The *Ink Cash* is one of the best no-annual-fee business credit cards on the market, period. If you're a small business owner (and trust us, you might be), this card and its massive bonus warrant a good hard look. And now, Chase has made earning a big bonus a bit easier with a new, tiered offer.
Here's how it works: *ink cash bonus* That's a total of $750 cash back (or 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) if you're able to spend the full $6,000 in six months. But that's not all – Chase is also adding a kicker for businesses who have a checking account with the bank.
Chase is calling it a “Relationship Bonus” and if you qualify, Chase will give you an additional 10% of all cash back earned during your first year on spending. So if you earned $1,000 cash back in your first year, you’d get an extra $100 bonus after your account anniversary. Points earned through sign-up and referral bonuses don't count toward that sum.
While the Ink Cash technically earns cash back, it's issued in the form of valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. So long as you hold another Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards like the *chase sapphire preferred*, *chase sapphire reserve*, or even the *chase ink preferred*, those points can be used to book travel through the Chase Travel Portal or transferred to Chase's slew of transfer partners like Hyatt, United, Southwest Airlines, and more.
But remember: Whether it's a personal card or for a small business, credit cards are serious business. You should never apply for a credit card unless you can afford to pay off every dime you charge.
Here's everything you need to know about the Ink Cash and its new bonus offer.
Related reading: A Huge Bonus & More Rewards for Your Business, With the Ink Cash Card
Chase Ink Business Cash Overview
Many people think of the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card as the small business equivalent of the Chase Freedom Flex℠. That's because, much like the Freedom Flex, you can earn 5% back on select business spending categories on up to $25,000 each year – although the categories don't rotate quarterly as they do on the Freedom Flex card.
While the Chase Ink Business Cash doesn’t earn points outright, if you’ve already got another Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards in your wallet, you can turn that cashback into points to use for booking travel.
Full Benefits of the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
- Welcome Offer: *ink cash bonus*
- 5x points (5% cash back) on office supply purchases; internet, phone and cable service charges (up to $25,000 in combined spending each account anniversary year).
- 2x points (2% cash back) at restaurants and gas stations (up to $25,000 in combined spending each account anniversary year).
- 1x points (1% cash back) on all other eligible spending
- Primary rental car collision and damage waiver coverage
- Lost luggage insurance of up to $3,000 per person per trip
- Add employee cards at no additional cost
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars
- Annual Fee: None
Learn more about the *Ink Cash*.
Chase Ink Business Cash: Welcome Offer
With the current offer on the Chase Ink Cash, new applicants can *chase ink cash bonus* That's a total of $750 cash back (or 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) if you're able to spend the full $6,000 in six months.
Chase is also offering new cardmembers who apply for the Ink Cash between now and Nov. 17, 2024 something more: a 10% relationship bonus if they also have a Chase Business Checking account at their cardmember anniversary.
If you qualify for this one-time 10% relationship bonus, Chase will give you an additional 10% of all cash back earned during your first year on spending – though points earned through sign-up and referral bonuses aren't eligible. This means if you earned $1,000 cash back in your first year, Chase would throw in an extra $100 after your account anniversary.
Chase Ink Business Cash: Earning Rewards
The best way to earn more cash back with the Chase Ink Business Cash Card is by using it at office supply stores or on cable, internet, and phone services. That's because you'll earn 5% cash back (or 5x Ultimate Rewards) on the first $25,000 of combined purchases in these categories each cardmember year.
You'll also earn 2% cash back (or 2x Ultimate Rewards) at restaurants and gas stations on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each cardmember year.
And at a bare minimum, you can expect to earn 1% cash back (or 1x Ultimate Rewards) on all business purchases, meaning every dollar you spend will be money back in your pocket – or better yet, each dollar you spend will add to your pile of Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Chase Ink Business Cash: Redeeming Rewards
Since the Chase Ink Business Cash Card earns cash back, it might seem pretty obvious what you can do with your rewards: Redeem them for cash!
