Our Verdict

Our Verdict

The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card is an attractive option for businesses with high credit card expenditures throughout the year that want to concentrate on earning cash back. However, businesses that prefer to earn travel rewards should look at other credit card alternatives.

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
Apply Now
On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website
4.4
Our ratings take into account the card’s rewards, fees, rates along with the card’s category. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Welcome Bonus
$1,000 cash back
Annual Fee
$195
Regular APR
Flex for Business variable APR: 19.49% - 27.49%
Credit Score
Good/Excellent

Pros

  • Strong welcome offer
  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and 2% cash back on all other purchases
  • No annual fee for employee cards
  • Several travel and purchase protections

Cons

  • High annual fee
  • Designed to be paid in full each month
  • Points can’t be transferred to airline or hotel programs
  • Points can’t be transferred to other Ultimate Rewards-earning cards

Current Ink Business Premier® Credit Card Offer

  • Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Earn unlimited 2.5% total cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases.
  • Travel Benefits: Unlimited 5% total cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, No Foreign Transaction Fees and Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance.
  • The only business credit card with 2.5% cash back on every purchase of $5,000 or more.
  • Get the buying power you need to make large purchases, cover monthly expenses and help your business grow. While you must pay your Pay In Full balance each month, this card has built-in flexibility. The Flex for Business feature allows for qualifying purchases to be paid over time with interest.
  • Purchase with confidence with built-in protections like Fraud Protection, Zero Liability Protection, Purchase Protection, Cell Phone Protection, and Extended Warranty Protection.
  • There’s no additional cost for employee cards. Monitor spend with digital tools like purchase alerts, set spending limits, reporting, and more.
  • Member FDIC
Show more
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Alternatives to the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website
Welcome Bonus
Earn 100,000 bonus points
Annual Fee
$95
Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Regular APR
21.24%-26.24% Variable
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
American Express® Business Gold Card
Partner OfferAmerican Express® Business Gold CardApply Now →
On American Express's Website
Welcome Bonus
Earn 70,000 points
Annual Fee
$375
Credit Score
Good,Excellent
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% Variable
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
Partner OfferThe American Express Blue Business Cash™ CardApply Now →
On American Express's Website
Welcome Bonus
Earn $250
Annual Fee
No annual fee
Credit Score
Excellent/Good
Regular APR
18.49% - 26.49% Variable
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.

Table of Contents


Chase Ink Business Premier Card Introduction

With 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and 2% cash back on all other purchases, the Ink Business Premier could be a huge earner for businesses with high monthly expenses.

The card offers a welcome bonus of $1,000 cash back after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The bonus, coupled with the impressive earning structure for high-spending businesses, makes it a solid card for business owners who want to earn cash back.

Chase didn’t hold back on other benefits of the Ink Business Premier either. It doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees and includes trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary auto rental collision damage waiver plus cellphone, extended warranty and purchase protections. Whether your employees need to travel for work or you need to pick up a few new tech items for the office, your business will be covered with the Ink Business Premier.

It’s not for everyone, though. Points earned with the Ink Premier are a unique form of Ultimate Rewards® points that have limited redemption options, the most notable being cash back. The points are not transferable to any of Chase’s travel partners, nor can they be combined with other Ultimate Rewards accounts. The limited nature of the Ink Premier’s points puts a ceiling on the redemption rate. If travel rewards are your main objective, there are better business credit cards for travel.

Why you can trust Forbes Advisor

Our editors are committed to bringing you unbiased ratings and information. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and companies, so all are measured equally. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and the credit card methodology for the ratings below.

  • 210 Credit Cards Ranked
  • 28,000 Data Points Collected
  • 5 Levels of Fact-Checking
  • 95 Categories Considered


Chase Ink Business Premier Quick Facts

  • $195 annual fee
  • Earn $1,000 cash back after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and 2% cash back on all other purchases
  • Includes travel and purchase protections
  • Pay-in-full card with available Flex for Business option to pay over time

Who Is the Chase Ink Business Premier Best For?

The Ink Business Premier excels for business owners who want a cash-back card with built-in travel protections. It’s also one of the best credit cards for making large purchases.


Chase Ink Business Premier Card Rewards

Earning Rewards

A welcome offer of $1,000 cash back after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening is a powerful way to jump-start your cash-back earning with the Chase Ink Business Premier card.

