Sign-up bonuses change often — confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before you apply.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® is the best-value business card in the Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, and one of the most underrated cards period. For a $95 annual fee it does the one thing that matters most: it unlocks full Ultimate Rewards transfers to Hyatt, United, Air France/KLM, and the rest — the same partner access as a Sapphire card — while adding a strong 3x bonus structure and genuinely useful cell-phone insurance. If you have any business activity (and a side hustle, freelance work, reselling, or a sole proprietorship all count), this is the cheapest full-featured seat at the transfer table.
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Quick answer
- Best for: unlocking full Ultimate Rewards transfers cheaply, plus 3x on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone and social/search advertising
- Annual fee: $95
- Welcome bonus: 100,000 points after $8,000 spend in 3 months — $2,000 in travel at our 2.0¢ valuation (verify current offer)
- Key benefit: full Ultimate Rewards transfer rights (the same partners as a Sapphire card) plus cell phone protection up to $1,000 per claim
- Earning: 3x on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone and social/search advertising (first $150,000 combined per year), 1x everything else — an effective 6% back in travel value at ~2.0¢ per point
Free tool: see what your Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi or Bilt points become at every airline and hotel, with live transfer bonuses at kritdeals.com/transfer-calculator, or in the free KritDeals app for iPhone and Android.
At a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 |
| Sign-up bonus | 100,000 points after $8,000 spend in 3 months (verify current offer) — $2,000 in travel at our 2.0¢ valuation |
| Best for | Unlocking UR transfers cheaply; business spenders |
| Points earned | Chase Ultimate Rewards (transferable) |
| Points worth | ~2.0¢ each (our valuation) |
| Key perk | Full UR transfers; cell phone protection up to $1,000 per claim |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Card network | Visa (Signature Business) |
What the points are worth
We value Ultimate Rewards points at 2.0¢ each because they transfer 1:1 to United, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and more (Hyatt is 4:3 from the Ink Preferred since June 2026 — 1:1 to Hyatt is now reserved for the Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business). Here's the key detail most people miss: the Ink Business Preferred is a full transfer card. A no-annual-fee Chase card (like the Freedom family) earns points that are stuck at 1¢ unless you also hold a card with transfer rights. The Ink Preferred is that card — for $95 — and the points it holds combine into one Ultimate Rewards balance with your personal Sapphire or Freedom cards. Points don't expire while the account is open.
A 100,000-point bonus is therefore worth:
- $1,000 cashed out (don't) ·
- $1,000+ through Chase Travel℠ — new cardmembers redeem at a 1.0¢ base, with more only on select "Points Boost" bookings ·
- $2,000+ transferred to a partner for a well-chosen award.
Where your points can go
The Ink Business Preferred's points transfer to these airline and hotel programs — tap any partner to see how to use those miles, what they're worth, and the best redemptions:
Airline transfer partners United MileagePlus · Air Canada Aeroplan · Air France/KLM Flying Blue · British Airways / Qatar Avios · Qatar Qsuite award · Virgin Atlantic · Singapore KrisFlyer · Southwest Rapid Rewards · JetBlue TrueBlue
Hotel transfer partners World of Hyatt · IHG One Rewards · Marriott Bonvoy
For every transfer ratio, transfer time and current bonus, see the complete transfer partners chart.
Earning rates
| Rate | Category (combined cap: first $150,000/account year, then 1x) |
|---|---|
| 3x | Travel |
| 3x | Shipping purchases |
| 3x | Internet, cable and phone services |
| 3x | Advertising purchases with social media and search engines |
| 1x | Everything else |
The advertising and shipping categories are the sleeper win: a business spending on Google/Meta ads or shipping product earns 3x = an effective 6% back in travel value, on up to $150,000/year of combined spend. Few cards touch that on ad spend.
Benefits & credits
Coverage limits and perks change — verify each is current before you count on it.
- Cell phone protection — up to $1,000 per claim (typically $600–$1,000, with a modest deductible and a per-year claim cap) when you pay your monthly phone bill with the card. This alone can offset the fee versus paying for carrier device coverage.
- Full Ultimate Rewards transfer partners — 1:1 to United, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Southwest, JetBlue, Marriott, IHG, Aer Lingus and Iberia, plus Hyatt at 4:3 (since June 2026).
- Chase Travel℠ redemptions at a 1.0¢ base under "Points Boost" — select flight and hotel bookings price higher (up to ~1.5–2¢). Chase ended the old flat 1.25¢ portal rate for new applicants on June 23, 2025; cardholders who applied before June 23, 2025 keep it only on points earned before October 26, 2025, redeemable through October 26, 2027.
- Primary auto rental CDW when renting for business purposes.
- Trip cancellation/interruption, trip delay and purchase protection / extended warranty coverage.
- Employee cards at no extra cost — points from all of them pool into one balance.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Best uses
Every example uses the same formula: (cash price − taxes) ÷ points × 100 = cents per point (CPP).
- Transfer to Hyatt for outsized hotel value. A Category 4 night listing at $350 for 18,000 Hyatt points: (350 − 0) ÷ 18,000 × 100 = 1.94¢ per Hyatt point. At the Ink Preferred's 4:3 ratio those 18,000 Hyatt points cost 24,000 Ultimate Rewards, so it's (350 − 0) ÷ 24,000 × 100 = 1.46¢ per Chase point. Two nights = a $700 stay for 36,000 Hyatt points (48,000 Chase points).
- Transatlantic business class via Air France/KLM Flying Blue. A ~$4,000 lie-flat seat to Europe for 55,000 Flying Blue miles + ~$250 taxes: (4,000 − 250) ÷ 55,000 × 100 = 6.8¢/point — one award like this returns the annual fee dozens of times over.
- Star Alliance business via Air Canada Aeroplan (no fuel surcharges). A ~$4,200 seat to Europe for 60,000 Aeroplan points + ~$200: (4,200 − 200) ÷ 60,000 × 100 = 6.67¢/point.
- Domestic nonstop via United. A $220 fare for 12,500 United miles + $5.60: (220 − 5.60) ÷ 12,500 × 100 = 1.72¢/point — a clean everyday redemption.
Who should get it
Get the Ink Business Preferred if you have any business income, want full UR transfer access at the lowest fee, and can use 3x on travel/shipping/telecom/advertising. It pairs perfectly with personal Chase cards — pair it with a no-fee Chase Freedom card and pool the points into one Ultimate Rewards balance — and it is the backbone of a business points setup.
- Good alternative: Sapphire Preferred — if you have no business activity, start here instead; it's the personal-card path to the identical transfer partners.
Why this is the smartest $95 in the hobby
The Ink Business Preferred's real job is to be the transfer key for a bigger points machine:
- Earn fast on no-fee cards → the Freedom Unlimited/Flex give 5x, 3x and 1.5x.
- Pool every point into one Ultimate Rewards balance.
- Use the Ink Preferred's transfer rights to send that whole balance to Flying Blue (1:1) or Hyatt (4:3).
Result: you can build most of a UR-earning setup for $95 total (one Ink Preferred) plus no-fee cards, without ever paying a Sapphire fee — if you have qualifying business spend.
Fine print worth knowing
- 5/24 rule: Chase generally won't approve you with 5+ personal cards opened in the past 24 months. Note that most Chase business cards, once approved, don't add to your 5/24 count, though the application is still subject to it.
- Legitimate business required: a sole proprietorship (freelance, gig, resale, consulting) is acceptable — apply with your name/SSN and estimated revenue. Don't misrepresent.
- The $150,000 bonus-category cap is combined across all four 3x categories and resets each account year.
- Points don't expire while the account is open.
Bottom line
The Ink Business Preferred is the cheapest full ticket into Ultimate Rewards transfers, with a bonus structure (3x on ads and shipping) that rewards real businesses and cell-phone insurance that can pay the fee by itself. Combine it with a no-fee Chase Freedom card and a Sapphire if you want, and you've built a points engine that funds business-class trips on everyday spend.
Note: Sign-up bonuses and benefits change. Always confirm current terms on the issuer's site before applying.
FAQ
Do I need a big company to get the Ink Business Preferred? No. A sole proprietorship — freelance, gig, resale or consulting work — is acceptable; apply with your name/SSN and estimated revenue. Don't misrepresent.
Does it count toward Chase's 5/24 rule? The application is still subject to 5/24 (Chase generally won't approve you with 5+ personal cards opened in the past 24 months), but once approved, most Chase business cards don't add to your 5/24 count.
Can I transfer points to airlines and hotels with this card? Yes — it's a full transfer card: 1:1 to United, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and more, and to Hyatt at 4:3 (1:1 to Hyatt is only on the Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business). Points also combine with your personal Sapphire or Freedom balances.
Is there a cap on the 3x categories? Yes. 3x applies to the first $150,000 of combined spend across all four categories each account year, then 1x.
What does the cell phone protection cover? Up to $1,000 per claim (typically $600–$1,000, with a modest deductible and a per-year claim cap) when you pay your monthly phone bill with the card.
