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If you have a business—even a side hustle—the ability to apply for business credit cards opens up a whole world of opportunities that personal cardholders don’t get. That is, once you can convince a bank that you’re running a legitimate business.

I went through that process myself to get access to some of the excellent business cards Chase offers.

Now, I’m not going to tell you to apply for a business credit card if you don’t have a business. That’s something I will not do for Your Mileage May Vary. But if you have a side gig with expenses (and hopefully some income!), you might qualify. Just be honest on the application.

The first business card I signed up for was the Chase Ink Business Preferred. Here’s why it topped my list.

Chase Ink Business Preferred

Annual Fee

$95 per year

Sign-Up Bonus

You’ll currently earn 90,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 in the first three months.
That’s worth at least $1,250 in travel if redeemed through the Chase portal.

If you’re considering applying for any of the Chase Ink cards, we’d appreciate it if you use our referral link. We earn Ultimate Rewards points for each approved application—thank you!

Bonus Categories

You’ll earn 3x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year (not calendar year) in the following categories:

• Travel
• Shipping purchases
• Internet, cable, and phone services
• Social media and search engine advertising

All other purchases earn 1x point, with no cap on the total points you can earn.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

As you’d expect for a travel-focused card, there are no foreign transaction fees.

Primary Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

Unlike many cards that offer secondary coverage, the Ink Business Preferred provides primary coverage when you rent a car for business purposes.
That means if something happens to your rental, you can go through Chase before involving your personal insurance.

Cell Phone Protection

With today’s phones costing well over $1,000, this benefit can save you big time.
If you pay your cell phone bill with the Ink Preferred, you’re covered for up to $1,000 per claim in the event of theft or damage.

• Maximum of 3 claims per 12 months
• $100 deductible per claim

Travel Portal Value Boost

When you book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, your points are worth 1.25 cents each—a 25% boost over the standard 1 cent per point.

It’s not the best use of your points, but it’s still a nice bump for simple redemptions.

1:1 Points Transfer to Travel Partners

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are incredibly valuable because you can transfer them to several travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. Here’s the full list:

Airline Partners:

• AerLingus AerClub (Avios)
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• British Airways Executive Club (Avios)
• Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
• Emirates Skywards
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Iberia Plus (Avios)
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Rapid Rewards®
• United MileagePlus®
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Hotel Partners:

• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

These partnerships give you excellent flexibility—and serious value. For example, I transferred points to World of Hyatt to book a stay at the Grand Hyatt Taipei. The room would’ve cost around $280 after taxes, but I redeemed just 15,000 points, getting a value of about 1.86 cents per point. That means the current 90,000-point sign-up bonus could be worth over $1,670 if used for similar redemptions—far more than simply booking through the Chase travel portal.

Final Thoughts

The Chase Ink Business Preferred is a keeper. Between the massive sign-up bonus, valuable 3x categories, and great travel perks, it’s a card that works hard for small business owners.

If your business spends on internet, advertising, travel, or phone services—this card can rack up serious points. And with no foreign transaction fees and primary rental car coverage, it’s travel-ready, too.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary