If you have a business—even a side hustle—business credit cards can open up an entirely different world of points and miles opportunities.
That said, I’m not going to tell you to apply for a business card if you don’t actually have a business. You still need to legitimately qualify. But many people have businesses they don’t even think about that way: freelance work, selling items online, consulting, content creation, tutoring, rideshare driving, and countless other side gigs can potentially qualify.
The first Chase business card I ever applied for was the Chase Ink Business Preferred. At the time, it was one of the best ways to earn a large number of Chase Ultimate Rewards points while also getting access to some genuinely useful business-focused benefits.
Years later, I still think it’s a strong card—especially with the current elevated welcome offer—even though we eventually decided it no longer fit our overall card strategy.
Chase Ink Business Preferred
Annual Fee
$95 per year
Current Welcome Offer
New cardholders can currently earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 within the first 3 months.
That’s a substantial bonus for a card with only a $95 annual fee.
If redeemed through Chase Travel℠, those points are worth at least $1,000 in travel. However, transferring points to airline and hotel partners can potentially provide even more value.
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Bonus Categories
The Ink Business Preferred earns 3X Ultimate Rewards points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year in the following categories:
- Travel
- Shipping purchases
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- Social media and search engine advertising
All other eligible purchases earn 1X point per dollar.
Even several years after launching, these categories still line up surprisingly well with many real-world business expenses. Internet and phone bills alone can generate a meaningful amount of spend over the course of a year, while advertising purchases can add up quickly for online businesses.
One Of The Best Chase Ultimate Rewards Starter Cards
One reason the Ink Business Preferred remains popular is that it provides access to Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.
Points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to partners, including:
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Executive Club
- Hyatt
- Singapore KrisFlyer
- Southwest Rapid Rewards
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
For me, World of Hyatt remains one of the most valuable Chase transfer partners.
We’ve used Ultimate Rewards points transferred to Hyatt for stays that would have otherwise cost hundreds of dollars per night. That flexibility is one of the reasons Chase Ultimate Rewards points continue to be among my favorite transferable currencies.
While Chase does offer the option to redeem points through Chase Travel℠, I generally find the best value comes from transferring points to travel partners instead.
Cell Phone Protection
Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com
Cell phone protection has become much more valuable over the years as phone prices have continued climbing.
If you pay your monthly cell phone bill with the Ink Business Preferred, you can receive coverage for damage or theft of eligible phones.
- Up to $1,000 per claim
- Maximum of 3 claims per 12-month period
- $100 deductible per claim
Considering how expensive modern smartphones have become, this benefit alone can provide meaningful value.
Primary Rental Car Coverage
The Ink Business Preferred also includes primary rental car collision damage waiver coverage when renting a vehicle for business purposes.
That’s important because many credit cards only provide secondary coverage, which requires involving your personal insurance first.
Primary coverage can help avoid filing a claim with your own insurer if your rental vehicle is damaged or stolen.
This has quietly become one of the most underrated benefits on premium travel and business cards.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
As you’d expect from a travel-focused rewards card, the Ink Business Preferred charges no foreign transaction fees.
That makes it a practical option for international business travel or purchases made outside the United States.
Who This Card Is Best For
I think the Ink Business Preferred makes the most sense for:
- People new to Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Small business owners with online advertising expenses
- Businesses paying substantial internet or phone bills
- Travelers who value transferable points
- People looking for a large welcome bonus with a relatively low annual fee
It’s especially appealing as an entry point into the Chase ecosystem because it combines a strong welcome offer with practical ongoing benefits.
Why We Eventually Closed Our Card
Even though I still think this is a very good business credit card, we eventually decided to close our Ink Business Preferred account.
The main reason was overlap.
Over time, we accumulated other cards that earned Ultimate Rewards points, and eventually the Ink Business Preferred stopped filling a unique role in our wallet. Between our other Chase cards and changing spending patterns, it became harder to justify paying another annual fee for benefits we were already getting elsewhere.
That doesn’t mean the card suddenly became bad. Far from it.
In fact, I still think the Ink Business Preferred is one of the best Chase business cards for someone building a flexible points setup. It simply stopped being the best fit for our particular card portfolio.
Final Thoughts
The Chase Ink Business Preferred remains a strong business credit card in 2026.
The current 100,000-point welcome offer is excellent, the 3X bonus categories are still highly relevant for many businesses, and the ability to transfer points to valuable travel partners continues to make Ultimate Rewards points incredibly useful.
Not every credit card needs to stay in your wallet forever to be worth getting.
For us, the Ink Business Preferred eventually overlapped too much with other cards in our portfolio. But for someone looking to earn a large stash of transferable points while getting useful travel and business protections along the way, it’s still easy to see why this card remains so popular.
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