Q&A on Chase Ink Business Cash®Credit Card & Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Increased Offers!
New Offers! Both the Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card are offering $1,000 cash back (equivalent to 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® Bonus Points) after you spend $8,000 in the first 4 months.
These offers on no-annual-fee business cards are incredible, so they should absolutely be near the top of your list. For more information on these cards and their offers, click here.
The Chase Ink Business Cash and the Chase Ink Business Unlimited are our #1 and #2 ranked business cards. There are many reasons for everybody to have one of these cards in their wallet.
The biggest reason to be excited is the $1,000 cash back offer (100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Bonus Points). Another reason is that you can combine the points you earn from these cards with Sapphire personal cards for maximum value.
One important update: Chase now treats the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited as part of the same card family. That means you can earn the welcome bonus on one of the two, not both. Both are strong cards, so the right choice comes down to how you spend (more on choosing below).
We’ve put together responses to the most commonly asked questions about eligibility for the no-annual-fee Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited cards here. If you’re not sure whether you qualify for a business card or not (Hint: you probably do!), check out our article: Am I Eligible For a Business Credit Card?
Special note: If you have had either of these cards before, it is important to read through this article to make sure you qualify or understand how to qualify. Here’s the breakdown:
To qualify for the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited’s increased bonus, you must meet the following criteria:
- Under 5/24 (fewer than 5 new personal cards in the past 24 months): If your credit report shows that you opened 5 or more new cards from any card issuers in the past 24 months, then you will not be approved for a new Chase card.
- No previous bonus on this card family: Because Chase now treats the Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited as one family, the bonus may not be available if you have previously received a bonus on either card, and the good news is that you should get a pop-up to let you know if you’re not eligible before a hard credit check.
- Not currently have the card: You can’t currently hold the card for the business you want to apply for.
- Qualify for a $5,000 credit line: Chase won’t approve your application unless they see fit to allocate a $5,000 credit line or more to your new account. Note that if you are a current Chase customer with other business cards, they will usually be open to moving credit from other existing business cards in order to open the new account if needed.
- Meet minimum spend requirements: Once you are approved for the Ink Cash or the Ink Unlimited, you have 4 months to make purchases totaling $8,000 or more. Keep in mind that charges that count as cash advances and any other card fees you incur do not count toward that total.
Questions and Answers About These Increased Offers
Which Ink card should I choose?
Since you can earn the welcome bonus on only one of these two cards, here’s a simple way to decide:
- Choose the Ink Business Cash if a meaningful portion of your spending falls into its bonus categories (office supply stores and internet, cable, and phone services earn 5% cash back (equivalent to 5X; gas stations and restaurants earn 2% cash back (equivalent to 2X), on combined spending up to a yearly cap).
- Choose the Ink Business Unlimited if you’d rather skip category tracking and earn a simple, flat 1.5% cash back (1.5X) on every purchase.
Either way, you’re getting one of the strongest no-annual-fee business cards available right now.
How do I apply?
Learn more about these offers and how to apply here (Thank you for your support of Travel Freely!):
And for help filling out the application, we have the perfect guide here: How to Apply for a Business Credit Card.
How much are 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?
The answer depends on how you use the points:
- $1,000 cash: You can directly cash out your points for a penny each.
- More toward travel with Points Boost: If you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve® personal card, you can transfer your points to that account and redeem for up to 2 cents each when you book Points Boost eligible flights or hotel stays in the Chase Travel℠ portal. That can push 100,000 points toward $2,000 in travel.
- Often even more through transfer partners: Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to a number of travel partners (see details here). In many cases, if you know what you’re doing, it’s possible to get far-outsized value for your points this way.
What if I can’t spend $8,000 in 4 months?
Consider reading this article to get ideas for how to hit minimum spending requirements. Often, there may be regular expenses you are making that aren’t yet put on a credit card.
Important: Be careful not to overspend just to meet spending requirements on new cards. You should also be paying off your cards in full each month.
