Chase Ink Business Cash card review: Great for office supplies and technology services
Editor's Note
Chase Ink Business Cash Card overview
The Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card provides a healthy 5% cash back on office supplies and select utilities, as well as 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations. Given these categories, it's a solid no-annual-fee small-business credit card. And you can more than double the value of your rewards if you transfer them to a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
If your business doesn't have significant travel costs, you may not see the value in having a travel rewards card. But the Chase Ink Business Cash Card offers generous returns on a broad spectrum of office expenses like supplies, internet, cable and phone services while charging no annual fee and offering various redemption options.
The recommended credit score to apply for this card is 670 or above.
The Chase Ink Business Cash Card is a cash-back business card, which means redeeming your rewards is straightforward. However, more lucrative redemption options are available if you pair it with a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points.
Let's take a closer look at the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card so you can decide if it's a good fit for your business.
Ink Business Cash welcome offer
The Chase Ink Business Cash Card has an offer of $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening. This matches the best-ever offer on this product.
Plus, you can turn the cash-back bonus into Ultimate Rewards points if you transfer your cash-back rewards to a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. According to TPG's valuations, 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points are worth $1,845.
Related reading: Why do Chase and TPG list different values for Ultimate Rewards points?
Ink Business Cash benefits
The Chase Ink Business Cash Card is a no-annual-fee card that offers modest benefits and perks.
One of the card's best perks for many small-business owners is that you can request cards for employees at no additional cost. You'll earn rewards for their spending, and you can even set individual employee spending limits for greater control.
When you purchase eligible items with the Ink Business Cash Card, these purchases will be covered by purchase protection and extended warranty protection. Purchase protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft at up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account, while extended warranty protection extends the period of a U.S. manufacturer's warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less. These protections can save your business some serious cash.
When you rent a car, you can be covered by the Ink Business Cash Card's auto rental collision damage waiver when you decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary when renting for business purposes and provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most rentals in the U.S. and abroad.
Whether you're at home or abroad, you can call the Benefits Administrator for legal and medical referrals as well as other travel and emergency assistance. Agents can provide guidance and information when needed, but you'll be responsible for the cost of any services you obtain.
Finally, the Chase Ink Business Cash Card features zero-liability protection, which means you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information. Chase will help safeguard your account using real-time fraud monitoring.
Related reading: Reasons to apply for the Chase Ink Business Cash Card
Earning rewards on the Ink Business Cash
With the Chase Ink Business Cash Card, you'll earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 you make in combined purchases each account anniversary year at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. Plus, you'll earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 you make in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. You'll also earn 1% cash back on all other purchases, including on spending over $25,000 each account anniversary year in the 5% and 2% categories.
5% cash back is impressive for a no-annual-fee card, one of the best cash back credit card earning rates on the market, and it's even better if you have a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Then you can transfer your cash back to Ultimate Rewards points and effectively earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. Since TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each, that's a ~10% return on spending in these categories.
Related reading: Chase Ink Business cards showdown: Cash vs. Unlimited vs. Preferred
Redeeming rewards on the Ink Business Cash
Just because the Chase Ink Business Cash Card is a cash-back card doesn't mean you don't have options for redeeming your rewards.
You can redeem your cash-back rewards for gift cards, travel and cash at face value. If you redeem for cash, you can receive your money as an account statement credit or through an electronic deposit into an eligible U.S. checking or savings account.
Other options will provide less than face value for your cash-back rewards, such as unique experiences, Amazon Shop with Points and Apple Ultimate Rewards Store. We generally don't recommend redeeming your rewards for these lower-value options.
Transferring rewards on the Ink Business Cash
If you have a card like the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you unlock an additional redemption option: You can convert the cash-back rewards on your Ink Business Cash Card to Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
The other card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points must be registered to the company's owner, you or a household member to qualify. Once you move points to an Ultimate Rewards-earning account, you can transfer them to airline and hotel travel partners or book travel directly through the Chase portal at a better rate.
Related reading: How to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Which cards compete with the Ink Business Cash?
The Chase Ink Business Cash Card is an excellent choice if your primary spending aligns well with the office supply and utilities bonus categories. But here are some other options:
- If you tend to spend more on travel, shipping and advertising: The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card works well with the Ink Cash since having the Ink Preferred allows the Ink Cash to effectively earn Ultimate Rewards points. For a $95 annual fee, the Ink Preferred earns earn 3 points per dollar on up to $150,000 in spending each account anniversary year on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines. For more information, read our full review of the Ink Business Preferred.
- If you spend more than $25,000 in combined purchases per year: You may want to consider the Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card. It offers similar spending categories to the Ink Cash and carries no annual fee. For more information, read our full review of the Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best business credit cards.
Read more: How to get a business credit card
Is the Ink Business Cash worth it?
The Ink Business Cash is best suited for small-business owners who spend less than $25,000 per year in combined purchases. With solid, simple benefits and no annual fee, it's a smart pick for business owners who want a cash-back boost for their purchases, especially at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services.
Bottom line
The combination of simplicity and the potential for redemptions make the Ink Business Cash Card a good choice if you're looking for cash-back rewards or the ability to convert cash back to transferrable travel rewards. If you frequently shop at office supply stores or pay internet, cable or phone utilities by credit card, adding the Ink Business Cash Card to your wallet could elevate your earnings on these expenses without requiring you to pay an additional annual fee.
Apply here: Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card with a $900 (90,000-point) sign-up bonus