Chase Ink Business Cash vs Unlimited: Which Ink Should You Get?
Most people choosing between the Chase Ink Business Cash and Chase Ink Business Unlimited pick the wrong one first and leave value on the table all year. Not because either card is bad. Both are $0 annual fee cards with strong welcome offers. The problem is that one of these cards will earn you significantly more points than the other depending on where your money actually goes.
In this post, I am breaking down both cards side by side, running a real spend example so you can see the math, and giving you a simple rule of thumb so you know exactly which Ink to pick up first. I also have the Ink Business Cash in my own wallet, so I will share what the card actually looks like in practice.
Key Takeaways:
- $0 annual fee on both cards, $750 welcome bonus (sometimes $900-$1,000) — but you can only earn it on one
- Ink Cash: 5X office supplies + internet/phone, 2X gas + dining
- Ink Unlimited: flat 1.5X on everything, no caps
- The 12.5% rule: if your 5X category spend exceeds 12.5% of total spend, Ink Cash wins
- My pick: Ink Cash for most business owners. Ink Unlimited if you want a Chase ecosystem catch-all
- Neither card counts toward 5/24
Welcome Offer Breakdown
Want to run this math on your spending? Plug in your real numbers and see what each card actually earns you.
Free Calculator →Both the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited offer a welcome bonus of $750 bonus cash back (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. That is a strong welcome offer for a $0 annual fee card. You will occasionally see these offers jump to $900 or even $1,000 (90,000-100,000 UR points) for the same spend requirement, so it can be worth watching for an elevated offer if you are not in a rush.
Here is the important part: you can only earn the welcome bonus on one of these two cards. Chase treats the Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited as part of the same product family for signup bonus purposes, so you need to choose wisely. That is what makes this decision worth spending a few minutes on.
Since you can only earn the welcome bonus on one Ink card, make sure you are picking the card that matches your spend before applying. If you see an elevated offer of $900 or more, that is usually worth jumping on. Check the current Ink Business Cash / Ink Business Unlimited offers here.
Do You Qualify for a Business Card?
A lot of people pause here and assume they do not qualify for a business credit card. Short answer: if you have a legitimate side hustle or income-generating project, you probably can.
This could be furniture flipping, eBay reselling, content creation, freelancing, tutoring, or any number of things. If you are just getting started with credit, the credit cards for building credit guide covers the fundamentals. You do not need an LLC to apply. Sole proprietors can apply using their Social Security number. If you do have an LLC, you can apply with your EIN instead.
The key requirement is that you have some form of business income or business activity. Chase is looking for a real business, but it does not need to be a massive operation.
One more thing worth knowing: because these are business cards, they generally do not show up on your personal credit report and do not count toward Chase’s 5/24 rule. That is a meaningful advantage if you are managing your personal credit card strategy at the same time.
Ink Business Cash vs Ink Business Unlimited: Earning Structure
Both cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can redeem them for cash back, book travel through the Chase portal, or (if you also carry a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred) transfer them 1:1 to airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest. That transfer ability is where the real value lives.
Here is how each card earns:
Chase Ink Business Cash
- 5X at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services (first $25,000 per anniversary year, then 1X)
- 2X at gas stations and restaurants (first $25,000 combined per anniversary year, then 1X)
- 1X on everything else
- Annual fee: $0
Chase Ink Business Unlimited
- 1.5X on every purchase, no caps, no categories to track
- Annual fee: $0
The Ink Cash gives you higher multipliers on specific categories. The Ink Unlimited gives you a higher floor on everything. The right choice depends entirely on your spend mix.
The Math: Which Ink Earns More
Here is where the numbers actually matter. Let me run a real spend scenario so you can see which card wins and by how much.
Sample Monthly Business Spend: $1,250/Month
- Office supplies: $200
- Internet/phone: $150
- SaaS subscriptions: $200
- Advertising: $400
- Miscellaneous: $300
Ink Business Cash Earnings
The Ink Cash earns 5X on office supplies ($200) and internet/phone ($150). That is $350 per month in the elevated categories.
- 5X categories: $350 x 5 = 1,750 points
- Everything else: $900 x 1 = 900 points
- Monthly total: 2,650 points
- Annual total: 31,800 points
Ink Business Unlimited Earnings
The Ink Unlimited earns a flat 1.5X on the full $1,250.
