The Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card currently has the highest sign-up bonus of any Chase Ultimate Rewards card. You can earn 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after meeting minimum spending requirements.
I’ve asked the Million Mile Secrets team how they’d use this fantastic bonus. Here’s team member Keith!
Keith: Thanks, Daraius!I got the Ink Business Preferred in 2016. This card gives me the opportunity to earn lots of valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points for my eBay side business.
The huge 80,000-point sign-up bonus and cell phone insurance coverage were the main reasons I applied for the card. I knew I could use the sign-up bonus to get at least $1,000 worth of travel booked through the Chase travel portal.
But I ended up saving ~$3,900 by transferring the sign-up bonus points directly to one of the Chase’s travel partners.
I’ll share how I used the Ink Preferred sign-up bonus! And other ways I’d consider using 80,000 Chase Chase Ultimate Rewards points!
What WE Would Do With the Chase Ink Business Preferred 80,000 Point Bonus
How I Saved ~$3,900 With the Ink Business Preferred Sign-Up Bonus
My strategy for using Chase Ultimate Rewards points is to transfer points directly to airline and hotel partners. I usually get the most value for my points this way! So my plan for the Ink Business Preferred 80,000-point sign-up bonus was no different.
Earning the sign-up bonus was perfect timing. Because when I got the card, I was planning flights to New Zealand for a trip with my wife in September 2017.
After searching Google flights, I saw Air New Zealand operates a non-stop flight between my home airport in Los Angeles and Auckland, New Zealand.
And I realized Air New Zealand and United Airlines are part of the Star Alliance. So I could transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points from the Ink Business Preferred directly to United Airlines. Then, book an Air New Zealand award flight.
Having this flexibility is the biggest advantage of earning transferable points!
Luckily, I was able to find an available Business Class award seat for 80,000 United Airlines miles. This is a ~13 hour flight, so I’m looking forward to having a comfortable lie-flat seat!
Paying cash for this same flight would have cost ~$4,000! So with the ~$100 in taxes and fees I paid for the award ticket, I figure the Ink Business Preferred sign-up bonus saved me ~$3,900!
Admittedly, I got very lucky with this award booking. Because Air New Zealand doesn’t release many award seats to partner airlines. But the day I booked, I was able to get 4 Business Class award seats!
If I Could Earn the Sign-Up Bonus Again, I’d Transfer Points to Southwest or Hyatt
I was thrilled to use the Ink Preferred 80,000-point sign-up bonus for a Business Class award seat to New Zealand. But if I didn’t have the New Zealand trip planned, I’d likely have transferred the points to Southwest or Hyatt.
Southwest is one of my favorite Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners because my wife and I have the Southwest Companion Pass. And like Daraius says, this is without a doubt the best deal in travel.
I can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest, and book an award flight for myself. Then I can add my wife to the reservation by just paying taxes and fees for her flight. This deal has saved us thousands of dollars in airfare over the past few years!
My wife and I have transferred points and had wonderful stays at the Hyatt Place Park City and the Grand Hyatt Seattle.
Chase Ink Business Preferred Offer
Link: Chase Ink Business Preferred
Link: Review of the Ink Business Preferred
When you open the Chase Ink Business Preferred card, you’ll earn 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You’ll also 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
- Up to $600 in cell phone insurance when you pay your cell phone bill with the card
- 25% bonus when you redeem points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal
- Primary auto rental insurance (CDW) when renting for business purposes, plus purchase and extended warranty protection
The card has a $95 annual fee, which is NOT waived the first year.
The Ink Business Preferred card is impacted by Chase’s tighter application rules.
So if you’ve opened 5+ cards from any bank (NOT counting Chase business cards and these other business cards) in the past 24 months, it’s unlikely you’ll be approved for this card.
Bottom Line
With the Chase Ink Business Preferred, you can earn 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after opening your account.
Team member Keith got this card and used the sign-up bonus points to book a Business Class award flight to New Zealand. Transferring 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United Airlines got him $3,900 worth of travel!
There are lots of other fantastic ways to use the flexible points you earn with the Ink Business Preferred. You can transfer points to travel partners like Southwest or Hyatt. Or redeem points for flights, hotel stays, and car rentals through the Chase travel portal.
Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to use points! Some folks love to stretch points for more coach flights to visit more destinations. And others like to splurge on a once-in-a-lifetime First Class experience!
How would you use the Ink Preferred sign-up bonus?