Why My Ink Business Preferred Outshines the Chase Sapphire Preferred

If you’re looking to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is often a popular starting point. It boasts an impressive welcome offer, bonus points across multiple spending categories, flexible redemption options, and robust travel insurance benefits.

However, I’d argue that another overlooked Chase card — the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card — might be even better. Although tailored for small business owners, the Ink Business Preferred card can be a powerhouse for earning rewards.

In fact, having both cards can make sense for those who are looking to elevate their travel rewards game. However, for those who prefer to carry just one rewards card at a time, the Ink Business Preferred card stands out with advantages in certain areas — here’s why.

Ink Business Preferred Card Overview

The Ink Business Preferred card routinely makes our list of best business credit cards. The $95 annual fee is reasonable considering its entire list of benefits:

• Generous welcome bonus offer: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
• 3x points on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year (internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites) and 1x points on all other eligible purchases
• Access to Chase’s transfer partners
• Cell phone protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty protection
• Travel protections, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• No foreign transaction fees

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

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 Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.

Welcome Offer

Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

90,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,800

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49% - 26.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases, especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.

Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
• Cell phone protection
• Purchase protection

Cons

• No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 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.
• Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% - 26.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: $0

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

The Ink Business Preferred card also earns highly valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. We value Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each, which is among the highest valuations for any points currency. 

But the Ink Business Preferred card is not for everyone. Although it offers plenty of value, it does lack in certain places. The Ink Business Preferred card does not offer travel perks such as airport lounge access or credits for expedited security such as TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or CLEAR.

If your business spending does not fall within the bonus categories, you are left with a less than stellar return on your spending. This is one of the major selling points of the card, as the bonus categories are where you can earn a huge chunk of Ultimate Rewards points.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview

How does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card compare? It routinely makes our list of best travel credit cards thanks to its fantastic earning structure and incredible benefits. Many of these benefits are so useful that I plan to keep my Chase Sapphire Preferred card long-term.

BEST BEGINNER CARD

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

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.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 bonus points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.74% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Just like the Ink Business Preferred card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card also earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to various airline and hotel programs. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a different earning structure with different bonus categories:

• 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
• 3x points on dining, select streaming services and online groceries ((excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
• 2x on all other travel purchases

Why I Prefer the Ink Business Preferred Card to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The 2 cards have earning structures that complement each other. While it may be a good idea to carry both the Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card, I understand that is something that not everyone wants to do.

If you’re debating between the 2, here is why I would suggest the Ink Business Preferred card over the Chase Sapphire Preferred card:

1. Higher Welcome Offer

Welcome offers on both the Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Preferred card change from time to time. These welcome offers allow you to earn a large number of rewards in a short time and are typically the biggest reason to get a new card:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening..
• Ink Business Preferred card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s welcome bonus is worth $1,200, while the Ink Business Preferred card’s welcome bonus is worth a higher $1,800 — and for the same annual fee.

2. Better Earning Structure

Although the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a travel credit card, you only earn 2x points on travel when not booking through Chase Travel. Meanwhile, the Ink Business Preferred card earns 3x points on travel (up to $150,000 on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year).

If you spend a lot on travel like I do, the Ink Business Preferred card can help you earn Ultimate Rewards points at a much quicker pace.

Of course, this is subjective, as it really depends on your spending habits. If you spend more on dining at restaurants or online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), the Chase Sapphire Preferred card could be a better option.

3. Cell Phone Protection Coverage

The Ink Business Preferred card is one of the few Chase credit cards to offer cell phone protection (unlike the Chase Sapphire Preferred card).

With this benefit, you can receive coverage for damage or theft as long as you pay for your and your employees’ monthly cell phone bills with your card. There is a limit of $1,000 per claim for up to 3 claims per 12-month period. There is also a $100 deductible per claim.

This is an incredibly valuable benefit and has saved me hundreds of dollars of the years. Smartphones have become increasingly more expensive, and I tend to be somewhat careless at times, which has resulted in me damaging my phone several times especially while traveling.

Best of all, it’s easy to get this benefit — all you need to do is pay your monthly cell phone bill with the Ink Business Preferred card.

4. Separating Business From Personal Spending

For business owners, keeping business expenses separate from personal ones is essential. Business credit cards, like the Ink Business Preferred card, make this process straightforward.

Additionally, having a business credit line helps prevent impacts to your personal credit, such as your credit utilization ratio and other credit score factors — a valuable advantage, especially if you incur a substantial amount of business expenses.

Final Thoughts

The Ink Business Preferred card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card are fantastic cards. Both offer fantastic welcome bonus offers, the ability to transfer points to Chase’s long list of travel partners, and excellent perks and benefits.

Still, I value the Chase Ink Business Preferred card more. With the significantly higher welcome bonus offer and an overall better earning structure, the Ink Business Preferred card provides me with more value. However, I do carry both the Ink Business Preferred card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred card in my wallet, as the cards compliment each other nicely.