Both Chase business cards carry a $0 annual fee, a $750 welcome bonus, and a 12-month 0% intro APR. Ink Business Unlimited pays a flat 1.5% on everything — simplest when your spend is spread out. Ink Business Cash pays 5% on office supplies and internet/cable/phone (up to a cap) — stronger when your spend concentrates there. Many SMBs hold both and route spend by category. Pick by whether your top spend fits Ink Cash's 5% categories.
Chase
12-month 0% intro APR plus flat 1.5% cash back, no annual fee.
Pros
Chase
12-month 0% intro APR plus 5% on office and telecom.
Pros
Pick Chase Ink Business Unlimited if: SMBs wanting a 12-month 0% intro window plus the largest no-fee welcome bonus.
Pick Chase Ink Business Cash if: Office-based SMBs financing an upfront purchase that lands in 5%/2% categories.
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It depends on your spend mix. Ink Business Cash earns 5% on the first $25,000 per year combined at office-supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services (plus 2% at gas stations and restaurants), then 1% after — strong for businesses with those expenses. Ink Business Unlimited earns a flat 1.5% on everything with no categories to track. Concentrated spend in Ink Cash's bonus categories favors it; spread-out spend favors Unlimited's simpler flat rate.
Yes — both Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited carry a $0 annual fee, and both typically offer a 0% intro APR on purchases for an introductory period plus a welcome bonus. Because they share the same $0-fee, same-ecosystem structure, many businesses hold BOTH — Ink Cash for its bonus categories and Ink Unlimited for everything else.
Both earn Chase Ultimate Rewards. On their own those redeem at 1 cent each, but if you also hold a premium Chase card (Ink Business Preferred or a personal Sapphire), you can combine points and transfer 1:1 to airline and hotel partners — meaningfully increasing travel value. Held alone, both Ink cards function as cash-back cards.
Both cards have historically offered $750 cash back (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. Because both carry the same welcome bonus and annual fee ($0), the deciding factor is your spend mix — Ink Cash's 5% on office supplies and internet/cable/phone vs Unlimited's flat 1.5% everywhere. Many businesses apply for both to maximize category bonuses; Chase's 5/24 rule applies (no more than 5 new accounts in 24 months). Verify current offers at chase.com — bonuses can be higher through referral links.
Yes — Chase Ink Business Cash earns 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases per year at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services. Spending above $25,000 in those categories drops to 1% per dollar. The 2% on gas stations and restaurants (first $25,000 combined) also has a similar annual cap. Chase Ink Business Unlimited has no category caps — it earns a flat 1.5% on all purchases with no limit. For businesses spending more than $25,000/year in Ink Cash's 5% categories, holding both cards and alternating spend maximizes rewards. Source: Chase Ink Business Cash cardmember agreement at chase.com.
Yes — both Chase Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited include purchase protection (eligible new purchases covered against damage or theft for 120 days, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account) and extended warranty protection (extends U.S. manufacturer's warranty by 1 year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less). Both also include zero liability on unauthorized purchases. Neither card includes primary rental car coverage (that requires Ink Business Preferred). Source: Chase Ink Business card benefit guide at chase.com.
Both Chase Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited charge a 3% foreign transaction fee on purchases made outside the United States or processed in a foreign currency. This makes both cards less optimal for international business travel or purchases from foreign vendors. Businesses with material international spending are better served by the Chase Ink Business Preferred, which has no foreign transaction fee (it carries a $95 annual fee). Verify current fee terms in the Chase cardmember agreement at chase.com before using either card internationally.
Yes — Chase allows cardholders to hold both cards simultaneously for the same business. Many small businesses hold both specifically to optimize rewards: routing office-supply and internet/cable/phone spend through Ink Business Cash for its 5% category rate (up to $25,000/year combined), and all other business spend through Ink Business Unlimited at a flat 1.5%. Both cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points that combine into a single UR balance and can be transferred to a premium Chase card (Sapphire or Ink Business Preferred) to unlock travel partners. Chase's 5/24 rule applies to each card application. Source: Chase Ink Business card terms at chase.com.
Chase Ink business cards target good-to-excellent personal credit — generally 680+ FICO, with stronger approval odds at 720+. Personal FICO is the primary underwriting input for small-business card applications; business credit is also evaluated but is secondary. Chase's 5/24 rule (no more than 5 new personal credit card accounts opened in the prior 24 months) is an additional eligibility screen — exceeding 5/24 typically results in denial regardless of credit score. Sole proprietors and single-member LLCs can apply using their SSN; EIN is optional. Chase does not publish a specific minimum score — verify current underwriting criteria at chase.com.
Both Chase Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited offer a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening. After the intro period, the standard variable APR applies — currently in the range of approximately 18–24% variable (tied to the Prime Rate), per Chase's published cardmember agreement, though rates move with Prime Rate changes. The 0% intro APR does not apply to balance transfers. Carrying a balance after the intro period ends accrues interest at the standard variable rate on the full remaining balance. Chase requires on-time minimum monthly payments throughout the intro period — a missed payment can terminate the intro APR early. Verify current APR terms at chase.com.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Lending is not the issuer of any product compared here; affiliate links may pay a referral commission at no cost to you — selection is independent of compensation.