Chase's Ink Business Preferred has been around long enough that some reviewers have held it for nearly a decade — and The Points Guy's latest update suggests it's still one of the best-value business cards on the US market, earning a four-and-a-half star rating from the outlet's editors.
The pitch is simple: a $95 annual fee buys you 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on the first $150,000 you spend each year across travel, shipping, advertising on social media and search engines, plus internet, cable and phone services. Everything else earns 1 point per dollar with no cap. New cardholders can currently land a 100,000-point welcome bonus, though the spending requirement to unlock it is on the steep side.
What makes those points interesting for travellers is flexibility. They transfer 1:1 to partners like United MileagePlus, Southwest and World of Hyatt — and one long-term cardholder quoted in the review points out that moving points to Hyatt can push the effective return on those 3x categories up to around 5%. There are no foreign transaction fees either, and employee cards come free, which matters for small teams.
The travel protections are arguably the real selling point. Pay for a car rental and you get up to $60,000 in theft and collision coverage, with primary coverage for business rentals in the US and eligible rentals abroad. Book a flight, train, bus or cruise and you're covered for up to $5,000 per traveller in trip cancellation costs, $500 per person on delays over 12 hours, and up to $3,000 in lost luggage reimbursement. There's also purchase protection up to $10,000 per item, extended warranty cover, up to $1,000 per claim in cellphone insurance when you pay your phone bill with the card, and $500,000 in travel accident insurance. That's an unusually deep set of covers for a card at this fee level.
On the perks side, cardholders get at least 12 months of DashPass (DoorDash's delivery membership) plus up to $10 a month off non-restaurant DoorDash orders if activated by the end of 2027, and 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through September 2027.
It's not flawless. The card carries no lounge access and no elite status perks, it's subject to Chase's 5/24 rule, and from October 1 the transfer ratio to World of Hyatt worsens — a knock for hotel-points optimists. Some cardholders in TPG's March 2025 survey also grumbled that Chase's own travel portal prices weren't competitive, and that the 3x categories don't suit every type of business. Still, 86% of surveyed cardholders said they'd recommend it.
Who should care? Anyone running a small business — freelance or otherwise — who puts real money through travel, ads, shipping or telecoms and wants points that convert into flights and hotels. Frequent travellers booking work trips will get the most out of the insurance stack. If you're chasing lounge access or status perks, look elsewhere; if you want cheap, flexible points and serious protections, this one remains a benchmark. Full terms and rates are in the original review. (Source: The Points Guy)
