investor.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn How We Make Money

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card Review

Dayana Yochim

Written by Dayana Yochim
Edited by Carolyn Kimball
Fact-checked by Andrea Coombes

March 12, 2024

Why trust us? Investor.com has no financial relationship with any of the credit card providers whose products we analyze and review. Our opinions are based solely on data and our own extensive independent research — that means unbiased guidance for consumers. Rewards cards in our cashback credit card calculator are listed in descending order according to how much money they pay out annually based on the inputs.

Chase Ultimate Rewards fans rejoice! Here’s the small-biz version of your consumer card, but with flat-rate, spending-cap-free rewards and a chonky $750 sign-up bonus. Plus you can combine points earned with a consumer card to boost your Chase Ultimate Rewards redemption options.

If your charges are all over the map and you don’t want the hassle of tracking bonus categories and caps, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card hears you. The 1.5% cashback rate applies to everything, ad infinitum (as in no spending caps). The real headline, though, is the chonky $750 welcome bonus and full year of interest-free purchases. And Chase stans will like this part: The bank allows you to combine earnings from Chase personal and business cards to boost your Chase Ultimate Rewards redemption options.

Chase fans should also check out our review of the no-annual-fee Chase Ink Business Cash card. It shells out 5% cashback on business-y purchases and 2% cashback on dining and gas. There are, however, caveats (translation: annual spending caps).

The basics: Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back rewards on every purchase. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. New cardmember offer: $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.

Credit Card Calculator
Monthly Spend
Spend Categories expand_more
Clear All
dining Dining
local_gas_station Gas
monetization_on Other
card_travel Travel
phone_iphone Cell Phones
print Office Supplies

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card Logo
Cashback Per Year
$...
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Bonus
$750
Want to compare more cards? Use our full calculator.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card pros and cons

thumb_up_off_alt Pros

  • Hassle-free, flat-rate rewards on all purchases
  • $750 sign-up bonus
  • 0% APR on purchases for 12 months
  • Multiple redemption options
  • Lets you combine points with other Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning cards
  • $0 annual fee
  • Pays out referral bonuses

thumb_down_off_alt Cons

  • 1.5% rewards rate is it. No higher rewards tiers offered 🥲
  • No balance transfer deal
  • High balance transfer and cash advance fees
  • 3% foreign transaction fee
  • Fewer benefits than some other Chase cards

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card cashback rewards spending categories

The following table shows the cashback rewards rate per $1 spent in the six most common spending categories. The “Bonus Rate” refers to the amount you can earn in excess of the card’s standard rewards rate.

Some cashback cards limit the spending amount eligible for the bonus rate (aka the “Spend Cap”). Once you hit that cap (e.g., $1,500 spending in a particular category during a defined time period), the rewards rate on future purchases in that category reverts to the lower “Default Rate.”

Category Default Rate Bonus Rate Bonus Spend Cap Bonus Spend Period (Months)
Cell Phone 1.50% - - -
Dining 1.50% - - -
Gas 1.50% - - -
Travel 1.50% - - -
Office Supplies 1.50% - - -
Other Purchases 1.50% - - -

What we like

There are no rewards caps or spending category restrictions with this card. The 1.5% cashback rate applies to all purchases, no card juggling required.

Generous $750 sign-up bonus for new cardmembers if you put $6,000 on the card in the first three months. That’s basically a 12.5% cashback rate on inaugural purchases.

From the date of approval you have 12 interest-free months on new purchases. (Minimum payments still apply.) If you’ve got any big purchases coming up, now’s the time to make ’em. After the 0% APR ends, period balances are subject to your regular variable APR.

Redemption options with the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card range from straight-up cash back (as a statement credit or direct deposit, no minimums) to gift cards, travel and merch via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

Here’s your shot to increase the value of your rewards. If you are the registered owner of the company and have another Chase card with Ultimate Rewards, you can combine/transfer your rewards — to convert them into miles or points — for a bigger payday. You’re also allowed to transfer points to the account of a member of your household if they have a Chase card with Ultimate Rewards.

Employee cards won’t cost you extra, as with most business cards. Adding authorized users will also help you rack up rewards every time they swipe (or tap or whatever). Plus you can set individual spending limits on their cards.

Comes with fraud protection and extended warranty protection, travel and emergency assistance, roadside dispatch, and auto rental collision coverage in the U.S. and abroad.

Chase will hook you up with as many as 100,000 bonus points per year if you refer other business owners who are subsequently approved for an Ink Business card.

What we don't like

No bonus categories may cramp your cashback potential. If your spending is heaviest on office-related items (supplies, internet, cable and phone service and gas and restaurants), the Chase Ink Business Cash card with its tiered rewards setup may be rewardier. It also has no annual fee and the same sign-up goodies.

There’s no interest-free grace period on balance transfers. Chase also says it limits transfers to $15,000 (including fees and interest charges) or the amount of your available credit, whichever is lower.

The 5% balance-transfer fee is higher than many cards charge. If you transfer $10,000, that comes to $500.

Speaking of fees, cash advances are also subject to a higher-than-average 5%/$15 minimum transaction fee, and a variable APR hovering around 25%.

