Credit Cards Business Credit Cards

Chase Ink Business Cash Review

overall rating
3.6

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The Chase Ink Business Cash offers a big bonus, up to 5% cash back on common business expenses, and an introductory 0% APR promotion on purchases, all without charging an annual fee.

Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card

Overall Rating
3.6
Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card
On Chase's Secured Site.
Current Offer

Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Recommended Credit
Score Our recommended ranges are based off of the FICO® Score 8 credit-scoring model. Credit score is one of the many factors lenders review in considering your application.
350 579
580 669
670 739
740 799
800 850
Good - Excellent
Regular APR (%) 18.24% - 24.24% variable
Annual Fee $0
Rewards Earning Rate Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores and eligible phone and internet services. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined gas station and restaurant purchases. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
INTRO PURCHASE APR 0% for 12 Months
Balance Transfer Fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Cash Advance APR (%) 29.99%
Cash Advance Fee Either $15 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
how this card stacks up
When compared among all business cards in our database:
Rewards
Benefits
Low Fees
Security/Customer Experience
Low Interest
worst best

The Chase Ink Business Cash Card is not one of our top-rated business credit cards. You can review our list of best business credit cards for what we feel are better options.

Full Review of Chase Ink Business Cash Review

Pros
  • Huge bonus for a card with no annual fee

  • Potentially valuable rewards program

  • 0% APR offer and low ongoing APR

Cons
  • Bonus rewards are capped

  • Chase card service to businesses has been below par

Pros Explained

  • Huge Bonus for a Card With No Annual Fee: The card offers a $750 cash bonus after you spend $6,000 in the first three months. That represents a 10% return on your spending and is more than double the bonus of many other business credit cards that also don’t charge an annual fee. Indeed, the only other major business card that provides a comparable—in fact, identical—offer is the sister card to this one, the Ink Business Unlimited.
  • Potentially Valuable Rewards Program: The card provides up to 5% in cash back on common business-related expenses. That’s about as good as it gets with rewards on business credit cards. Also, while this is technically a cash-back credit card, you’re actually earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points on your spending. If you also carry one of the bank’s travel-focused credit cards—specifically, the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred, all of which earn Ultimate Rewards—you could transfer your rewards points from this card to one of those other cards to take advantage of one of their superior rewards redemption rates. That option could allow you to boost the value of your earnings by redeeming points from the card that best meets your needs. You could, for example, redeem points earned with the Chase Ink Business Cash on your travel card and take advantage of redemption options that provide more value for travel redemptions than simple cash back.  
  • 0% APR Offer and Low Ongoing APR: The card offers an introductory 0% APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening without interest charges to facilitate buying new equipment, supplies, inventory, and other business necessities. And the APR you pay on any balance after the offer expires ranges from 18.24% to 24.24%.

Cons Explained

  • Bonus Rewards Are Capped: While the card offers bonus cash back on certain expenses, there’s an annual limit on how much you can earn at its highest rewards rates. Spending in the 5% category, which covers office-supply stores and purchases of internet, cable and phone services, is capped at a combined $25,000 in each account anniversary year. The same $25,000 limit applies to the card’s 2% rewards category, which includes gas stations and restaurants. Solo entrepreneurs and other truly small businesses may not ever spend more than these amounts every year. But if the business does exceed the caps, be aware that the additional spending earns only 1%, which is less than you might earn if you charged the overage to another card.
  • Chase Card Service to Businesses Has Been Below Par: Businesses don’t necessarily interact with their credit card issuer very often. When necessary, it’s often a matter of some urgency and even stress, and you want a satisfying experience. Unfortunately, that’s less likely to be the case for businesses who deal with Chase than with many other card issuers scored in the J.D. Power Small-Business Credit Card Customer Satisfaction Study. In its 2021 survey, Chase ranks seventh out of eight issuers that are scored, and Chase’s score of 841 out of 1,000 was 11 points below the national average.

Who This Card Is Best For

The Chase Ink Business Cash is best suited to business owners who make a lot of purchases eligible for the card’s 5% cash-back rewards rate at office-supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services. Keeping monthly combined purchases in those categories to less than about $2,000 is ideal since there’s a $25,000 annual cap on spending that's eligible for the 5% rate.

With its 12-month 0% APR offer, this card also appeals to businesses that plan a spate of purchases since it allows them to carry the balance for a year without incurring interest charges. If a balance remains at the end of the offer period, the card’s relatively low ongoing APR means its carrying cost on this card will be lower than on many others.  

Chase Ink Business Cash Bonus

The card offers a $750 cash bonus after you spend $6,000 in the first three months from account opening. While that’s impressive as cash incentives go with a no-fee card, you can earn more if you’re prepared to pay a fee, spend more, and receive a bonus in points to be used for travel. For example, a sibling to this card, the Chase Ink Business Preferred, offers 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 in the first three months, a bonus that’s worth $1,250 in travel booked through Chase. This sibling card charges a $95 annual fee.

