- Chase’s Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, which is a card product for business owners, just launched a 100,000-point welcome bonus.
- In these uncertain times, with the coronavirus still spreading and so many small businesses seeing their revenue evaporate as customers hunker down at home, a solid card like this is worth considering and may just end up serving as a lifeline.
- Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.
BGR has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. BGR and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.Please note: the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and some may no longer be available.One of the best business cards on the market today just launched a stellar welcome bonus for new cardmembers.For small business owners that may be struggling at the moment or looking for all the help they can get in terms of saving money, the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card from Chase is a card you might want to put on your radar right now. One of the key reasons is that you’ll earn 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.Now, granted — travel is the last thing on people’s minds right now, so the card’s lineup of travel-related benefits isn’t going to appeal to most people at the moment. Indeed, airlines have cut out major parts of their route network as a result of the spread of the coronavirus, and warnings have been issued to everyone domestically and internationally about traveling. However, these circumstances won’t last forever, and there’s still plenty worth recommending about this card, even outside of anything related to travel.
The Ink Business Preferred has always had a great sign-up bonus, for starters. Now, small business owners can take advantage of an even larger bonus when they apply.
Chase considers this sign-up bonus to be worth $1,250 in travel rewards, since you can redeem your points at 1.25 cents each for travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. The valuation of this bonus from The Points Guy, however, makes this sign-up bonus worth $2,000 since you can transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to a selection of hotel and airline partners, including Hyatt, Southwest, and United — again, once restrictions start being lifted on travel.
To get the sign-up bonus, there’s a corresponding spending requirement ($15,000 during the first three months of card ownership) that’s significantly higher than you typically see associated with standard welcome offers. However, that requirement equates to $5,000 per month in spending, something that many business owners shouldn’t have trouble meeting. The Ink Business Preferred also has a $95 annual fee, but it can be well worth the cost if you’re able to maximize the 3x bonus categories, use the card’s perks and obtain solid value from your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
In addition to the 100,000-point sign-up bonus, the Ink Business Preferred provides the following benefits:
- 3x earnings: Earn 3x points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year across the following categories: Travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines. You’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.
- Employee cards: Get employee cards at no additional cost. You can set and change individual spending limits anytime.
- Transfer partners: Transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to 10 airline partners and three hotel partners.
- Trip delay protection: If your covered trip is delayed by a covered hazard for more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you can be reimbursed up to a maximum of $500 for each purchased ticket for reasonable expenses.
- Baggage delay protection: If your baggage is delayed or misdirected for more than six hours, you can be reimbursed up to $100 a day for five days to purchase essential items.
- Lost luggage insurance: If your baggage is lost or damaged, you can be reimbursed for up to $3,000 per passenger to repair or replace the baggage and personal property contained within.
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: If your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip for your prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: When you decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card, you can be reimbursed up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad. Coverage is primary when renting for business purposes or renting outside your country of residence for personal reasons.
- Purchase protection: Covers your new purchases for up to 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Extended warranty protection: Extends the period of US manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.
- Cell phone protection: Get up to $600 per claim against theft or damage for you and your employees listed on your monthly cellphone bill when you pay it with this card.
- No foreign transaction fees: Another excellent benefit that will be great to have once travel opens up again, since foreign transaction fees, while small on an individual basis, rack up quick overseas.
The final word
This new Ink Business Preferred offer has the potential to provide incredible value. Having your rewards points racked up by summertime – when, fingers crossed, life might start getting at least a little back to normal — could net business owners some stellar redemption opportunities, both domestically and abroad. In these uncertain times, you may even opt to redeem points for cash back rewards. In that case, your 100,000 points will be worth $1,000 in statement credits. Since this is a business card, it should go without saying that you need to run some sort of business, which could be anything from a small company to a sole proprietorship — even someone who sells items online might be eligible.