And then there’s the 3% foreign transaction fee — tolerable if your business doesn’t make many/any international purchases; terrible if you do.

This card lacks a few extras — like trip cancellation/interuption insurance and cell phone protection — that are standard on other Chase business cards, most notably the ones with annual fees.

The bottom line

Is the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card the best rewards card for your wallet? The answer depends entirely on your spending patterns. Let the numbers speak for themselves: Use the investor.com Cashback Credit Card Calculator to see which credit card pays back the highest rewards based on how much you spend each month.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card fine print

We chased down the pricing info and terms and conditions so you don’t have to. Also take a gander at the Ink Business Unlimited Ultimate Rewards Program agreement.

Does the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card charge an annual fee?

No, there is no annual fee for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card.

tips_and_updates Trivia time!

Roughly 11% of the business cashback cards we track in our database charge an annual fee. The average annual fee is $200.

Does the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card offer a welcome bonus?

Yes, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card has a welcome bonus of $750.

tips_and_updates Fun fact

Of the business credit cards in our database, 83% offer a welcome bonus. Currently, the average sign-up bonus on a new business cashback card is $421.79, with the median being $300.

How much cashback can I earn with the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card?

The average business that spends $2580 per month will earn $464.40 in cash back per year using the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card. For comparison, the average annual rewards payout from the business credit cards in the investor.com database is $483.97, and $464.40 is the median.

These calculations are based on average consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the reward payout rates from the providers we track. Of course, you’re so much more than an average data point (aka “consumer unit,” in BLS parlance). The amount you can earn in cashback rewards using the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card depends entirely on your unique spending habits.

Find out exactly how much you’ll rake in with the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card by tailoring the spending inputs in the calculator above.

Popular Business Credit Card Guides

More Business Credit Card Reviews



Methodology

The results of the investor.com Credit Card Rewards Calculator are based on the monthly spending amounts you enter and the annual dollar value of the rewards each credit card program pays per $1 spent. Credit card companies often express this payout amount as a percentage (e.g., 1.5% of every dollar spent) or on a points basis (e.g. ,1.5 points for every dollar spent). We converted all of them to a dollar amount (“Cash Back Per Year”) to make comparing offers easier.

To calculate the amount of cash back you could earn per year, we factored in:

  • Spend category inputs: The default dollar values for each “Spend Category” in the Best Cashback Credit Cards tool — gas, groceries, travel, restaurant, entertainment, pharmacy, other — are based on average American spending data from the Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. We also include additional spend categories (such as streaming services, online shopping, utilities, transit, Amazon and more) to help you see which rewards cards are most closely aligned with your actual spending patterns. We encourage you to customize the monthly spend inputs for the most accurate results.
  • Tiered rewards rates: If a rewards credit card pays higher cashback rates on certain spending categories (also called “Bonus Rewards”), that difference is reflected in the total “Cash Back Per Year” tally.
  • Rewards spending caps: Some cards impose category- or time-based limits (monthly, quarterly, annually) that affect the amount of rewards you can earn. For example, a card may pay 3% cash back on groceries on up to $1,000 of spending each quarter, then revert to the base/default rewards rate until the following quarter. We accounted for bonus spending caps and timeframe in the calculations.
  • Default rewards rates: Purchases that exceed a spending cap are usually subject to a lower default rewards rate (e.g., 1% or 1.5%). We mathed that out too.
  • Annual fees: If a rewards card charges an annual fee, we deducted that amount from the “Cash Back Per Year” total to provide a true accounting of a card’s annual rewards payout.

What’s not included in the “Cash Back Per Year” total is the cash value of any sign-up/introductory bonus. We highlight any Welcome Bonus separately. While sign-up bonuses can be the most lucrative part of getting a new cashback rewards credit card, not everyone will want or be able to do what it takes to earn the extra cash. (It usually requires spending a certain amount in a specified time period after the card is activated.)

About the Editorial Team

Dayana Yochim
Dayana Yochim

Dayana Yochim has been writing (articles, books, podcasts, stirring speeches) about personal finance and investing for more than two decades, focusing on bringing clarity and the occasional comedic aside to what is often a murky, humorless topic. She’s written for NerdWallet, The Motley Fool, HerMoney.com, Woman’s Day, Forbes, Newsweek and others, and been a guest expert on "Today," "Good Morning America," CNN, NPR and wherever they’ll hand her a mic.

Carolyn Kimball
Carolyn Kimball

Carolyn Kimball is Managing Editor for Reink Media Group and the lead editor for content on investor.com. Carolyn has more than 20 years of writing and editing experience at major media outlets including NerdWallet, the Los Angeles Times and the San Jose Mercury News. She specializes in coverage of personal financial products and services, wielding her editing skills to clarify complex (some might say befuddling) topics to help consumers make informed decisions about their money.

Andrea Coombes
Andrea Coombes

Andrea Coombes has 20+ years of experience helping people reach their financial goals. Her personal finance articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, MarketWatch, Forbes, and other publications, and she's shared her expertise on CBS, NPR, "Marketplace," and more. She's been a financial coach and certified consumer credit counselor, and is working on becoming a Certified Financial Planner. She knows that owning pets isn't necessarily the best financial decision; her dog and two cats would argue this point.

close