It's worth noting that there’s one more Ink card, the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card, not covered here because it earns cashback instead of Ultimate Rewards points.
The short answer is: probably, yes! Many people assume that they can’t get a business card because they don’t run a local restaurant or meet some threshold of earnings. However, it’s likely that you own a small business without even knowing it.
Do you occasionally sell things at a garage sale? Drive for a rideshare or food delivery app? Buy and resell tickets to sporting events or concerts? Are you working on a blog? Trying to be an Instagram influencer? If you do anything to bring in money as a side gig (and maybe even if you don't have any revenue to show for it yet), congrats, you've got yourself a small business!
For many people, what this looks like is applying for business credit cards as a "Sole Proprietor" -- essentially just saying that you are your business as opposed to owning an LLC or other legal structure. When you do that, you can use your social security number in place of your business's employer identification number (EIN).
Earn Ultimate Rewards – Some of the Best Points in the Game
Chase’s transferrable points are one of the most valuable – if not the single most valuable – kind of point out there. Business class, lie-flat seats on premium airlines and top tier hotels around the world are all within reach with Ultimate Rewards.
Great sign-up bonuses
You can typically earn 75k-90k Ultimate Rewards by opening each of these cards, and sometimes as much as 120k. That’s at least $750 per card, and if you have either the Ink Preferred or a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, those sign-up bonuses are easily worth thousands by redeeming for good value with Chase’s great transfer partners.
Referral Bonuses
Say you have a spouse, sibling, or friend who has a small business, too. You can refer your friend to get one of the Ink cards, who will earn the sign-up bonus listed for the card AND you’ll earn 20k or more Ultimate Rewards for referring them.
Lucrative Category Bonuses
Each card has unique spending categories that help you maximize points:
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card – 5x points at office supply stores, where you can buy gift cards for everyday spending.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card – 3x points on travel, shipping, online advertising, and more.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card – 1.5x points on all purchases, making it a great catch-all card.
By using these cards together, you can optimize your earning across different types of purchases.
Low or No Annual Fees
With two no-annual-fee options and the Ink Preferred at just $95 per year, the Chase Ink cards offer high rewards without high costs.
Open Multiple Cards for More Points
If you have multiple businesses, you can apply for each Chase Ink card under each business, allowing you to earn hundreds of thousands of points over time. Some applicants have even been approved for multiple of the same Ink card under a single business.
Chase Ink Cards Don’t Count Toward 5/24
Chase does not report business cards to your personal credit report, meaning they won’t affect your ability to apply for personal Chase cards. However, you still must be under 5/24 to be approved for an Ink card.
To get the most value from your points, you need at least one card that allows transfers to airline and hotel partners.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Ink Business Preferred®
If you have only an Ink Cash or Ink Unlimited card, you can combine points with a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Preferred to unlock full transfer options.
If you’re serious about earning travel rewards, the Chase Ink family is a must-have.
With big sign-up bonuses, valuable category multipliers, and flexible redemption options, these cards offer a ton of value with little to no cost.
And if you have multiple businesses, the ability to open multiple Ink cards makes them even more powerful.
For anyone looking to maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards, the Ink lineup is one of the best ways to earn and redeem points efficiently.
