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Chase Ink Business Unlimited Review: Simple, No-Frills Cash Back

This card earns a flat 1.5% back on everything, with no categories to keep track of and an unusually generous sign-up bonus for its class.
Written by

Gregory Karp

Edited by

Ryan Lane

Last updated on December 3, 2024

Fact checked and reviewed
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Our Take

4.9

NerdWallet rating 

The bottom line:

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card delivers with straightforward rewards, a long intro APR period and a top-notch welcome offer. But other cards, even other Chase cards, may provide more bang for your buck if you're OK with monitoring bonus categories.
Full review

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
17.74%-23.74% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months
Apply now

on Chase's website

More details from Chase

  • Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
  • No Annual Fee
  • Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
  • Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
  • Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
  • With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
  • 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
  • Member FDIC

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • High rewards rate
  • Intro APR period
  • No reward caps
  • New cardholder bonus offer

Cons

  • No bonus categories

Compare to Other Cards

at Chase

at Chase

at American Express

Annual fee

$0

Annual fee

$95

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

17.74%-23.74% Variable APR

Regular APR

20.49%-26.49% Variable APR

Regular APR

17.49%-25.49% Variable APR

Rates & Fees

Intro APR

0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months

Intro APR

N/A

Intro APR

0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening

Recommended credit score

690-850good - excellent

Recommended credit score

690-850good - excellent

Recommended credit score

690-850good - excellent

Full Review

For entrepreneurs who would rather worry about their business than their credit card rewards program, the
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
from Chase keeps it simple.
The card has an annual fee of
$0
, offers an unlimited
1.5
% cash back on all purchases and has a long intro APR period. A hefty sign-up bonus doesn’t hurt, either:
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
But business owners aiming to squeeze the most juice out of their business card might find even greater rewards from a different option in the Chase business credit card lineup.

The
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
is best for small-business owners who:

  • Want to earn a big sign-up bonus.
  • Are planning for a big purchase and want a 0% APR intro period.
  • Prefer a flat cash-back rate to managing bonus categories. 
  • Don’t want to pay an annual fee.
You might prefer the
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
instead if:
Your business expenses are relatively low, but concentrated on office supplies or internet, cable and phone services. That card earns up to 5% back in those categories on up to $25,000 spent. Its 2% cash back on restaurants and gas stations (again, up to $25,000 spent) also tops the
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
’s flat
1.5
% rate. Read our review ofthe Ink Business Cash® Credit Card.
You might prefer the
Chase Ink Business Preferred
instead if:
You’re a frequent business traveler. That card earns up to 3 points per dollar on travel purchases. It also boasts an even bigger welcome offer than the Unlimited:
Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Key features of the
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Card type: Small business.
Annual fee: $
0
.
Sign-up bonus:
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards: Unlimited
1.5%
cash back on all purchases.
APR:
0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.74%-23.74% Variable APR
Foreign transaction fees:
3
%.

Why you might want the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

No cap on cash-back rewards

The
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
is true to its name, delivering
1.5%
cash back with no caps or restrictions. While other cards deliver higher rewards — anywhere from 2% to 5% — almost all limit how much you can earn, either with annual spending caps or the use of bonus categories.
Rewards come in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, worth 1 cent each when redeemed as cash back. You can get that cash back in the form of a statement credit or a direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Points can also be redeemed for:
  • Gift cards (1 cent per point).
  • Travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards® (1 cent per point).
  • Amazon purchases (0.8 cents per point).
It’s also possible to move your rewards to other Chase accounts that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, potentially getting more value for travel.

Easy-to-understand rewards

The
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
doesn’t require you to remember any spending categories — you’ll just get a flat rate of 1.5 points per dollar spent. That may make this card a good choice for solopreneurs and owners of very small businesses who are juggling lots of competing priorities.
Even freelancers, gig workers and side hustlers can apply for a business credit card; you don't need to be incorporated or have a formal business structure, like an LLC or partnership.

Big welcome offer, long intro APR period

If your business has a large purchase on the horizon, the
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
delivers a double-whammy of benefits. First, you can get a massive welcome offer for your spending:
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Then, you can pay off that balance without accruing interest — this card offers
0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, and then the ongoing APR of 17.74%-23.74% Variable APR
. Those are great perks for a business credit card, especially one with an annual fee of $
0
.

💬 From our Nerds: Do this before applying

"Even though Chase doesn’t publish it, its '5/24' rule is common fodder in forums like Reddit. (I’ve spotted mentions of it in multiple threads about the
Chase Ink Business Unlimited
.)
"This unwritten policy means you can’t get a Chase credit card if you’ve been approved for five credit cards in the last 24 months — from any issuer. Personal card approvals go toward that total. But your business cards are murkier. Those that show up on your personal credit report count; others don’t.
"The bottom line? If the
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
seems like a fit for you, tally any and all recent approvals before applying. It’s a simple way to eliminate one potential pothole. And once approved, Chase business cards won’t count toward your five-card limit."
Face, Happy, Head

— Ryan Lane, assigning editor covering small business

Why you might want a different card

You spend lots in specific categories, like gas or office supplies

A cash-back rewards rate of
1.5%
on everything is simple, to be sure. But if you have higher spending in certain categories, such as travel or office supplies, you might be better off with a cash-back business credit card that offers a higher rewards rate on those spending categories.
For example, elsewhere in the Chase lineup is the
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
, which offers 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on Internet, cable and phone services each year. Plus, it earns 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants annually, in addition to an unlimited
1
% cash back on all other card purchases. It also has an annual fee of
$0
.

You often travel abroad

The
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
charges a foreign transaction fee of
3
%, which will hurt if you travel abroad or buy inventory from overseas vendors. The
Capital One Spark Cash Select
has no foreign transaction fee and delivers the same unlimited
1.5
% rewards as the Ink Business Unlimited (see rates and fees). But frequent international travelers might prefer a business travel rewards card, like the
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
. It earns up to 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases and has no foreign transaction fees, but does charge a $
95
annual fee.

You want an even higher rewards rate

There are even higher cash-back rewards rates out there — though they may come with limits. The
American Express® Blue Business Cash Card
, for example, earns 2% back on the first $50,000 in spending per year, then the rate falls to 1%. And while you can earn unlimited 2% cash back with the
Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
or
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
, both cards are charge cards and have an annual fee. (See rates and fees.)

Should I get the
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
?

The simplicity of the
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
could be a fit for entrepreneurs who don’t want to deal with cumbersome bonus category terms. And its generous sign-up bonus and introductory 0% APR period on purchases are a boon for those planning to make a major purchase and pay it down over time.
But if you’re looking for lucrative rewards, you can do better, maybe even among other Chase business credit cards.
To view rates and fees of
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, see this page.

Apply now

on Chase's website

Frequently Asked Questions

New elevated offer

 
American Express® Business Gold Card
American Express

American Express® Business Gold Card

Rates and Fees

NerdWallet Rating  
4.3
Bonus Amount  

100,000

Read Review
Apply now

on American Express' website

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