purchases, tracking expenditures by employees, and even saving you money.
There are several reasons a prudent business owner needs a dedicated business credit card:
Establish Business Credit — While the strength of your personal credit helps you secure your initial business credit card, as time goes on, your business will establish credit on its own. Business credit can be used to secure a loan or other financing.
Keep Expenses Separate — One of the primary reasons to have a business credit card is to keep personal and business expenses separate.
More Bonus Spending Categories — Business credit cards tend to have more business-related bonus spending categories such as shipping, office supplies, travel, and gas.
Higher Credit Limits — Business credit cards tend to have higher limits than personal credit cards.
Business-related Benefits — You’ll find more business organizational tools on business credit cards, such as programs that sync with accounting systems, annual statements, and employee credit cards.
Bottom Line: Business credit cards provide increased benefits, additional organizational tools, and more opportunities to earn rewards on business purchases than personal credit cards.
Who Qualifies for a Business Credit Card?
You don’t need a brick-and-mortar business to qualify for a business credit card. Image Credit: Jonas Jacobsson via Unsplash
You don’t have to run a large operation to qualify for a business credit card. You can apply for a business credit card even if you have a small side business, such as selling on eBay or umpiring baseball part-time.
Some states require you to have a business license, and it’s always good to register your business if it’s required. Having a DBA (Doing Business As) or an LLC (Limited Liability Company) can add credibility and help improve your chances of getting approved for a business credit card.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
This card offers great rewards and no annual fee. Any new business owner that needs to get going will enjoy this card.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has a lot going for it that makes it a compelling choice for small business owners. The card features a very lucrative 5% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year.
When you factor in that the card has no annual fee, and 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter, you could be adding big value back into your business for no cost out of pocket.
Pros
Earn 5% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year
Earn 2% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% back on all other purchases
Travel insurance and purchase protection
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
Employee cards at no additional cost
No annual fee
Cons
Spending caps in bonus categories
Low points earning outside of bonus categories
3% foreign transaction fees
Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back 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.
No Annual Fee
Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The Ink Business Unlimited card is a stellar option for business owners looking for a no-fuss uncapped 1.5% cash-back card without an annual fee.
As a business owner, you likely keep pretty busy and probably prefer a credit card that just keeps things simple.
If so, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card might be just the card for you. From zero annual fee to a flat cash-back rate, the card is a no-frills option that you don’t have to think twice about.
Don’t forget too, 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
Pros
1.5% cash-back on all purchases
No annual fee
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
Employee cards at no additional cost
Earn flexible rewards
Cons
3% foreign transaction fee
Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back 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.
No Annual Fee
Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
These are cash-back cards, but the rewards are earned as Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for 1 cent per point for cash-back or travel via the Chase travel portal. If you have a premium Chase credit card, you can transfer your points to that card and redeem them for up to 1.5 cents per point and utilize hotel and airline partners.
What These Chase Business Cards Have in Common
While either of these Chase business credit cards could make a positive contribution to your small business operation, one card may be better suited to the specific spending patterns of your business.
We’ll compare their differences in bonus earning categories and spending limits shortly, but first, let’s take a look at the cards’ similarities.
Both cards earn generous cash-back welcome bonuses for minimum initial spending in the first 3 months after card approval. You’ll also have ongoing earnings of valuable Ultimate Rewards Points that can be redeemed for cash-back, travel, merchandise, and more. Further, both cards are 2 of the best 0 apr business credit cards.
Neither card charges an annual fee, so that’s a positive — but both cards charge foreign transaction fees of 3%.
Both cards provide free employee cards, so you can monitor those expenses and earn rewards on every purchase your business makes.
With all the great attributes these cards have in common, it’s their earning differences that will determine which is the better business credit card for you.
Let’s compare rewards-earning categories on each of these cards and look at how the mix of your business expenses determines your earnings on each of these cards.
Select a business credit card that rewards your largest purchases. Image Credit: Staples
At first glance, we see that the Ink Business Cash card has 5% and 2% cash-back categories (which are capped on the first $25,000 spent annually), compared to the Ink Business Unlimited card’s flat 1.5% on every purchase.
You might jump at the chance to earn 5% or 2% cash-back, but let’s dig deeper and see if that’s the right decision for the specific mix of your business spending.
If your business spends a lot on travel, advertising, and shipping, the Ink Business Unlimited card may be better suited to your business spending priorities.
