Not only is the Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card a great way to rack up some Ultimate Rewards Points on your business spending, it comes with the most lucrative sign-up bonus of any current credit card.
Ultimate Rewards is an ecosystem of several credit cards that when taken together, grant industry-best returns in most shopping categories. See below for our coverage of the rest of the cards.
The Ink Preferred comes with an 80,000 point sign-up bonus after spending $5,000 in the first three months, and a $95 annual fee that’s not waived the first year. That’s a high spending threshold, but you’ll be getting ~$1800 worth of points according to The Points Guy’s latest valuations.
As you’d imagine, the bonus earning categories of the Preferred are geared toward small business owners. You’ll earn 3X Ultimate Rewards Points on the first $150,000 you spend annually in combined purchases on:
- Internet, phone, and TV bills
- Shipping costs
- Travel
- Social media and search engine advertising
If you do some quick math, it’s entirely possible the return on your monthly Internet and cable bills alone will negate the annual fee, which is great if you’re someone who doesn’t really have a business but wants this card, and/or who already has the other cards in the Ultimate Rewards collection.
Speaking of, I did not supply any documentation of my freelance photography business when I got my Ink Business Plus pictured above, though yes it did/does actually exist. The Points Guy has a good rundown here of the nuances of the process for “business owners” wanting to get business credit cards.
Aside from the huge sign-up bonus and good earning potential, the Ink Preferred also includes:
- Primary Car Rental Coverage
- Purchase Protection
- Trip Insurance
- Cell Phone Damage and Theft Protection
The latter of those is particularly great, as it also covers your employees’ cell phones, and you only need to charge your phone bill to the card to be eligible. It covers three claims per year of up to $600 in damage, with a $100 deductible per claim. As you’d expect, the fine print is deep. Accidental damage is covered, and the Ink’s protection is supplemental, so any relevant insurance you already have has to be used first.
If you’ve made yourself a home in the Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, the Ink Preferred sign-up bonus is hard to pass up. If you’re a small business owner and not a travel rewards maximizer, this is still a great card for you as well. With a relatively low and easily offset annual fee, the Ink Preferred will find a good home in most wallets.
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