Ink Business Cash® vs Ink Business Unlimited®
Side-by-side comparison
| Ink Business Cash® | Ink Business Unlimited® | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | ||
| Advertising | 1% | 1.5% |
| Shipping | 1% | 1.5% |
| Office supplies | 5% | 1.5% |
| Phone & internet | 5% | 1.5% |
| Travel | 1% | 1.5% |
| Everything else | 1% | 1.5% |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $684 | $675 |
| Points type | Pools with Chase → transferable | Pools with Chase → transferable |
| Network | Visa | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified July 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | Ink Business Cash® | Ink Business Unlimited® |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | $1,000 cash back | $1,000 cash back |
| To earn it | $8,000 in 4 months | $8,000 in 4 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $1,684 | $1,675 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $684 | $675 |
The Ink Business Cash® wins on both fronts: it comes out ahead in year one on the welcome offer and stays ahead every year after. Short term or long, it is the stronger pick on the numbers.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | Ink Business Cash® | Ink Business Unlimited® |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Annual credits | None | None |
| Points & redemptions | Transferable (paired with a premium card) | Transferable (paired with a premium card) |
The two are closely matched on perks and redemptions, so the welcome offer and everyday earning above are what should decide it.
Transfer partners and point value
Both cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, so they transfer to the identical partners at the same ratios, headlined by World of Hyatt, United, Air Canada, Southwest, and British Airways Avios. On transfers there is no difference between them; the choice comes down to earning and perks, not where the points can go.
Neither charges an annual fee, both earn the same roughly $1,000 welcome bonus, and both earn Chase points that pool with a premium card, so this is really about which earning structure fits your business, or whether you just get both.
The Ink Cash is a category monster where it counts, 5x on office supplies and telecom is among the highest rates anywhere. The Ink Unlimited is the flat 1.5x catch-all for everything the Cash doesn’t bonus. They’re two halves of the same free strategy.
Pros and cons
- 5x on office supplies and internet, cable, and phone services (up to $25,000/yr combined)
- 2x on dining and at gas stations (up to $25,000/yr)
- No annual fee, and points pool to transferable with a premium Ink or Sapphire
- A strong flat welcome bonus for a free card
- Only 1x outside its bonus categories, where the Unlimited earns 1.5x
- The 5x categories are capped at $25,000 a year
- Best as a complement, not a solo everyday card
- Points are cash-only unless paired with a premium Chase card
- Flat 1.5x on every purchase, no categories or caps
- No annual fee
- The ideal catch-all for spending the Ink Cash only gives 1x
- Points pool to transferable with a premium Ink or Sapphire
- 1.5x is beaten by the Ink Cash’s 5x and 2x in its categories
- No standout category strength on its own
- Points are cash-only unless paired with a premium Chase card
Where each one wins
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Office supplies & telecom | Ink Cash | 5x vs the Unlimited’s 1.5x. |
| Everything else | Ink Unlimited | 1.5x flat vs the Cash’s 1x. |
| Annual fee | Tie | Both $0. |
| Welcome bonus | Tie | Both around $1,000. |
| Points ceiling | Tie | Both pool to transferable with a premium Chase card. |
| Best role | Together | Cash for categories, Unlimited for the rest. |
The verdict
If you have to choose one, match it to your spending. A business that spends heavily on office supplies, internet, and phone service, plus dining and gas, will earn far more with the Ink Cash and its 5x and 2x rates. A business whose spending is scattered across categories that don’t bonus will do better with the Ink Unlimited’s flat 1.5x. Both are free, so there’s no fee to weigh, just earning shape.
But the honest answer is to get both, because they’re free and complementary. Run office supplies, internet, phone, dining, and gas through the Ink Cash for 5x and 2x, and send everything else to the Ink Unlimited for 1.5x. Pair either with a premium Ink Preferred or a Sapphire and the points from both become transferable to airlines and hotels. Two no-fee cards, one complete business earning setup.