Chase Ink Business Preferred Review

Key details

Earning: who gets the most

The four 3x categories line up with what online and service businesses spend most on. A business spending $5,000 a month on Facebook and Google ads, shipping and phone bills earns 180,000 points a year from that spending, under the $150,000 cap. Above the cap, everything earns 1x. If your ad and shipping spending is light, a flat-rate card will likely earn more.

What changed: point values

In June 2025, Chase lowered the baseline value of points redeemed through Chase Travel from 1.25¢ to 1¢. In its place came Points Boost, which gives a variable, higher value on select bookings. That makes the card less generous for simple travel redemptions than it used to be. Ultimate Rewards points are typically worth 1¢ each as cash, and can be worth more when redeemed for travel or transferred to partners, which is where many owners now look for value. See how to maximize travel rewards.

Is the $95 fee worth it? A worked example

Compare the Preferred with the no-fee Ink Business Unlimited on $60,000 a year in ads, shipping and phone bills:

• Ink Business Preferred: 3x = 180,000 points. At the 1¢ baseline, that's $1,800, or $1,705 after the $95 fee.
• Ink Business Unlimited: 1.5% = $900, no fee.

The Preferred wins clearly when bonus spending is large. At $10,000 a year in those categories, the gap shrinks to $300 versus $150 — still ahead, but by only $55 after the fee. With very little bonus spending, the Unlimited earns more. Because the Preferred has no intro APR and a 17.74%–26.74% variable rate, carrying a balance would erase the advantage quickly.

Who should skip it

Businesses whose costs are mostly inventory, payroll-adjacent services or general supplies earn only 1x on those. They're better served by a flat-rate card. Owners who need time to pay off a big purchase should look at a card with a 0% intro APR, like the Ink Business Unlimited or Ink Business Cash.

Perks and protections

• Primary rental car coverage when renting for business
• Cell phone protection
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance up to $5,000 per traveler
• Purchase protection
• Complimentary DashPass
• No foreign transaction fee

Cell phone protection alone can justify much of the fee for a business with several lines on the card.

How it compares

Many owners pair the Preferred with the Ink Business Unlimited or Ink Business Cash. Cash back from those cards can be combined with the Preferred and converted to Ultimate Rewards points, so non-bonus spending still feeds your points balance. The Amex Business Gold is the alternative if your top categories shift month to month.

Pros and cons

Pros

• 3x on categories that match online businesses
• Low $95 fee for an Ultimate Rewards points card
• Free employee cards
• Strong travel and phone protections

Cons

• Baseline Chase Travel value dropped to 1¢ in June 2025
• No intro APR
• 1x on non-bonus spending
• Personal guarantee required

Bottom line

Get the Ink Business Preferred if ads, shipping, telecom and travel make up a large share of your spending and you're willing to put some effort into redeeming points. Otherwise, see cash back business cards or the full list of business cards. Chase reports only serious delinquencies to your personal credit. Terms change, so check Chase's site before applying. For the personal-card counterpart, read the Sapphire Preferred review.

Frequently Asked Questions