Ink Business Preferred Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card [Detailed Comparison]

Today’s card comparison is a must-read if you’re deciding between a premium Chase business card or securing a Chase personal travel rewards card.

The Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card offer tremendous value. Small business and personal cardholders earn rewards quickly on every purchase and have access to flexible and valuable redemptions.

Plus, you wouldn’t be paying any $600+ annual fees, typical with top-tier travel rewards cards, to receive all the benefits these 2 popular cards offer.

Today’s card comparison does have a twist! You don’t necessarily have to choose between the Ink Business Preferred card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, as the cards can make a great duo.

Let’s continue with our comparison, and while you’re reading, consider the possibility of having both cards in your wallet.

Ink Business Preferred Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — Overview

When you’re ready to select a credit card, it’s helpful to have a side-by-side comparison to review the features and benefits.

We’ll provide more details on the Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card shortly. First, let’s begin with this overview.

Feature or Benefit	Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer	NEW OFFER: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.	Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Top Earning Categories	3x points on shipping, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, internet, cable, phone services, and travel, up to $150,000 in combined purchases every card account year	5x points on travel via Chase Travel and on Lyft rides 3x points on dining 2x points on all other travel, select streaming services, online groceries 10% annual points bonus
Top Redemptions	Redeem points for 1.25 cents each for travel via Chase Travel, transfer points to airline and hotel partners
Top Travel Protections and Benefits	Primary car rental insurance, trip cancellation and interruption, no foreign transaction fees	Primary car rental insurance, trip cancellation and interruption, annual $50 hotel credit, no foreign transaction fees
Top Shopping Protections and Benefits	Cell phone protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, Chase Offers	Purchase protection, extended warranty, Chase Offers
Annual Fees and Authorized Users	Annual fee of $95 No fee to add authorized users	Annual fee of $95 No fee to add authorized users

The Value of a Welcome Offer

When you’re first approved for a premium credit card, you typically have the opportunity to earn a welcome offer.

Welcome offers on the Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card can be valuable, as they allow you to earn a large number of rewards in a short time. Depending on how you redeem those rewards, a welcome bonus could be worth more than $1,000.

To qualify for a welcome bonus offer, meet the minimum spending requirements within the specified period immediately following card approval.

These offers can vary, but the following snapshots contain the most current information for our featured cards:

Bottom Line:

The Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card have generous welcome offers potentially worth upward of $1,000 when you redeem points for travel. You can earn welcome offers by meeting minimum spending requirements in the specified period after card approval.

Earning Potential: Why Not Both?

Rewards earning is a key benefit of holding a business or personal credit card. The Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card have robust earning structures that allow you to earn rewards quickly.

Both cards earn valuable and flexible Ultimate Rewards points with multiple ways to redeem them. We’ll discuss redemptions next.

First, let’s review how to earn points on our featured cards:

Earning Category	Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Travel	3x points on travel (up to $150,000 per cardmember year for combined 3x points categories)	5x points on travel purchased via Chase Travel  5x points on Lyft rides through March 2025 2x points on all other travel
Peloton	1x points	5x points on qualifying Peloton purchases over $150 through March 2025 (maximum $25,000 in purchases)
Dining, Including Takeout and Delivery	1x points	3x points
Select Streaming Services	1x points	3x points
Advertising, Internet, Cable, Phone Services, Shipping	3x points, up to $150,000 in purchases each year for all 3x categories, then 1x	1x points
Online Grocery Stores	1x points	3x points
All Other Purchases	1x points	1x points

Earlier, we mentioned that the Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card could make a compelling pair. Earning potential is a big reason why.

While the Ink Business Preferred card earns well on typical business expenses, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns well on more everyday purchases, including dining, streaming services, and grocery stores. Both cards also earn well on travel.

The actual mix of your spending categories determines your earning potential. With that said, both cards have strong overall earning structures.

Bottom Line:

The Ink Business Preferred card earns well on common business expenses, up to $150,000 in purchases each calendar year. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns well on more everyday purchases and travel.

Redemption Options

The Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card earn flexible Ultimate Rewards points. Flexibility at redemption time increases the value of your rewards, as you have more choices on how to use your points.

Here are the redemption options for both of our featured cards:

Redemption Option	Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Travel	Redeem points for 1.25 cents per point for travel via Chase Travel Transfer points to airline or hotel partners for flights or free hotel nights Redeem points for 1 cent each toward a statement credit for previous travel purchases
Statement Credits	Redeem points for 1 cent each for a general statement credit, Pay Yourself Back (up to 1.25 cents per point in value)
Additional Redemption Options	Shopping at select retailers, gift cards, experiences, Amazon, Apple Products, charitable donation

The best potential value for Ultimate Rewards points earned on either card is to transfer them to airline or hotel partners. You can then purchase award flights or free hotel nights.

We value Ultimate Rewards points at approximately 2 cents each when redeeming points for travel.

One desirable option for redeeming Ultimate Rewards points is to transfer to United MileagePlus and use 50,000 miles to secure a business class flight to Hawaii. You can also try to find a cheaper redemption on Singapore Airlines, but availability is typically more limited.

You can also transfer points to hotel partners, Hyatt being one of the most beneficial. Ultimate Rewards points transfer to World of Hyatt at a ratio of 1:1.

You can book the Category 5 Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico in Rio Grande for as few as 17,000 points per night. Peak nightly rates at the hotel can exceed $500.

Redeeming Ultimate Rewards points via Chase Travel is also an option. Points have a value of 1.25 cents each when used this way. Inexpensive flights, nonchain hotels, and experiences may be the best uses of Ultimate Rewards points via Chase Travel.

