Business owners who want to maximize cash-back rewards on business expenses should consider the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card. This card offers a generous welcome bonus and unlimited 2% cash on every purchase, including on free employee cards, without needing to activate offers or remember bonus categories. Plus, when you make larger purchases of $5,000 or more, those transactions earn 2.5% cash back. Rewards never expire and can be redeemed for cash back, travel, gift cards, and more.

Learn more

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $195
• Welcome offer
  Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Business, Travel
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  Flex for Business Variable APR: 18.99% - 26.99%
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent/Good Credit

• Rewards rate
  • 5% total cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
  • 2.5% total cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more
  • 2% cash back on all other business purchases

• Benefits
  • No foreign transaction fees and trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance
  • Fraud protection, zero liability protection, purchase protection, cell phone protection, and extended warranty protection
  • No additional cost for employee cards

Additional benefits

In addition to cash-back rewards, the Ink Business Premier includes other benefits that help justify the card’s annual fee. These benefits include protection for your rental cars, cell phone, and purchases.

• Primary rental car coverage. When you pay with your Ink Business Premier, rental cars used for business purchases receive primary coverage against damage or theft.

• Cell phone protection. Pay your monthly cell phone bill with this card to receive cell phone protection up to $1,000 per claim for damage or theft. This benefit covers all cell phones listed on your monthly cell phone bill, including the business owner and employees. There’s a maximum of three claims allowed within a 12-month period, and each claim requires a $100 deductible.

• Purchase protection. Your eligible new purchases are covered against damage or theft for the first 120 days after the purchase date. Claims have a limit of $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account.

• Extended warranty protection. Eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less receive an additional year of protection.

How to earn rewards

With the Ink Business Premier, you can earn cash-back rewards through spending, referrals, and more.

Large purchases

Chase rewards business owners who make large purchases by offering 2.5% cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more. This elevated cash back is a 25% bonus on the standard earning power of the Ink Business Premier.

Everyday expenses

This business cash-back credit card earns a flat 2% cash back on everyday purchases. Turn your business expenses into cash-back rewards without registering for limited-time promotions or having to remember bonus categories.

Employee purchases

Add employee cards to earn cash back rewards on their purchases. There is no fee for adding employee cards, and you can set individual spending limits to control your risk.

Lyft rides (limited-time offer)

You’ll receive 5% cash back on Lyft rides for a limited time when you use the Ink Business Premier to pay. This promotion runs through March 2025.

Referring business owners

When you refer another business, and their application gets approved, you’ll receive 20,000 bonus points. There’s a maximum of 200,000 bonus points allowed per year, which is equivalent to $2,000 in cash-back rewards. Cardholders with successful referrals may receive a Form 1099 each year for the value of the referral bonus.

Related: Here are the best business credit cards available today

How to redeem rewards

The Ink Business Premier earns cash-back rewards that are tracked as points. For every 100 points, you’ll receive $1 in cash back, gift cards, and more.

Cash back

Use your points to receive a statement credit to reduce your balance or a direct deposit to your eligible U.S. checking or savings account. There are no minimum redemption amounts when redeeming points for cash back.

Booking travel

You can book flights, hotels, cruises, rental cars, and more through the Chase Travel℠ portal. There are no blackout dates or other restrictions for airfare booked through Chase Travel. As long as there's space available, you can redeem your points to pay for some or all of the reservations. Add your airline, hotel, and other loyalty program numbers to your reservation to potentially earn rewards on your trip.

Gift cards

Redeem points for gift cards from more than 150 retailers, restaurants, hotels, and other merchants. You can use the gift cards yourself or give them as gifts to family, friends, or anyone you choose.

Apple products

Cardholders can use their points to pay for some or all of the cost of purchasing Apple products through the Apple Ultimate Rewards Store.

Transfers to Chase partners

Unlike other Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you cannot transfer these points to the bank's airline and hotel transfer partners.

Expiration

Your rewards do not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.

Who is the Ink Business Premier best for?

The Ink Business Premier is best for high-spending business owners who want to earn cash-back rewards. With an annual fee of $195, you’ll need to spend $9,750 just to cover the annual fee with the card’s 2% cash back rewards. While some purchases are eligible to be paid over time, not all of them are. As a pay-in-full card, you must also have the cash flow to pay off your monthly charges each statement period.

