Chase Ink Business Preferred versus Chase Ink Business Cash
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Deciding between the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and the Ink Business Cash Credit Card isn’t as simple as comparing sign-up bonuses and annual fees. The best Chase business card for your wallet depends on your personal situation. Certain business owners might prefer to earn straightforward cash back, while others love earning travel rewards to save money on vacations.
There are similarities between both cards, but also big differences. Like the (much!) bigger sign-up bonus on the Ink Business Preferred or the fact that the Ink Cash has no annual fee.
Keep in mind, you don’t need to own a multi-million dollar company qualify for Chase business cards. Even small businesses owners are eligible to apply for the card and earn the welcome bonus. For example, you could apply with your eBay selling business, Uber driving business, or real estate business using your social security number.
Let’s take a look at the offers and perks on both cards to help you decide which one might work for you.
Chase Ink Business Preferred vs Chase Ink Cash
Best sign-up bonus
With the Chase Ink Business Preferred card, you’ll earn a whopping 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
You can redeem the sign-up bonus for $1,000 in cash back or $1,250 in travel by booking airfare, hotel stays, or car rentals through the Chase’s travel portal (with no blackout dates!).
In comparison, with the increased Ink Business Cash offer, you’ll earn $500 cash back (50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening.
It’s clear to see that the welcome offer on the Chase Ink Business Preferred card is substantially more valuable.
Winner: Ink Business Preferred
Best earning rate
With the Chase Ink Business Preferred you’ll get:
- 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points for every $1 you spend on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites, and search engines (up to a maximum of $150,000 in combined purchases per account anniversary year)
- 1X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on all other purchases
And with the Chase Ink Business Cash you’ll get:
- 5% cash back (5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points) on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on phone, internet and cable TV services each account anniversary year
- 2% cash back (2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points) on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year
- 1% cash back (1X Chase Ultimate Rewards point) on all other purchases
As you can see, the maximum spending bonus category for the Ink Business Preferred is 3X versus the Ink Business Cash, which has a 5X bonus category. So if you spend a lot at office supply stores the Ink Business Cash is the better choice. But if you travel is one of your top spending categories then you’d be better off with the Chase Ink Business Preferred.
Winner: It depends on your spending habits
Best redemption value
If the Ink Business Cash is the only Chase Ultimate Rewards card you have, you can only redeem the points you earn for 1 cent each for cash back or toward travel. In comparison, the Ultimate Rewards points you earn with the Ink Business Preferred are worth 1.25 cents per point toward travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
But with the Ink Business Preferred, you can get potentially more value from them by transferring the points you earn directly to Chase’s great travel partners like United and Southwest.
So the Ink Business Preferred is the winner at the most basic level. But it really comes down to whether you want to earn rewards to help offset the cost of travel or earn straightforward cash back.
Winner: Ink Business Preferred
Best annual fee
The Chase Ink Business Cash has no annual fee whereas the Ink Business Preferred’s annual fee is $95. So at face value the Ink Business Cash is the better choice. But don’t forget that the welcome offer you’ll earn with the Ink Business Preferred will far outweigh the cost of the card’s annual fee.
Winner: Chase Ink Business Cash
Best additional benefits
Here’s a look at the protections you’ll get when you pay for travel or shop with the Chase Ink Business Preferred or Ink Business Cash.
| Coverage | Chase Ink Business Preferred | Chase Ink Business Cash |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase Protection | • Covered up to 120 days from the date of purchase in the event of theft, damage, or involuntary and accidental parting with property • Up to the amount charged to your card, with a maximum of $10,000 for each claim and no more than $50,000 per account | • Covered up to 120 days from the date of purchase in the event of theft, damage, or involuntary and accidental parting with property • Up to the amount charged to your card, with a maximum of $10,000 for each claim and no more than $50,000 per account |
| Extended Warranty | • 1 extra year added to warranty of 3 years or less • Up to the amount charged to your card less shipping and handling fees, with a maximum of $10,000, and no more than $50,000 per calendar year | • 1 extra year added to warranty of 3 years or less • Up to the amount charged to your card less shipping and handling fees, with a maximum of $10,000, and no more than $50,000 per calendar year |
| Primary Rental Car Insurance | • Cardholders covered when you rent a car with your card and decline the car rental agency's collision damage waiver • Rental car insurance is primary when renting for business purposes in your country of residence or outside of the country. Otherwise, this coverage is secondary. | • Cardholders covered when you rent a car with your card and decline the car rental agency's collision damage waiver • Rental car insurance is primary when renting for business purposes in your country of residence or outside of the country. Otherwise, this coverage is secondary. |
| Delayed Baggage | • If your baggage is delayed for more than 6 hours, you could be reimbursed for emergency purchases of essential items (i.e. clothing, toiletries, cell phone charging cables, and more) • Up to $100 per day for a maximum of 5 days | • If your baggage is delayed for more than 6 hours, you could be reimbursed for emergency purchases of essential items (i.e. clothing, toiletries, cell phone charging cables, and more) • Up to $100 per day for a maximum of 3 days |
| Lost Luggage | • Covers the cost to repair or replace lost luggage and personal items inside • Up to $3,000 per person each trip with a limit of $500 for items such as jewelry and electronics | • Covers the cost to repair or replace lost luggage and personal items inside • Up to $3,000 per person each trip with a limit of $500 for items such as jewelry and electronics |
| Trip Delay Protection | • If your trip is delayed for more than 12 hours, you could be reimbursed for up to $500 per ticket for reasonable expenses (meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal use items) | • No coverage |
| Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance | • Up to $5,000 for per occurrence, if you pay for your trip with points you'll get a value of 1 cent per point | • No coverage |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | None | 3% |
| Guide to Benefits | • See the Chase Ink Business Preferred Benefits Guide for more details | • See the Chase Ink Business Cash Benefits for more details |
Winner: Ink Business Preferred
Best worldwide acceptance
Both cards are Visa cards so they’re excepted equally around the globe.
Winner: Tie
It’s possible to get both cards!
You can get both cards as long as you’re not impacted by Chase’s 5/24 rule because the Chase Ink Cash and Ink Business Preferred are considered different card products.
Just remember, with Chase’s stricter approval rules, if you’ve opened ~5 or more credit cards (from any bank) in the past 24 months (excluding certain business cards), it’s unlikely you’ll be approved any Chase cards.
Bottom line
- Best welcome bonus: Ink Business Preferred
- Best rewards earning: It depends on your spending habits
- Best redemption value: Ink Business Preferred
- Best annual fee: Ink Business Cash
- Best additional benefits: Ink Business Preferred – cardholders get perks like no foreign transaction fees, cell phone insurance, and travel protection for trip delays, cancellations, and interruptions.
- Best worldwide acceptance: Tie
The Ink Business Cash card has no annual fee and the rewards you earn can potentially be more valuable if you pair it with another eligible Chase cards. But the Ink Business Preferred is a better option for folks looking to get the biggest bang for their buck. The huge 100,000-point sign-up bonus is worth $1,250 in travel if you book through the Chase travel portal. And you have the ability to transfer points directly to airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, Southwest, and United Airlines for potentially even more value.
Plus, Ink Business Preferred cardholders get perks like no foreign transaction fees, cell phone insurance, and travel protection for trip delays, cancellations, and interruptions.
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