Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card
Updated August 25, 2024.
The Facts
The Math
Just as the personal Freedom Unlimited, Ink Unlimited is not that impressive with 1.5% cashback at the first glance. However, if you have a premium UR card such as Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred, you will unlock the full potential of Ink Unlimited by having two premium features. The first feature allows travel redemption at fixed value: 1.25 cents/point when you have Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred, making Ink Unlimited a 1.875% cashback equivalent card, and 1.5 cents/point when you have Sapphire Reserve, making Ink Unlimited a 2.25% cashback equivalent card. The second feature allows points transfer to miles/points and may represent an even higher return. Our current conservative value of UR points with the transfer feature happens to be 1.5 cents/point, and Ink Unlimited also returns 2.25% in this way. In fact, Ink Preferred and Ink Unlimited will make a great combo - you will use the former for travel, shipping, online advertising, telecommunication, and the latter for everything else. If you throw in Ink Cash, you have will a terrific trifecta that covers 7 bonus categories.
Ink Unlimited vs. Amex Blue Business Plus (BBP): either card requires no annual fees and is the greatest card for general spending in its own rewards program. When the annual spending is under $50K, Amex BBP returns higher rewards at 2x points (=3% travel rewards in our book) than Ink Unlimited's 1.5x points (up to 2.25% travel rewards), and what is more impressive BBP itself allows miles/points transfer feature that elevates points value thus allowing 3% rewards while Ink Unlimited needs a premium UR card such as Ink Preferred or Sapphire Reserve to unlock the maximum 2.25% rewards. For the annual spending above $50K, Ink Unlimited will be the one to consider as BBP only returns 1x points. Of course, their transfer partners will be another important factor you have to consider: Amex has Air Canada, ANA, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Hawaiian, etc., while Chase has United, Southwest, JetBlue, Hyatt, etc.; British, Singapore, Flying Blue, and Virgin Atlantic are the partners shared by both programs.
The Conclusion
Chase Ink Unlimited may seems like an unexciting 1.5% cashback card; however, when paired with a premium UR card such as Sapphire Reserve or Ink Preferred, it suddenly becomes a powerhouse for general spending, returning 2.25% or even higher travel rewards.
The Facts
- Annual Fee: None
- Signup Bonus: 90,000 points (advertised as $900) after spending $6,000 within 3 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: 90,000 points in 2022 and 2023; 75,000 points between 2020 and 2024; 50,000 points since introduced in June 2018.
- 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: 1.5x on everything (advertised as 1.5% cashback)
- Best Use of Ultimate Rewards (UR) points: Even though Chase advertises Ink Unlimited as a cash back card, it actually earns 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 cash back is the best redemption of Chase Freedom Unlimited for most cardholders. However, if you have a premium UR card (Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, Ink Preferred), you can move the UR points earned from Freedom to the premium UR account and take advantage of 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 Preferred and 1.5 cents/point for Sapphire Reserve. This obviously increases Freedom Unlimited's value quite a bit. 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.
- History: introduced in mid 2018, Ink Unlimited is nothing but a business version of Chase Freedom Unlimited. Ink Unlimited is a great addition to the successful Ink Business series, among side with Ink Cash and Ink Preferred.
The Math
Just as the personal Freedom Unlimited, Ink Unlimited is not that impressive with 1.5% cashback at the first glance. However, if you have a premium UR card such as Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred, you will unlock the full potential of Ink Unlimited by having two premium features. The first feature allows travel redemption at fixed value: 1.25 cents/point when you have Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred, making Ink Unlimited a 1.875% cashback equivalent card, and 1.5 cents/point when you have Sapphire Reserve, making Ink Unlimited a 2.25% cashback equivalent card. The second feature allows points transfer to miles/points and may represent an even higher return. Our current conservative value of UR points with the transfer feature happens to be 1.5 cents/point, and Ink Unlimited also returns 2.25% in this way. In fact, Ink Preferred and Ink Unlimited will make a great combo - you will use the former for travel, shipping, online advertising, telecommunication, and the latter for everything else. If you throw in Ink Cash, you have will a terrific trifecta that covers 7 bonus categories.
Ink Unlimited vs. Amex Blue Business Plus (BBP): either card requires no annual fees and is the greatest card for general spending in its own rewards program. When the annual spending is under $50K, Amex BBP returns higher rewards at 2x points (=3% travel rewards in our book) than Ink Unlimited's 1.5x points (up to 2.25% travel rewards), and what is more impressive BBP itself allows miles/points transfer feature that elevates points value thus allowing 3% rewards while Ink Unlimited needs a premium UR card such as Ink Preferred or Sapphire Reserve to unlock the maximum 2.25% rewards. For the annual spending above $50K, Ink Unlimited will be the one to consider as BBP only returns 1x points. Of course, their transfer partners will be another important factor you have to consider: Amex has Air Canada, ANA, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Hawaiian, etc., while Chase has United, Southwest, JetBlue, Hyatt, etc.; British, Singapore, Flying Blue, and Virgin Atlantic are the partners shared by both programs.
The Conclusion
Chase Ink Unlimited may seems like an unexciting 1.5% cashback card; however, when paired with a premium UR card such as Sapphire Reserve or Ink Preferred, it suddenly becomes a powerhouse for general spending, returning 2.25% or even higher travel rewards.