- How to earn the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card bonus
- Qualifying for the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- How to use the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card bonus
- Is the Ink Business Preferred good for earning points after the intro bonus?
- Ongoing benefits of the Ink Business Preferred
- Conclusion
What are travel credit cards, and how do they work?
Travel credit cards are financial products that offer various rewards and benefits geared towards frequent travelers. They typically earn you points or miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases. These rewards can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and other travel-related expenses. Travel credit cards may also include perks like travel insurance, airport lounge access, and no foreign transaction fees.
How do I choose the best travel credit card for my needs?
Choosing the best travel credit card depends on your travel habits, spending patterns, and preferences. Consider factors like the type of rewards offered (points, miles, or cash back), the card’s annual fee, sign-up bonuses, earning rates, redemption options, and additional travel perks. Analyzing these features will help you find a card that aligns with your lifestyle and offers the most value.
What are the benefits of using a travel credit card over other types of credit cards?
Travel credit cards provide unique advantages for travelers, such as earning rewards specifically tailored to travel expenses. Additionally, many travel credit cards offer travel-related perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and travel insurance. Some cards also waive foreign transaction fees, making them ideal for international travelers.
What is a sign-up bonus, and how can I qualify for it?
A sign-up bonus is a promotional offer provided by the credit card issuer to entice new cardholders. To qualify for a sign-up bonus, you usually need to meet specific spending requirements within a certain timeframe after opening the account. The bonus can be in the form of points, miles, or cash back, and it’s a great way to jump-start your rewards earning.
Do travel credit cards charge foreign transaction fees?
Not all travel credit cards charge foreign transaction fees. Many of the top-tier travel cards waive these fees, making them ideal for international travel. However, it’s essential to read the card’s terms and conditions to confirm this before using it abroad.
How can I maximize the rewards earned with my travel credit card?
To maximize rewards, use your travel credit card for everyday expenses and large purchases. Take advantage of bonus categories and special promotions to earn more points or miles. Consider combining your travel credit card with loyalty programs to stack rewards and get even more value out of your purchases.
The landscape of rewards credit cards and award travel is constantly changing. Intro bonuses rise and fall, travel sweet spots emerge and disappear. But one mainstay among the chaos has been the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card’s massive 100,000-point welcome bonus.
For a $95 annual fee, this card gives you one of the loudest bangs for your buck. It earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which is considered by many in the points and miles world to be the most valuable of all travel currencies because of its flexibility.
Though the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a small business card, the card is easier to get than you might think. Many people operate a small business without even realizing it. For example, if you sell items on Etsy or eBay, perform freelance work on the side, or deliver for DoorDash, you can qualify for this card.
Let’s take a quick look at how to earn the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card bonus, and the awesome things you can do with that large chunk of points.
Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
100,000 bonus points
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
The Ink Business Preferred Business Card pulls attention with its big intro bonus, currently sitting at 100,000 points.That’s worth in $1,000 cash back, $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, or even more when transferring to Chase’s travel partners like Hyatt, United Airlines, British Airways and more. But the card shows its real value with its high-earning bonus-spending categories. Freelancers and business owners alike will earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year.
PROS
- Simply put, for small business owners and freelancers it’s one of the best cards for turning business spending into valuable travel. The bonus alone is worth $1,000 cash back, $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, or potentially more when transferring to Chase’s travel partners like Marriott or Air Canada.
- It also offers some stellar protections including a comprehensive reimbursement on damaged or stolen cellphones and primary rental car coverage
- It has a reasonable $95 annual fee.
- If you have another Chase card like the Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, or even a cash-back earning Chase card, you can pool your points and make them more valuable.
CONS
- It does lack some of the juicier benefits attached to other business credit cards likes the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. But with the low fee, it’s hard to argue with its value proposition
- It’s subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. So if you’ve opened five cards in the last two years, you’re most likely not going to be accepted.
Annual Fee: $95 | Terms Apply | Rates & Fees
How to earn the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card bonus
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
This is arguably the best credit card bonus available at the moment. Six-figure welcome bonuses are a rarity nowadays. As we’ll soon cover, this bonus is worth a minimum of $1,250 in travel—and potentially thousands of dollars more if you’re smart with your redemptions. Sounds too good, I know. But we’ll show you how you can easily achieve just that.
Adding to the appeal, this same bonus was once guarded by a minimum spending requirement of $15,000 in the first three months. The card’s new $8,000 spending requirement is still high, but it makes the welcome bonus accessible to a much wider audience—namely, you.
To break it down, you’d have to spend an average of $2,667 per month for three months to hit the $8,000 spending requirement. While that may seem a little hefty, remember that you can put all of your daily expenses on the card, prepay for things like utilities or your cell phone bill. Or, if you have a big purchase coming up, like a new laptop or car repair, those transactions can help you leap towards earning that big bonus.
Qualifying for the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is easier than you might think
When you think of a “small business,” you may envision a revenue amounting to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, multiple employees, a storefront, etc. But in fact, none of these things are required to get a small business card. You can qualify for the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card if you perform services such as:
- Freelance writing
- Driving for Uber or DoorDash
- Selling items on Etsy or eBay
- Dog sitting or babysitting
- Tutoring
A small business doesn’t even have to be your main job. As long as you’ve got a for-profit venture, you qualify for the card—though whether you’re approved will depend on additional factors.