Otherwise, if that is too high, I would recommend staying away from these cards and looking at other options like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card personal card that only requires $5,000 in spending or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card that only requires $4,000 in spending.
I applied and did not get an answer. It went pending. Is there anything I can do?
Yes! But, don’t call right away. Use our article here which shares some specific strategies on pending applications for Chase business cards. It’s normally much better to delay calling and wait when a Chase business card goes pending. This is to avoid a more thorough review of your application. And given time applications can end up approved!
I applied and was denied. Is there anything I can do?
Yes! When denied for a Chase card, call the reconsideration line (1-888-270-2127) to ask for the decision to be reconsidered. If you currently hold other Chase business cards, tell the agent you are not looking for more credit and you are happy to move credit from another card to open this one.
I recently applied for the lower offer. Will Chase match me to the higher offer if I ask?
Chase has been known to match welcome bonus offers in the past if they are public offers and within 90 days of a previous account opening. That said, there’s no guarantee. It also seems like people get denied if they ask within a few days of the new offer going live.
So, I would wait a few days. Then, go to your Chase online portal and send them a secure message with a screenshot of the new offer from chase.com. Mention the last 4 digits of the card so they can streamline the communication.
Can I earn the bonus on both the Ink Cash and the Ink Unlimited?
No. This is the big change. Chase now treats the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited as part of the same card family, which means you can earn a welcome bonus on one of the two cards per business, not both. Pick the card that best matches your spending (see “Which Ink card should I choose?” above). You can still apply for and hold the other card later; you just won’t earn a second welcome bonus.
If I have a personal Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, can I transfer the points I earn on my business card to my personal card?
Absolutely. You can transfer points to other Chase accounts you have or those who are household members or authorized users. Here’s a walkthrough on how to Chase merge points.
Can I earn the bonus by product changing to the Ink Business Cash/Unlimited from another Chase card?
No. You must open a brand new account.
5/24 Questions
How do I know my 5/24 status?
Good news! Travel Freely tracks this for you. Check your Travel Freely My Cards page. And read more here.
Does this card count toward my 5/24 status?
You must be under 5/24 to be approved. However, once you are approved, Chase business cards do NOT count toward your 5/24 count. e.g. If you are at 4/24, then you will stay at 4/24 after approval.
I am told I am over 5/24 due to being an authorized user on several accounts. Can I qualify?
Yes. Authorized user cards can cause initial denials. However, they do not count. You can call (1-888-270-2127) and talk to an application specialist and they will remove authorized user accounts when doing a manual review. Sometimes you’ll get customer service reps who try to tell you authorized user cards do count towards your total accounts, but the key is either to say, “No, I am not financially responsible for that account,” or to hang up and get another rep on the phone.
Current Ink Cash/Unlimited Card Questions
I currently have the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Can I qualify for the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited?
Yes. The Ink Business Preferred is its own separate product, so holding it does not block you from a welcome bonus on the Ink Cash/Unlimited family. Just remember that within that Cash/Unlimited family, you can earn the bonus on only one of the two cards.
I currently have an Ink Cash/Unlimited card. Can I cancel it and then apply again?
Yes, but don’t cancel until you’ve either moved your points to another Chase Ultimate Rewards earning card or spent those points on cash back or travel or transferred them to Chase’s transfer partners. More details here.
After canceling, it’s best to wait at least a week before applying. And make sure you meet the other eligibility requirements like being under 5/24 and not having earned the bonus on this card family in the last 24 months for the business you applied for.
I currently have an Ink Cash/Unlimited card but only because I’m an authorized user. Can I sign up for the Ink Cash/Unlimited?
Yes!
I previously had an Ink Cash/Unlimited, but I never earned a welcome bonus. Can I qualify?
Yes. As long as you have not received the welcome bonus in the past, you can qualify.
Is it helpful if I use Travel Freely’s link?
Yes! Using our Travel Freely links is the best way to support our site and app. Feel free to tell all your friends about this great offer too!
(Some of this content originally appeared on The Frequent Miler and has been posted with permission.)
