The Chase Ink Business Preferred Review

The Ink Preferred comes with a welcome of of 100,000 points, worth up to $1,250 of travel—but you’ll have to pay its $95 annual fee to become a cardmember.

Updated on March 18, 2020
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Overview

Credit Card

Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
5Fundera Score

Great For: Point redemption rewards

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  • 100,000 point signup bonus if you spend $15K in first 3 months
  • 3x or 1x points depending on how you spend
Credit Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure website
Welcome offerafter you spend $15,000 in first 3 monthsRewards ratefor the first $150,000, then 1x pointsAnnual feeMinimum credit
100,000 points1 or 3 points95700

Card Overview

The Chase Ink Business Preferred is the rewards card in Chase’s Ink business suite, and it comes complete with a 100,000-points welcome bonus, small business-friendly top earning rewards categories, and everyday card protections.

Rewards: Welcome Offer

100,000 Points

The Chase Ink Business Preferred welcome bonus is its claim to fame.

With an offer of 100,000 points worth upwards of $1,250 in travel, how could it not be?

All you’ll have to do is spend $15,000 during your first 3 months with the card, and then you’ll have your hands on this welcome bonus.

When you redeem your 100,000 points through Chase Ultimate Rewards, they’ll be worth 25% more—that means the welcome bonus will be worth a solid $1,250 of free travel.

The card’s high spending threshold makes it a great business credit card for new businesses. You’ll be incurring a lot of startup costs, so you might as well earn points while you spend!

Rewards: Ongoing Offer

3x or 1x Rewards

The top tier of the Chase Ink Business Preferred rewards program will earn you 3x points for every dollar you spend on:

  • Travel
  • Shipping purchases
  • Advertising purchases made with search engines and social media sites
  • Internet/cable/phone services

for up to $150,000 worth of purchases every year.

Outside of these purchases and beyond that spending cap, you’ll earn 1x point for every dollar you spend with your card.

Annual Fee

$95

Admittedly, the annual fee for the Chase Ink Business Preferred is where we might lose you.

You’ll have to pay $95 every year in order to be a Chase Ink Business Preferred cardholder, and that can be a large portion of a small business’s cash flow.

Nonetheless, if you access the welcome bonus, this annual fee will be worth less than a tenth of the value of the free travel you could potentially access.

Is the Ink Preferred Right for You?

Get the Ink Preferred if:

  • You’re looking for one of the best travel rewards cards for businesses with a killer signup bonus.
  • You’ve got lots of business expenses on travel, telecommunications, shipping, advertising, or internet/cable/phone services.
  • You’ve racked up points or miles with one of Chase’s hotel or airline partners and want to supplement your total.

Skip the Ink Preferred if:

  • You don’t spend much on the Ink Preferred bonus categories.
  • You don’t want to pay an annual fee.

Why Go For the Ink Preferred?

Killer Welcome Bonus

We might be belaboring the point, but it’s worth repeating—a sign up bonus with a value of $1,250 is pretty much peerless.

You’ve probably already figured this out for yourself, but the Ink Preferred’s signing bonus is the top reason why you should be seriously considering it as your business credit card.

Small Business-Friendly Top Rewards Categories

The Ink Preferred’s top earning rewards categories are extremely hospitable to typical small business spending habits.

How much do you typically spend on travel, shipping, advertising, and communication services for your business?

Now imagine those necessary small business expenses, with 3x rewards for every dollar you spend up to $150,000 annually. That’s the value you’ll be leaving on the table if you don’t do that spending on the Chase Ink Business Preferred.

Everyday Card Protections

You get an extra year added to the U.S. manufacturer’s regular warranty. You get purchase protection if merchandise is damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase, up to $10,000 per claim.

And you won’t have buyer’s remorse if, say, you see your new printer for less after you bought it: The Chase Ink Business Preferred Card will reimburse the difference for up to $500 per item (up to $2,500 per year) if you find a lower price within 90 days of purchase.

Finally, you may be reimbursed within 90 days for a return that the store won’t take—up to $500 per item and $1,000 per year.

Travel Protections

Other perks for travelers that the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card offers will include:

  • Primary rental car insurance
  • Trip delay, interruption or cancellation insurance
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • Primary auto rental collision damage coverage
  • Coverage for lost or delayed baggage
  • 24/7 roadside dispatch (although you will pay for the actual service to your car, such as towing or a battery jump).

Besides just providing the show-stopping travel rewards that it boasts, the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card will also have your back as you travel.

Employee Protections

With your Chase Ink Business Preferred, you’ll be able to get additional cards for your employees to use at no extra cost. Plus, their spending will contribute to your bonus rewards and will accumulate additional points

And along with purchase, price, and warranty protection, the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card pays up to $600 if you or your employees lose or damage a phone purchased using the card.

The Chase Ink Business Preferred: The Downsides

Annual Fee

The Ink Preferred comes with a $95 annual fee, which can be a heavy hit for small businesses.

Now, you could very easily make up for the Chase Ink Business Preferred annual fee with the points you’ll get back.

That said, you’ll have to be diligent about either using the card for spend in one of the five categories or spending at least $15,000 in the first three months to access that welcome bonus.

Skewed Points Value

The Chase Ink Business Preferred is also less than ideal for people who don’t travel frequently—points are worth 1.25 cents for travel booked through Chase, but they’re just 1 cent apiece when redeemed as a statement credit and other cash-like options.

As a result, you’ll need to be pretty confident about your business’s need for travel purchases and its ability to book its trips through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

Capped Top-Tier Rewards Categories

Finally, if your business is spending much more than $150,000 a year in the Chase Ink Business Preferred’s top-tier categories, then you might want to look for another business credit card that won’t place a cap on your business’s top-earning reward spend.

Top Alternatives to the Ink Business Preferred

Credit Card

Credit Card

Capital One Spark Miles for Business
4.9Fundera Score

Great For: Simple travel rewards

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  • Earn 2 miles per $1 on every purchase
  • Earn a 50,000 mile sign-up bonus
  • No foreign transaction fees
Credit Card
Welcome offeronce you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account openingRewards rateon every purchaseAnnual feefirst year, then $95Minimum credit
50,000 miles2 miles per $10700
Credit Card

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American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
4.7Fundera Score

Great For: Earning cash back and a long 0% intro APR period

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Apply Now
on American Express's secure website
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
  • 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%
  • No annual fee
Credit Card
Apply Now
on American Express's secure website
Intro apron purchases for 12 months from date of account openingRegular aprvariableAnnual feeMinimum credit
0%18.24% – 26.24%0660
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    Sally Lauckner
    Editor-in-Chief at Fundera

    Sally Lauckner

    Sally Lauckner is the editor-in-chief of the Fundera Ledger and the editorial director at Fundera.

    Sally has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Previously she was the senior editor at SmartAsset—a Y Combinator-backed fintech startup that provides personal finance advice. There she edited articles and data reports on topics including taxes, mortgages, banking, credit cards, investing, insurance, and retirement planning. She has also held various editorial roles at AOL.com, Huffington Post, and Glamour magazine. Her work has also appeared in Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, and Cosmopolitan magazines. 

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