- All spend: $1,250 x 1.5 = 1,875 points
- Monthly total: 1,875 points
- Annual total: 22,500 points
In this scenario, the Ink Business Cash earns 31,800 points per year vs the Ink Unlimited’s 22,500 points per year. That is a difference of 9,300 points, or roughly $93-$186 in additional value depending on how you redeem. The Ink Cash wins because the 5X slice ($350) is 28% of total spend, well above the breakeven threshold.
The 12.5% Rule
Most people I work with find $300–$800/year in missed rewards from one wrong card or one misassigned category. I map your real spending and build a custom plan in a 30-minute call.
Not financial advice. Results vary by individual spend.
You do not need to run a full spreadsheet every time. Here is the simple rule of thumb:
If your spend in the Ink Cash’s 5X categories (office supplies, internet, cable, phone) is 12.5% or more of your total monthly business spend, the Ink Cash earns more than the Ink Unlimited.
Below 12.5%, the Ink Unlimited’s flat 1.5X on everything pulls ahead because there is not enough elevated category spend to overcome the higher base rate.
Quick Math on Why 12.5% Is the Breakeven
The Ink Unlimited earns 1.5X on everything. The Ink Cash earns 5X on bonus categories and 1X on everything else. For the Ink Cash to match the Unlimited, the extra 4X on bonus spend needs to offset the 0.5X disadvantage on non-bonus spend.
That math balances out when roughly 1 out of every 8 dollars goes to the 5X categories. Hence: 12.5%.
Pull up your last 3 months of business expenses. Add up what you spent at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services. Divide that by your total business spend. If you are above 12.5%, the Ink Cash is your card. If you are below, the Unlimited is the cleaner play. If you want a tool to run the numbers across your full card setup, grab the free Credit Card ROI Calculator.
Keep in mind, this assumes you are choosing one or the other. If you use a multi-card setup, the math changes depending on your full stack.
Why I Carry the Ink Business Cash
I have the Ink Business Cash in my own wallet, and the categories hit harder than most people realize.
The internet and phone category is straightforward. Most business owners are paying for internet and a phone plan every month anyway. That is consistent 5X spend you do not have to think about.
But the office supply store category is where it gets interesting. Places like Staples and Office Depot carry way more than paper and pens. I have found solid deals on electronics, and as someone who runs an eBay business, this card has been fantastic for shipping materials. Boxes, tape, labels, all of it codes as office supply and earns 5X.
That is the kind of category spend that adds up fast when you know where to look. You do not need to be spending thousands a month in these categories for the Ink Cash to beat the Unlimited. Remember the 12.5% rule. A couple hundred dollars a month in the right places makes the difference.
If you are interested in picking up the Ink Business Cash for your own setup, check the current offer here.
My Recommendation
Since you can only earn the welcome bonus on one of these cards, here is my honest take on which one to go with.
For most business owners, I would recommend the Ink Business Cash. The 5X categories are more versatile than people realize. Between internet, phone, and office supply stores, most small business operators are already spending in those categories without trying. And as I mentioned, office supply stores carry a lot more than office supplies. If you are buying shipping materials, electronics, or even gift cards at Staples, that is all 5X.
The Ink Unlimited is a solid card, but the value proposition is narrower. A flat 1.5X catch-all is fine, and there are better business catch-all cards out there from other issuers. Where the Ink Unlimited makes the most sense is if you specifically value Chase’s ecosystem. If you are already building a Chase stack and want your non-category business spend earning Ultimate Rewards that you can pool with a Sapphire Preferred or Reserve for transfer partner access, the Unlimited fills that role well.
But if I had to pick one, and you do have to pick one, the Ink Cash is where the math checks out for most people.