But, if you've got another Chase Ultimate Rewards earning card like the *chase sapphire preferred* or the *chase ink preferred*, your options for redeeming your rewards are even broader – and potentially more valuable.
That's because even though the Ink Cash technically earns rewards in the form of cash back, Chase actually issues them in the form of Ultimate Rewards. And with one of those other Ultimate Rewards earning cards, you can combine all your points together and get far greater value by redeeming them for travel through the Chase Travel portal or transferring them to one of Chase's travel partners.
Read more: How to Combine Chase Personal and Business Accounts Online
Chase Ink Business Cash: Other Benefits
No-annual-fee business cards don't typically come packed with the many (or any) of the benefits you'll find on their top-tier counterpart – but the Chase Ink Cash card bucks that trend, too.
With the Ink Cash you get primary rental car coverage when you use your card to pay for your rental. That means you can skip your own policy (or an add-on insurance plan) and head straight to Chase for help in the event something goes wrong. Just note that this is not liability insurance. It will not cover medical bills, damage to another vehicle, or damage to property.
The Ink Cash Card also comes with a roadside assistance benefit that can help you in the event of any car trouble. This benefit covers services from towing to unlocking your vehicle to jumpstarting your car if the battery dies.
Lastly, Ink Cash cardholders also get purchase protection for items that are damaged or stolen within the first 120 days after making a purchase. You'll get up to $10,000 per claim, and up to $50,000 per card account per calendar year. Items from laptops to office supplies and everything in between are protected with this benefit.
Who Can Apply For a Business Card?
Don't be daunted by a small business credit card. You could easily be eligible for one of these cards without realizing it.
Do you have any income from freelance work – or plans to start freelance work? Have you ever sold an item on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, or other platforms, or have plans to do so in the future? Or, of course, a bigger business? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have what the banks would consider a small business!
At the end of the day, if you are selling any goods or services or contracting with a company to do so in an attempt to make a profit, you have a small business and thus are typically eligible to apply for a small business credit card.
While running a big business would obviously qualify you to open a business credit card, you can also get approved for a small-business credit card like the Chase Ink Business Cash with a part-time side hustle, a freelance job, a gig economy job, or even by selling goods on online marketplaces. In fact, many Americans have what the banks would consider a small business and don't even realize it.
Just keep in mind: You should never lie or attempt to mislead a bank when applying for a credit card. It's important to have a legitimate business, no matter how small it is.
Read more: You Might Be Eligible for Business Credit Cards & Not Know It
Special Considerations with the Chase Ink Business Cash Card
If you’ve applied for or read about Chase credit cards, you’ve likely come across the bank's dreaded 5/24 rule.
Chase won’t accept applications if you’ve opened five or more cards in the last 24 months from any bank – not just Chase. With business cards, that same rule applies … kind of.
For starters, you will need to be under the 5/24 limit to get approved for the Chase Ink Business Cash Card … but that approval won't add to your 5/24 count. So if you've opened three or four credit cards in the last two years, it might be the perfect time to apply – as doing so won’t hinder any applications for other Chase cards down the road.
And there’s one other detail that makes this card even more alluring. While Chase restricts earning bonuses on both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve, that’s not true of the Ink Business family. You can stack welcome bonuses from several of these cards so long as you're approved.
Just be warned: Chase can be very stingy with approvals for business credit cards. Be prepared to provide business paperwork and answer a lot of questions – though that won't always be the case.
Read our master guide to credit card applications!
Bottom Line
Chase just made the offer on its popular no-annual-fee *Ink Cash* a bit easier to earn by breaking it up into two tiers.
While the total bonus remains the same at $750 (or 75,000 Ultimate Rewards), you've now got up to six months to earn it. And for anyone with a Chase business checking account, getting a 10% bonus at the end of your first year is a nice sweetener.
Learn more about the *chase ink cash*.