Additionally, you’ll earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and 2% cash back on all other purchases. For those who want to focus only on earning cash back, the Ink Business Premier is a solid card with easy-to-earn rewards for all your business purchases.

Redeeming Rewards

The Ink Business Premier card earns Ultimate Rewards points that are convertible to cash at a ratio of 100 points for every dollar. Points can also be used to purchase gift cards and Apple products at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Another option is to redeem points to pay for products or services through Shop with Points. However, because the redemption rate for Shop with Points is only 0.8 cents per point, it’s a poor use of points and isn’t recommended. A better strategy is to redeem points for cash back at 1 cent per point, and then use the cash back to purchase the item or service directly. By doing so, you can also earn points on your purchases.

It’s also important to note that although the Ink Business Premier technically earns Ultimate Rewards, the points are not the same as the Ultimate Rewards earned by other Ink cards or the Sapphire family of cards.

Ultimate Rewards points earned by the Ink Business Premier card cannot be transferred to airline or hotel partners and are not transferable to any other Ultimate Rewards accounts you may have.

Rewards Potential

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various business categories. Because business spending can vary, we calculated the potential rewards for a hypothetical business with $100,000 in total annual spending. You can adjust the numbers to match the spending in each category for your business to get an estimate of the rewards-earning potential for your situation.

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card Rewards Potential
Category
Earning Rate
Estimated Annual Spend
Estimated Annual Earnings
Travel through Chase
5%
$8,573
$428.65
Purchases of $5,000 or more
2.5%
$20,000
$500.00
All other purchases
2%
$71,427
$1,428.54
Total: $2,357.19 cash back

In this scenario, the $2,357.19 yearly cash back easily offsets the annual fee of the Ink Business Premier many times over. You’ll need to calculate the potential rewards for your business’ spending to see if this card is an option for you.


Other Ink Business Premier Card Benefits

  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Get reimbursement for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses when your trip is canceled due to sickness, severe weather or other covered reasons.
  • Travel and emergency assistance services. Legal, medical and other travel and emergency assistance through your Benefit Administrator. Costs paid by the cardholder.
  • Auto rental collision damage waiver. Primary coverage for theft and collision when the rental company’s collision coverage is declined and the entire business rental is charged to your card.
  • Cellphone protection. Up to $1,000 per claim for covered theft or damage for you and your employees listed on your cellphone bill paid with your card. Maximum of three claims per 12-month period, subject to a $100 deductible for each claim.
  • Extended warranty protection. The warranty on eligible purchases with warranties of three years or less is extended by one year.
  • Purchase protection. Covers new purchases against damage or theft for 120 days and up to limits of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Flex for Business. Subject to your business’s limit, you can pay off eligible purchases over time with interest.

How To Maximize the Chase Ink Business Premier

Earn the welcome bonus. The Ink Premier offers a generous welcome bonus of $1,000 cash back after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. To ensure you receive the bonus, keep a close eye on your card charges over the first three months to ensure you meet or exceed the qualifying purchase requirement.

Pro Tip
The annual fee does not count toward your qualifying purchases for the welcome offer. Purchases that are returned also do not qualify.

Use the Ink Premier for large purchases. Purchases of $5,000 or more receive an elevated cash-back rate of 2.5%. That extra 0.5% can add up.

Make your Ink Premier the default card on recurring expenses. If you’ve got regular expenses, putting the Ink Premier card as your payment method ensures you’ll earn cash back automatically.

Get additional cards for your employees. Employee cards are free, so equipping your employees with an Ink Premier lets your business earn cash back on their business spending.


Fine Print

Interest Rate

  • Regular APR: Flex for Business variable APR: 19.49% - 27.49%
  • Purchase intro APR: N/A
  • Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

  • Annual fee: $195
  • Balance transfer fee: N/A
  • Foreign purchase transaction fee: $0

How the Chase Ink Business Premier Card Stacks Up

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Although both these business cards are offered by Chase, there are significant differences in the earning and redemption structures of the two cards.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, which comes with an annual fee of $95, earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

On the redemption side, the points earned are worth more with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, as long as they are redeemed for travel or select other categories. When booking through the Chase Travel portal, points are worth 1.25 cents each. In addition, Ultimate Rewards points from this card can be transferred to any of Chase’s airline or hotel program partners at a 1:1 ratio.