Conversely, if your business spends a lot on office supplies, internet/cable/phone, gas, and restaurants, you could fare better with the Ink Business Cash card.
Business Spending Category
Ink Business Cash Card
Ink Business Unlimited Card
Travel Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
5% cash-back
5% cash-back
Lyft (Through March 31, 2025)
5% cash-back
5% cash-back
Travel
1% cash-back
1.5% cash-back
Restaurants
2% cash-back
1.5% cash-back
Office Supplies
5% cash-back
1.5% cash-back
Internet Service/Cable/Phone
5% cash-back
1.5% cash-back
Gas Stations
2% cash-back
1.5% cash-back
Advertising on Social Media/Search Engines
1% cash-back
1.5% cash-back
Shipping
1% cash-back
1.5% cash-back
All Other Purchases
1% cash-back
1.5% cash-back
Remember that the Ink Business Cash card’s bonus earning is capped to the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases on 5% categories, as well as the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases on 2% categories.
Bottom Line: Bonus business spending categories can accelerate earnings, but only if you have significant spending in those categories. If most of your business spending is in the Ink Business Cash card 1% categories, for example, you may want to consider the Ink Business Unlimited card to earn 1.5% on every purchase.
How Limits Can Affect Your Earnings
It’s a clear positive that the Ink Business Cash card has 5% and 2% earning categories, but each of these categories has a $25,000 limit per account year. Above that amount, you’ll only earn 1% cash-back.
The Ink Business Unlimited card offers unlimited 1.5% earnings.
A business that requires a lot of travel, gas, and restaurant spending may exceed the $25,000 annual limit on the 2% categories of the Ink Business Cash card, while they could earn 1.5% on every purchase with the Ink Business Unlimited card. You’ll also only earn 1% on the Ink Business Cash card for travel-related expenses.
Here’s an example of heavy spending in these categories that shows how earnings are affected by the mix:
Expenses
Ink Business Cash Card
Ink Business Unlimited Card
$40,000 spent on travel
$400 (1% of $40,000)
$600 (1.5% of $40,000)
$15,000 on restaurants + $15,000 gas
$500 (2% of first $25,000)
$50 (1% of $5,000)
$450 (1.5% of $30,000)
Total Earnings
$950
$1,050
Bottom Line: If your business has purchases that exceed bonus category spending limits, your earnings will start to diminish after you reach those limits. Estimate your expenses up front and do some quick calculations before selecting a business credit card to ensure it’s a good match for your mix of business spending.
It’s Redemption Time — Which Card Has More Value Now?
Redeem your Ultimate Rewards Points for travel for 1 cent each, or transfer to a premium Chase credit card for up to 1.5 cents in travel value for each point. Image Credit: Chase
Both the Ink Business Cash card and the Ink Business Unlimited card earn valuable Ultimate Rewards Points that can be used as cash-back or redeemed for travel, purchases on Amazon, gift cards, and statement credits.
Either card can deliver value to your bottom line by redeeming your points for cash-back at the rate of 1 cent per point. If earning rewards to use for travel is your priority, however, the best option is to pair one of these cards with a Chase premium card and receive up to 50% more value.
Let’s take a look at how the value of your Ultimate Rewards Points differs by card when redeeming for travel:
Chase Credit Card
Value of Ultimate Rewards Points When Redeemed for Cash-back
Value of Ultimate Rewards Points When Redeemed for Travel
Hot Tip: Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned on the Ink Business Cash card and the Ink Business Unlimited card increase in value when transferred to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. The points can then be redeemed for travel for up to 1.5 cents per point versus 1.0. Transferring your Ultimate Rewards points also allows you to transfer points to the Chase airline and hotel partners for potential added value.
Additional Benefits and Protections
Helping you organize your business expenses and earning rewards on your purchases are huge benefits of having a business credit card. But there are additional protections and card features that can be equally beneficial.
Travel Benefits/Protections
Travel benefits and protections on the Ink Business Cash card and Ink Business Unlimited card are identical and include the following:
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver — Pay with your card, decline the rental agency coverage, and you’ll receive primary coverage when renting a vehicle for business purposes in the U.S. and abroad. The coverage will pay up to the actual cash value of the vehicle. Most credit cards provide only secondary coverage, so having primary coverage is a real advantage.
