Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card Review [2023]: Easy Cash Back, No Annual Fee

Q: What counts as an office supply store to earn bonus rewards for the Ink Business Cash?

Chase defines office supply stores as those that specialize in selling office supplies. Office Max, Office Depot, or Staples likely fit this bill. Stores that sell mostly general goods — even if they also sell office items — likely won’t qualify for the bonus rewards. Department stores or electronics sellers, for instance, fall into this category. Similarly, merchants that specialize in just a few big office necessities, such as office furniture or photocopiers, likely won’t qualify.

CREDIT CARDS - BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS

High cashback rewards plus other compelling benefits make the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card a strong contender for business purchases.

By Christy Rakoczy

Edited by Ben Walker, CEPF

Updated Nov. 27, 2023

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If you’re a small business owner looking for a business credit card that has valuable bonus rewards in many common business categories, the Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card may be just the right card for you.

It has a $0 annual fee and a generous welcome offer, making it a preferred choice for all types of small business owners.

Let’s explore our Chase Ink Business Cash Card review to see if it’s the right fit for your business.

Up to 5% Cash Back

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

4.8

Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card

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Current Offer

Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Annual Fee

Rewards Rate

5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Card Details

In this Ink Business Cash review

Key takeaways
Who should get the Ink Business Cash Credit Card?
Card basics
Why we like the Ink Business Cash Credit Card: benefits and perks
What we don't like about the Ink Business Cash Credit Card: drawbacks
Earning & redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Ink Business Cash Credit Card FAQs
Other credit cards to consider

Key takeaways

We think the Chase Ink Cash makes sense if you want a $0-annual-fee card for earning valuable rewards in common business categories.
The Chase Ink Cash earns 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The Chase Ink Cash has an intro APR offer on purchases. You can receive 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable).

Who should get the Ink Business Cash Credit Card?

The Ink Business Cash Credit Card can be an ideal choice if the bulk of your business spending is on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year — categories that offer 5% cash back.

If you want a no-hassle card, this is also a great option. The rewards program is simple and easy to use and points can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, or other purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. Plus, there’s no annual fee for these perks. All in all, this makes this card a great fit for small business owners.

If you have employees, this card offers employee cards for no additional cost. Free employee cards make this card a good fit as a small business credit card.

But if you or your staff travel abroad regularly, a Chase Ink credit card with no foreign transaction fee might be a better option since this card does have a 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars foreign transaction fee you’ll pay when purchasing items outside of the U.S. Big spenders may also wish to look elsewhere due to caps on bonus rewards you can earn. If that sounds like you, then the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card might be the business credit card for you.

Card basics

Card type	Business
Card issuer	Chase
Credit card network	Visa
Annual fee	$0
Intro bonus	Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Reward rate	5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases
Recommended credit score	Excellent, Good
Intro APR	0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable)
Foreign transaction fee	3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Why we like the Ink Business Cash Credit Card: benefits and perks

Generous welcome offer: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Bonus rewards: Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Intro APR: There are not many business credit cards that offer a low introductory APR offer, but the Ink Business Cash does. Receive 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 18.49% - 24.49% Variable). There is no intro APR offer for balance transfers.
Additional cards for staff: Employee cards are free, and you can set individual spending limits for workers when you provide them with a card.
$0 annual fee: The Ink Business Cash Credit Card has a $0 annual fee for being a cardmember.
Travel coverage: Take advantage of an auto rental collision damage waiver, roadside dispatch, and emergency assistance services.
Purchase protections: Stay protected with purchase protection and extended warranty protection. The extended warranty benefit extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer's warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less.
Combine card rewards: You can combine points with other eligible Chase credit cards, including some of the Chase Ink cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, and Chase Freedom Unlimited^®. That could help you boost your travel rewards balance. Combining rewards onto certain cards could also increase your travel redemption value using the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.

