The Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a great cash back card option for business owners. It comes with a lucrative cash back structure, a generous welcome bonus and plenty of other rewards. However, whether this card is worth it for you will depend on a variety of factors, including your top spending categories, budget and personal preferences.

When is the Chase Ink Business Cash worth it?

The Chase Ink Business Cash Card has plenty of benefits that could make it a good fit for small business owners and the self-employed. Here are some aspects to consider when weighing this card against other options.

Excellent earnings on office necessities

The Ink Business Cash earns an impressive 5 percent cash back on purchases at office supply stores as well as on internet, cable and phone services (on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year). If your business has a lot of expenses in these categories, this card may be a great fit.

Respectable cash back on gas, restaurants and more

Cardholders earn 2 percent cash back on purchases at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year), along with an unlimited 1 percent cash back on all other purchases. These rates are in line with industry standards and represent a great way to earn some money on everyday expenses.

Generous welcome offer

The welcome offer alone may make this card worth it for many business owners — you can earn $750 in cash back when you spend $6,000 within three months of account opening. This cash bonus may be a stretch to qualify for if your business expenses typically fall under $2,000 per month, but it could be worth upping your spending a tad if you can afford to.

Simple but flexible redemption options

One of the main attractions of a cash back credit card is the simplicity of redeeming rewards. Rather than having to calculate the value of the rewards received from a points-earning credit card — or having to choose redemption options that maximize your earnings — you can simply earn (and redeem for) cash back on all of your purchases.

However, in addition to redeeming for cash back, this card also comes with several other redemption options, including gift cards, travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal or paying with points at select merchants.

No annual fee

Unlike many cards of its caliber, the Ink Business Cash doesn’t charge an annual fee. This means that, even if you aren’t focused on maximizing your rewards, there’s no chance that you’ll be in the red at the end of the year (so long as you don’t get into credit card debt, of course). Combined with the simplicity and flexibility of Chase’s rewards program, the $0 annual fee makes this card an especially attractive option for cardholders who prefer a “set it and forget it” approach to credit card rewards.

Intro APR on purchases

The Ink Business Cash would be a good card to consider if you need to pay down a large business purchase over time. This card features a 0 percent intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, after which the card charges a 17.74 percent to 23.74 percent variable APR.

Travel and purchase protections

The card comes with a number of travel and purchase benefits, including purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, an auto rental collision damage waiver, travel and emergency assistance services and pay-per-use roadside dispatch services.

Business perks

Some of the business-related perks you’ll get include free employee cards, individual spending limits for employee cards and streamlined expense reporting.

When is the Chase Ink Business Cash not worth it?

The card may not be the best fit for business owners who have a lot of travel expenses or who are interested in the luxury perks that come with some more premium cards. It also might not be an ideal fit for larger businesses that spend more than the spending cap each year.

You want to earn travel perks and rewards

One area where the Ink Business Cash Card falls short is travel. While the card does reward travel-related spending when it comes to restaurants and gas stations, it doesn’t reward travel purchases or offer as many travel perks or redemption options as other business cards. If you do a lot of traveling for business, you should look for a rewards card that focuses more explicitly on this category.

The rewards structure doesn’t work for you

If you do a lot of spending in select business categories, it may make more sense to choose another top business credit card with even higher rewards potential in these categories. For example, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 3X points on travel and select business categories (including shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases made with social media and search engines) on up to $150,000 each year, then 1X points. However, note that a $95 annual fee applies.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to keep track of bonus categories or spending caps, you may want to consider a business card that earns flat cash back or points. The Capital One Spark Cash Plus, for instance, comes with a $150 annual fee and an unlimited 2 percent cash back on all purchases and 5 percent cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Should you get the Chase Ink Business Cash?

The Ink Business Cash Card is a great option if you’re self-employed, own a small business or are an entrepreneur. However, there are plenty of other Chase business credit cards to choose from as well as business credit cards from other lenders. Whether or not this card is the best fit for your business depends on a variety of different individual factors, such as:

  • You have a lot of office expenses. If you spend a lot on office supplies or on internet, phone and cable services, this card is well worth it.
  • You want a simple cash back card. For business owners who don’t want to spend too much time figuring out how to maximize their earnings, this lucrative cash back card is refreshingly simple.
  • You don’t travel a lot for work. While this card has plenty of advantages, it’s not the best fit if you travel frequently for work or are looking for travel perks.
  • You want a card with no annual fee. Many rewards cards come with a hefty annual fee, so this card’s lack of one is a great benefit for those looking to keep costs low.

The bottom line

The Chase Ink Business Cash Card is a great no-annual-fee business credit card. If you have a lot of office supply expenses or are just looking for a simple cash back card with few fees, the Chase Ink Business Cash Card is a solid choice to consider.