Is the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Worth It

The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is part of Chase’s business suite of cards. Because they earn Ultimate Rewards points, one of the most valuable point currencies in the points and miles spaces, you may be considering whether the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is for you.

With a lucrative sign-up bonus this offer seems like a no brainer. But the minimum spend requirement may cause you to pause. Let’s take a look at the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and decide whether it’s worth the spend or if you should look elsewhere for your next card.

About the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a no-annual-fee business card that earns 5X points on the first $25,000 spent annually at office supply stores and on telecommunications such as internet cable and phone (1X points after that). It will also score you 2X Ultimate Reward Points for every dollar spent on gas and restaurants on the first $25,000 spent, 1X Ultimate Reward point after.

From a daily spend standpoint, the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a specialist, not a generalist. Those who maintain typical office space for their business and use a lot of office supplies, or do a lot of travel and client entertainment may find value in this card. But for most businesses, there are likely better alternatives such as the American Express® Business Gold Card, which gives you 4X points on the top two categories where you spend the most money each month (up to $150,000 max per year).

But just because it may not be a daily spender doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get the card. With no annual fee and a stack of Ultimate Rewards Points on the table, the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card may be worth an application just for the sign-up bonus.

The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card comes with a few other bells and whistles such as:

• Purchase protection on eligible purchases for the first 120 days
• Rental car collision damage waiver insurance

Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Sign-up Bonus

The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card sign-up bonus ranges from $500 to $900 cash back after meeting the minimum spend. Although, as a business card, the minimum spend tends to be a bit higher.

When paired with your Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, these points can be worth even more through the Chase Travel Portal or by transferring to one of the Ultimate Reward’s travel partners.

But is the bonus worth the spend?

It depends.

When deciding on opening a card, you should always have a plan for how you are going to hit the minimum spend, but you also have to look at the opportunity cost for pursuing one bonus over another. Spending money on your new Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card means missing out on spend towards other lucrative sign-up bonus opportunities.

Alternatives to the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

With higher spend there’s a number of opportunities to earn points.

If you haven’t applied for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card yet, that would be a much better place to start as the bonuses on those cards are just as lucrative, the minimum spends are lower, and the benefits of these cards enhance the value of any of your Chase cards earning Ultimate Rewards Points.

You may also want to consider earning two bonuses by spreading the minimum spend across two or more separate cards. This may be a more lucrative play than simply earning the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card sign-up bonus alone.

You could land a good amount of Southwest Rapid Rewards Points with the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Card. Although this card has a $199 annual fee, a $100 TSA/Precheck credit and 4 upgraded bookings per year help offset this fee. You will also be well on your way to earning the coveted Southwest Companion Pass.

Because Ultimate Rewards points can be used on multiple airlines and hotels or for booking travel in the travel portal, they are more valuable than Southwest Rapid Rewards Points. So, this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison.

But if you are in the habit of using your Ultimate Rewards points to travel on Southwest anyways, or if you plan to go for the Southwest Companion Pass this year, this move would leave you with some additional spend to pick up another card with, such as the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, which could complete your Companion Pass journey.

Remember, business cards generally don’t count against your 5/24 Status, you could look at non-Chase business cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates and fees) paired with a Citibusiness/ Aadvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard and put together a whole trip for just $9,000 minimum spend.

Reasons to Get the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

If you happen to have a business that aligns with the highest-earning categories of the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, this card is a no-brainer, with no annual fee and high earning potential.

But even if this doesn’t describe your general spending the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card may be for you.

If you’re trying to stay under 5/24 but need a card or trying to get one more card before you take a little bit of a credit break, taking the next few months to work towards the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card bonus can be a great way to earn a bonus while keeping your personal credit untouched. The Chase Ink Business cards are a great way to stock up on Ultimate Rewards points if you find yourself depleted.

Also, if you’re like me and you keep a couple of side gigs going at the same time, having a no-fee business card to organize your business finances and earn Ultimate Rewards Points on your daily spend is definitely a win. Although, you may want to compare this card to the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card which earns 1.5% on everything, which typically has the same bonus offer as the Ink Cash.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that there is only so much spend to go around. Make your next move wisely. You could earn the Southwest Companion Pass or earn bonuses on multiple cards.

The Chase Ink Business Cash card is a great no-annual-fee business card to help you earn Ultimate Rewards Points and, with a generous sign-up bonus, it could be for you. But make sure you aren’t missing a better opportunity before you apply.