Ink Business Premier pros

• Generous welcome bonus

• Earn up to 2.5% cash back on business purchases

• No additional cost to add employee cards

• Complimentary travel and purchase protections

Ink Business Premier cons

• High spending requirement to earn its welcome bonus

• The annual fee may be hard to overcome for some businesses

• No bonus categories to earn extra cash back

• Pay-in-full cards must be paid in full each month

Where can you use Ink Business Premier?

The Ink Business Premier is a Visa business credit card, so it can be used at all merchants that accept Visa cards. Visa is one of the most widely accepted credit cards in the U.S. and abroad, so there’s a strong likelihood that you can use it anywhere credit cards are accepted.

How to make an Ink Business Premier payment

To pay your Ink Business Premier credit card, there are several payment options available.

• Log into your account online at Chase.com

• Make payments through the Chase mobile app (Apple, Google)

• Pay using cash or check at a Chase ATM

• Over the phone: (800) 436-7958

• In-person at a Chase branch

• Mail payments to Cardmember Services, P.O. Box 6294, Carol Stream, IL 60197-6294

• Overnight payments to Chase Card Services, 201 N. Walnut Street, De1-0153, Wilmington, DE 19801

• Western Union payments, use the Code City WALNUT

Ink Business Premier customer service info

• Customer service is available by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

• Phone number: (800) 945-2028

• Ink Business Premier login page

Alternative cards to consider

While the Ink Business Premier offers an appealing flat cash-back rate and valuable benefits, it may not be the right choice for every business. Before applying, consider these alternatives to see if they’re a better fit.

Learn more

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Earn $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Business, Travel
• Introductory Purchases APR
  0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 Months
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  17.99% - 23.99% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Good, Excellent

• Rewards rate
  1.5% unlimited cash back on every business purchase

• Benefits
  • $0 annual fee
  • Generous intro APR on purchases
  • You won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information

Why we like it: The Ink Business Unlimited is an ideal choice for business owners who want to stay with Chase but want a $0 annual fee. This no-annual-fee card earns an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases and offers a generous into APR on purchases. The card also features similar travel and purchase protections as the Ink Business Premier and offers free employee cards with individual spending limits and reporting.

Read our full Ink Business Unlimited review

Learn more

American Express® Business Gold Card

Rates & fees, terms apply

• Annual fee
  $375
• Welcome offer
  Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. The Business Gold Card now comes in three metal designs — Gold, Rose Gold, and Limited Edition White Gold (while supplies last).
• Card type(s)
  Business, Rewards
• Introductory Purchases APR
  0% on purchases for 6 months from the date of account opening
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  18.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent/Good

• Rewards rate
  • Earn 4x Membership Rewards points on the top two eligible categories (out of 6 total categories) where your business spends the most each month. Although your top 2 categories may change each month, you will earn 4x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year, then 1x after that (only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap; terms apply).
  • 3x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com
  • 1x points on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • Earn up to $20 in monthly statement credits (up to $240 annually) for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and office supply stores
  • Receive a monthly $12.95 statement credit after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal; up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee)
  • Your spending limit is flexible and adjusts based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history

Why we like it: Business owners who want to earn flexible points that can be transferred to travel loyalty programs will love the Amex Business Gold Card.

The Business Gold Card has a $375 annual fee, but it includes complimentary travel protections, and points can be redeemed in numerous ways, like statement credits, travel, and transfers to over 20 airline and hotel partners.

Read our full Amex Business Gold Card review

Learn more

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

• Annual fee
  $150
• Welcome offer
  Earn $2,000 cash back after spending $30,000 within the first 3 months, plus get an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500,000 spent during the first year
• Card type(s)
  Business, Cash-back
• Purchase APR
  Not applicable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent

• Rewards rate
  • 5% unlimited cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 2% unlimited cash back on all other purchases (no limits or category restrictions)

• Benefits
  • Get your $150 annual fee refunded every year after spending at least $150,000
  • Your spending limit is flexible and adjusts based on factors such as your purchase, payment, and credit history
  • You'll never be charged interest since your balance is due in full every month

Why we like it: The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is another business credit card designed for big spenders. It earns an unlimited 2% cash back and offers a massive two-stage cash bonus for new cardholders. While it has a $150 annual fee, it is refunded when you spend $150,000 within a calendar year. Employee cards earn rewards and can be added at no charge, and there are no foreign transaction fees. This card is also a pay-in-full card that must be paid off in full each month to avoid the 2.99% penalty on the unpaid balance.

This article was edited by Ben Walker (CEPF, CFEI®)

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.