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Ink Business Cash Credit Card vs. Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

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Published on July 01, 2024 | 4 min read

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Key takeaways

  • The Ink business family of cards has a lot to offer, and which card you choose for your business will be dependent on how your business spends money.
  • Consider the Ink Business Cash Credit Card over the Ink Business Unlimited if your business spends a lot on office supplies, internet, cable, phone services, restaurants and gas stations.
  • If you travel a lot for business, you may want to consider pairing the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited with the Ink Business Preferred, which comes with rewards on travel, travel-related redemption options and no foreign transaction fees.

Chase is known for its wide variety of business credit cards, many of which are designed especially for entrepreneurs and small-business owners. If you’re searching for a business rewards card from this issuer specifically, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card are two good options to consider.

In a nutshell, the Ink Business Cash Credit Card offers a higher rate of rewards for spending in select business categories, while the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card offers a flat rate of rewards on all business spending. Let’s explore more of the similarities and differences between these cards:

Main details

Cards Ink Business Cash Credit Card Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
Welcome bonus Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening. Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate
  • 5% cash back at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year)
  • 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year)
  • 1% back on all other purchases
  • 1.5% cash back on all purchases
Intro APR 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases, then a 17.74% - 25.74% Variable APR 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases, then a 17.74% - 23.74% Variable APR
Annual fee $0 $0

Manage your business expenses

See our picks for cards for all your business needs View all business cards

Ink Business Cash vs. Ink Business Unlimited highlights

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card image

Tie

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card image

Ink Business Cash

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Why they tied

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Which card earns the most?

You stand to earn more than double the rewards with the Ink Business Cash. But in order to get the most from this card, you’ve got to spend in the right bonus categories. If you don’t spend that much in the Ink Business Cash’s 5 percent and 2 percent bonus categories, you could end up better off with the Ink Business Unlimited’s 1.5 percent flat rate.

Spending example: Ink Business Cash vs. Ink Business Unlimited

Ultimately, the better card for you comes down to how your business spends. We take a look at both cards in terms of the cash back they can earn.

Category Annual Spend Ink Business Cash Credit Card Cash Back Amount Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card Cash Back Amount
Office supply $6,000 $300 $90
Internet $2,400 $120 $36
Cable $1,500 $75 $22.50
Phone $3,000 $150 $45
Gas $4,800 $96 $72
Restaurants $9,600 $192 $144
Total $27,300 $933 in cash back $409.50 in cash back

Why should you get the Ink Business Cash?

If you’re considering the Ink Business Cash, you’d likely be happy with it if your business spends a lot on office supplies, internet, cable and phone services, along with gas and restaurant spending. This card would be even better for you if you can stay just under the $25,000 annual limit for both the 5 percent and 2 percent bonus categories.

You should also get this card if you’re not particularly interested in accruing rewards for business travel. Although you can redeem your rewards for travel through Chase, you can’t get the boosted 1.25- or 1.5-cent-per-point value for Chase travel like you can with other Chase cards.

Additional benefits

Here are some additional benefits the Ink Business Cash card offers:

  • Free employee cards
  • Auto rental collision damage waiver
  • 24/7 pay-per-use roadside emergency service
  • Travel and emergency assistance services for issues while traveling
  • Purchase protection for 120 days for items that are damaged or stolen (up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account)
  • Extended warranty protection that extends eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less by one additional year
  • Redemption options

You can receive rewards as cash back in the form of statement credits or direct deposits. You can also redeem rewards for gift cards, for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards or by paying with points for select products or services. You can also combine points with a premium Chase credit card to gain the ability to transfer rewards to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.

Recommended credit score

You’ll need good to excellent credit (670 to 850) to qualify for this card.

Why should you get Ink Business Unlimited?

The Ink Business Unlimited is for businesses that want a no-frills, no-fuss way to earn flat-rate rewards on all business spending. This card would also be worth it if you want unlimited rewards in the form of Ultimate Rewards points, which you can use for travel, cash back and more.

Additional benefits

The Ink Business Unlimited’s benefits are identical to the Ink Business Cash’s benefits:

  • Free employee cards
  • Auto rental collision damage waiver
  • 24/7 pay-per-use roadside emergency service
  • Travel and emergency assistance services for issues while traveling
  • Purchase protection for 120 days for items that are damaged or stolen (up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account)
  • Extended warranty protection that extends eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less by one additional year
  • Redemption options

Like the Ink Business Cash, you can redeem rewards for cash back, travel through Chase, gift cards and select merchandise. For example, you can redeem points for purchases through the Apple Ultimate Rewards Store, Shop Through Chase and select online merchants (like Amazon and PayPal) using Shop with Points.

Recommended credit score

You’ll need good to excellent credit (670 to 850) to qualify for this card.

The bottom line

Both business cards offer the opportunity to earn a respectable rate of rewards on business spending. The Ink Business Cash Credit Card offers a higher rate of cash back on select bonus categories (capped at $50,000 in combined annual spending), while the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card offers a flat rate of 1.5 percent cash back and no caps on annual spending.

Take a look at your business spending and choose the Ink Business card that best matches your spending habits. With no annual fee, you may even consider getting both cards and pairing them strategically for better earning and redeeming opportunities.