Best For / Not For
Who Should Get the Ink Business Cash
Best for:
- Business owners with consistent spend at office supply stores or on internet, cable, and phone services
- Anyone whose 5X category spend is 12.5% or more of their total business spend
- eBay sellers, resellers, or small business operators buying shipping materials and supplies at office stores
- People who already have a flat-rate catch-all card and want to add targeted high-multiplier earning
Who Should Get the Ink Business Unlimited
Best for:
- Business owners with broad, variable spend across many categories with no concentration in office supplies or telecom
- Anyone who wants a clean, simple catch-all business card earning 1.5X on everything
- People building a Chase business stack who need a no-fee card to sweep all non-category spend
- Business owners who do not want to track category caps or spending thresholds
Who Should Pass on Both
- Anyone carrying credit card debt. Pay that off first, then come back to credit card strategy
- People with no business income or business activity (you need a legitimate business to apply)
- Anyone over 5/24 who needs their next applications focused on personal cards with more limited availability
If you are still building your credit foundation and are not ready for business cards yet, the credit score improvement guide is a good starting point.
Since you can only earn the welcome bonus on one of these cards, make it count. If your fixed bills like internet and phone plus office supply purchases make up 12.5% or more of your total business spend, go with the Ink Business Cash. It is the more versatile card with higher earning potential in categories that most business owners already spend in. If your spend is broad and variable with no category concentration and you want a Chase ecosystem catch-all for transfer partner access, the Ink Business Unlimited is a clean option. Either way, the welcome bonus alone makes whichever Ink you choose a strong pickup at $0 annual fee.
Ink Business Cash Rating: 4.5/5 — Arguably a top 3 business credit card and top 5 credit card overall. The 5X categories are genuinely useful, the welcome offer is strong, and it costs you nothing to hold.
Ink Business Unlimited Rating: 3.6/5 — A decent catch-all if you want a single business credit card inside Chase’s ecosystem, but other issuers offer 2X flat-rate cards with similar benefits.
Ready to pick up your Ink? Check the latest Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited offers here.
Ink Business Cash vs Unlimited FAQs
Is the Chase Ink Business Cash better than the Ink Unlimited?
It depends on your spend mix. If 12.5% or more of your total business spend goes to office supply stores, internet, cable, or phone services, the Ink Cash earns more points. If your spend is spread across many categories with no concentration in those areas, the Ink Unlimited’s flat 1.5X on everything will earn more. Neither card is universally better, it comes down to where your dollars go.
What is the Chase Ink Business Cash 5X category list?
The Ink Business Cash earns 5X Ultimate Rewards points at office supply stores (like Staples and Office Depot) and on internet, cable, and phone services. This is capped at the first $25,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year, then drops to 1X. It also earns 2X at gas stations and restaurants, capped at $25,000 combined per year.
Can I get the welcome bonus on both the Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited?
No. Chase treats these two cards as part of the same product family for welcome bonus purposes. You can only earn the signup bonus on one of the two. You can still hold both cards, but the welcome bonus is limited to whichever one you apply for first. That is why picking the right one matters.
Do Chase Ink business cards count toward 5/24?
Applying for a Chase Ink business card does require you to be under 5/24 to get approved. However, once approved, the card does not add to your 5/24 count because it does not report to your personal credit report the same way personal cards do. Chase’s 5/24 rule only counts personal card approvals from the last 24 months. This makes Ink cards a smart pickup for people managing their 5/24 status.
Can I transfer Ink Cash or Ink Unlimited points to airlines and hotels?
Not directly. On their own, these cards earn Ultimate Rewards that can be redeemed for cash back or portal travel. To unlock transfer partner access (Hyatt, United, Southwest, and others), you need to also carry a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred. Those premium cards let you pool your points and transfer them 1:1.
What is the welcome offer for the Chase Ink Business Cash?
The standard welcome offer is $750 bonus cash back (75,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months. Occasionally, Chase runs elevated offers of $900 to $1,000 for the same spend requirement. The Ink Unlimited typically has the same offer structure, but remember you can only earn the bonus on one of the two cards.
Chase Ink Business Cash
5x office supplies, internet, cable, phone. 2x gas and dining. Both capped at $25K/yr combined.
$0/yr
Chase Ink Business Unlimited
Flat 1.5x on everything. Pairs with Sapphire for transfers.
$0/yrTerms apply. Some links are affiliate links. I only recommend products I personally use or genuinely believe will help you. Pay your balance in full.
Some links in this article are affiliate links. I only recommend products I personally use or genuinely believe will help you. Terms apply. Pay your balance in full. Applying for a credit card results in a hard inquiry. I’m not a financial advisor or CPA. This is personal experience and opinion.