You also don’t have to have an EIN or be an LLC. You’ll be able to fill out a business card application with the same information as a personal credit card. When the application asks you to enter the legal business structure, you have the option to choose sole proprietorship. And when it asks for the Tax ID type, you have the option to choose your social security number.
How to use the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card bonus
The value you’ll receive from the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card bonus depends on how you redeem it. There are lots of ways you can use Chase points, after all. Let’s take a look at some solid options (and reveal the redemptions to stay away from).
Transfer to travel partners (the best option)
Chase partners with 14 airline and hotel programs. You can transfer your Chase points to any of these loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio:
| Aer Lingus | Iberia | Southwest |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | IHG One | United Airlines |
| British Airways | JetBlue | Virgin Atlantic |
| Emirates | Marriott Bonvoy | World of Hyatt |
| Flying Blue (Air France and KLM) | Singapore Airlines |
Transfers are instant with the exception of Singapore Airlines and Marriott. In practice, Marriott tends to transfer extremely quickly (within the hour), while Singapore Airlines miles should appear in your account within a day.
So, why are these transfer partners a big deal? Here are a few things you can achieve with the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card’s 100,000-point bonus by converting your points into airline miles and hotel points:
- Transfer 100,000 points to Air Canada Aeroplan for a one-way first class flight from Washington, DC (IAD) to Munich (MUC) on Lufthansa (worth $14,000+).
- Transfer 100,000 points to Virgin Atlantic for a roundtrip flight between the US and Europe in Delta One business class with lie-flat seats (worth $3,000+).
- Transfer 100,000 points to Hyatt for 20 nights at a Hyatt Category 1 hotel, such as the Hyatt Regency Tulsa (worth $2,500+).
- Transfer 102,000 points to Iberia for three roundtrip economy flights between Chicago (ORD) and Madrid (MAD) on Iberia (worth $1,500+ after paying fare taxes).
- Transfer 104,000 points to Aer Lingus for four roundtrip flights between New York (JFK) and Shannon, Ireland (SNN) on Aer Lingus (worth $1,300 after paying fare taxes).
- Transfer 78,000 points to Singapore Airlines for two roundtrip flights from the East Coast to Hawaii on United Airlines (worth $1,200+).
There are countless other ways to get huge value from Chase transfer partners. The above examples are just the beginning.
Book through the Chase Travel℠ portal
If you hold the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to “buy” airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, etc. at a rate of 1.25 cents each through the Chase Travel Portal. While the ceiling for your points is much lower than when transferring to Chase travel partners, this guarantees that you’ll get a reasonable value for your rewards.
Using your 100,000-point bonus to book travel through the Chase Travel Portal will give you $1,250 in total value.
Booking through the Chase Travel Portal is similar to booking a flight or hotel on a website like Expedia or Booking.com—you’ll have thousands of options and any seat or room you find through the portal can be bought with points. You also won’t have to worry about blackout dates and available award seats.
Trade points for cash, gift cards and Amazon
Among the least valuable ways to redeem your points is cash back, gift cards, or for your Amazon shopping cart. However, it can be a good option if you don’t have any travel coming up for the foreseeable future. Here’s the value you’ll receive:
- Cash back or statement credit — 1 cent per point
- Gift cards — Between 1 and 1.1 cents per point
- Amazon shopping — 0.8 cents per point
That means the 100,000-point bonus is worth $1,000 in cash, up to $1,100 in gift cards, or $800 for shopping with Amazon.
Under no circumstances should you ever redeem your points for less than 1 cent each. While it’s certainly convenient to use your points at Amazon checkout, it’s a much better idea to simply request a statement credit to offset your purchase. Not only will you receive a better value for your points, but you’ll also earn points for your shopping.
Is the Ink Business Preferred good for earning points after the intro bonus?
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has bonus spending categories that are focused on travel and small business purchases. If they align with your everyday spending, it offers great potential. You’ll earn 3x points per dollar for the following spending (up to $150,000 in combined spending each calendar year, then 1x point per dollar):
- Travel (includes airfare, hotels, Ubers, trains, car rentals, tolls, parking, etc.)
- Shipping
- Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
- Internet, cable, and phone services
You’ll also earn 1x point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Ongoing benefits of the Ink Business Preferred
Seeing as the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a travel-centric small business credit card, it’s got very practical ongoing benefits for just such a cardholder.
Notably, you’ll receive automatic cell phone coverage when you use the credit card to pay for your monthly phone bill. You’re covered for up to $1,000 per claim (max three claims per year) with a $100 deductible. For those who otherwise pay for phone insurance, this perk alone can easily offset the card’s $95 annual fee.
You’ll also receive a variety of travel insurances when paying for your travel with this card. For example, you’ll get:
- Primary rental car insurance when you waive the rental agency’s in-house CDW. The only catch is that you must be renting for business purposes.
- Trip delay insurance, reimbursing you up to $500 for reasonable expenses (hotel, meals, transportation, etc.) when your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay.
- Baggage delay insurance, compensating you $100 per day (up to five days) when your bag is delayed by more than six hours.
The card also offers a variety of purchase protections, which can be helpful when making expensive business purchases.
The point
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card makes for a great travel credit card and comes with a large and very valuable welcome bonus to boot. Its ongoing benefits and reasonable annual fee also make it an attractive card to keep long term.
Remember, many may qualify for this small business card by having a side hustle like dog sitting, delivering for DoorDash, or selling items online.
by travelers, for travelers.
