Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card review

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited card mirrors the simplicity of the consumer Chase Freedom Unlimited® card: Business owners get a no-annual-fee card that offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on all their purchases (and their employees’ purchases), with no spending caps or bonus categories to fret about.

To add to the appeal, this straightforward, flat-rate business card comes with an impressive welcome offer for a no-annual-fee business card and throws in some travel and purchase protections as well. As long as you’re not looking to earn maximum rewards on your business purchases, the Ink Business Unlimited has the potential to be one of the best business cards around.

Why you might want the Ink Business Unlimited

The Ink Business Unlimited is a good choice for small-business owners who want a hassle-free way to earn straightforward cash back on their purchases. For added value, the card comes with plenty of perks, including a generous sign-up bonus and an intro APR offer on new purchases. You can also add employees to your account for no annual fee, set individual limits for each employee and file and track receipts on the go.

High sign-up bonus

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited card recently updated its sign-up bonus: You can now earn $750 back after you spend $6,000 in your first three months, which is one of the more valuable sign-up bonuses you’ll find on a no-annual-fee business cash back card.

Plus, since the Ink Business Unlimited card is part of the Ultimate Rewards family, the bonus translates to 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points, making this a great opportunity to score a large number of points toward your next plane ticket.

Hassle-free cash back rewards

Business owners who prefer a no-annual-fee card without spending caps or bonus categories to keep track of will earn an above-average flat rate of 1.5% cash back on every purchase with the Ink Business Unlimited card.

While this is a pretty good rewards rate for a no-annual-fee card, you can earn more cash back for your business if you’re willing to pay for a card with an annual fee.

For instance, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus offers unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase for a $150 annual fee (and no fee for employee cards). Plus, you can earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. For business owners with large business expenses, it should be easy to rack up enough cash back on business purchases to quickly outmatch a $150 annual fee.

Plus, if you’re not fazed by some extra maintenance and you want to maximize the rewards on your business purchases, you should seriously consider signing up for a travel rewards card – particularly a card with category bonuses. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, for instance, offers 3X points on business-related purchases (on up to $150,000 in select combined category purchases each year, then 1X) – twice the rate of the Ink Business Unlimited card.

See related: Make the most of the Chase Ink cards’ bonus categories

Flexible redemption options

Chase makes it relatively simple to redeem your cash back. Points don’t expire and you have a variety of options for redeeming your rewards – you can redeem your points for a statement credit or as a deposit into a checking or savings account, or you can redeem them for a variety of other rewards, including travel rewards, gift cards, Amazon purchases and experiences.

Unfortunately, for cardholders seeking the ultimate low-maintenance credit card, Chase falls a little short of some of its competitors. There’s no option to automatically redeem your cash back (the Capital One Spark Cash Select offers this feature), and you have to wait until you collect at least 2,000 points to redeem them.

Pair it with a premium card from Chase

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited card isn’t just for low-maintenance cardholders. It’s also a great card for rewards maximizers. You can pair the card with a premium Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which offers 5X points on travel purchased through the Chase portal, 3X points on dining and 2X points on other travel purchases, or the Chase Ink Business Preferred card, which offers a 3-point bonus on business purchases.

Not only can you juggle the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card with these cards to earn a 1.5% bonus on purchases that don’t qualify for the other cards’ bonus categories, but you can then transfer your points to the Sapphire Preferred card or the Ink Business Preferred card and redeem them for travel to earn a 25% redemption bonus on your points (basically boosting their value to 1.25 cents per point).

To get an even better value on your points, you can also transfer them from these cards to a number of airline loyalty programs, such as United or Southwest airlines.

0% interest for 12 months

Aside from cash back rewards, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card has another appealing feature for business owners: a 0% introductory APR on new purchases for 12 months (after that, the ongoing 17.99% - 23.99% Variable APR). If you are planning a large purchase for your business, this could be a great opportunity to finance it at 0% for a year, while using your sign-up bonus to help pay down the purchase.

Why you might want a different card

With responsible use, there’s little downside to carrying the Ink Business Unlimited card in your wallet. But it only offers a flat-rate of 1.5% on purchases, so it will be tough to maximize the amount of cash back you earn. An easy remedy for that is to pair it with a business card that earns bonus rewards in select categories you spend the most in.

Penalty APR

It’s always a good idea to pay your credit card bill on time to avoid any late fees and negative marks on your credit report, but the Ink Business Unlimited gives you another important reason to ensure you make timely payments. The card comes with a hefty default APR of up to 29.99%, which is a penalty you’re given if you make a late payment. To make matters worse, Chase could leave this penalty APR in place indefinitely, which is far longer than other cards that only keep a penalty APR in place for 6 to 12 months. So if you’re not sure you can stay on top of your credit card bills, it’s a good idea to stick with a business card that doesn’t come with a penalty APR.

How does the Ink Business Unlimited compare to other no-annual-fee business cards?

The Ink Business Unlimited is a great card thanks to its top-of-the-line sign-up bonus, easy rewards program and additional benefits. But it’s not the only business card with straightforward rewards and sold perks. Though they won’t be able to match the Ink Business Unlimited’s sign-up bonus, here’s a look at three other business cards that could be a better fit for businesses looking to earn more than just a flat rate of 1.5% on purchases.

Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card	Capital One Spark Cash Select	The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Rewards rate Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice (for the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter). Earn 2% cash back on dining purchases (for the first $50,000 in combined choice category/dining purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter). Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.	Rewards rate Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere — with no limits or category restrictions	Rewards rate Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. 1% cash back on all eligible purchases after spending $50,000 per calendar year. Terms apply
Welcome bonus Get a $300 online statement credit after you make at least $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening.	Welcome bonus $500 cash back once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening	Welcome bonus Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
Annual fee $0	Annual fee $0	Annual fee $0
Other things to know Cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open Change your bonus category once per calendar month Boost rewards rate with Preferred Rewards for Business	Other things to know Rewards don’t expire for the life of the account No limit on amount of cash back you can earn Redeem any amount of cash back at any time Set account to automatically deposit cash back once you reach a certain threshold	Other things to know Includes a 0% introductory APR on new purchases for the first 12 months from the date of account opening (17.74% - 25.74% Variable APR thereafter) You can spend over your credit limit without penalty, as long as you pay off the over-limit amount plus your minimum payment by the due date.

Ink Business Unlimited vs. Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard®

The Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard has a much smaller sign-up bonus, and its flat rate of 1% cash back on general purchases falls short of the Ink Business card. But the Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards card has a couple of standout features that make it worth a look.

This Bank of America Business card gives you a chance to earn bonus rewards in select categories: 3% cash back in one category of your choosing (which include everyday business expenses like gas stations & EV charging stations, office supplies or travel) and 2% cash back on dining purchases. The main catch is that you only earn bonus rewards on the first $50,000 in the combined 3% and 2% categories, which may not be the best fit for businesses with big expenses. But modest spenders could rake in considerable cash back in these bonus categories. Plus, the Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards card has no penalty APR and doesn’t charge a late fee if your balance is $100 or less, which is far more forgiving than the Ink Business Unlimited card.

Ink Business Unlimited vs. Capital One Spark Cash Select

The Capital One Spark Cash Select is another low-maintenance card with a 1.5% flat rate. It can’t match the sizable sign-up bonus offered by the Ink Business Unlimited, but it does offer bonus rewards: 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. This makes it a good fit for small-business owners with occasional travel purchases who aren’t interested in transferring rewards to airline partners for potentially better value.

The Spark Cash Select also lets you redeem your rewards at any time, with no minimum, and you can even set your account to automatically deposit your cash back rewards once you’ve reached a predetermined amount. This gives the Spark Cash Select a new level of low-maintenance that the Ink Business Unlimited can’t match.

Ink Business Unlimited vs. American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is a solid pick for small businesses with moderate expenses. It offers a higher flat rate compared to the Ink Business unlimited: 2% cash back on every purchase, up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. It also has a few perks similar to the Ink Business Unlimited card, including an intro APR offer.

The main downside of the Blue Business Cash card is the spending cap on purchases. You’ll also have to watch out for a penalty APR that will be in effect for at least 12 months if you make two late payments within a 12-month period or fail to make an on-time minimum payment. But if you can pay your balance in full and on time and have expenses that fall under $50,000, the Blue Business Cash card is a better long-term choice compared to the Ink Business Unlimited.

How do businesses use the Ink Business Unlimited card?

Given its generous travel perks, the Ink Business Unlimited card could be a good option for business owners that want to rack up points for business or personal travel. Here’s how one small business owner made the most of the card:

Small Business Credit Profiles How Emily’s Maids uses the Ink Business Unlimited card
	“[My credit cards] have gotten me around the world and it’s always been for free!“
Greg Shepard of Emily’s Maids, a low-cost maid service in Dallas, Texas, used the Ink Business Unlimited card to rack up points and perks on travel. Here’s his advice to other business owners considering the card: It’s great to put rewards earned back into the business, but you can also use them for personal travel and save more than you thought possible. Always pay off your balance in full each month. Treat carrying a balance as your last resort to make ends meet and never charge what you can’t repay. Get a card with the lowest rate possible, even if you know you will pay it off every month. A great rewards program is important too – points add up quickly when you’re charging business expenses.
Read more of our Small Business Credit Profiles

How to use the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card:

• Spend enough on the card to earn the sign up bonus within the allotted time.
• Use the card for all your purchases (and your employees’ purchases) to earn a consistent cash back rate.
• Pair this card with a premium Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Chase Ink Business Preferred card – you can transfer your points to those cards and redeem them for travel to get a 25-percent boost on your point value.

Is the Ink Business Unlimited card right for you?

The Ink Business Unlimited is a great choice for small-business owners who want to earn an easy 1.5% cash back on purchases, with no categories to track. For added value, the card comes with a number of business-friendly perks like an intro APR offer on purchases and one of the best sign-up bonuses around. As long as you pay your balance on time and avoid the card’s penalty APR, this is a solid business card to hold on to. And since it doesn’t charge an annual fee, you can pair it with another card that earns bonus rewards in your top spending categories to help maximize your credit card rewards.