Is the Ink Business Unlimited worth it?

Do you want a business credit card that offers unlimited flat-rate cash back rewards on every purchase? Are you interested in business-targeted benefits like rental car insurance, purchase protection and a sign-up bonus you can use to help your business grow? The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card might be just what your small business is looking for.

The Ink Business Unlimited is a Chase credit card designed for small-business owners who want a low-maintenance, high-rewards business credit card. Because the Ink Business Unlimited earns 1.5 percent on every purchase, you can spend less time thinking about rewards and more time using the card to take your business to the next level. We’ve called the Chase Ink Business Unlimited a “set-it-and-forget-it” credit card, and we stand by that assessment. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the time to learn about everything the Ink Business Unlimited has to offer.

Is the Ink Business Unlimited card worth it? We think so — but here’s what you need to know to make your own decision.

When is the Ink Business Unlimited worth it?

You prefer flat-rate cash back rewards

Small-business owners who want flat-rate cash back rewards have many reasons to apply for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited. With an unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on every purchase, you can use your Ink Business Unlimited to make business purchases in every possible spending category without worrying about spending caps, bonus categories or a strategy to maximize your cash back.

You want to use the $750 welcome bonus to grow your business

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited sign-up bonus awards $750 bonus cash back to cardholders who spend $6,000 in the first three months of card ownership. This is not the highest welcome bonus the Ink Business Unlimited card has offered, but it is one of the best sign-up bonuses available on a no-annual-fee business credit card. If you’re a small-business owner, you can probably think of many ways to use that extra $750 to expand your business.

You want to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points

When you earn cash back on your Chase Ink Business Unlimited card, your rewards accumulate as Chase Ultimate Rewards points. This gives you plenty of flexibility in terms of redemption options, whether you redeem your rewards for statement credits, deposit them into a business checking account or use your Chase Ink Business Unlimited cash back to make Apple purchases.

You can also transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to another Chase card to increase the value of your rewards. For example, if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you can transfer your Ink Business Unlimited rewards to the Sapphire Preferred and boost the value of those rewards by 25 percent when you use them to book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

You’re looking for a business credit card with 0% intro APR

Your Chase Ink Business Unlimited benefits include 12 months of 0 percent intro APR on purchases (then a regular 17.99 percent to 23.99 percent variable APR) to expand your business without accruing interest charges. You need to pay off your balance before the intro APR expires to avoid racking up interest charges, but most small-business owners should be able to create the kind of budget and cash flow projections that get the job done.

You want a no-annual-fee credit card

Want one more reason to consider the Chase Ink Business Unlimited? Unlike other top business credit cards, the Ink Business Unlimited doesn’t charge an annual fee. This gives you even more opportunity to save money — or to take the cash you might have spent on an annual fee and put it toward growing your business.

When is the Ink Business Unlimited not worth it?

You don’t have the credit score to qualify

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited card is best for people with good or excellent credit. This means your FICO credit score needs to be at least 640 before you apply — and if you can get your FICO score up to 740, that’s even better. Once your credit score passes 740, you’ve moved into the “very good” range and are more likely to be approved for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Card.

You’ve already opened too many credit cards

Chase is known for its 5/24 rule, which means that credit card applicants who have opened more than five new credit cards in the past 24 months are likely to see their applications declined. The 5/24 rule applies to all credit cards, not just Chase cards — so if you’ve opened a lot of new credit cards recently, you may want to hold off on applying for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited.

You could earn more rewards with a different Ink Business card

The Ink Business Unlimited isn’t the only business credit card Chase offers. Small-business owners should take the time to review Chase’s Ink Business credit cards before deciding which option is best for them.

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, for example, is a no-annual-fee card that offers 5 percent cash back on office supplies, cable, internet and telephone services for the first $25,000 spent annually and 2 percent cash back on gas and dining on the first $25,000 spent annually. All other purchases earn an unlimited 1 percent cash back — and you still have the opportunity to earn that $750 sign-up bonus if you spend $6,000 in the first three months of card ownership.

Should you get the Ink Business Unlimited?

If you’re looking for a top business credit card that offers unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on every purchase, a decent zero-interest offer on purchases and no annual fee, it’s worth considering. This card is easy to use and packs a consistent value.

You may also want to consider other flat-rate cash back business credit cards, such as the Capital One Spark Cash Plus. The Spark Cash Plus offers 2 percent cash back on every purchase and 5 percent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. It also comes with the opportunity to earn a $1,000 cash bonus ($500 when you spend $5,000 in the first three months, plus an additional $500 when you spend $50,000 in the first six months), but you’ll pay a $150 annual fee for the privilege.

Do the math to determine which card might be the best choice for your business. Will you earn enough cash back with the Capital One Spark Cash Plus to justify the $150 annual fee? Or are you better off with the straightforward Ink Business Unlimited?

Bottom line

Is the Ink Business Unlimited worth it? For many small-business owners, the answer is yes. Once you’ve evaluated all the benefits that the Chase Ink Business Unlimited credit card has to offer, you’ll know whether it’s the right choice for your business — and you’ll know exactly how you can use the Ink Business Unlimited to help your business grow.