Chase's Ink lineup includes two business cards with no annual fee, and they look almost identical at first glance: the Ink Business Cash and the Ink Business Unlimited. Same welcome bonus, same fee structure, same 0% intro APR for 12 months. The real decision comes down to one thing — how your business spends money.
Start with what they share. Both currently offer $750 back after $6,000 of spending in the first three months, one of the strongest bonuses around on any no-fee card. And while they're marketed as cash back cards, the rewards are actually Ultimate Rewards points. Pair either card with a premium Chase card — a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Preferred or Sapphire Reserve for Business — and your points become transferable to airline and hotel partners or redeemable through Chase Travel. At a typical valuation of around 1.7 cents per point, that $750 bonus is arguably worth closer to $1,275.
Both cards also charge 3% foreign transaction fees, so neither belongs in your wallet for overseas trips. And both allow free employee cards with spending limits, plus identical protections including primary rental car coverage for business rentals in the US.
So which one wins? The Ink Business Cash is the clear pick if you spend on internet, cable, phone services or office supplies — it earns 5x points on the first $25,000 of that combined spending each cardmember year, plus 2x on restaurants and gas up to the same cap. Maxing out that 5x category is worth roughly $2,125 a year in points at the valuation above, unmatched by any other no-fee business card. The catch is a weak 1x base rate on everything else.
The Ink Business Unlimited flips that: a flat 1.5x points on all purchases with no caps or categories to track. On $50,000 of unbonused spending, that's the difference between about $1,275 and $850 in value versus the Ink Cash. If your spending is spread thin across many categories, the Unlimited simply earns more.
One wrinkle before applying: Chase's terms suggest you typically can't earn the welcome bonus on both cards. If you've ever held either no-annual-fee Ink card, you may be ruled out of the other's bonus — though the wording leaves some room, and you'll usually get a warning during the application if you're ineligible.
A few other approval basics worth knowing. Both cards are subject to Chase's 5/24 rule, though recent reports suggest it's enforced inconsistently. You don't need a formal company — a sole proprietorship qualifies, which catches many people off guard. And a good rule of thumb is one Chase business card application per 30 days.
Why should a traveller care? Because this is one of the cheapest on-ramps to the Ultimate Rewards ecosystem. A no-fee card that feeds transferable points into business or first class redemptions is a rare thing, and picking the right one for your spending pattern means that welcome bonus and everyday earning work harder toward your next trip.