What we don't like about the Ink Business Cash Credit Card: drawbacks

Foreign transaction fee: If you or your employees will be traveling overseas, then this card may not be the right fit for you. It has a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Capped business categories: If you are a larger business, then you may hit the spending limits for the bonus rewards categories. You may need more than one business credit card or a different card altogether to get the most out of your business expenses.
Limited spending categories: If your primary business expenses are not in line with the bonus categories for this card, then you won't earn a lot of cash back. So if you spend a lot on social media and marketing, then a card like the Ink Business Preferred may be a better fit.

Earning & redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Best ways to earn cash back

This card is a powerful but straightforward cashback card. You can maximize the cash back earned with your Ink Business Cash Credit Card by shopping at office supply stores, investing in telecommunications services, and using your card at restaurants and gas stations.

The Chase Ink Cash can also be used as a rewards card. Points can easily be redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards, not just for cash but also for gift cards, travel, and even merchandise.

Earning categories

The first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year	5%
The first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year	2%
All other purchases	1%

Maximizing your redemptions

Getting cash back as a statement credit gives you the most flexibility, as your spending rewards can be used to reduce your bill. But Chase Ultimate Rewards also gives you many other redemption options, including redeeming for travel or merchandise.

You can also boost the rewards you’re able to earn by maxing out the bonus categories or adding employees to your card account as authorized users, since their purchases will help you earn cash back as well.

Ink Business Cash Credit Card FAQs

Does the Chase Ink Business Cash earn Ultimate Rewards?

Though the Ink Business Cash is a cashback credit card, you also have the option to redeem the cash back you earn for travel or merchandise through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

To use Ultimate Rewards: Log into your account, then choose to shop with Apple or Amazon, buy gift cards to nearly 200 stores, book travel, transfer points to travel partners, and more. You can also get up to 150 bonus points when shopping at more than 350 different stores.

What are Ink Business Cash points worth?

Points earned with the Ink Business Cash Credit Card are generally worth $0.01 each, but the value of the redemption options may vary depending on what you use your points for.

What counts as an office supply store to earn bonus rewards for the Ink Business Cash?

Chase defines office supply stores as those that specialize in selling office supplies. Office Max, Office Depot, or Staples likely fit this bill. Stores that sell mostly general goods — even if they also sell office items — likely won’t qualify for the bonus rewards. Department stores or electronics sellers, for instance, fall into this category. Similarly, merchants that specialize in just a few big office necessities, such as office furniture or photocopiers, likely won’t qualify.

How do you redeem Ink Business Cash rewards?

With the Ink Business Cash Credit Card, you have a choice for how to redeem your rewards. You can redeem for cash back as a statement credit applied to your balance, have your cash back deposited directly to most checking and savings accounts, buy gift cards, shop with points at Amazon, or redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

What credit score do you need for the Ink Business Cash Credit Card?

For a business owner to qualify for the Ink Business Cash, you will need a good to excellent credit score.

Which Chase Ink business card is the best credit card?

The answer to which Chase Ink business credit card is the best one really depends on you. Every business owner will have different business expenses and a different lifestyle as well. If you are looking for simple cashback rewards, then the Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card might be your best choice. If you are looking for purchase protection and travel coverages, then the Chase Ink Business Preferred will be the card for you.

Other credit cards to consider

Card	Welcome offer	Rewards rate	Annual fee
The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express	Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership	2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that	$0 (Terms apply)
Capital One Spark Cash Plus	Earn a $1,200 cash bonus after spending $30,000 in the first 3 months	2% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel	$150
Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card	Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year; and 1% cash back on all other purchases	$0

The Ink Business Cash can provide great value for those who tend to spend heavily in its bonus categories. But if it’s not the right credit card offer for you, consider The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express and Capital One Spark Cash Plus.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has a $0 annual fee and provides a solid earning rate on all eligible purchases, not just specific categories. That includes 2X Membership Rewards points on everyday eligible business purchases up to $50,000 each year, and 1X points on eligible purchases after that.

Learn more in The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express review.

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus has a $150 annual fee, but you can take advantage of earning a flat 2% cash back on every purchase, every day; plus 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. New cardmembers can also earn a $1,200 cash bonus after spending $30,000 in the first 3 months.

Learn more in our Capital One Spark Cash Plus review.