Ink Business Unlimited® vs PayPal Cashback Mastercard
Side-by-side comparison
| Ink Business Unlimited® | PayPal Cashback Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | No current offer | |
| Advertising | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Shipping | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Office supplies | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Phone & internet | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Travel | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Everything else | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $675 | $675 |
| Points type | Pools with Chase → transferable | Cash back only |
| Network | Visa | Mastercard |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified June 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
The verdict
On a typical year of business spending, the Ink Business Unlimited® earns about $675 a year in rewards and the PayPal Cashback Mastercard about $675, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Ink Business Unlimited® has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The PayPal Cashback Mastercard has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. These two are about as close as cards get: both pay a flat 1.5x on everything, neither charges an annual fee, and on that spending they finish within a few dollars of each other. The choice is not really about the rewards rate. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Ink Business Unlimited® earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the PayPal Cashback Mastercard pays plain cash back. Favor the Ink Business Unlimited® if you will use travel transfers, the PayPal Cashback Mastercard if you want simplicity. One tiebreaker: the Ink Business Unlimited® adds no foreign transaction fees, which the other does not. On the sign-up bonus, the Ink Business Unlimited® currently has the larger welcome offer (a limited-time offer above its usual amount, so treat it as a one-time boost). A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.