Chase Ink Business Premier card review: Solid cash back but little flexibility
| 5% | Unlimited 5% total cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ |
| 2.5% | Unlimited 2.5% total cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more |
| 2% | Unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases. |
Editor's Note
Chase Ink Business Premier credit card overview
The Chase Ink Business Premier® Credit Card is geared toward business owners who want to earn cash back rewards on their day-to-day purchases. The earning rates are solid, but the $195 annual fee is high for what you get out of this card since you won't be able to transfer your points to Chase's travel partners for maximum value. Card rating*: ⭐⭐½
* Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Chase has long been offering "cash-back" credit cards that actually earn Ultimate Rewards points.
That means if you have another Chase card that earned transferable Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you could combine your rewards and then transfer your points to the program's various airline and hotel partners, giving you more flexibility in how you could redeem the rewards you earned.
The Chase Ink Business Premier, however, is a different story.
While it earns Ultimate Rewards points, these points are intended primarily for cash back and redemptions for things like gift cards and travel through Chase Travel℠ at a rate of 1 cent apiece.
Approved applicants typically have a personal credit score of at least 670 or higher. However, you can also apply for the card using an EIN, which is tied to your business credit score.
All that said, this card might be worth considering for some businesses looking to save money on large expenses.
Here's what you need to know about the Chase Ink Business Premier and its benefits.
Chase Ink Business Premier pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Chase Ink Business Premier welcome offer
New Chase Ink Business Premier cardholders can earn $1,000 cash back (in the form of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
That easily offsets the cost of the $195 annual fee for your first year, and it's a decent welcome offer compared to similar card options.
However, plenty of travel rewards credit cards offer welcome bonuses of higher value — both for business and personal use. And while this is a large bonus for a business cash-back card, most cash-back business cards come with lower annual fees.
Plus, the spending requirement for this card's welcome bonus is quite high.
Before applying, make sure you meet all of Chase's application requirements.
Related: Cards with 100,000-point or higher sign-up bonuses
Chase Ink Business Premier benefits
Aside from certain protections, this card lacks travel-specific perks. However, it does have a few features and ancillary benefits that can bring business owners value and peace of mind. Some of these benefits are similar to what other Chase Ink cards offer:
- Employee cards — Similar to other Ink credit cards, employee cards don't cost the primary cardholder any additional fees
- Cellphone protection — Coverage extends up to $1,000 per claim for up to three claims per year with a $100 deductible per claim
- Purchase protection: Covers new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim (up to $50,000 per account)
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Covers canceled or trips cut short due to covered issues up to $5,000 per person (up to $10,000 per trip) for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses
- Extended warranty protection: Purchases with a three-year or less U.S. manufacturer's warranty will include an additional year of coverage
- Primary car rental coverage: Protects against theft and damage in the U.S. and most countries around the world, providing reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle
Considering you can get cellphone protection and similar benefits with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card at a much lower $95 annual fee, the benefits offerings on this card aren't especially exciting compared to the competition.
If you're a business owner just looking for cash back on purchases, benefits may not matter as much to you. But for that higher $195 annual fee, you would expect more valuable perks.
Earning rewards on the Chase Ink Business Premier
To be clear, the Chase Ink Business Premier does not earn transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Instead, it accrues an unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, unlimited 2.5% back on large purchases of $5,000 or more and unlimited 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel and Lyft rides (Lyft through March 2025).
Unlimited 2% cash back on purchases isn't incredibly lucrative, but it is a solid return, considering you don't have to worry about bonus categories or caps. Regardless of your business's spending habits, you know you're earning a decent return on your purchases.
Plus, 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more is a nice perk for businesses that tend to have larger expenses, while that 5% category is great for businesses that can make a lot of travel bookings via Chase.
However, the Ink Premier card is not the best choice for businesses that don't make large purchases frequently.
Related: The top 7 credit cards to maximize large purchases
Redeeming rewards on the Chase Ink Business Premier
Ink Business Premier cardholders can redeem their points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more. Your points are worth 1 cent each toward any of these redemption options.
Unlike some other Chase cards that earn cash back in the form of transferable Ultimate Rewards points, you won't be able to transfer the points you earn with the Chase Ink Business Premier into your other Chase accounts to take advantage of Chase's airline and hotel transfer partners.
That's a major downside to the Ink Business Premier. Based on this reason alone, I find it hard to recommend this card, as your options for maximizing your hard-earned rewards are extremely limited.
For instance, Chase's other "cash-back" credit cards — the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card or the Chase Freedom Flex® — allow you to combine your rewards from them with those from your accounts linked to higher-tier cards, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.
Then, you can transfer those points to Chase's transfer partners to get more than 1 cent per point in value—sometimes much more.
Which cards compete with the Chase Ink Business Premier?
Overall, given what we know Chase is capable of, the Ink Business Premier is pretty lackluster. Unless you're a high-spending business owner who doesn't care about flexible travel rewards, there are other options out there that may better suit your needs.
- If you want to earn transferable Ultimate Rewards: The Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 of combined spending in various bonus categories that include travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year. Points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners for maximum value. Best of all, it only has a $95 annual fee. To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Preferred.
- If you prefer American Express: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express earns you a fixed rate of return of 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar on every purchase on the first $50,000 spent each year, then 1 point per dollar after that. In addition, you can transfer points to airline and hotel partners. The card doesn't have an annual fee (see rates and fees). To learn more, read our full review of the Blue Business Plus.
- If you prefer Capital One: The Capital One Spark Cash Plus earns an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases without any spending limits. You can also get your $150 annual fee (see rates and fees) refunded every year you spend $150,000 or more in a year. To learn more, read our full review of the Capital One Spark Cash Plus.
For additional options, check out our picks for the best business cards and the best Chase cards.
Related: Chase Ink Business Preferred vs Ink Business Premier
Is the Chase Ink Business Premier worth it?
The lack of ability to transfer your points to Chase's transfer partners or to other Chase cards makes the Ink Business Premier a waste of space in the wallets of those looking to maximize rewards. If you're a small-business owner hoping to earn points to put toward award travel, I recommend looking into other cards.
Bottom line
The Ink Business Premier doesn't quite hold up to the competition. Or, at a minimum, it doesn't set itself apart. Some business owners who have high expenses and who make large purchases regularly should be able to get solid value out of the card.
Yet, the lack of redemption flexibility for award travel, the limited benefits and a comparatively high annual fee are all likely to strike against it for many small-business owners. As a small-business owner or someone with a side hustle who wants to earn rewards, you'll want to look elsewhere to meet your business credit card needs.
Apply here: Ink Business Premier Credit Card
Related: Who qualifies for a business credit card?
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Plus card, click here.