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The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees) is one of the best small-business cards on the market, thanks to its 3X earning on select business categories and access to Chase's Ultimate Rewards program. If travel is your goal, the Ink Preferred can help you turn your business spending into huge savings on your next trip.
Moreover, the card offers several benefits for a modest $95 annual fee and delivers new cardholders a valuable welcome bonus worth around $2,000!
Let's take a look at everything this card has to offer to see if it's a good fit for your small business.
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Earn 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Go further when you book with Chase Travel℠. Enjoy competitive rates, seamless booking and premium benefits.
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Receive complimentary access to DashPass by DoorDash.
- Member FDIC
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Page Contents
Ink Preferred Pros
- Excellent sign-up bonus with a reasonable spending requirement.
- Access to Chase's 14 transfer partners without needing to pair with another card.
- Many travel and shopping protections for a modest annual fee.
- Can combine points from many other cards earning Ultimate Rewards.
Ink Preferred Cons
- Charges a modest annual fee.
- Caps on bonus earnings.
- Reduced transfer ratio to Hyatt beginning October 1, 2026.
- 1X points per dollar on non-bonus spending.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Welcome Offer
The Ink Preferred offers an impressive 100,000-point signup bonus after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
What is the 100,000-point offer worth?
After meeting the minimum spending requirements to earn the sign-up bonus on the Ink Preferred, you'll have, at a minimum, 108,000 Ultimate Rewards points in your account. You'll have even more if you spend within the card's bonus categories. But what is the 100,000-point offer worth? Here are three primary ways you can redeem its potential value:
- Pay with points through Chase Travel℠. Through the Chase Points Boost feature, your Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for paid travel at up to 1.75 cents each — depending on the specific redemption
- Get cash back. If you elect to cash out, your points are worth 1 cent apiece, making 100,000 worth $1,000 in cash back.
- Transfer points to 14 airline and hotel transfer partners. When maximized through Chase's 14 airline and hotel transfer partners, Chase points are worth an average of 2.03¢ apiece. That makes 100,000 points worth around $2,000 toward award travel.
Simply put, these points are worth a lot!
Chase Ink Preferred Benefits
The benefits received for the $95 annual fee on the Ink Preferred are comprehensive, protecting both your travels and everyday purchases.
Auto rental collision damage waiver (CDW)
The auto rental CDW covers up to the cash value of most rental vehicles for damage caused by a collision or theft. This coverage is primary coverage when renting for business purposes, meaning you do not need to file a claim with any other insurer before claiming under the card benefit. The coverage is secondary for personal rentals, which is a very important distinction to make about this card's benefit.
Keep in mind that you must decline the rental company’s insurance and pay for the full cost of the rental on your Ink Preferred for coverage to be in effect.
Trip interruption/cancellation insurance
The Ink Preferred covers up to $5,000 in pre-paid or non-refundable travel expenses if a trip is canceled or cut short for a covered reason. The policy covers the cardholder, immediate family members, and also persons employed by the company for which the Ink Preferred account is issued. This means you can even claim this benefit when employee trips go south.
Related: 22 Credit Card Benefits Every Traveler Should Know About
Cell phone protection
One of the standalone benefits of the Ink Preferred, which is rare on small business credit cards, is cell phone protection. Pay the full cell phone bill each month with your Ink Preferred, and the phone is covered for theft, damage, and loss up to $1,000 per claim and up to three claims in a 12-month period. Employee phones purchased with this card are also included in the coverage, but there's a deductible of $100 per claim.
Purchase protection
This benefit covers new items against fire and theft, up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per account. Purchase protection applies to purchases made within the past 120 days.
Extended warranty
Purchase an item with your Ink Preferred and get an extra year on U.S. manufacturers' warranties of three years or less.
Visa SavingsEdge
By carrying this Visa business card, you have access to a built-in savings tool that’s easy to overlook: Visa SavingsEdge. Once enrolled, you can earn automatic statement credits when you shop with participating merchants, including popular business vendors and service providers. Some offers require activation while others apply automatically when you use your card.
No foreign transaction fees
You won't pay foreign transaction fees when you swipe the Ink Preferred abroad. That's part of what makes it a favorite travel credit card.