Typically, you don’t receive any associated hotel program perks or elite status benefits at hotels booked via Chase Travel.

Hot Tip:

If you have both the Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can combine Ultimate Rewards points between cards. This feature can be a benefit at redemption time and a good reason to have a Chase business card and a Chase personal card.

If you wish to donate your points to charity, you can use Ultimate Rewards points (at a rate of 1.25 cents each) for a statement credit with Pay Yourself Back. Additional rotating categories that are eligible for this benefit will vary.

Other redemptions may result in a value of less than 1.25 cents per point.

Bottom Line:

The best potential value for Ultimate Rewards points earned on the Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card is to transfer points to airline or hotel partners. You can also redeem points via Chase Travel at 1.25 cents per point. Additional redemptions include statement credits, gift cards, shopping at select retailers, and charitable donations.

Travel Protections and Benefits

Chase does a stellar job of providing travel protections and benefits with its cards.

The Ink Business Preferred card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card are loaded with travel protections that can bring economic relief if something goes wrong during your journey.

Travel benefits found on the cards can save you money on travel-related purchases.

Here are the key travel protections and benefits the cards have in common and those that are available with each card:

• Car Rental Insurance: Reserve and pay for your car rental with your card and decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW insurance to receive coverage for damage and theft.
  • Ink Business Preferred Card: Coverage is primary when using the car for business and when renting outside of the U.S. Otherwise, coverage is secondary. “Primary” means you do not have to file a claim with any other applicable insurance before card coverage applies.
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Coverage is primary.
• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance: If your trip is disrupted or needs to be canceled for a covered reason, you could receive up to $5,000 per person and up to $10,000 per trip with the Ink Business Preferred card. Coverage on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is $10,000 per person, up to $20,000 per trip.
• Trip Delay Insurance: If your trip is delayed more than 12 hours for a covered reason, you could receive up to $500 in reimbursement for covered incidentals.
• Baggage Insurance: If your bags are lost, stolen, or damaged, you could receive up to $3,000 per bag for each covered person. If your bags are delayed more than 6 hours, you could receive up to $100 per day, up to a maximum of 5 days, for covered incidentals.
• Roadside Dispatch: Pay just a single, prenegotiated fee for a service call, 24/7, when you’re stranded on the side of the road. Services include limited towing, standard winching, emergency fuel delivery, lockout or jump-start services, and tire-changing with an inflated spare.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees: Take your card when traveling abroad, as neither card charges foreign transaction fees, which are typically 3% of the total purchase.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

• Hotel Statement Credit: Use your card to book a hotel via Chase Travel and receive up to $50 as a statement credit.

Bottom Line:

Use your Ink Business Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Preferred card to pay for a portion of your trip and receive travel protections and benefits. Key travel protections include primary car rental insurance, trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, and baggage insurance coverage.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

Chances are you’ll be purchasing numerous items with your Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

It’s good to know that if something should go wrong with your purchase, you could be reimbursed, receive a replacement, or have the item repaired. Shopping protections can provide this coverage for eligible items.

Shopping benefits can save you money or provide ways for you to earn additional rewards.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits that are offered with both of our featured cards and with the individual cards:

• Purchase Protection: If an eligible item is damaged or stolen within 120 days of the purchase date, you could receive up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account on the Ink Business Preferred card. Coverage is up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. The item must have been purchased with your card.
• Extended Warranty: Eligible items purchased with your card that have a manufacturer’s warranty receive a 1-year warranty extension.
• Chase Offers: Find these offers in your online Chase card account and add the offers you like to your card. Make the associated required purchase and receive a statement credit rebate.

Ink Business Preferred Card

• Cell Phone Protection: Pay for your and your employees’ monthly cell phone bills with your card and receive coverage for damage or theft. There is a limit of $1,000 per claim, up to 3 claims per 12-month period, and a $100 deductible per claim.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

• DoorDash DashPass: Receive a complimentary 12-month membership, $5 in monthly credits, and associated benefits when you activate this perk by December 31, 2024.
• Instacart+ Credit: Add your card to your Instacart account and receive a complimentary 6-month membership and $15 in quarterly credits. Register by July 31, 2024, to receive this offer.

Bottom Line:

Eligible items purchased with the Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card may qualify for purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. Additionally, the Ink Business Preferred card offers cell phone protection. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has DoorDash DashPass and Instacart+ offers.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

A key factor to consider when selecting a card is any associated fees you might need to pay. These fees can include the annual fee for card membership and any charge to add additional users to your card.

The Ink Business Preferred card has an annual fee of $95, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card also has an annual fee of $95.

There is no additional fee to add authorized users to either card.

Tips on Applying for Chase Cards

Chase has established rules to meet to qualify for its credit cards. You will not be approved for a Chase card if you have been approved for 5 or more personal cards within the past 24 months. This number includes cards from all issuers.

While business cards do not count toward the Chase 5/24 rule, you will not be approved for a Chase business card if you’re at or above the 5/24 limit.

You need a good to excellent credit score for either of our featured cards, which is generally considered 670 to 850.

It can also help to have an existing relationship with Chase, such as a personal or business checking account.

Final Thoughts

If you currently own a business, regardless of size, having a business credit card to separate business expenses from personal should be a priority. The Ink Business Preferred card, with a lower annual fee, makes an excellent choice.

Fortunately, having a Chase personal rewards-earning card can pair nicely with this Chase business card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is our favorite for its earning power, flexible redemption options, and useful travel insurance protections and benefits.

Whether you need a card that provides good value for your business, an everyday credit card with stellar travel benefits, or both, the Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card should be high on your list for consideration.