Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card Review 2024

The Ink Business Unlimited offers decent cash back for small businesses for which more robust cash-back cards won’t be worth annual fees or higher credit requirements. The card earns an unlimited 1.5% cash back rewards on every business purchase and 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025.

The Ink Business Unlimited has plenty of incentives for new cardholders. It offers a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases, then a 18.49% - 24.49% variable APR applies for purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies and a welcome offer of $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. But the everyday benefits aren’t bad either. Auto rental collision damage insurance, purchase and extended warranty protections and employee cards at no additional cost are all included.

Where the card doesn’t work is for a business owner looking to transfer balances. The card doesn’t have the longest low introductory APR period nor does it offer the highest welcome bonus for the amount of spending that it requires. But when compared to other no-annual-fee business cards, the Ink Business Unlimited remains a great option.

• Earn 1.5% cash back rewards on every business purchase
• No annual fee
• Get a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases, then a 18.49% - 24.49% variable APR applies for purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies
• Welcome bonus of $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• Travel perks like roadside dispatch (for a fee) and auto rental damage waiver insurance
• Free employee cards

Here are some of our best credit cards lists that include the Chase Ink Business Unlimited:

• Best 0% APR Business Credit Cards: Best for Unlimited Cash Back
• Best Business Credit Cards: Best Cash Back Business Card
• Best Cash Back Business Credit Cards: Best No Annual Fee Business Cash-Back Card
• Best Chase Business Credit Cards: Best for No Annual Fee Flat-Rate Cash Back

Earning Rewards

Rewards are straightforward with the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card: 1.5% cash back rewards on every business purchase. There’s also an ongoing promotion to earn 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025 and the card comes with a generous welcome bonus of $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Redeeming Rewards

Rewards redemption with the Ink Business Unlimited provides a wide array of options. Rewards on the card come as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points which can be redeemed for statement credits or direct deposits without a minimum reward amount. Travel and purchases at Apple can be supplemented by or made entirely through the Ultimate Rewards and Apple Ultimate Rewards programs. Earnings may also be redeemed for gift cards for a number of merchants.

When paired with a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® rewards earned on the Ink Business Unlimited card can be redeemed at a higher value for travel through Chase Travel℠ or transferred to Chase’s travel partners such as United Airlines and Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.

Rewards Potential

Without any category bonuses, you could potentially earn more rewards in a year with other cards. With the Ink Business Unlimited, more spending equals more rewards, but only at a flat rate.

To determine the rewards potential of the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, we look at the bonus categories and calculate what an example small business might spend in those areas. Forbes Advisor uses data from various government and industry reports to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $118,438 annually, and we base spending on a sole proprietorship with the same revenue.

Forbes Advisor estimates that the example small business has $39,337 in expenses that can be reasonably charged to a credit card. At 1.5% cash back this equates to $590.06. This doesn’t include the first-year welcome bonus earned after meeting the minimum spending requirement.

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers a 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases, then a 18.49% - 24.49% variable APR applies for purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Cash Back Benefits

Considering you’ll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back rewards on every business purchase, the rewards can add up fast. You can redeem for cash back, gift cards, travel and even Apple merchandise. Chase also allows you to use points as payment for online retail purchases like at Amazon and PayPal, though it’s usually not the best deal.

Better yet, you can use the rewards you earn to put back into your business. You could also book travel for your employees or take a trip with your family as a well-deserved reward. If you redeem for gift cards or merchandise, you could give them as gifts for a job well done.

Your points won’t expire as long as your account is open, and you’ll earn rewards with no bonus categories to think about. The only exception is Lyft rides, where you’ll earn 5% cash back through March 2025 as part of an ongoing promotion.

Other Chase Ink Business Unlimited Benefits

• Employee cards. Primary account holders can add employees cards at no cost and can even add individual spending limits to each card, which gives you more control over your business finances and peace of mind.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver. Car rental damage insurance is primary when renting for business.
• Roadside dispatch. Access to pay-per-use roadside dispatch service.
• Purchase protection. Purchases are protected from theft and damage up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account for up to 120 days.
• Extended warranty protection. Extends original manufacturer warranties on eligible products by an extra year on eligible warranties of up to three years.
• Account alerts. The built-in fraud protection kicks in if there’s suspicious account activity, and you can receive alerts as a text, email or phone call to keep your account safe.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 18.49% - 24.49% Variable
• Purchase intro APR: 0% Intro APR on purchases for 12 months
• Balance transfer intro APR: None

Fees

• Annual fee: $0
• Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

One of the best ways to use these Chase Ultimate Rewards points is to combine them with a premium Ultimate Rewards points-earning card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. When you do, you’ll unlock the ability to transfer your points to Chase’s travel partners, like United Airlines MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards and World of Hyatt.

Though those cards have annual fees, the potential rewards value can go up, too. Plus, having another card gives you access to more bonus categories, which means you can collect points even faster.

If you want to use the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card by itself, the best way to maximize it is to use it for as many business purchases as possible. That way, you’re not leaving any rewards on the table.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card vs. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has many of the same features of the Ink Business Unlimited but changes the earnings scheme. Where the Unlimited earns a straightforward 1.5% cash back rewards on every business purchase, the Business Cash offers limited category bonus earning of 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year and 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Everything else from the $0 annual fee to the introductory APR is almost the same between these two cards. The choice comes down to whether your business is likely to spend enough in the bonus categories to offset the lack of the extra half a percent of unlimited cash back.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

One notable difference between the Ink Business Unlimited and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is that the Ink Preferred card has a $95 annual fee.

The Ink Preferred further sets itself apart from the Ink Unlimited’s cash-back system with its rewards scheme. It earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

These points can be redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal for 25% more value compared to the Ink Business Unlimited for a total redemption value of 1.25 cents per point. Ultimate Rewards can also be transferred to Chase’s travel partners, like United Airlines and Hyatt, at a 1:1 ratio where value will be variable but could be significantly higher.

For businesses with higher spending in the Ink Preferred’s bonus categories, it’s likely to make more sense, especially if paired with another flat-rate cash-back card for other purchases. For those wanting to maximize travel rewards, the ability to transfer points to partner programs could also make the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card a more compelling option.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card vs. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a no annual fee credit card that earns 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. (Terms apply. See rates & fees). For businesses with less than $100,000 in annual spending, the Amex Blue Business Cash will return more cash back. For bigger spenders, the Ink Business Unlimited wins out for its earning potential.

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a 18.49% - 26.49% variable APR applies.

Though there are other business credit cards that offer unlimited 2% cash back or have tiered earning systems that could provide a better value to some customers, many of them have annual fees and not all of them provide the relatively hassle-free earning and redeeming that the Chase Ink Business Unlimited does.

The Ink Business Unlimited will likely be suited well to smaller business owners who don’t want to worry about whether their rewards are being maximized. Earning a still-respectable unlimited 1.5% cash back, this card is a solid no annual fee option that includes several travel and business-related perks.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points or miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors come together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.

To view rates and fees for The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card please visit this page.