Chase Ink Business Cash Card
Updated August 25, 2024.
The Facts
The Facts
- Annual Fee: none
- Signup Bonus: up to 75,000 points (advertised as $750: $350 after spending $3,000 within 3 months of new account open and additional $400 after spending $6,000 within 6 months of new account opening). Based on anecdotal reports, this card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (you won't be approved for this card if you have opened 5 or more new accounts within the past 24 months; any new account with any issuer will count, not just with Chase; new accounts include most credit cards and charge cards but exclude non-Chase business cards and store charge cards). Historical best bonus of this card: $900 in 2022 and 2023; $750 between 2020 and 2024; $500 mostly between 2018 and 2020.
- Application Landing Page [Disclaimer: we will receive a referral bonus from Chase if you apply and are approved for this card. The signup bonus you will receive is the same as if you visit Chase's non-referral link].
- Rewards: 5x points (advertised as 5% cashback) on office supplies, and wireless / landline / internet / cable services (up to $25K spent annually combined), 2x on gas and dining (up to $25K spent annually combined), and 1x everywhere else
- Best Use of Ultimate Rewards (UR) points: Even though Ink Cash is advertised as a cashback card, you actually earn UR points. You can redeem UR points for merchandise, gift cards, cash or travel, at up to 1 cent per point. Unlike Citi ThankYou, BofA WorldPoints, and Amex Membership Rewards whose cash redemption rate is worse than other options, the cash redemption in UR is at exactly 1% starting at 2,000 points = $20 with increments of 1,000 points. So undoubtedly cashback is the best redemption option of Ink Cash for most people. However, if you have a premium UR card (Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred), all your UR points can be pooled together, and you will be able to take advantage of the two premium redemption features: 1) transfer UR points to miles/points of frequent traveler programs at 1:1 ratio, or (2) fixed value travel redemption when booking through UR at 1.25 cents/point for Sapphire Preferred / Ink Plus and 1.5 cents/point for Sapphire Reserve. Please see our review on Marriott vs. MR vs. UR vs. TY vs. C1 vs. CR for detailed analysis of the five programs that allow mile/point transfer.
- The History: In 2009, Chase introduced the Ink series which included Ink Classic, Ink Cash and Ink Bold. In November 2011, Chase had a major revamp of these cards, when the one year free Priority Pass Select was removed for Ink Classic/Cash. In October 2014, Chase discontinued Ink Classic and Ink Bold for new applicants due to their resemblance to their siblings.
The Math
Ink Cash vs. Ink Preferred: their bonus categories are mostly different, and they will actually make a great combo in your wallet, which wasn't the case before when Ink Cash and Ink Plus offered very similar bonus categories. Ink Cash has office supplies, and phone / internet / cable services as the 5x categories, and gas and dining as the 2x categories, while Ink Preferred covers travel, shipping, online advertising, and phone / internet / cable services as the 3x categories. If you only have Ink Cash and don't have a premium UR card (Sapphire Reserve, JPM Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, Ink Preferred), the 5x points equal to 5% cashback and are not bad at all, especially considering there is no annual fee. However, if you have a premium UR card, you may increase the value of the points earned from Ink Cash quite a bit, and based on our current valuation of 1.5 cents per UR point, 5x points equal to a whooping 7.5% rewards. It is highly recommended to make a combo of Ink Cash and Ink Preferred, as you will have two 5x, three 3x, and two 2x bonus categories, all of which could be very lucrative, for $95 a year. What is more, if you throw in the non-fee Ink Unlimited, you will make a terrific trifecta as Ink Unlimited will take care of general spending by returning 1.5x points (=3% travel rewards).
The Conclusion
Ink Cash is a very attractive business card. It is highly recommended that you make a combo of Ink Cash and Ink Preferred to take advantage of seven different bonus categories, or even make a trifecta by adding Ink Unlimited.
© 2011-2024 DrCreditCard.net All rights reserved.
Ink Cash vs. Ink Preferred: their bonus categories are mostly different, and they will actually make a great combo in your wallet, which wasn't the case before when Ink Cash and Ink Plus offered very similar bonus categories. Ink Cash has office supplies, and phone / internet / cable services as the 5x categories, and gas and dining as the 2x categories, while Ink Preferred covers travel, shipping, online advertising, and phone / internet / cable services as the 3x categories. If you only have Ink Cash and don't have a premium UR card (Sapphire Reserve, JPM Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, Ink Preferred), the 5x points equal to 5% cashback and are not bad at all, especially considering there is no annual fee. However, if you have a premium UR card, you may increase the value of the points earned from Ink Cash quite a bit, and based on our current valuation of 1.5 cents per UR point, 5x points equal to a whooping 7.5% rewards. It is highly recommended to make a combo of Ink Cash and Ink Preferred, as you will have two 5x, three 3x, and two 2x bonus categories, all of which could be very lucrative, for $95 a year. What is more, if you throw in the non-fee Ink Unlimited, you will make a terrific trifecta as Ink Unlimited will take care of general spending by returning 1.5x points (=3% travel rewards).
The Conclusion
Ink Cash is a very attractive business card. It is highly recommended that you make a combo of Ink Cash and Ink Preferred to take advantage of seven different bonus categories, or even make a trifecta by adding Ink Unlimited.
© 2011-2024 DrCreditCard.net All rights reserved.