Lost Luggage Benefit — Report the loss of your luggage to the carrier first, then submit a claim for coverage of up to $3,000 for each insured person. Coverage is in excess of any remuneration received from the carrier.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services — If you have a problem away from home, you can call 24/7 for free legal, medical, travel, or emergency referral assistance. The cardholder is responsible for the cost of actual services.
Baggage Delay Benefit — When baggage is delayed more than 6 hours, you may receive $100 per day for up to 3 days. This coverage is in excess of the remuneration received from the carrier.
Roadside Dispatch — You’ll have access to roadside dispatch service 24/7. Available services include delivery of gas, towing, jumpstarting, tire changing, and lockout service. The cardholder is responsible for the cost of actual services.
Travel Accident Insurance — Provides up to $500,000 for a covered loss due to a covered accident.
Shopping Protections
Extended Warranty — Receive an additional year of warranty coverage on U.S. manufacturer’s repair warranties of 3 years or less. You must charge some portion of the item’s purchase price to your card.
Purchase Protection — Your qualifying purchase made with your credit card receives 120 days of coverage against damage or theft, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Neither card charges an annual fee, and both cards charge foreign transaction fees. The real bottom-line difference in these business credit cards is the mix of bonus spending categories and limits on some of those categories. If your business spends a lot on travel, advertising, and shipping, the Ink Business Unlimited Card might deliver better earnings.
However, if your business spends a lot on office supplies, internet, cable, and phone services, restaurants, and gas (and doesn’t exceed $25,000 in each bonus earnings category), the Ink Business Cash card will be the better choice.
You can’t go wrong with either business credit card, and you may even want both of these cards to make sure you earn top rewards on every purchase.
Just 1 more recommendation: think about pairing these cards with a premium Chase credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve card to maximize the value of all those Ultimate Rewards Points you’ll be earning.
Before applying for any Chase credit card, you’ll want to review Chase’s 5/24 rule. This rule concerns how many credit cards (from any issuer) Chase allows you to have opened in the past 24 months before they will not approve you for a new credit card.
Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Frequently Asked Questions
On Chase credit cards, rewards are first earned as points on all of the purchases you make on your Chase credit card. These points can be redeemed for cash-back at the rate of 1 cent each (hence the term “cash-back”).
The points earned on Chase credit cards are Ultimate Rewards Points, and they accumulate in your rewards account until you choose to redeem them.
A 0% APR credit card is a normal credit card that offers a special introductory period when no interest is charged on purchases made and/or on balances transferred from other credit cards.
Instead of being charged interest when you carry an ongoing balance month to month, no interest is charged for the first 12 months after card approval.
If you have high-interest credit card balances and your new card is a 0% APR credit card, you can transfer those balances and take 12 months to repay the debt without interest.
It’s important to pay off any balances prior to the 12 month period ending, or you will be charged significant interest. See details above for the specific offers on the cards we discussed here.
When you make purchases on your credit card, you earn Ultimate Rewards Points that can be redeemed for cash-back, gift cards, statement credits, or travel.
To redeem for travel, you would sign in to your Chase online account and click the Ultimate Rewards banner. You will be taken to the Ultimate Rewards site, where you can book travel using your points at the rate of 1 cent per point in value.
You can receive even greater value (up to 1.5 cents per point), if you have a Chase premium Ultimate Rewards credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
The best business credit card for a small business is one that matches your business spending. Since each of these cards has different bonus spending categories, you’ll want to select the card that aligns with your greatest expenses.
For example, if your business spends a lot on travel, the Ink Business Unlimited card may work well for you. If you spend a significant amount on office supplies, internet, and phone services, you may fare better with the Ink Business Cash card.
You’ll need to estimate your annual expenses in each category and select a business credit card that rewards those categories.
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
2 comments
Jannie
March 05, 2019
This was so incredibly helpful! Thank you for this breakdown. 🙂
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
![Ink Business Cash Card vs. Ink Business Unlimited Card [Detailed Comparison]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Chase-Ink-Business-Unlimited-vs-Chase-Ink-Cash-Upgraded-Points-LLC.jpg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
2 comments
Jannie
March 05, 2019
This was so incredibly helpful! Thank you for this breakdown. 🙂
Christine Krzyszton
March 06, 2019
Glad you found the information useful, Jannie. Thanks for reading and for the kind words.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.