Ink Business Cash® Credit Card vs. Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Your search for the perfect small business credit card may come down to either the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card or the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. These cards have many identical features, but differ in how they reward you for your purchases. We compare these cards so you can make the best choice for your business.

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Overall Rating
4.8

Welcome Offer
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400

Rewards Range
1%-5%

Annual Fee
$0

Regular APR
17.74% - 25.74%

0% APR on Purchases
12 months

0% APR on Balance Transfers
N/A

Foreign Transaction Fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Overall Rating
4.6

Welcome Offer
Earn $750 bonus cash back

Rewards Range
1.5%

Annual Fee
$0

Regular APR
17.74% - 23.74%

0% APR on Purchases
12 months

0% APR on Balance Transfers
N/A

Foreign Transaction Fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Welcome Offer

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

This is an easy win for the Business Unlimited card.

Cash Back Rewards

How each card handles cash back rewards is the only difference between them. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services; 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and grocery stores, and 1% cash back on everything else.

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card gets you 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make for your business. That’s all you need to remember. No caps, no categories, nothing but 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make. It’s delightfully simple.

Which card is best for you depends on how you spend money for your business. The cash back earnings on the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card are certainly more complicated, but might allow you to earn more cash back. The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is simple, so if you have a million other things to worry about, then this simple cash back structure might work better for you.

Here are the details for each card:

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Rewards:

1% cash back
On all other eligible purchases
Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
2% cash back
Dining
Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.
2% cash back
Gas
Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.
5% cash back
Select Categories
Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card 

Rewards:

1.5% cash back
All eligible purchases
1.5% cash back on all eligible purchases with no limits to the amount you can earn

Rates and Fees

Both cards offer 0% on purchases for the first 12 months. After that, both cards have the same variable rate of 17.74% - 23.74%, depending on your creditworthiness. Neither card has an annual fee, and both have the same foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.

Who the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is Best For

Small business owners who spend a lot of money on office supplies, internet, cable, and phone services should consider the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. You will appreciate the higher rewards, and you also get slightly elevated rewards on gas and at restaurants. Business owners with employees will like the fact that you get employee cards at no extra charge.

Who the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is Best For

If your business doesn’t spend anywhere close to $25,000 a year on business expenses, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card might be a great choice. You’ll get 1.5% cash back on everything you purchase without having to worry about categories. This could work especially well if you spend a good deal of money on unique categories. Freelancers and people with side hustles might prefer this card.

Does it make sense to get both cards?

These cards are almost identical twins, except for the way they approach cash back rewards. You could get both, but it’s more likely that one will suit you better than the other. In case you’re wondering, you can have more than one business card with Chase, but the 5/24 rule still applies. The rule is if you open 5 or more credit cards in the last 24 months, Chase will likely not approve you for a new credit card. But business cards may not count against you. Meaning, if you open four personal credit cards and one business credit card in the last 24 months and try to apply for another Chase card, you may still be at 4/24.

Approval Odds

The credit score data listed below comes from publicly available information in a number of forums. The accuracy of the information cannot be verified. Keep in mind that credit card issuers consider more than an applicant’s credit score and that underwriting standards change over time.

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

App StatusDateCredit ScoreBureauCredit Limit
Approved12/13/2023
781
Experian
$3,000
Approved12/13/2023
805
TransUnion
$3,000
Approved12/13/2023
811
Equifax
$3,000
Approved01/03/2023
753
Experian
---
Approved07/04/2023
755
Experian
$3,500
Approved07/04/2023
791
Equifax
$3,500
Approved07/04/2023
815
TransUnion
$3,500
Approved01/06/2023
757
TransUnion
$5,000
Approved01/06/2023
763
Equifax
$5,000
Approved01/06/2023
764
Experian
$5,000
Approved01/12/2024
810
TransUnion
$4,000
Denied08/10/2023
763
Experian
---

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

App StatusDateCredit ScoreBureauCredit Limit
Approved03/18/2023
825
Experian
$6,000
Approved12/14/2023
783
TransUnion
$8,000
Approved12/14/2023
787
Experian
$8,000
Approved12/14/2023
791
Equifax
$8,000
Approved10/04/2023
734
TransUnion
$8,000
Approved10/04/2023
735
Equifax
$8,000
Approved10/30/2023
850
Experian
$16,000
Approved04/25/2023
662
Equifax
$4,000
Approved04/25/2023
667
TransUnion
$4,000
Approved04/25/2023
718
Experian
$4,000
Approved04/16/2023
843
Experian
$16,000
Approved01/12/2024
653
Experian
$4,000
Approved01/12/2024
672
TransUnion
$4,000
Approved01/12/2024
675
Equifax
$4,000
Denied01/12/2024
756
Experian
---
Denied01/12/2024
775
TransUnion
---

It’s no surprise that these cards both require excellent credit scores since both are issued by the same bank, and they are almost identical except for cash back rewards. Choose the one that best matches your spending patterns for your business.