Depending on the loyalty program, you can get outsized value from airline or hotel awards. Points can also be redeemed for 1.25 cents each in select categories through Pay Yourself Back.

For businesses that make sizable purchases in the bonus categories and prefer travel rewards over cash, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is likely a better choice.

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card vs. American Express® Business Gold Card

With an annual fee of $375, the American Express® Business Gold Card (terms apply, see rates & fees) is positioned as more of a premium card than the Chase Ink Business Premier.

The American Express® Business Gold Card earns 4 Membership Rewards® points per dollar on the 2 select categories where a business spends the most each month (up to $150,000 combined purchases per calendar year), 3 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar is earned for other purchases. Based on your spending, two bonus categories are chosen automatically each billing cycle, maximizing your monthly earnings.

For those who prefer travel rewards, the American Express® Business Gold Card offers more value and flexibility than the Ink Business Premier. First, Membership Rewards are transferable to any of American Express’ airline or hotel partners for potential outsized value.

Second, for a simpler redemption, Membership Rewards points can be used to book travel through American Express Travel.

Cash-back redemptions for the American Express Business Gold card are poor value, with a 0.6 cent per point redemption rate.

This card is lucrative if you can maximize the spending in some of the six categories that earn additional points per dollar, but the bonused spending is limited. If your business spends more than the cap of $150,000, or if you want to redeem your rewards for cash back, then the unlimited earnings of the Ink Business Premier may be a better fit.

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card vs. The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

If you’re interested in earning flat-rate cash-back rewards for your business without paying an annual fee, then The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (terms apply, see rates & fees) should be on your radar. You can earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%.

This card is best for businesses with lower overall spending that don’t spend much on travel or regularly make purchases over $5,000. For everyday spending outside of those scenarios, this card earns points on par with the Ink Business Premier, but without the annual fee. The benefits are significantly more limited, but the card includes extended warranty¹, purchase protection¹ and secondary car rental loss and damage insurance².

Redeeming rewards with the Blue Business Cash is limited to statement credits, but the process couldn’t be easier. Your cash back will automatically be credited within two statements after the statement with the purchases on it. All you have to do is pay your bills on time—the rest is done for you.

Finally, if your business needs extra time to pay off a large purchase, the Blue Business Cash comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a 18.49% - 26.49% variable APR applies. That can help a small business get off the ground or purchase much-needed equipment that would otherwise have had to be paid upfront or financed.

Read more. Best Business Credit Cards of May 2024


Is the Chase Ink Business Premier Card for You?

The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card is a solid choice for businesses to earn straight cash back instead of travel rewards. It offers a compelling set of benefits for a reasonable annual fee.

This card could be a fit for businesses with high spending levels and that will either outspend the category multiplier limits on other competitive cards or spend mostly in categories that are not bonused on other cards. With 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and 2% cash back on all other purchases, there’s potential for significant rewards for high-spending businesses.

If some of your business’ spending is in a bonus category that’s capped on another credit card, pairing it with the Ink Business Premier card may help maximize your rewards. Use the Ink Business Premier to continue earning increased rewards once you’ve reached the multiplier limits on your other card and for any nonbonus spending.

Find the Best Business Credit Cards of 2024


Methodology

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:

  • Annual fees
  • Welcome bonus offers
  • Ongoing earning rates
  • Value of individual points of miles
  • Included travel or merchant credits
  • Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors come together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor rates credit cards

To view rates and fees for American Express® Business Gold Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card please visit this page.
¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
²Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What credit score do you need for Chase Ink Business Premier?

As a fully-featured premium credit card, the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card requires business owners to have a good to excellent personal credit score for approval (700-plus on the FICO scale). Generally speaking, the better your credit score, the better your chances of approval.

Is Chase Ink Premier metal?

The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card is an embedded metal card.

Does Chase pull your personal credit report for a business card?

Chase will pull the personal credit report of the business owner since the owner is expected to provide a personal guarantee for the credit line.

Is Chase Ink Premier hard to get?

Aside from credit score requirements, Chase follows the 5/24 rule when considering applications for its credit cards. The rule means Chase will automatically decline your credit card application if you have opened five or more credit cards within the past 24 months. Chase also counts authorized user cards and business cards that report to consumer credit bureaus. So, if you’re over five cards within 24 months, don’t waste a hard pull on an application that Chase is certain to decline. Wait until you’re under five cards in the last 24 months to maximize your chances of approval.