You’ve seen the commercials but is Chase Ink really as good as they say? Here’s what you need to know…

To be honest, when the Chase Ink business credit cards first came out I was pretty skeptical. Are their rewards and benefits truly better than the other guys? After thoroughly researching them, I can conclusively say they’re the best. That’s why I personally use Ink Cash for my LLC. But don’t take my word for it, look for yourself.

Ink can help you build credit, most business cards can’t…

Did you know that most business credit cards do NOT report your account history – neither to the big 3 credit agencies, nor the leading business credit agency Dunn & Bradstreet? That means most will be worthless for building your business credit in 2013.

I found this out the hard way with my very first business credit card from American Express. Two years after having it I tried applying for a loan, only to discover it wasn’t anywhere on my company’s credit file. I came to find out the reason for this is because AmEx does not report business cards whatsoever. The only time they report them is if you default on your debt and it is written off. I like their biz cards but the inability to build credit is a major drawback.

However the Chase Ink card is different – it DOES report your account history, making it the best choice for building/maintaining your business credit record!

Cardmember Benefits

Chase gives you a ton of benefits that you’re not likely to see on other business cards.

On the no annual fee version (Chase Ink Cash) you get the following benefits for free:

• Purchase Protection: All of your eligible purchases are protected for up a full 90 days from date of purchase for covered reasons such as theft and some types of accidental damage. This benefit will repair, replace, or reimburse.
• Extended Warranty: Ever have a computer breakdown right after the warranty is up? For all eligible purchases with an original manufacturer’s warranty of 3 years or less, coverage will automatically be extended up to one full additional year absolutely free.
• Up to $500,000 Travel Accident Insurance: Coverage for accidental death or dismemberment during eligible common-carrier travel that is paid for using your credit card.
• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Coverage up to the actual value of most rental cars due to collision or theft.
• Free Cards For Employees: You can order additional cards at no additional cost.
• Premium Customer Service: Chase’s dedicated, top tier customer service 24/7.

For the annual fee versions (the Chase Ink Bold and Ink Plus card) you get all of the above benefits PLUS the following:

• Option of Transferring Points To Partner Airlines/Hotels: I cannot stress enough how valuable this is. If you have the Bold card for example, then you can transfer your reward points to partner frequent flyer mileage and hotel loyalty programs, usually on a 1 for 1 conversion. Since airline miles can often times be worth more than 1 cent each, you can get a lot of value out of your Ink Bold points when you use them this way! The partner airlines/hotel programs include:

• Price Protection: Ever buy something only to see it go on sale afterward? If this occurs within 60 days on an eligible purchase, this credit card will reimburse you for the difference.
• Return Protection: Store won’t accept your return? If you bought it with your Ink card, you can be reimbursed for the purchase price on eligible items within 90 days from date of purchase.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees: Most credit cards charge 3% for this, but the Chase Ink Bold and Plus don’t charge you a dime.
• Airport Lounge Access: You get free membership in Lounge Club. That entitles you to two free visits annually ($54 value). Visits beyond that number are just $27 each with your membership. Over 350 airport lounges in 100+ countries participate. If you’re not familiar with Lounge Club, it’s basically the credit card version of Priority Pass Select (owned by the same folks). The biggest difference I have seen is that Lounge Club doesn’t include United Club, while Priority Pass Select does. Due to United’s arrangement with Priority Pass, there are no longer any credit cards which offer Priority Pass Select.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement: During Common Carrier travel, this benefit provides up to an additional $3,000 per trip in reimbursement for lost/stolen luggage.
• Additional Travel Benefits: trip cancellation insurance, trip delay coverage, baggage delay, concierge service
• Identity Theft Protection

Rewards Comparison

This was a smart move by Chase. They know the small business credit card industry is competitive, so they really went all out with the reward programs. Here is a straight forward side-by-side comparison of the three different Ink rewards programs. CreditCardForum’s special sponsored signup bonuses (the best available) are also included below:

	Ink Cash	Ink Plus	Ink Bold
Rewards	5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent annually at office supply stores, and on cell phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent annually at gas stations and restaurants 1% cash back on all your other purchases Redeem for cash back or convert to gift cards from partner retailers	5x points on the first $50,000 spent annually at office supply stores, and on cell phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services 2x points on the first $50,000 spent annually at gas stations and hotels (when purchased directly with hotel) 1x points on all other purchases 1:1 transfer of pts to participating frequent travel programs	5x points on the first $50,000 spent annually at office supply stores, and on cell phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services 2x points on the first $50,000 spent annually at gas stations and hotels (when purchased directly with hotel) 1x points on all other purchases 1:1 transfer of pts to participating frequent travel programs
Annual Fee	$0	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Interest Rate	0% intro for 6 months on purchases & transfers, 13.24% (V) after that	13.24% (V)	N/A - This is a charge card so balance must be paid in full
Bonus Requirement	Spend $3k in first 3 months	Spend $5k in first 3 months	Spend $5k in first 3 months
Bonus Amount	20,000 points ($200 cash back) Apply Now!	50,000 points ($500 cash back or $625 for air/hotel) Apply Now!	50,000 points ($500 cash back or $625 for air/hotel) Apply Now!

*Disclaimer: The above Chase Ink benefits list is a summary only. Consult issuer for details, exclusions and limitations.