Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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ByDoug Milnes, CFA
Reviewed byBrett Holzhauer
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ByDoug Milnes, CFA
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Reviewed byBrett Holzhauer
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Updated: March 19, 2024

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The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card vs Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card comparison shows that while both cards are geared towards business owners — they are quite different in terms of their rewards structures and annual fees.

For example, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card charges a $0 annual fee, while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a $95 annual fee. MoneyGeek compared both cards in this guide to help you understand the difference between them and choose a card that’s the best fit for your needs.

Comparison Overview: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

  • Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
    Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
  • Has Annual Fee
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  • Has Balance Transfer Offer
  • Has APR Offer
  • Cash Back Rewards
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  • Travel Rewards
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Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card At a Glance

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers a welcome bonus of $750 cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases within the first three months after account opening. With this card, you also get an unlimited 1.5% cash back when you use it to cover any of your business expenses. It also offers a 0% intro APR for the first 12 months — which can be pretty helpful if you have any large purchases coming up.


  • Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

    Great for simple flat-rate rewards and no annual fee


    • 1.5% Cash BackRewards Rate
    • 18.49% – 24.49% VariableAPR
    • $0Annual Fee
    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit

    Pros

    • Solid flat-rate cash back
    • Generous welcome offer
    • Modest intro APR on purchases

    Cons

    • No bonus cash back
    • No intro APR on balance transfers
    • Foreign transaction fee

    Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business No Annual Fee Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control. Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information. 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases Member FDIC

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card At a Glance

With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you get 100,000 bonus points on spending up to $15,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening — which is equivalent to about $1,000 in rewards, or $1,250 when redeemed in the Chase travel portal. This card also offers three points per dollar spent on business expenses like advertising, shipping, travel, internet, cable and other services up to $150,000 in each account anniversary year and one point per dollar spent on other purchases.


  • Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

    Great for big welcome offer and ongoing rewards


    • 1–3 Points per $1Rewards Rate
    • 21.24% – 26.24% VariableAPR
    • $95Annual Fee
    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit

    Pros

    • Impressive welcome offer
    • High rewards cap
    • Boosted rewards redemption through Chase
    • Travel protections
    • Free employee cards

    Cons

    • With annual fee
    • No introductory APR offer
    • Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
    • 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
    • Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
    • 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
    • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
    • Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
    • Member FDIC

Comparison Summary

To help you understand the difference between the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, MoneyGeek compared the rewards structures and other details of both cards below.

Card Detail
Comparison Summary

Travel Coverage and Purchase Protection

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers purchase protection against theft or damage up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account for 120 days; however, it does not offer any coverage in case of trip cancellation or trip interruption.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers reimbursement up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip in case it gets cancelled or is cut short due to sickness or any other reason. This card also offers purchase protection.

Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Welcome Bonus

With Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, you get a $750 cash back bonus after spending $7,500 on purchases within the first three months, while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 100,000 bonus points on spending $150,000 on purchases within the first three months — which is equivalent to about $1,000 in cash back rewards.

Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Rewards

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every kind of purchases, while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 3x points per $1 spent on business expenses up to $150,000 in each account anniversary year and 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.

Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Annual Fee

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card charges a $0 annual fee, while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card charges $95 in annual fees.

Winner: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Foreign Transaction Fees

If you’re a frequent traveler, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card would be of great benefit — since it does not charge a foreign transaction fee. The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card charges a 3% fee on every foreign transaction.

Winner: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Which Card Should You Get?

Both the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offer great value for business owners. It’s best to consider your needs before deciding about getting either of these cards.

Who Should Consider the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card?

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a great option for business owners who do not want to spend time analyzing different bonus categories.

    cashBack icon

    Since this card offers an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every type of purchase, it’s a good option if you want a card with a simple rewards program to cover your business expenses.

    lowInterestAPR icon

    This card offers a 0% intro APR for the first 12 months — making it the best option in case you have a large purchase coming up.

Who Should Consider the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card?

If you’re a business owner who frequently travels abroad and is looking for a card with a great travel rewards program and rewards on other business purchases — the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card would be a good option for you.

    noForeignTransactionFee icon

    This card does not charge a foreign transaction fee — which makes it the best option for using while traveling abroad.

    threePointsPerDollar icon

    Since this card offers a high reward rate of 3x points per $1 spent on business expenses like advertising, shipping, travel, internet, cable and other services and 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases, it’s a good option if you want to reap maximum rewards.

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EXPERT OPINION

Of these two cards, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is absolutely the superior card for someone who travels. However, if you’re a business owner who wants no frills and wants to simply save money, you can’t go wrong with the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. However, when you measure each card against one another, the value from the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card outweighs the Unlimited card by a decent margin.

Other Helpful Decision-Making FAQs

If choosing between the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is difficult for you, MoneyGeek researched frequently asked questions to help you decide between both cards.

Both the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Cards offer great value for small-business owners. It’s best to compare both cards to see which one best fits your needs.

Yes, it’s possible to get the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card if you have the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. However, you may want to review the Chase 5/24 rule — which means that your application for another Chase card won’t be approved if you have gotten five or more credit cards in the last 24 months.

Yes, you can transfer points from the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card to the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card for a higher redemption value.

Yes, you can switch from the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card to the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. However, you should have had your card for at least an year and a product change is not guaranteed.

Both cards require you to own a business and have good to excellent credit scores. You can gauge your odds of approval by using the Chase pre-approval online tool.

With the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, you would have to spend $7,500 in purchases within the first three months, while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card requires you to spend $15,000 in purchases within the first three months.

Still Not Sure About These Cards? Consider These Options

While both the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are great options for business owners — you can also look over other rewards cards to see if any of them would be the best fit for your needs.

About Doug Milnes, CFA


Doug Milnes, CFA headshot

Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.

Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.


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