The Ink Business Cash vs Ink Business Unlimited matchup just became the most important decision in business credit cards, because both cards simultaneously hit $1,000 sign-up bonuses, the highest offer we have ever seen on either one. These are no annual fee cards. A four figure bonus on a free business card does not happen often, and it has never happened at this level before now.
The catch is that the offers are identical, so you still have to pick the right card for how your business spends. Here is the full breakdown, plus the play that can turn that $1,000 into $2,000 or more of travel.
The Highest Offer Ever on Both Cards
Here is what is on the table right now:
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn $1,000 when you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first four months after account opening.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first four months from account opening.
That is a 12.5% return on $8,000 of spending before you earn a single point on the purchases themselves. These cards have historically offered $750, and frequently less, so $1,000 is genuinely uncharted territory for the no fee Inks. The four month window is also more generous than the usual three, which makes the $8,000 requirement roughly $2,000 a month in business expenses.
These elevated offers do not have an announced end date, so if either of these cards has been on your list, this is the offer to act on.
Ink Business Cash vs Ink Business Unlimited at a Glance
Ink Business Cash®
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Ink Business Unlimited®
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2% gas stations and restaurants
1% everything else 1.5% on every purchase
Where the Ink Business Cash Wins
The Ink Business Cash is built for businesses with concentrated spending. You earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services, and 2% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each year at gas stations and restaurants. Everything else earns 1%.
That 5% category is one of the strongest earning rates available on any no annual fee business card. If your business pays for internet service, phone lines, cable, and office supplies, those recurring bills alone put serious rewards on the board every month without changing a thing about how you operate.
The catch is the word “combined.” Both the 5% and 2% tiers cap at separate $25,000 in combined category spending per anniversary year, then drop to 1%. For most freelancers and small businesses that cap is generous. For high spenders, it is a real ceiling.
Where the Ink Business Unlimited Wins
The Ink Business Unlimited is the card for businesses whose spending does not fit neat boxes. You earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase, no categories, no caps, no tracking. Inventory, software, advertising, shipping, contractors, the random expenses that make up real business life, all of it earns the same rate.
If your spending is heavy but scattered, 1.5% on everything beats 5% on a narrow slice plus 1% on the rest. The math is simple: the Ink Business Cash only pulls ahead if enough of your spending actually lands in its bonus categories.
Both cards share the same supporting cast: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening (then a 16.74% to 24.74% variable APR), employee cards at no additional cost with spending limits and alerts, primary auto rental coverage when renting for business purposes, purchase protection up to $10,000 per item for 120 days, and extended warranty protection. Both also charge a 3% foreign transaction fee, so neither belongs in your wallet abroad.
Turn That $1,000 Into $2,000 or More of Travel
Both of these cards technically earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, not cash. That $1,000 bonus is really 100,000 points redeemable at one cent each.
On their own, the points are stuck close to that one cent value. But if you also hold a card with transfer privileges, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, the Sapphire Reserve for Business℠, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can combine the points from your Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited into that account. The moment they land there, they become fully transferable points you can move to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
That changes the math on this entire offer. 100,000 transferable points moved to a partner like World of Hyatt or booked as premium cabin awards can be worth significantly more, turning the best ever $1,000 bonus into $2,000 plus of travel. It also means the Ink Business Cash’s 5% categories are effectively earning 5X transferable points, a rate almost nothing else on the market touches. Time a transfer with an active promotion and it gets even better.
If you do not have a transfer enabled card yet, that is not a reason to skip this offer. You can earn the elevated bonus now and unlock transfers later.
Who Can Apply for a Business Credit Card
You do not need an LLC or a storefront to qualify, but you do need actual business activity. Chase’s own guidance covers freelancers, independent contractors, gig workers, sole proprietors, and side businesses, and sole proprietors can apply using their Social Security number rather than an EIN. What matters is that you have a genuine business purpose: selling goods or services, even part time, even new.
One more Chase specific note: these are business cards, so they will not add to your 5/24 count, but you generally need to be under 5/24 to get approved in the first place.
Who Should Skip This Offer
Skip both cards if you cannot comfortably spend $8,000 in four months on expenses you would have anyway. Manufacturing spend to chase a bonus, even the best bonus ever, is how rewards math goes negative.
Skip the Ink Business Cash if your spending rarely touches office supplies, telecom, gas, or restaurants. You would be holding a 1% card with extra steps, and the Unlimited would serve you better.
And skip both if your business spends heavily overseas. The 3% foreign transaction fee on each card makes them the wrong tool for international purchases.
Which Card Should You Get Before the Offer Ends?
Get the The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card if a meaningful chunk of your spending lands on internet, phone, cable, office supplies, gas, or dining. The 5% and 2% categories out earn a flat rate quickly when the spending fits.
Get the The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card if your expenses are broad and unpredictable. A no fee, no cap 1.5% on everything is the simplest strong earner Chase offers, and at $1,000 it has never been more rewarding to open.
Either way, the bonus is the same and it is the best either card has ever offered. Pick the earning structure that matches your spending, hit the $8,000 over four months on expenses you already have, and if you can pair it with a transfer enabled Chase card, that $1,000 quietly becomes the cheapest 100,000 transferable points you will ever earn.
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