The Chase Ink credit cards are our favorite pick for businesses, as all offer generous rewards for office supply and telecom expenses, two of the biggest cost categories for most businesses. The Ink Plus rewards card in particular is great if you don’t mind paying an annual fee in exchange for significantly beefier rewards. The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year, so there’s no harm in giving it a shot.
The card gives you 5x rewards on office supplies, telecom and cell phone expenses as well as double points at gas stations and hotel accommodations when purchased through the hotel. The cap on these bonus categories is double what it is for the no-fee Ink cards — the bonus rates apply to the first $50,000 spent for the 5x categories and the first $50,000 in the 2x categories. And then of course, you still get a point per dollar on all other purchases. Plus, enjoy a nice large 50,000 point sign-up bonus after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. (We have seen a 60,000 bonus in the past — watch this spot, we’ll keep you posted.)
But the best part of this reward scheme is that the points you earn are Ultimate Rewards points, some of the most valuable in the rewards game. UR points can be redeemed for a variety of stuff, from gift cards to merchandise to cash back, but the real value lies in travel redemption. You can redeem travel directly through the Ultimate Rewards portal for a solid 20% discount — that makes the sign-up bonus alone worth $625.
Or, put in a little elbow grease and get even more value when you take advantage of the 1:1 point transfer to over 20 frequent flyer programs, such as United and Southwest. Plus, this card gives you VIP airport lounge access at 350 locations in 200 cities worldwide. You get two free visits per year, and thereafter it’s $27 per person per visit. Bring a friend or colleague if you like. Combine all this with the fact that the Ink Plus card sports no foreign transaction fee, and you’re looking at a solid choice for the diehard traveler.
Check out this guide to the details below, or see our comparison chart for Chase Ink cards.
Money Math
- Annual Fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
- Foreign Transaction Fee: $0
- APR: var 13.24%
- APR for Balance Transfers: same as above
- Balance Transfer Fee: 3%
- APR for Cash Advance: var 19.24%
- Cash Advance Fee: 5%
- Late Fee/Returned Payment Fee: $15, $29, or $39 depending on balance
- Over Credit Limit Fee: None
- Penalty APR: var 29.99%, applies w/ late payment, returned payment, or exceeding credit limit on any Chase account/loan
Rewards
- Bonus: 50,000 points after spending $5,000 in first 3 months
- 5 points per $1 spent on office supply stores, cell phones, landline, internet, & cable TV. (First $50,000 only)
- 2 points per $1 spent on gas stations & hotel accomodations (First $25,000 only)
- 1 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Rewards Limit: No limit (except only first $50,000 in a year apply to bonus categories)
- Rewards Expiration: No expiration
- Redeem For: Travel, gift cards, merchandise, cash back, etc.
- Can redeem through Ultimate Rewards program
- Get 20% discount when redeeming travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Complimentary annual Lounge Club membership includes two free lounge visits per year
Benefits
- Organize receipts with Jot app
- Employee Cards: No additional cost, can set spending limits
- $0 Fraud Liability Protection
- Purchase Protection: Yes
- Auto Rental Insurance: Yes
- Travel Insurance: Yes
- Extended Warranty: Yes
- Customer Service: 24/7
Don’t forget to check out other credit card options at our list of the best business credit cards.