Ink Preferred Earning Rates
The Ink Preferred provides strong earnings for small businesses that spend in the bonus categories on the card, though it's worth noting that there are limits to these earnings. You'll earn as follows:
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Earning 3x on up to $150k of spending will appeal to most businesses. Plus, the bonus points for online advertising, shipping, and internet/phone services make the Ink Preferred perfect for any business operating online, Amazon/eBay store owners, and any business that utilizes online advertising. However, businesses that spend more than $150k annually in these bonus categories may be disappointed to learn that they'll earn just a single point per $1 spent after passing the $150k threshold.
Redeeming Points With the Ink Preferred
You can redeem points from your Ink Preferred card for up to 1.75¢ each when booking travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Additionally, you can redeem them at 1¢ apiece for gift cards or cash back via a statement credit (but please don't do this unless you're in a cash crunch).
Alternatively, you can spend your Ultimate Rewards points directly on Amazon for gifts, essentials, or luxury items delivered straight to your door. This typically isn't the best value for your points, unless you get a targeted offer to save up to 50% off Amazon by using just a few points.
The best way to maximize the value of Ultimate Rewards earned with your Ink Preferred card is by transferring points to Chase’s Ultimate Rewards travel partners. This includes four hotel and 10 airline partners.
It is worth noting that all cardmembers — new or existing — will receive a new 4:3 transfer ratio to World of Hyatt starting October 1, 2026. This is a huge deal, as transferring Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt at 1:1 is arguably the best use of Chase points. The reduction in this ratio starting October 1 will definitely reduce the value of Ultimate Rewards to some users.
Having said that, data points from AwardWallet users show they tend to redeem Chase points at 2.03¢ each when utilizing Chase's transfer partners. Check out our comprehensive breakdown of transfer partners, plus 22 ways to redeem Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value.
Application Restrictions
You need a business to open a business card. Luckily, qualifications are lower than you might think. You may be surprised by how easy it can be to get a business card — whether you run an Etsy store, resell on eBay, or just have a side hustle with freelance work. Even sole proprietorships without an EIN can qualify for this card.
Applicants with good to excellent credit stand a good chance of approval for this card. Further, you can open this card and receive the sign-up bonus while also being a cardholder for other Ink Business cards. However, if you have ever had the Ink Preferred in the past, you will likely not be eligible to earn the welcome offer again.
As with all Chase cards, you will not be approved if you've opened five or more personal cards from any bank in the last 24 months. Business cards do not count against this number; however, you must be under 5/24 to get approved for a business card. Learn more about Chase's unwritten 5/24 rule.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Ink Preferred
- If you want a lower minimum spending requirement on a Chase card, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a great option. It has a solid sign-up bonus of $1,000 after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening. You'll also earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, and you can combine this with rewards from other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards to turn your earnings into transferable points, assuming you have eligible cards. For more details, check out our full review of the Ink Unlimited card.
- If you want a no-annual-fee card, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a simple, straightforward card without an annual fee (Rates & Fees) or bonus categories to track. You'll earn 2x points on the first $50,000 of purchases each year, then 1x. You can find more details in our full review of the Blue Business Plus card.
- If you want higher earning power, the American Express® Business Gold Card offers 4x points earned on your top two spending categories from a preset list, up to $150,000 per year (then 1x), plus 3x on prepaid airfare and hotels at AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™, and 1x on other eligible purchases. Learn more in our full review of the Amex Business Gold card.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
No annual feeRates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
$375Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
Related: Top Small Business Card Offers
Final Thoughts
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card remains one of the easiest business cards to recommend to travelers who can take advantage of its bonus categories. For a $95 annual fee, you get the ability to earn 3X points on up to $150,000 in combined purchases in eligible categories each year, access to Chase's airline and hotel transfer partners, and a surprisingly robust collection of travel and purchase protections.
The upcoming reduction in the World of Hyatt transfer ratio certainly takes away some of the card's shine. But Hyatt is only one way to use Ultimate Rewards points. Cardholders can still transfer points 1:1 to several other valuable airline and hotel programs or use Points Boost to get increased value on eligible travel through Chase Travel.
Ultimately, the Ink Preferred makes the most sense for business owners who spend heavily on travel, shipping, advertising, or internet, cable, and phone services — and who want to turn that spending into travel rewards. If your expenses line up with those categories, there's a lot of value packed into a card with a relatively modest annual fee.
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Earn 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Go further when you book with Chase Travel℠. Enjoy competitive rates, seamless booking and premium benefits.
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Receive complimentary access to DashPass by DoorDash.
- Member FDIC
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
