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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain.
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® is a popular small business card that's geared to business owners who want to keep their rewards simple. This card offers a flat 1.5% cash back on all kinds of purchases. There's no annual fee, and small business owners get access to a 0% APR offer for purchases for a limited time.
Card type: Business credit card
Annual fee: $0
Purchase APR: 17.49% to 23.49% variable
Intro APR: 0% APR on purchases for 12 months
Base rewards: 1.5% cash back on all purchases, plus 5% cash back on Lyft rides (through March 2025)
Sign-up bonus: $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases within three months of account opening
Recommended credit score: Good credit or better (FICO score of 700+)
While the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® doesn't earn travel points with Chase, users can combine rewards earned with a Chase travel card account to unlock premium travel redemptions like point transfers to airlines and hotels. This makes the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® a solid choice for consumers who want to maximize rewards by pairing a few different cards, just as it's a good standalone card for business owners who want to earn cash back instead.
While Chase is known for its popular selection of travel credit cards, including the Chase Ink Business Preferred®, the Ink Business Unlimited® is for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to earn cash back instead. Here's an overview of the earning rates on the card, plus all the ways you can redeem your rewards in the end.
Business owners who pick the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® get the chance to earn a sizable bonus right off the bat. New cardholders can earn $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases within three months of account opening.
Beyond the bonus, earning rates are as follows:
1.5% cash back on all purchases
5% cash back on Lyft rides (through March 2025)
Expert intel: If you're wondering how much someone could earn in rewards throughout the year with the Chase Ink Business Unlimited®, imagine a scenario where a small business spends $4,000 per month on overhead, supplies and miscellaneous purchases. With this level of spending, someone could earn $60 in cash back per month with the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® — or $720 in cash back per year.
If you add on the healthy sign-up bonus on the card, this means a business owner with $4,000 in monthly expenses stands to earn $1,470 in cash back during the first year alone.
While the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® is a cash back credit card at heart, rewards earned with the card can be redeemed for more options than one might think. The chart below shows the available redemption options with this card and their average redemption values.
| Redemption option | Rewards value (per point) |
|---|---|
Check in the mail | 1 cent per point |
Statement credit | 1 cent per point |
Gift cards | 1 cent per point |
Purchases through Amazon.com or PayPal | 0.8 cents per point |
Other merchandise | Varies |
Travel bookings through Chase | 1 cent per point |
Expert intel: Chase Ink Business Unlimited® customers who pair the card with the Chase Ink Business Preferred® (another business credit card) or a consumer credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve® can pool all their rewards in one account for better redemptions. For example, pooling points with any of these travel credit cards makes it possible to transfer rewards to Chase airline or hotel partners, or to get 25% to 50% more value for points redeemed for travel through Chase.
We awarded the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® an average score of 4.7 out of 5 based on our credit card review methodology. This score reflects the card's superior ratings in categories that matter the most to consumers, including Features and Benefits, Card Security, and User Experience while also taking lower scores for the card's Customer Service and Rates and Fees into account.
The sections below highlight the core reasons for these ratings in each review category.
While the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® comes with a $0 annual fee and offers the benefit of free employee cards, its score took a hit in this category due to other fees it charges. For example, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® charges 3% in foreign transaction fees when you use it for purchases abroad. The card also has a high variable APR after the introductory offer for purchases ends.
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® offers quite a few perks for a $0 annual fee business credit card, including free employee cards, purchase protection against damage or theft, extended warranties and roadside assistance. Cardholders also get primary auto rental coverage when they rent a car for business purposes and pay with their card, their rewards points or a combination of the two.
Chase uses industry standard encryption practices that increase its online security and assist in keeping consumer accounts safe. Other features like 24/7 fraud monitoring, multi-factor authentication and biometric authentication on the Chase mobile app enhance security even more. Cardholders with the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® also get $0 fraud liability coverage on their accounts, meaning they are not legally liable if a criminal uses their card or account number to make fraudulent purchases.
The Chase website is both intuitive and easy-to-use, whether users rely on it to track their purchases, pay their bill or manage their rewards accounts. The Chase mobile app is also known for excellence, which is evidenced by its 4.4 out of 5 rating on Google Play and 4.8 rating out of 5 stars in the App Store.
Note that, in J.D. Power's 2024 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, Chase earned the 4th spot with a score of 619 out of 1,000 points. Card issuers that scored better than Chase include American Express (634), Discover (629) and Capital One (620).
Chase offers excellent customer service on the phone and via its secure messaging system. The card issuer also has a strong social media presence with dedicated customer service agents answering inquiries online. Chase makes it easy to speak with a customer service agent to inquire about card features, terms and conditions, as well as the possibility of upgrading or downgrading to another Chase card product.
The issuer's score took a hit in this category due to reports from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) on recent government actions due to its marketplace conduct.
Chase customer service is open 24 hours per day and seven days per week. Response times are fast as well, and this is true whether you call Chase on the phone or reach out via secure message or a social media account.
Cardholders can reach Chase using its credit card customer service number (1-800-432-3117) or its social media channels (tweet Chase at @ChaseSupport or message them on Facebook or Instagram.) Secure messages can also be sent through a user's online account management page.
When we tested these channels:
A Chase representative joined our phone call within one minute after hold time began.