Rewards Earning Details

The card’s rewards program is a bit more complex than others, but it can be lucrative for the right business. You’ll earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services in each account anniversary year, 2% back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year, and 1% back on everything else.

Before you apply for the card, take a look at your expenses over the last few months to see how they align with its bonus categories. If you can see that most of your purchases will net only 1% back or you spend enough to exceed the card’s annual limits, you may want to consider another card.

Rewards Redemption Details

The Chase Ink Business Cash offers some flexible redemption options. Again, while it’s technically a cash-back credit card, you’ll earn Ultimate Rewards points, which you can use to:

  • Get a cash deposit into a U.S. checking or savings account
  • Request a statement credit on your account
  • Book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
  • Buy gift cards
  • Purchase Apple products
  • Shop online at Amazon.com

In most cases, your points are worth 1 cent apiece. An exception is when you use your rewards to pay at checkout on Amazon.com, where points are worth 0.8 cents each. 

If you redeem your rewards for cash back, there’s no minimum amount required to do so. With other redemption options, the minimum can vary.

Transferring Points

The Ink Business Cash doesn’t have any transfer partners. However, if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred, you can transfer your points earned with this card to the other card and gain access to additional redemption options.

Such a move could allow you to get 25% more value per point used with the Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred, and 50% more value with the Sapphire Reserve. Also, those cards come with a further option: To transfer your points to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners. The list includes:

  • Aer Lingus AerClub
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Emirates Skywards
  • Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)
  • Iberia Plus
  • JetBlue TrueBlue
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
  • United MileagePlus
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  • IHG Rewards Club
  • Marriott Bonvoy
  • World of Hyatt

Transfers are at a 1:1 ratio. Depending on the program to which you move your points, you may be able to get much more value than the Ink Business Cash’s 1 cent per point. For example, according to Investopedia’s calculations as of the first quarter of 2021, United MileagePlus miles are worth 1.98 cents on average. Other partners may be able to give you even more value, depending on how you use your rewards.

Check the fine print before you transfer, though. In some cases, you may be charged a transfer fee, and it can take up to a week with some programs to complete the transfer. 

How to Maximize Your Rewards

As with any rewards card, the best way to make the most of its rewards is to use the card as much as possible and to pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges. With this card, you’ll have some time after you get approved to make purchases interest-free. But over the long term, it’s important to try to avoid carrying a balance.

To maximize the card’s value, align your spending with the card's bonus categories. For example, if you can purchase something at an office-supply store or somewhere else, favor the office-supply store, so you can earn the most-favored 5% rewards rate on the purchase.

Finally, consider opening the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Ink Business Preferred to pair with this card. While all three cards charge annual fees, the extra value you can get by transferring your points, as well as other benefits the cards provide, can help justify the cost of their annual fees. 

They also have generous bonus offers. The Ink Business Cash’s bonus is worth $750 in cash back or $780 in travel booked through Chase with the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred. That’s sufficient to justify one of those cards’ annual fees for at least a year.

Chase Ink Business Cash's Outstanding Benefits

  • Primary rental-car insurance: If you need to file a claim from a rental for business reasons, the card’s coverage kicks in immediately. With most cards, rental car insurance coverage is secondary, which means that you have to pay the damage before the rental company collects from your personal insurer. Note, however, that coverage is secondary if you’re renting for personal purposes.
  • Purchase protection: Chase covers new purchases for up to 120 days for $10,000 per claim or $50,000 per account.

Standard Benefits

  • Roadside dispatch
  • Extended warranty protection
  • Travel and emergency assistance services
  • Free employee cards

Cardholder Experience

The Chase Ink Business Cash card is issued by Chase, which scored 841 in J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Small Business Credit Card Study. This score is below the industry average of 852 for credit-card satisfaction in serving businesses.

Anytime you need help with your card, you can call 1-800-935-9935 to speak to a customer service specialist. You can also access your card via the Chase mobile app.

The bank provides free access to your VantageScore credit score through its Credit Journey program, but anyone can register—you don’t need to be a cardholder. Also, it’s important to note that many major card issuers offer complimentary access to your FICO score, which is more widely used by lenders than VantageScore.

The card issuer provides 24/7 customer service over the phone, which is standard for the credit card industry. You can also choose to send a secure message through your online account (you can read secure messages from the mobile app but not compose new ones).

Security Features

Chase is one of many major card issuers that allow you to lock and unlock your card from your mobile app. The feature isn’t standard for all card issuers, and it can come in handy if your card is lost or stolen, and you want to keep someone else from using it without your permission.

Our Verdict

The Chase Ink Business Cash can provide a lot of value, aided by its absence of an annual fee. Provided you don’t exceed their combined $25,000 limit, the 5% cash-back rewards for purchases from office supply stores and on telecom expenses are hard to beat with another card. The bonus offer provides a $750 bonus for a spending requirement (of $6,000) that most businesses should be able to meet. And the 0% APR offer could offer a year of both interest savings and breathing room for your business.

