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One of Chase’s most underappreciated gems is the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. If your business spends heavily on office supplies, telecommunications bills, gas, or dining, the Ink Cash could put thousands of dollars back in your pocket annually. And you'll get all that without paying an annual fee.
Is the Ink Cash the right card for your small business? Let's take a look.
- Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
- Earn 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
- Earn 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
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 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
- 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
- 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn
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Chase Ink Cash Pros
- Industry-leading earning rates at office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services.
- $0 annual fee.
- Accumulates Ultimate Rewards points very quickly when paired with other Ultimate Rewards cards.
Chase Ink Cash Cons
- You need an Ultimate Rewards-earning card to unlock the ability to transfer points to partners.
- Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
- Outside of the 5% earning categories, the earning rates are poor when compared to competing cards.
Chase Ink Cash Welcome Offer
Applicants for the Ink Cash can earn a bonus of up to $750 —$350 once you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, and an additional $400 once you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months.
Your can redeem your earnings for cash back, gift cards, travel, and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Even better, cash-back rewards from Chase do not expire as long as your account is open. This is an excellent value for a card with no annual fee and high earning potential.
Perhaps biggest perk is the ability to combine your cash back with a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards. If you have one of the cards that carries an annual fee, you can combine cash back earned on your Ink Cash with Ultimate Rewards points earned on your other card(s) — even if it's a mix of business and personal cards. This will give you access to Chase's 14 transfer partners, unlocking the potential for massive value.
Related: 22 Different Ways To Redeem Ultimate Rewards
Chase Ink Cash Benefits
Introductory APR on purchases
The Ink Cash currently offers a 0% introductory APR for 12 months, then a Variable APR of 17.49% - 25.49%. This flexibility can be useful for financing a large purchase or two, but don't spend more than you can pay off by the end of that introductory period. Once you start accruing interest, it negates the value of your rewards.
Related: Best Credit Cards With No Annual Fee and 0% Introductory APR
Business management tools
With the Ink Cash, you'll get access to detailed reports and can build your business' credit profile. You also can add employee cards (authorized users) at no cost and can control spending limits on these cards.
Travel and shopping insurance protections
This card has some terrific perks for small business owners, including:
- Fraud and zero liability protection.
- Extended warranty protection.
- Primary auto rental Collision Damage Waiver (when renting for business purposes).
- Purchase protection for 120 days — up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Travel and emergency assistance services (these are referral services only, and you'll pay for any services used).
- Roadside dispatch.
- Baggage delay insurance.
Related: Best Credit Cards With Free Travel Insurance
Visa SavingsEdge
Small business owners looking to cut costs should take note of Visa SavingsEdge. This program offers automatic savings in the form of statement credits when you spend at participating vendors using an eligible Visa business credit card. It’s simple to enroll, and there’s no need to manually activate offers — once you’re in, the savings start stacking.
Chase Ink Cash Earning Rates
The Ink Cash earns 5% cash back at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services and 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year. Through September 30, 2027, the card also earns 5% cash back on Lyft rides. You'll earn 1% back on other purchases.
Businesses of all types need office supplies, and your company likely has internet and phone bills — whether you've got a physical store for customers or are working online from your home office. However, the bonus earnings at office supply stores also offer a unique opportunity for high earning potential since these stores typically offer gift cards to a variety of retailers.
If your business has regular expenses at a store where you'd earn just 1% back on “other purchases,” see if that company has gift cards at your local office supply store. If so, paying with gift cards you've purchased here would bump your earning rate up to 5% (on the first $25,000 of expenses yearly, then 1%).
It's an extra hoop to jump through, but it provides a colossal return. The Ink Cash is the best credit card for office supplies, hands down.
Redeeming Rewards With the Chase Ink Cash
As mentioned above, you can't access Chase's transfer partners with the Ink Cash alone. With this card, you can redeem your rewards at 1¢ apiece in the Chase travel portal, towards a statement credit, or gift cards. You also have the option to receive your cash back as an electronic deposit in a checking or savings account at numerous U.S. banks. It's also possible to redeem your rewards through Chase Pay Yourself Back, offering a list of redemption opportunities that change every few months.
Alternatively, you can use your points to pay for purchases at Apple and Amazon, but these provide less value. The only time it's worth considering the Amazon option is when you're targeted for a promotion to use just a few points for big savings.
Application Restrictions and Strategy
The Ink Cash is subject to Chase's 5/24 policy, meaning you're unlikely to be approved if you've opened five or more credit cards in the past 24 months. However, this applies only to credit cards that appear on your credit report, meaning most business credit cards won't affect this number. You can check your 5/24 status for free, if you're unsure of your current standing.
That said, opening an Ink Cash card won't count toward your 5/24 status, as it won't reflect on your personal credit report. That makes it a great card to apply for while trying to keep your number of new accounts low.
You also should know that Chase doesn't tend to approve the same person for more than two personal credit cards in a 30-day period and one business card in a 90-day period.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
And while you might think, “I don't have a store, so I don't qualify for a business credit card,” that's not entirely true. If you're a freelancer, gig worker, or run a side hustle selling items on eBay, you are running a business. And because of that, you may qualify for a business credit card.
Cards That Compete With the Chase Ink Cash
If you don't think the Ink Cash‘s earning categories and benefits align with your needs, consider these other options:
- If your business spends across numerous categories and you want simplicity, check out the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. You'll earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases and won't pay an annual fee. It has the same application rules and ability to combine earnings with other Chase cards that we described above. More details are available in our full review of the Ink Unlimited.
- If you want access to Chase's valuable transfer partners, consider the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. This is the only small business card from Chase that offers access to these partners without needing another card to pair with it. For a $95 annual fee, you'll get 3x earnings in a variety of business categories. See our full Ink Preferred review for more information.
- If you want a card with a simple earning structure and access to transfer partners, look into The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. You don't need another card to access the 21 Amex transfer partners and can earn 2x points on the first $50,000 of annual purchases, then 1x. More information is in our Blue Business Plus review.
For further details on Chase's business credit cards, check out our comparison of the Ink card family.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
- 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
(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.
Related: Best No Annual Fee Business Rewards Credit Cards
Bottom Line
The Ink Cash is a great cash-back card for small business owners. With substantial cash-back perks, including 5% cash back on easy-to-use bonus categories, you can get a top return when using this card. It's a simple and effective business rewards card with no annual fee, providing outsized value for small business owners whose spending aligns with the card's earning rates.
- Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
- Earn 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
- Earn 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
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 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
- 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
- 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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