Our interaction with Chase social media received an almost instant response, although we waited almost five minutes to chat with a representative.
Credit card and travel rewards expert Julian Kheel of Points Path says he uses the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® as the main credit card for his small business, and for more reasons than one.
"I keep things extremely simple by putting all my expenses on it and earning 1.5% on everything," he said.
However, the expert says he never redeems his rewards as cash back. Instead, he accumulates them for use later on, when he eventually combines them with his Chase Sapphire Preferred® account for premium travel redemptions like point transfers to airlines and hotels.
"That way, I can combine the rewards from the two cards and get more value for them by redeeming them for travel," said Kheel.
Credit card rewards expert Aaron Hurd of Cards and Points says he also uses the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® for some of his business spending, along with other consumer and business credit cards from Chase. He does so due to the great rewards rate on the card, and in order to keep his personal and business spending separate.
"It's a good choice to use for my 'everywhere else' spending for my business," said Hurd. "Since it's a small business card, my monthly spending never shows up on my personal credit report, which can be really helpful in months when I have a lot of business expenses."
Rewards enthusiasts on Reddit seem to love the card's flat-rate rewards structure, including the fact they don't have to deal with or keep track of bonus categories or rewards limits. The sign-up bonus on the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® is also a popular feature. Many users also seem to pair the card with other Chase credit cards to maximize rewards on all their spending.
For example, one Reddit user recently said the following:
"I just jumped on the Ink card train. Have Unlimited then will get Cash and Preferred. Using it for rent. Nice 285k UR over the next 9-10 months. "
That said, some users on message boards complain about the low credit limit the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® can start with. For example, one user on the myFICO.com forum recently said:
"As the title says, I was just approved for a new Chase Ink Unlimited card, which is great. But unfortunately, I was only approved for a $3,000 credit limit. I have two existing Ink cards, both of which have much larger credit limits, and are not fully being utilized."
| Chase Ink Business Unlimited® | Chase Ink Business Cash® | |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
Base rewards | 1.5% cash back on all purchases 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025 | 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 (then 1% back) 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each year (then 1% back) 1% cash back on other purchases 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025 |
APR | 0% APR on purchases for 12 months, followed by a variable APR of 17.49% to 23.49% | 0% APR on purchases for 12 months, followed by a variable APR of 17.49% to 25.49% |
Sign-on bonus | $750 bonus cash back when you spend $6,000 on purchases within three months of account opening | $750 bonus cash back — $350 when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first three months and another $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening |
While both the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® and the Chase Ink Business Cash® come with no annual fee, they dole out rewards very differently. Instead of offering a higher flat rate of purchases on all kinds of spending, the Chase Ink Business Cash® offers more rewards in select bonus categories.
Specifically, the Chase Ink Business Cash® gives cardholders 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each (then 1% back), 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each year (then 1% back) and 1% cash back on other purchases. The card also offers 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025.
Obviously, this makes the Chase Ink Business Cash® superior for business owners who spend a lot in its bonus categories. If someone were to spend $25,000 at office supply stores within a year, they could earn $1,250 in cash back in that bonus category alone.
Also note that the Chase Ink Business Cash® comes with similar benefits as the Chase Ink Business Unlimited®, including free employee cards, travel and purchase protections and an intro 0% APR offer for purchases. At the end of the day, you'll want to compare these card's rewards rates and decide which option fits your small business spending the best.
To create this guide and overview of the Chase Ink Business Unlimited®, we assessed the card based on factors consumers and small business owners care about the most. These factors include product rates and fees, features and benefits, account security features, user experience and customer service. We also did a deep dive into the rewards program for the card and compared it to other products in terms of their earning rates and redemptions for rewards.
We also considered first-hand experiences of cardholders, which we learned about through personalized interviews. We also read over consumer message boards like Reddit in order to gauge consumer sentiment about the card and comparable products.
Learn more about how we rate and review credit cards and their issuers.
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® is definitely a "good" credit card when you take stock of all it has to offer for a $0 annual fee. Cardholders can earn a generous sign-up bonus right off the bat, and all purchases earn 1.5% cash back. The card also comes with free employee cards, protections for purchases, primary auto rental coverage for business rentals and an intro 0% APR offer for new spending.
Still, there are other small business credit cards to consider, including alternative options from Chase and other issuers like American Express and Capital One. Make sure to compare all the best rewards credit cards for small businesses to find the right fit, or pair up a few different cards to maximize rewards on every dollar your company spends.
Does the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Charge Foreign Transaction Fees?
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited® charges a 3% foreign transaction fee whenever you use it for purchases outside the United States. If you want a Chase small business card that doesn't charge this fee, look into the Chase Ink Business Preferred® instead.
What Is the Credit Limit for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited®?
Chase doesn't list a minimum or maximum credit limit for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited®. However, anecdotal evidence found online shows that the minimum credit limit may start as low as $3,000.
What Credit Score Do You Need for the Chase Business Ink Unlimited® Card?
Chase doesn't list a minimum credit score to get approved for any of its credit cards. However, plenty of evidence shows its top rewards credit cards are geared to individuals with good or excellent credit, and that having a FICO score of 700+ gives applicants the best approval odds.
Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain.