Beyond those pluses, however, the card is less impressive. Its 2% rewards rate, limited to gas stations and restaurants and also capped at $25,000 in spending, is fairly unremarkable for a business card, as is its 1% default rate on all purchases. The Blue Business Cash from American Express, for instance, offers 2% cash back on the first $50,000 you spend in any category every year and also has no annual fee. 

If you do get the card, seriously consider pairing it with the Ink Business Preferred, Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Chase Sapphire Reserve, to which you could transfer Ultimate Rewards, in order to use with the card that offers the best return on particular purchases. For example, even if you make the Chase Ink Business Cash is your main business card for U.S. purchases, you might want to use the Ink Business Preferred when traveling abroad or ordering from foreign suppliers, since it (unlike this card) imposes no 3% fee on foreign transactions.

If you anticipate that a lot of your expenses with the Chase Ink Business Cash will earn just 1% cash back, it may be better to consider a card with rewards that are more aligned with your spending—or a card with a flat rewards rate on everything.

Next Steps
For Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card
on Chase's Secured Site.
Compare This Card
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CURRENT CARD
Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card
overall rating
3.6
Recommended Credit
Score Our recommended ranges are based off of the FICO® Score 8 credit-scoring model. Credit score is one of the many factors lenders review in considering your application.
350 579
580 669
670 739
740 799
800 850
Good - Excellent
Regular APR (%) 18.24% - 24.24% variable
Annual Fee $0
Rewards Earning Rate Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores and eligible phone and internet services. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined gas station and restaurant purchases. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Investopedia Credit Card Rating Methodology
Investopedia is committed to delivering the best credit card recommendations in the industry. We’ll tell you when a card is good, we’ll tell you when a card is bad, and we’ll only call a card the best if we would recommend it to our friends or family members.
Overall Star Rating Explained
To rate credit cards we objectively assess, score and weight nearly 100 individual card features which roll up into five major feature sets: fees, interest, rewards, benefits and security/customer service. Here’s how we weighted those feature sets for the overall star rating of a card:
We have applied our proprietary rating methodology to every generally-accepted credit card in the U.S. domestic market to allow consumers to make fully informed choices. It’s important to note that for our overall score that we make a number of assumptions about how you would be using your credit card:
  1. While we make no assumption as to whether balances are carried on a given card we do assign varying weights to all credit cards’ introductory APR (if present) in addition to the regular, long term purchase and balance transfer interest rates.
  2. We utilize BLS (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) income and average category spending data to calculate annual earnings rates for rewards cards that offer cash back, points or miles rewards at a set rate on all spending or in consideration of bonus rewards for certain spending categories, like gasoline, groceries, restaurants or travel.
  3. We determine the maximum points value of rewards cards by dividing the points, cash back or miles required to exchange for the retail price of the most valuable redemption option (for example, in the case of a card that offers a domestic roundtrip airline ticket as a redemption option vs. another redemption option of lesser value that requires the same amount of points or miles to acquire, we would base the rewards value on the airline ticket).
  • Cards that are selected best overall in their respective categories generally feature most if not all of the following attributes:
  • Low or Reasonable Fees Credit card fees come in many forms but the primary ones involve those for annual card membership and balance transfer. There are a myriad of reward and non-reward card options that charge no annual fee but for the many that do assess an annual fee the cost is often justified by their lucrative ongoing rewards and initial signup bonuses. Balance transfer fees are occasionally waived during introductory periods with certain cards, a factor which is heavily and positively weighted in our scoring model for cards offering this benefit. When charged, balance transfer fees range between 3% - 5%, which we grade accordingly. Other standard fees can generally be avoided, such as those for paying late or taking cash advances but we rate those relative to other cards in the market for reference, though with less weight assigned
  • Competitive Interest Many cards offer 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for varying lengths and then revert to a permanent or regular APR (based on a variable rate tied to the prime rate) that applies to any balances not paid in full. We rate both introductory APR percentage and length (in months) along with the midpoint of the variable regular APR interest rate range.
  • Valuable Rewards Credit card reward programs can be based on cash back, points or travel rewards (which can be generic or travel partner-specific, as with airline and hotel co-brand card programs). For cards that offer rewards we determine the value per dollar spent along with average redemption values and assign more favorable ratings to cards that offer superior consumer value. We also assign value to sign-up bonus offers and their initial spending requirements, when present.
  • Excellent Benefits Credit card benefits cover a range of offerings like concierge service, TSA Pre-check, auto rental coverage, travel accident insurance, lost luggage assistance and free credit scores. We rate cards on the number and level of over a dozen standard and upscale benefits and provide extra weighting emphasis for those travel-related perks that apply to premium travel cards when present.
  • Solid Security/Customer Service Security and customer service features like lost or stolen card replacement, being able to lock one’s card from an issuer app and 24 hour customer support are becoming more standard across the card market and we provide a significant amount of weighting to features in this area.
  • You can also read the full version of our methodology for a more in-depth look at how we assess cards and award them the best in various categories.