Chase Ink Business Cash vs Chase Ink Business Unlimited
By Alex Compton · Updated
The Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited are twin no-fee Chase business cards: same $750 bonus, same $6,000 spend requirement, same Ultimate Rewards. The only real difference is the earning structure, 5x categories versus flat 1.5x, which makes this the rare comparison where the answer is genuinely just your expense profile.
Chase Ink Business Cash
Chase
- Our rating
- 8.5/10
- Welcome bonus
- 75,000 points
- Bonus value
- ≈$750
- Annual fee
- $0
- Credits, max/yr
- $0
- Foreign txn fee
- 3%
Top earning rates
- 5x Office supply stores, internet/cable/phone ($25k/yr cap)
- 2x Gas stations and restaurants ($25k/yr cap)
- 1x All other purchases
Chase Ink Business Unlimited
Chase
- Our rating
- 8.7/10
- Welcome bonus
- 75,000 points
- Bonus value
- ≈$750
- Annual fee
- $0
- Credits, max/yr
- $0
- Foreign txn fee
- 3%
Top earning rates
- 1.5x All purchases
Where Each Wins
Earning structure
TieThe Cash earns 5x at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone (capped at $25k a year) plus 2x on gas and restaurants. The Unlimited earns a flat 1.5x on everything. Which wins is purely where your money goes.
The office-supply trick
CICOffice supply stores sell gift cards for hundreds of other merchants, letting savvy operators route grocery, gas, and retail spend through the 5x category. It is the Cash's quiet superpower.
Simplicity
CIUThe Unlimited requires zero thought: every business purchase earns the same 1.5x. The Cash rewards attention to category routing and punishes spend outside its lanes at 1x.
Bonuses
TieBoth currently pay $750 (as 75,000 points) after $6,000 in three months, and both bonuses become transferable points beside an Ink Preferred or Sapphire.
Telecom spend
CICInternet, cable, and phone at 5x is a category every business has: a $300 monthly telecom bill earns 18,000 points a year on the Cash versus 5,400 on the Unlimited.
The Compound Verdict
Get both, in sequence, which is the standard Ink strategy anyway: two $750 bonuses, spaced apart to respect Chase's tightened velocity. Order by expense profile: telecom bills and any office-supply spending say Cash first; sprawling unbonused expenses say Unlimited first. Under an Ink Preferred or Sapphire, both cards' earnings become transfer-partner points, which is where a free business card quietly becomes 3%+ back in travel value.
Our ratings give it to the Chase Ink Business Unlimited (8.7 vs 8.5). On current welcome offers, the CIC brings the bigger first-year haul at ≈$750.
Read the full reviews for the complete math: CIC review and CIU review, or put them side by side in the comparison tool.
Common Questions
Can I get both Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited bonuses?
Yes, they are separate products with separate bonuses, and holding one does not block the other. Chase has tightened approval velocity on Inks, so space applications several months apart and let each card show real spending before the next.
How do these free cards earn transfer-partner points?
Their Ultimate Rewards pool with any premium Chase card, an Ink Preferred, Sapphire Preferred, or Reserve, and become fully transferable to Hyatt, United, Southwest, and the rest. Without a premium card in the household, both earn straight cash back at 1 cent per point.
What counts for the Ink Cash's 5x categories?
Office supply stores (Staples, Office Depot) and internet, cable, and phone services, up to $25,000 combined per year, plus 2x on gas and restaurants up to another $25,000. The gift card racks at office supply stores are famously the category's power move.