Why I’m considering the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card as my next credit card

As someone who maps out every move when it comes to credit cards, I always want to make sure that whichever credit card I pick serves a clear purpose when it comes to my spending habits and my future outlook with the card.

About a year ago, I got the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card because I was running my own side hustle business, and I needed a business card to separate my expenses and support the growth of my business.

However, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card lacks in the fact that it doesn’t earn any bonus cash back in any categories besides the flat standard 1.5% cash back on all purchases. While the elevated 1.5% standard cash back is useful when it comes to making miscellaneous purchases, it leaves a void when it comes to certain spending categories that earn bonus cash back on other credit cards, including business cards.

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has stood out to me as a potential addition to my wallet due to its practicality. While it isn’t flashy and doesn’t offer premium perks such as lounge access, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card differs from the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card in the fact that it offers bonus cash back in certain spending categories.

The utility that the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers is perfect for supporting the growth of my business, while giving me cash back that I can easily put to use, especially for future travel redemptions.

An Exceptional Introductory Offer

One of the strongest features of the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is its introductory offer for new cardholders. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card currently offers a $900 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on qualifying purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

This offer is currently marketed as the “best offer returns” by Chase, meaning that a $900 cash back bonus is the best introductory offer that you can get on the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card.

The card only earns cash back, and you earn the introductory bonus as cash back, but don’t fret! In reality, you’ll earn points with the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, but since they aren’t available for transfer, you can redeem them for cash back directly with Chase.

Even though the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card doesn’t unlock the ability to transfer your Chase points to a qualifying transfer partner, you can transfer your points from the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to a qualifying Chase card that unlocks the ability to transfer your points to hotel and airline partners.

The credit cards that offer Chase cardmembers the ability to transfer points to travel partners are the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, and the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠. If you hold one of these four cards, you can transfer your cash back from the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to the qualifying card, and you’ll be able to redeem your points in a variety of ways, including travel redemptions.

The $900 cash back bonus is worth 90,000 Chase points, unlocking a serious amount of value when it comes to using these points for travel redemptions.

For example, my family and I are currently planning a trip to Hawaii this upcoming winter. Since United is one of many Chase’s airline partners, you can transfer your Chase points to United MileagePlus miles. You can fly from Boston (BOS) to Honolulu (HNL) on United Airlines for 25,000 United MileagePlus miles per person, meaning that you can easily cover the price of a round-trip flight between the East Coast and Hawaii.

All award redemptions with United come with a free carry-on and standard seat selection, meaning that you’ll never be booking a Basic Economy fare when using miles to book your flight.

This is often a major advantage, since United is notorious for charging hundreds of extra dollars to book a fare that isn’t Basic Economy. For example, if you want to fly round-trip between Boston (BOS) and Honolulu (HNL), booking with miles will cost you 50,000 miles + $11.20 in taxes. If you wanted to book with cash for this route, it would cost you $597 in Basic Economy, or $737 in regular Economy, which comes with a free carry-on and free seat selection.

Since my family and I are trying to go to Hawaii for about a week, traveling with just a personal item and no carry-on is not an option for us. We would need to book a fare that includes a carry-on, and this is where using points comes in handy. With my itinerary, I would be able to redeem 50,000 points at a value of about 1.5 cents per point, which is a solid value when it comes to travel redemptions in Economy class.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to save a fortune when it comes to traveling in Business class, points are the perfect way to go.

For example, you could fly from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) on Singapore Airlines in business class for just 60,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points. To put this into perspective, this flight would cost $2,000 if you were to pay with cash, meaning that you could save thousands of dollars on a transatlantic business class flight.

Additionally, Singapore Airlines is well-regarded for its business class service, and they are consistently rated as one of the best airlines in the world. With Singapore Airlines’ business class, you’ll have spacious and comfortable lie-flat seats, as well as a fine dining service and other amenities. You’ll truly elevate your flying experience if you can manage to score a business class seat with Singapore Airlines.

Earning More Cash Back

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card differs from the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card in the fact that it earns bonus cash back in certain categories, whilst the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card only earns a flat cash back rate of 1.5% on all purchases.

Additionally, the categories that earn extra cash back appeal to business owners, as they fall into categories that people often need to make expenditures in to support their business. Here’s how the earning rate breaks down:

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

The most useful spending categories for me here would be internet services, cable services, and phone services. I can easily use the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to pay off my T-Mobile phone bill every month and earn 5% bonus cash back, which is a major perk since most other standard credit cards only offer standard earning rates for phone bills.

While the 2% cash back for restaurants is relatively weak compared to other cards that earn points for dining, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the bonus cash back for gas stations is a nice perk, especially considering that I don’t have any credit cards that currently earn bonus Chase points/cash back for gas.

Travel Insurance and Protections

While the card isn’t marketed as a travel-focused credit card, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card comes with a few travel protections and insurance that’ll make you feel more secure and safe about your travel plans. These protections include, but are not limited to:

• Auto Rental Coverage: Decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary when renting for business purposes and provides reimbursement up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles with an MSRP of $125,000 or less.
• Travel and Emergency Assistance: If you run into a problem while traveling away from home, this benefit provides legal and medical referrals and access to other travel and emergency assistance services. (You will be responsible for the cost of any goods or services obtained.)

These travel insurance benefits and protections provide some coverage when traveling, but they aren’t as good as travel-focused credit cards. For example, in addition to the protections listed above, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® also offers lost luggage reimbursement, travel accident insurance, emergency medical and dental reimbursement, etc.

How The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card Will Supplement My Wallet

I currently have four credit cards: the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

While these credit cards cover a wide variety of purchases and allow me to accumulate a solid amount of bonus points, my wallet is lacking in the fact that I don’t have a credit card that allows me to earn bonus points in niche categories that I often need to spend in.

I have also been considering getting the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® for my next card, as American Airlines’ AAdvantage miles carry a lot of value that I can use in a wide variety of ways for my upcoming travel plans. However, the earning rates on the card are very weak, and I don’t see any use for the card past the introductory offer and the free checked bag benefit.

On the other hand, I can see myself using the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card well into the future, as I can use it as a long-term payment method for my T-Mobile phone bills, as well as covering other expenses that I will need to make to support my business.

Final Remarks

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card isn’t the flashiest card on the market, but its value lies in consistency and practicality. With its generous welcome bonus, strong bonus categories on everyday business expenses, and the ability to combine points with premium Chase cards for elevated travel redemptions, it’s a card that can deliver long-term benefits.

For business owners who regularly pay for phone, internet, or office supplies, this card can quietly rack up rewards without requiring much effort. And when paired with cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card becomes an even more powerful tool for travel enthusiasts.

If you’re looking for a no-annual-fee business card that can complement your existing wallet and provide consistent value, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is one worth considering.