Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card Review [2024]: How My Strategic Business Spending Paid Off

Card basics

Who should get the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card?

If you're a small business owner who spends heavily on office supplies, telecom services, gas, or dining, the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card could be a game-changer for your rewards strategy.

While the card's bonus categories may seem a bit niche at first glance, they actually align well with many common business expenses. By being strategic about where you make your purchases, you can easily maximize your cashback earnings.

For example, if your business spends $1,500 per month on internet, phone, and office supplies, you'd earn $900 cash back per year in those categories alone. Add in your gas and dining business spending, and you could be looking at some serious rewards.

I've found that a little bit of planning goes a long way with this card. By concentrating my purchases in the bonus categories whenever possible, I've been able to earn hundreds of dollars in cash back each year – money that I can reinvest into growing my side hustle.

Who should skip?

While the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card can be rewarding, it may not be the best fit for larger businesses with high spending volumes. The card caps its bonus rewards at $25,000 in combined purchases per year in each category. Once you hit that limit, you'll only earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

So, if your annual office supply or telecom spending regularly exceeds $25,000, you may get more value from a different card like the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card, which offers 3X points on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each year.

What should you know before applying?

The intro APR offer on purchases that you get with the Ink Business Cash is a unique feature. Cardholders enjoy 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 17.99% - 25.99% Variable).

This could be pretty useful if you're looking to make a large business purchase and need some extra time to pay it off without accruing interest. For example, let's say you need to buy a new $3,000 laptop for your business. With this intro APR offer, you could pay off the purchase over 12 months with equal payments of $250 per month without having to worry about interest.

Just be sure you have a plan to pay off your balance before the intro period ends, as the ongoing APR after that can be quite high. But if used strategically, this perk could save you money on interest charges.

Here's a closer look at this card's top benefits

Generous welcome offer

The Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card comes with a generous welcome offer. You can 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.

To put that in perspective, let's say you're using your card to pay about $1,000 in monthly business expenses. By putting that expense on your Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card, you'd have an easy time reaching the minimum spending requirement and earning the full welcome offer.

Of course, not everyone will have a single large expense they can use to meet the spending requirement. But even if you're spreading your spending across multiple categories, the bonus is still attainable for most small businesses.

Elevated rewards on common business expenses

What sets the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card apart from other business credit cards is its elevated bonus categories.

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 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; and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

To give you an idea of the earning potential, let's say your monthly business spending looks like this:

As you can see, if you spend a total of $1,250 per month in these categories, you could earn $570 in cashback rewards over the course of a year. That's a solid return on business expenses you'd be making anyway.

$0 annual fee

One of the most appealing aspects of the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card is its $0 annual fee. This is a rarity among business credit cards, especially for a card that offers such strong rewards rates and benefits.

By not charging an annual fee, Chase makes it easy for small business owners to keep this card in their wallets for the long term. Plus, this means that any rewards you earn are pure profit for your business. You don't have to worry about offsetting a hefty fee before you start seeing a return on your spending.

An intro APR offer that gives you flexibility

The Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card also comes with a valuable introductory APR offer on purchases. Cardholders get 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 17.99% - 25.99% Variable).

You could see how beneficial this offer is if you have a large business expense coming up and need some extra time to pay it off. For example, let's say you need to purchase a $5,000 piece of equipment for your business. With the intro APR offer, you could pay that off over the course of 12 months with equal payments of about $417 per month, which is much more manageable.

Travel and purchase protections

In addition to its rewards and intro APR offer, the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card also comes with a suite of protection benefits that can give you added peace of mind.

For starters, you'll get auto rental collision damage waiver coverage. This allows you to decline the rental car company's expensive insurance options and instead get primary coverage through your card.

On top of that, the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card offers purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. Purchase protection can reimburse you if an item you bought with your card is damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase (up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account), while extended warranty coverage adds an additional year to eligible US manufacturer warranties of three years or less.

As a small business owner, these protections can be incredibly valuable. Knowing that your purchases are protected against damage, theft, or defects can help you make business buying decisions with confidence. And while you hope you never have to use these benefits, they can provide a huge safety net if something does go wrong.

Pair it with a premium Chase card for even more value

One of the coolest features of the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card is its ability to pair with other premium Chase cards to supercharge your rewards.

