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10 Benefits of Chase Ink Business Cards for Freelancers and Business Owners

Business credit cards are not just for brick-and-mortar business owners. If you’re a freelancer or self-employed, a business credit card can help keep your business and personal expenses separate.

Chase Ink Business credit cards are among the best, offering big signup bonuses and excellent rewards. Here’s our list of the best 10 benefits of Chase Ink Business Cards.

10 Benefits of Chase Ink Business Cards

1. Signup Bonus

New Chase Ink business credit card holders can enjoy a nice signup bonus if they spend the required amount within the first three months. Here’s a list of the current bonuses:

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card: Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

It’s easy to meet the requirements to get the signup bonus. Just charge everything you typically pay for with cash or any other method to earn the bonus. It’s like getting free money for purchases you usually make.

For example, if you need to spend $6,000 on the card in three months, do you have $2,000 worth of monthly expenses that you can put on the card? Think about what you use for your business, your cell phone bill, your internet bill, travel, or gas. Even a big purchase you are saving for, like a new computer, new cell phone, or airfare for a business trip.

2. Excellent Rewards

Each Chase Ink business credit card offers incredible rewards for using the card. 

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card pays 1.5% cash back on all purchases; the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card pays 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent at office supply stores, phone, internet, and cable services per year. It also pays 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent on gas station and restaurant purchases combined. 

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns 3x the points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on shipping, advertising, phone, cable, internet, and travel per year.

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card offers 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and 2% cash back on all other purchases. 

3. No Annual Fee

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card both have no annual fee.

The two other Ink Business credit cards have an annual fee, but it’s much lower than other well-known business credit cards. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a $95 annual fee, and the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card has a $195 annual fee. Considering business cards can have annual fees as high as $550, Chase Ink Business credit card fees are much more reasonable.

4. Free Employee Cards

All four Chase Ink business credit cards provide free employee cards. This benefits you in a couple of ways. 

First, you can earn rewards faster. When your employees use the cards to purchase items in the reward categories, you automatically earn the rewards. This is better than reimbursing employees for expenses they may charge on their personal credit cards.

Second, you can set spending limits on each employee’s credit card, so you don’t have to worry about anyone overspending and putting your business in trouble.

5. Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards

All four business cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, but with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card you can earn 25% more for each dollar spent when you book your travel through Chase. This includes airfare with no blackout dates, hotel stays, and rental cars. That means your $1,000 cash back is worth up to $1,250. If you have another Chase card like the Chase Freedom Flex(SM), you can transfer those rewards to your Ink Business Preferred to get more value.

Or if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can transfer your points to that card and get 50% more value from your points. So $1,000 cash back can be worth up to $1,500 when you transfer points to the Sapphire Reserve and use the points to book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

If you have the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card or the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, you can transfer points to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to earn 25% more value or 50% more value with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® when redeemed for travel through Chase.

Points earned with the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card cannot transfer to other Chase cards or Chase Travel Partners. 

6. 0% APR on Purchases

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card card both offer 0% APR on all purchases for the first 12 months. This includes purchases in any category, not just the reward categories. If you pay the balance off within 12 months, you won’t pay any interest.

After 12 months, the APR increases to 18.49% - 24.49% variable APR.

7. Travel Protection 

Each Chase Ink business credit card includes certain travel protections when you book using your Chase business credit card. The coverage includes an auto rental collision damage waiver, which allows you to decline the insurance coverage that comes with the car. When you book the entire rental cost on your Chase card, it’s covered for the full cash value of the vehicle for collision and theft.

The cards also include travel and emergency assistance services. For example, if you have an emergency while traveling, you can call the Benefit Administrator to get referrals for medical care, legal advice, and any other assistance you need. 

All four cards also include roadside assistance. If you have an emergency while driving, you can call 1-800-847-2869 to get a tow, tire change, gas service, or lockout service.

8. You Don’t Need a Separate Business Name; Sole Proprietorship is OK

You don’t need to operate under a separate business name to qualify for the Chase Ink business credit cards. If you’re a sole proprietor, you can still qualify for the cards, earning rewards for your business purchases and protecting yourself while you travel.

9. Purchase Protection

All four Chase Ink business credit cards include purchase protection for 120 days. If an item breaks or is stolen within that time, you can file a claim and get reimbursed if you paid for the item with your Chase credit card. There’s a limit of up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per business account.

10. Extended Warranty

Any products you buy with your Chase Ink business credit card will have an extended warranty after the manufacturer’s warranty expires. Your Chase credit card offers a one-year extension on all products purchased with the card but is only eligible for warranties of three years or less.

List of the Chase Ink Business Credit Cards

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Ink Business Unlimited

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is best for sole proprietors who don’t entertain clients often but use their credit cards for everyday purchases. You can earn 1.5% cash back on any purchases you make for your business with no categories to consider. 

The 0% APR for the first 12 months is also great for business owners just starting out. This credit card can help you purchase business supplies without worrying about paying interest to get your business running.

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card 

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is suitable for larger businesses that often buy a lot of office supplies or entertain clients. With 5% cash back earned on office supplies and utilities and 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, it’s easy to earn decent rewards just for running your business and entertaining clients to get more business.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card 

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is best for large businesses that do a lot of shipping, advertising, and traveling. With 3x points earned per dollar spent and 25% more earnings when you redeem your rewards for travel through Chase Travel, it’s a great way to get the most for your money.

There is a $95 annual fee, but if you charge your advertising, shipping, utilities, and travel charges, you’ll quickly make up for the fee and come out ahead using this card.

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card  

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card is the newest credit card in the Chase lineup. It’s a pay-in-full card, meaning you won’t be able to carry a balance (although select purchases qualify to be paid over time). There is an annual fee of $195, but you also get one of the highest signup bonuses available.

Final Thoughts

All four Chase Ink Business credit cards offer incredible rewards, and only the Chase Ink Preferred and Ink Premier cards have an annual fee. Use these cards to pay your business expenses and earn rewards.

Whether you often travel and redeem your rewards for travel vouchers or want the cashback, it’s like getting paid to run your business using the Chase Ink business credit card.