Chase Ink Business Unlimited vs. Ink Business Cash: Battle of the Chase business cards

There are many business credit cards available in the market, making it difficult to decide which card is the best. Chase loyalists or those looking to open a Chase credit card can choose from four business credit cards, all with the Ink Business moniker.

If you need a business credit card, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card are two options.

Both cards are solid offerings, and depending on your business purchases, you may benefit from one over the other. Let’s explore what makes these cards different and which card might be the right choice for you.

Ink Business Unlimited vs. Ink Business Cash Comparison

Ink Business Unlimited vs. Ink Business Cash welcome gift

With Ink Business Unlimited, you’ll earn $750 in cash back after spending $6,000 in purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Ink Business Cash has a tiered welcome bonus offer of $350 cash back after you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first three months after account opening, and an additional $400 cash back after you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first six months after account opening .

New cardholders will also earn an additional 10% cash back in the first card year if they have a Chase Business Checking account. This part of the offer is only available to those who opened Ink Business Cash between March and November 2024.

You will be subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule when you try to open any card, but since these are business cards, they won’t count toward 5/24 for you.

Related: The Power of the Chase Trifecta

Winner: Ink Business Cash. The ability to earn an additional 10% cash back makes it a better offer.

Ink Business Unlimited vs. Benefits of Ink Business Cash

Ink Business Unlimited or Ink Business Cash do not offer any statement credits or travel benefits. This is not common for cards that do not have an annual fee.

Both cards offer similar benefits when it comes to purchasing and securing a car rental. With both cards, you’ll get:

• Purchase protection: If an eligible item is damaged or stolen within the first 120 days after purchase, you are covered up to $10,000 per claim ($50,000 per account).
• Basic car rental: If you use any card for all rental expenses and travel for business purposes, you are covered for theft and damage in the US and many countries around the world. Remember that this does not give you any credit, but you are paid up to the actual value of the rental car.
• Extended warranty protection: Purchases with a US manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less will receive an additional year of coverage. This can be very useful if the item stops working soon after its scheduled warranty expires.

There is no card with any other benefits other than these, so if you want to buy a trip with this card, consider the cards in your wallet first.

Winner: Type. Both cards offer similar benefits.

Earning cashback with Ink Business Unlimited vs. Ink Business Cash

Ink Business Unlimited has an easy earning rate of 1.5% unlimited cash back on all purchases and 5% cash back on Lyft rides until March 2025.

The card is suitable for a business that purchases in various categories, offering 0.5% cash back compared to other cards, which offer 1% cash back on purchases outside of bonus categories.

On the other hand, Ink Business Cash earns 5% cash back on office supplies and internet, cable and phone services (on the first $25,000 spent on combined purchases each account anniversary year); 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $25,000 spent on combined purchases each account anniversary year); and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

As a new Ink Business Cash cardholder, you’ll get 10% extra cash back in the first card year when you have a Chase Business Checking account.

This is a useful first-year pay rate; However, since it is only for business account holders, you may want to open a business checking account before applying for the card. Remember that you will only be eligible for this if your Ink Business Cash is opened between March and November 2024.

If your business has large expenses in the Ink Business Cash bonus categories, applying for the card is a no-brainer. However, if your business purchases fluctuate from month to month or if you buy in many different categories, you are better off with Ink Business Unlimited.

Winner: Ink Business Cash. Its bonus categories and the ability to earn 10% cash back in the first year of your card make it a winner here.

Cashback on Ink Business Unlimited vs. Ink Business Cash

Both cards earn cash back, which can be used through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal to earn cash back or other rewards, such as statement credits, gift cards and travel with Chase Travel℠.

There is a very profitable way to get money back, which we will discuss below.

Winner: Type. Both cards offer similar redemption options.

Transferring rewards with Ink Business Unlimited vs. Ink Business Cash

If you also own a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can transfer rewards earned to Ink Business Unlimited or Ink Business Cash on that card.

From there, you can take advantage of Chase’s 14 transfer partners and use your rewards for award tickets or hotel stays.

As an Ink Business Cash cardholder, I transfer my rewards to my Sapphire Reserve, which allows me to transfer them to partners like Air Canada Aeroplan and Air France-KLM Flying Blue.

I recently needed to top up my Sapphire Reserve account before transferring points to Aeroplan, and transferring the rewards was easy. I logged into my account and submitted the rewards, which happened instantly.

Should I get Unlimited Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Cash?

If your business has expenses within the categories of bonuses and expenses of Ink Business Cash, then it is an easy card choice as you can use it to increase your rewards benefits. On the other hand, if you have purchases in various categories and don’t want to be pressured by the small amount of spending on the bonus category, then Ink Business Unlimited and its 1.5% cashback rate is better for you.

How to switch from Ink Business Unlimited to Ink Business Cash

Switching between Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash or vice versa is possible. To exchange products, call the customer service phone number on the back of the card and speak to a representative.

However, it is possible to open both cards, allowing your business to use the bonus categories of Ink Business Cash on purchases and a fixed 1.5% cash back from Ink Business Unlimited on all other purchases. Remember that switching products from one card to another will lock you out of that card’s acceptance, so I recommend activating both cards instead.

Bottom line

Chase’s list of Ink Business cards can be confusing, but Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash are both cash back cards for business owners. While you may feel limited by only getting cash back, rewards earned on both can be used to travel with Chase transfer partners if you have a High Rewards credit card.

If your business can benefit from its bonus categories, Ink Business Cash is the right choice. Otherwise, go with Ink Business Unlimited to take advantage of its 1.5% cashback rate.

To learn more, read our full reviews of Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash.

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Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited

Apply here: Ink Business Fee

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Related: Ink Business Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited