Ink Business Preferred Credit Card review: Strong rewards and protections for just $95

The Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per dollar spent on key business expenses and has strong travel protections. See if it's worth the $95 annual fee.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees) is a strong option for small businesses that want to earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points on common business expenses.

I added the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card to my wallet almost eight years ago as my small business was growing. And over the years, it has been the card I've used for many of my business travel purchases, especially because it offers solid travel protections and bonus earnings.

Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card: The basics

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card has a $95 annual fee, but you'll earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases through Sept. 30, 2027, and 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year:

  • Shipping purchases
  • Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
  • Internet, cable and phone services
  • Travel

I find these Ultimate Rewards points particularly valuable, since you can transfer them to partners like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt.

The card has no foreign transaction fees, and you can add employee cards to your account at no additional cost.

Plus, you'll get complimentary access to DashPass with your Ink Business Preferred card for at least 12 months when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027. And once you activate your complimentary DashPass membership, you'll get up to $10 a month on grocery and retail DoorDash orders.

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card pros and cons

ProsCons
<ul> <li>Useful bonus categories</li> <li>Low annual fee</li> <li>Earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points</li> <li>Valuable travel and shopping protections</li> </ul><ul> <li>High spending threshold for welcome bonus</li> <li>Subject to Chase's 5/24 rule</li> <li>Worse transfer ratio to World of Hyatt starting Oct. 1</li> </ul>

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card benefits

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card offers a strong collection of travel, purchase and convenience benefits.

DashPass membership and monthly DoorDash credits

Chase Ink Preferred cardholders and their authorized users will get at least 12 months of complimentary DashPass when they activate their membership with their Ink Preferred card by Dec. 31, 2027. Activate your membership by adding your Ink Business Preferred card as the default payment method on DoorDash or Caviar and clicking the activation button.

You can use DashPass on both DoorDash and Caviar as long as you use the same credentials on both platforms. However, you'll have to use your Chase Ink card at checkout to receive DashPass benefits.

Additionally, you can get up to $10 off each calendar month on one DoorDash non-restaurant order (excluding fees, taxes and gratuity) once you activate your complimentary DashPass membership. To claim the discount, select it from the promotion wallet at checkout or when prompted and select your Ink Business Preferred as the payment method at checkout.

Related: Your complete guide to Chase and DoorDash

Protections when you use your card

You'll get the following protections when you use your card for eligible purchases:

  • Auto rental coverage: Get reimbursed up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage when you decline the rental company's collision insurance, charge the entire rental cost to your card and rent an eligible vehicle with an MSRP of $125,000 or less. You'll get primary coverage when renting in eligible destinations outside the U.S., and when you're renting for business purposes in the U.S.
  • Baggage delay insurance: Get reimbursed up to $100 per day for up to five days for essential items while your baggage is delayed for more than six hours.
  • Cellphone protection: Get up to $1,000 per claim for covered theft or damage to cellphones on your monthly cellphone bill when you pay with your card (up to three claims per 12-month period; $100 deductible per claim).
  • Extended warranty protection: Extends the manufacturer's U.S. warranty by an additional year for eligible warranties of three years or less.
  • Lost luggage reimbursement: Get reimbursed up to $3,000 per traveler for the cost of repairing or replacing checked or carry-on baggage that is lost, damaged or stolen.
  • Purchase protection: Get reimbursed up to $10,000 per item if an eligible item you purchased with your card is damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase.
  • Travel accident insurance: When you pay for your air, bus, train, or cruise transportation with your card, you are eligible to receive up to $500,000 in accidental death or dismemberment coverage.
  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: If your trip is canceled or cut short due to a covered event, you can be reimbursed up to $5,000 per traveler and $10,000 per trip for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses.
  • Trip delay reimbursement: If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you are covered for unreimbursed expenses up to $500 per traveler during the delay.

These comprehensive travel protections are why I often use my Ink Business Preferred when booking flights and trains. However, be sure to review your card's benefits guide to ensure you understand what each protection covers and what it doesn't.

Related: Are authorized users covered by Chase's credit card travel insurance?

Other benefits

  • Add employee cards to your account — and set the individual spending limits — at no additional cost
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Roadside assistance at a pre-negotiated, per-service fee
  • Travel and emergency assistance
  • Opt in to Chase Pay Over Time for eligible purchases of $100 or more if your account is eligible

How to earn and use your rewards

In addition to the card's benefits, earning and redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points is another noteworthy perk of the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.