While the Ink Business Cash earns cash back by default, your rewards actually come in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. If you have a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, you can transfer your points to those cards and unlock more valuable redemption options – including transferring to Chase's airline and hotel partners.

Here's an example of how this could work in practice:

Let's say you have both the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card. You use your Ink Business Cash to earn 5% cash back (in the form of points) on your office supply purchases, internet bills, and phone expenses. Then, you transfer those points to your Sapphire Preferred account.

Now, instead of being worth a flat 1 cent each, your points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel through the Chase Travel portal. So 50,000 points earned with your Ink Business Cash would get you $625 of value towards travel instead of $500.

While not everyone will have multiple credit cards, this is a strategy worth considering if you want to get even more value out of your Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card.

Drawbacks: Why you may want a different card

Limited bonus categories

The Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card offers great rewards on office supplies, telecom services, dining, and gas. However, if your business spends heavily on travel, advertising, or other categories, you might earn more with a card like the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card. Or you might prefer a card that earns rewards on a broad range of business expenses like The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

The Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card would earn you 3X points per dollar on 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.

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express earns 2X points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year (1X points after that).

Low cap on bonus rewards

The 5% and 2% bonus categories are lucrative, but they're each capped at $25,000 in combined purchases per year.

High-spending businesses might hit those caps quickly and be stuck earning just 1% back after that. Cards with higher or uncapped rewards could provide more value. This includes the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card, which has a cap of $150,000 per year.

Foreign transaction fees

If your business takes you abroad frequently, the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card's foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars will add up fast. You'd be better off with a card like the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card, which waives foreign transaction fees, although it has a $95 annual fee.

Earning & redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Best ways to earn cash back

This card is a powerful but straightforward cashback card. You can maximize the cash back earned with your Ink Business Cash Credit Card by shopping at office supply stores, investing in telecommunications services, and using your card at restaurants and gas stations.

The Chase Ink Cash can also be used as a rewards card. Points can easily be redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards for cash, gift cards, travel, and merchandise.

Earning categories

Maximizing your redemptions

Getting cash back as a statement credit gives you the most flexibility, as your spending rewards can be used to reduce your bill. But Chase Ultimate Rewards also gives you many other redemption options, including redeeming for travel or merchandise.

You can also boost the rewards you can earn by maxing out the bonus categories or adding employees to your card account as authorized users, since their purchases will also help you earn cash back.

FAQ

Alternatives that might be better for you

If you spend heavily on travel and want premium travel perks, you might get more value from the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card than the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card. Alternatively, if you want a flat earning rate on various business expenses, you might prefer The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

The Ink Preferred earns 3X points 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; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases. It also comes with perks like cell phone protection (up to $1,000 per claim), trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and primary rental car coverage.

The catch is that the Ink Preferred has a $95 annual fee, compared to the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card's $0 annual fee. But if you spend a lot on travel and can utilize the card's premium benefits, that fee could be well worth it. Plus, your Ultimate Rewards points are worth 25% more when you redeem them through the Chase Travel portal with this card.

Learn more in our Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card review.

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

If your business expenses are diverse and don't fit neatly into the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card's bonus categories, the The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express could be a more rewarding option. It earns a flat 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that.

This could lead to more rewards if your spending is spread out over many categories. Plus, the Blue Business Plus earns transferable Membership Rewards points, which you can move to Amex's airline and hotel partners. The downside is that it doesn't have elevated rewards categories like the Ink Cash does.

Learn more in our The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express review.

Up to 5% Cash Back

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Apply Now

Why We Like It

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

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See how these cards compare:

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

• Generous welcome offer
• High rewards rate on common business expenses
• Flexible Ultimate Rewards points
• No foreign transaction fees
• Cell phone, purchase, and travel protections

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

• Elevated rewards on all eligible purchases up to $50,000 a year
• $0 annual fee
• Intro APR offer on purchases
• Flexible point redemption options
• Expanded buying power feature
• See rates and fees | Terms Apply

Up to 5% Cash Back

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

Apply Now

Current Offer

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

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

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; and 1% cash back on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Solid rewards on office supply, telecom spending, gas, and dining
• Generous welcome offer
• Intro APR on purchases
• $0 annual fee
• Valuable purchase and travel protections

Drawbacks

• Bonus rewards capped after $25,000 annual spend in each category
• No bonus rewards for travel or advertising purchases
• Foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Card Details

• 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