We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

Revealed: What Counts Towards the Chase Ink 5X Bonus?

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update:   One or more card offers in this post are no longer available.  Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. 

    The Chase Ink 5X bonus category can help folks earn extra miles, points, or cash back on lots of purchases!

    The Ink Plus & Ink Cash both earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services.

    But remember, the Chase Ink Plus card won’t be available to new applicants by the end of 2016,  It’s being replaced with the Chase Ink Preferred card, which will only have  3X bonus categories.

    If you’re considering a Chase Ink card, it’s helpful to see the specific purchases that can earn you 5X rewards.

    Earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards Points When You Pay Monthly Expenses Like Your Cell Phone or Internet Bills With Your Ink Plus or Ink Cash Card!

    I’ll explain what counts as 5X with the Ink Plus & Ink Cash!

    What Counts as 5X With Chase Ink

    Link:   Chase Ink Cash

    Link:   Chase Ink Plus 

    Link:   Ink Plus or Ink Cash: Which Is a Better Fit for You?

    With the Ink Plus & Ink Cash cards, you can earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points at at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV service.

    Note:   If you don’t qualify for Chase Ink cards because of Chase’s tighter application rules, consider the SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express, which has similar bonus categories.

    On the Ink Cash, you’ll earn bonus points on up to $25,000 in combined purchases for the 5X bonus categories during a calendar year.

    With the Ink Plus, you’ll get bonus points on up to $50,000 in combined spending in the 5X bonus categories every year.

    Keep in mind, to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned on the Ink Cash to airline and hotel partners like Hyatt and United Airlines, you’ll need to have either the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Ink Plus, or Chase Ink Bold (no longer available).

    Here’s a look at where you can earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points!

    1.   Office Supply Stores

    You’ll earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points with the Ink Plus & Ink Cash cards on purchases at:

    Your purchases can be online or in-store.  Million Mile Secrets team member Keith likes to use his Ink Plus to purchase printer ink at Staples.  This way he earns 5X rewards on purchases for his eBay and Amazon reselling business!

    But did you know you’ll also earn the 5X bonus at these retailers through the United MileagePlus X app?

    Thanks to some great research by Doctor of Credit, you can use the shopping app (and earn United miles from United) in addition to the 5X points for shopping at Staples and Office Max.

    Earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (PLUS United Miles) With Your Ink Cards When You Shop at OfficeMax & Staples Through the United MileagePlus X App!

    So not only will you earn bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards points.  But you’ll get up to 5 United Airlines miles per $1 you spend through the app.

    2.   Cell Phone

    Most major cell phone companies will count toward the 5X bonus category, including:

    Unfortunately, Google Project Fi does NOT count towards the 5X bonus.

    And usually any expense, including cell phone purchases, will count toward the bonus spending.  The one exception is T-Mobile.  You’ll only get a 5X bonus for your phone service!

    Pay Your Monthly Cell Phone Bill With Your Chase Ink Card and Earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards Points!

    3.   Landline, Internet, and Cable TV

    Many small businesses pay for phone and internet expenses.  So earning 5X rewards can be an easy way to increase your points balance!  With the Ink cards you’ll earn a 5X bonus with:

    4.   Monthly Radio & Television Streaming Subscriptions

    Certain monthly radio and television subscriptions also count toward 5X bonus spending.  These include:

    Earn 5X Rewards When You Use Your Ink Cards to Pay for Streaming Subscriptions Like Hulu & Netflix for Your Small Business

    I have lots of friends who spend money on these monthly subscriptions.  Although they are relatively inexpensive, you might as well earn points for purchases you’re already making!

    Bottom Line

    The Ink Plus & Ink Cash cards earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on spending at office supply stores, monthly cell phone and internet bills, and certain streaming subscriptions.

    And it might be your last chance to apply for the Ink Plus card before Chase changes the Ink card lineup later this year.

    Because we know the Ink Plus is being replaced by the Ink Preferred, which will NOT any 5X bonus categories.

    Which purchases earn you the most 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points?

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)