Earning points with the Ink Business Preferred

You'll earn as follows on eligible purchases with your Ink Business Preferred:

  • 5 points per dollar spent: Qualifying Lyft products and services purchased through the Lyft mobile application through Sept. 30, 2027
  • 3 points per dollar spent: Shipping; social media and search engine advertising; travel; internet, cable, and phone services (you'll only earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year on combined purchases in these rewards categories; after that, you'll earn 1 point per dollar spent)
  • 1 point per dollar spent: All other purchases

a woman holds a wallet with many credit cards

ISABELLE RAPHAEL/THE POINTS GUY

While many cards offer bonus rewards for select types of travel, 3 points per dollar spent is one of the best earning rates you'll find for a wide variety of travel purchases. That, combined with its travel protections, is why the Ink Business Preferred is my go-to card for travel purchases, including for the taxes and fees on award flights.

I've recently used my card to book some Delta SkyMiles and American AAdvantage award flights, pay for a metro ride in Taiwan and pay for bus rides in Greece — all of which earned me three points per dollar spent.

Related: Which purchases qualify for 3 points per dollar with the Ink Business Preferred?

Redeeming points with the Ink Business Preferred

You can redeem the Chase Ultimate Rewards points that you earn on your Ink Business Preferred card in various ways.

One of the most valuable ways to redeem Ultimate Rewards points is by transferring them to Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, such as United MileagePlus and Air Canada Aeroplan, for high-value redemptions.

You can currently transfer to all partners at a 1:1 ratio, but this ratio will drop to 4:3 for World of Hyatt transfers from Ink Preferred accounts on Oct. 1.

Park Hyatt Maldives overwater villa deck

I transferred Chase points to Hyatt to book my stay at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

I'm particularly bummed that the World of Hyatt transfer ratio will drop to 4:3 on Oct. 1 for Ink Preferred accounts, as World of Hyatt is the Chase transfer partner I use most. For example, I recently transferred 18,000 Chase points to Hyatt to top off my Hyatt account to 20,000 points before booking a two-night stay in Canada.

Transferring points to partners for high-value redemptions is usually the best way to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points, but you do have other options. Keep in mind that your redemption rate will usually be significantly lower than TPG's September 2026 valuation of 2.05 cents per point with these options:

  • Book travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal: Usually 1 cent per point, but up to 1.75 cents per point for Chase Points Boost options
  • Pay yourself back: 1 to 1.25 cents per point
  • Cash back as a statement credit or bank deposit: 1 cent per point
  • Deposit into a J.P. Morgan investment account: 1 cent per point
  • Gift cards: 1 cent per point
  • Shops at Chase, including Shop Apple: 1 cent per point
  • Pay with points for Amazon and PayPal: 0.8 cents per point

Related: Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots: Best flight and hotel redemptions

Downsides to consider about the Ink Business Preferred Card

Unlike many travel rewards cards, the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card doesn't offer airport lounge access, elite status benefits or travel-related statement credits.

airport lounge

You won't get airport lounge access as a perk of the Ink Business Preferred. CARLY HELFAND/THE POINTS GUY

Another downside is the upcoming change to World of Hyatt transfers. Beginning Oct. 1, Ink Business Preferred accounts will transfer points to Hyatt at a 4:3 ratio rather than 1:1.

If maintaining access to the 1:1 Chase-to-Hyatt transfer ratio is important to you, you'll want to open a Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees).

The Ink Business Preferred also has a $95 annual fee. If you're looking for a small-business card with no annual fee, it may be worth considering another Chase Ink card.

Ink Business Preferred vs. Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited

The Ink Business Preferred has two no-annual-fee siblings, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (see rates and fees).

These two cards earn cash-back rewards.

But, if you have the Ink Business Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), you can combine your rewards and unlock additional redemption options.

Related: Chase Ink Business Unlimited vs. Ink Business Cash: Battle of the cash-back business cards

Is the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card worth it?

I've found the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card to be worth it for its generous 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year on combined purchases in select categories.

The travel protections also give me another reason to use the card when booking trips.

And, if you can use the up to $10 off each calendar month on a DoorDash non-restaurant order, these credits can save you more than the card's annual fee.

Related: 5 reasons to get Chase's Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

When to apply for the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

I recommend applying for the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card when it has a welcome offer of 100,000 points or more. The card previously featured an offer of up to 120,000 points (no longer available), but it may not return.

Currently, the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card welcome offer is 100,000 bonus points, earned after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Based on TPG's valuations, these bonus points are worth $2,050 when you take advantage of Chase's transfer partners.

You'll also want to be under Chase's 5/24 rule before applying and consider the card's welcome-bonus eligibility restrictions. If you've previously had the Ink Business Preferred, you may not be eligible for the bonus again.

Related: How to complete a Chase business credit card application

Other cards to consider if you don't want the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

If the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card isn't right for you, here are some other options to consider:

For additional options, check out our story on the best business credit cards.

Related: Yes, you can hold more than 1 of the same business credit card. Here's why you might want to

Bottom line

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card has been a workhorse in my wallet since 2018.

I love earning 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on many of my business expenses, including shipping and travel. And I get great value from transferring these points to transfer partners.

In short, I've found the card to be well worth its $95 annual fee.


Apply here: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card


For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Blue Business Cash Card, click here.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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