Chase Ink Business Cash

Who this card is for

If your business spends on office supplies, internet, cable, or phone services, the Chase Ink Business Cash earns 5% in those categories with no annual fee. That is the highest earn rate available on a free business card for those spending categories. The 2% on gas and restaurants adds value for businesses with employees driving or doing client meals.

But the real story with this card is what happens when you pair it with another Chase card. On its own, you earn cash back. Paired with a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred, those “cash back” points become Chase Ultimate Rewards points with transfer partner access. That changes the math entirely.

The rewards math

The 5% and 2% categories each cap at $25,000/year combined. Here is what maxing both categories looks like:

Category	Annual cap	Rate	Annual cash back
Office supplies + internet/cable/phone	$25,000	5%	$1,250
Gas + restaurants	$25,000	2%	$500
Everything else (uncapped)	Varies	1%	Varies

Maxing both bonus categories earns $1,750/year before any additional 1% spending. That is $750 more than the Amex Blue Business Cash earns on the same $50,000 in spending (assuming it falls into Chase’s bonus categories).

The key phrase is “assuming it falls into Chase’s bonus categories.” If your $50,000 in spending is mostly software subscriptions, marketing, and inventory (none of which earn bonus rates), you get $500 in cash back. The Amex Blue Business Cash would earn $1,000 on the same spending. Category cards only win when your spending matches the categories.

What counts as “office supplies” and “internet”

This matters more than most people think. Chase determines bonus categories based on merchant category codes (MCCs), not what you actually buy.

Office supplies (5%): Staples, Office Depot, and similar office supply retailers. Here is a useful trick: gift cards purchased at office supply stores (Amazon, Home Depot, restaurant gift cards) also code as office supply purchases and earn 5%. This effectively lets you earn 5% on Amazon spending by buying Amazon gift cards at Staples.

Internet/cable/phone (5%): Monthly internet, cable TV, and cell phone bills. Streaming services like Netflix and Spotify also code as internet services and earn 5%. Business phone systems and VoIP services generally qualify.

Gas stations (2%): Gas purchases at stations. Purchases inside the convenience store may or may not code as gas depending on how the station processes the transaction.

Restaurants (2%): Dine-in, takeout, and food delivery services. Fast food counts.

Everything else (1%): Software subscriptions, marketing spend, inventory, wholesale purchases, professional services, rent, insurance. This is where most business spending actually lands for many businesses.

The Chase Ultimate Rewards angle

This is where the Ink Business Cash goes from “good free card” to “essential card in a points strategy.”

On its own, the card earns cash back redeemable for statement credits. 5% back is 5 cents per dollar. Fine.

But if you also carry a Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/year), Sapphire Reserve ($550/year), or Ink Business Preferred ($95/year), your Ink Cash points become Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Those points can be transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel partners including:

• Hyatt (often valued at 2+ cents per point)
• United Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• British Airways
• JetBlue
• Emirates

At a conservative 2 cents per point valuation through transfer partners, your 5% earn rate effectively becomes 10% return on office supply and internet spending. $25,000 in office supply spending = 125,000 Ultimate Rewards points = roughly $2,500 in travel value. From a free card.

This is why many small business owners hold the Ink Business Cash even if they do not maximize the categories. The ability to pool points with a Sapphire card and transfer to partners makes every point worth more than cash back.

0% intro APR

The card offers 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening. After that, the variable APR ranges from 20.49% to 28.24%.

Same principle as any 0% intro offer: useful for financing a large business purchase interest-free over 12 months. Do not carry a balance past the intro period. The standard APR is steep.

Benefits and perks

Cell phone protection: Pay your monthly cell phone bill with the Ink Cash and you get up to $1,000 per claim ($1,500 per 12 months) in protection against theft or damage. This covers phones used for business. At $0 annual fee, this benefit alone can save you the cost of phone insurance.

Purchase protection: Covers new purchases against damage and theft for 120 days from purchase date. Up to $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per account per year. Note: this is more generous than the Amex Blue Business Cash (which offers 90 days and $1,000 per claim).

Extended warranty: Doubles manufacturer warranties of 3 years or less, up to 1 additional year. Up to $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per account.

Auto rental collision damage waiver: Secondary coverage for theft and damage on business rentals when you decline the rental company’s CDW and charge the full rental to your card. Covers up to $75,000.

DashPass: Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for at least 12 months. Saves on delivery fees if your team orders food for the office.

Instacart+: Free Instacart+ membership for 6 months (must activate by July 2026).

Lyft: 5% back on Lyft rides through September 2027.

Employee cards: Free additional cards with customizable spending limits. All purchases earn rewards on the primary account.

Chase’s 5/24 rule

Chase will generally deny your application if you have opened 5 or more personal credit cards (across all issuers, not just Chase) in the past 24 months. This is known as the 5/24 rule and it applies to Ink business cards.

If you are under 5/24, apply for this card before opening other new cards. If you are at or above 5/24, you may need to wait until older accounts age past the 24-month window.

Who should not use this card

Businesses with spending outside Chase’s categories: If most of your card spending is on software, inventory, marketing, or professional services, you earn 1% on the majority of your purchases. The Amex Blue Business Cash’s flat 2% on everything would earn more.

Heavy international spenders: The 3% foreign transaction fee is a dealbreaker for businesses paying overseas vendors or traveling internationally. Use a card with no FTF.

Businesses spending well above the $25K caps: Once you hit $25,000 in either bonus category, you earn 1%. If you are buying $40,000/year in office supplies, the last $15,000 only earns 1%. Consider pairing with the Ink Business Unlimited (1.5% flat, uncapped) for overflow spending.

People over 5/24: You will likely be denied. Check your credit card opening history before applying.

Bottom line

The Chase Ink Business Cash is the best no-annual-fee business card for businesses that spend on office supplies, internet, and phone services. The 5% rate in those categories is unmatched on a free card, and the 2% on gas and restaurants adds meaningful value for everyday business spending.

The card’s hidden strength is its role in the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem. Paired with a Sapphire or Ink Preferred card, your 5% cash back becomes 5x transferable points worth potentially 10%+ in travel value. That makes the Ink Cash a cornerstone card for business owners who travel.

For businesses with diverse spending that does not concentrate in Chase’s bonus categories, the Amex Blue Business Cash’s flat 2% on everything earns more. Both cards are free to hold, and the optimal play for many businesses is carrying both: route office supplies and internet to the Ink Cash (5%), route everything else to the Amex (2%), and never earn less than 2% on any purchase.