If there is one business credit card that quietly does almost everything right, it is the Chase Ink Preferred. I have opened this card multiple times over the years, redeemed its points across airlines and hotels all over the world, and consistently come back to the same conclusion. If you run any kind of business and care even a little about travel rewards, this is the Chase card that actually matters.
This is not a surface level overview. This is a full, opinionated, real world review of the Chase Ink Preferred, written from the perspective of someone who has used it extensively and continues to recommend it over flashier alternatives. We will talk about the bonus, the earning structure, redemptions, and how it stacks up against its biggest competitor, the Amex Business Gold.
Chase Ink Preferred Details
| Feature | Chase Ink Preferred Summary |
|---|---|
| Annual Fee | 95 USD |
| Welcome Bonus | Earn 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending 8,000 USD within the first 3 months |
| Points Type | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
| Bonus Earning Rates | 3 points per dollar on the first 150,000 USD spent per account anniversary year on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising with search engines and social media |
| Base Earning Rate | 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
| Airline Transfer Partners | United Airlines, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France KLM Flying Blue, British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, JetBlue |
| Hotel Transfer Partners | World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards |
| Chase Travel Portal Value | Points worth more when redeemed through Chase Travel |
| Travel Protections | Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay coverage, primary rental car insurance |
| Purchase Protections | Purchase protection, extended warranty protection, cell phone protection when bill is paid with the card |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | None |
Why the Chase Ink Preferred Still Stands Out
The Ink Preferred is still in my opinion the simplest and best Business credit card out there for all around purposes. For the average business user that does not have insane amount of expenses, this card should be your entry into the Business card landscape. You can further diversify once you get a hang of the points landscape.
The Chase Ink Preferred card is part of the Chase Ink suite which includes the following cards:
- Chase Ink Unlimited
- Chase Ink Cash
- Chase Ink Preferred
- Chase Ink Premier
- Sapphire Reserve for Business
I’ve opened multiple Chase Ink Preferred cards in the past when the sign on bonuses were still flowing. However, those days are long gone. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a solid business card, this is still it. The Ink Preferred is designed to do one thing extremely well: turn real business spending into flexible, high value travel rewards.
What makes the Ink Preferred special is not any single feature on its own. It is how everything fits together. The earning categories actually match how modern businesses spend money. The annual fee is reasonable. And most importantly, it unlocks the full Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve nerf
In mid 2025, the Chase Sapphire Reserve was completely revamped and one of the main nerfs in my opinion was its loss of the 3x earnings on travel. Instead, it was replaced with 4x on flights booked directly with the airline and 8x for flights booked on the Chase Travel portal.
Personally, I view the Chase travel portal as complete crap. The customer service is terrible and good luck getting any sort of refund if things go awry. The 4x on flight/ hotels booked directly with their airline/hotel is okay but it also limits your usage of third party agents like Trip.com, Booking.com etc. which is not terrible but gives you less freedom. Generally, I prefer to book directly with the airline even if it costs more since I have better piece of mind when things go wrong.
The main part of this nerf was the loss of 3x on other travel categories like Booking.com, Airbnb, trains, ferries, tours, and anything else you can think of. Airbnb is something I spend a lot of money on and the loss of 3x earnings on this was brutal.
Thankfully, the Chase Ink Preferred still has 3x on travel like the old Sapphire Reserve did. I don’t know how long this will last as Chase can change this any day but for now, I can still earn 3x on general travel. Since we can combine UR points between cards, we can keep earning 3x on travel within the Chase UR ecosystem.
The 100,000 Point Welcome Bonus
The welcome bonus on the Chase Ink Preferred deserves its own section because it is genuinely one of the best sign up bonuses in the entire credit card world.
A one hundred thousand point bonus after $8k spend in 3 months is not marketing fluff. It is a meaningful amount of value. Depending on how you redeem those points, that bonus alone can be worth well over two thousand dollars and in some cases significantly more.
To put this in context, one hundred thousand Ultimate Rewards points can cover multiple international economy flights, a round trip business class flight to Europe, or several nights at high end Hyatt properties. Even if you redeem conservatively through the Chase travel portal, you are still looking at four figures in value.
Very few cards offer this level of upside with such a reasonable annual fee. For many people, the bonus alone justifies opening the card even if they do not plan to keep it long term.
Annual Fee and Long Term Value
The Ink Preferred comes with an annual fee of $95 that sits well below most premium travel cards. This is one of the reasons it is so easy to recommend.
You are not paying for airport lounge access you may never use or lifestyle perks that sound good on paper but are in reality, annoying to redeem. You are paying for transfer access, strong earning categories, and solid travel protections.
For businesses with ongoing expenses, the card often pays for itself every year through bonus earning alone. For everyone else, it is still an easy card to keep open or downgrade later without regret.
If you decide the $95 is too much, you can always downgrade the card to the Ink Unlimited or Ink Cash. These two cards both have their own unique qualities but they are both fee free. However, you will lose out on your points being Ultimate Reward points if you downgrade.
Earning Categories Built for Real Businesses
The earning structure on the Ink Preferred is one of its biggest strengths, especially compared to cards that rely on rotating or confusing categories.
Travel earns bonus points, which includes flights, hotels, rental cars, and transportation. This is ideal for consultants, remote workers, and anyone who travels even occasionally for work.
Shipping is another category that quietly adds up. If your business involves physical products, fulfillment, or frequent deliveries, this becomes a meaningful source of points.
Advertising through search engines and social media platforms earns bonus points. This is massive for online businesses running ads on Google, Facebook, Instagram, or similar platforms. Ad spend is often one of the largest line items for digital businesses, and earning elevated points here is incredibly valuable.
Internet, cable, and phone services also earn bonus points. These recurring bills may feel small individually, but over a year they generate a steady stream of Ultimate Rewards.
Everything else earns one point per dollar, which keeps the card relevant even outside its bonus categories.
Ultimate Rewards and Transfer Partners
Holding the Ink Preferred unlocks the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel partners at a one to one ratio. This is where the real value lies. UR points will always redeem at a 1 pt to 1 cent ratio, but you can get much higher value when transferring to hotels and airlines.
Airline Transfer Partners
Chase airline partners include:
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Executive Club
- Iberia Plus • Aer Lingus AerClub
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Rapid Rewards
- JetBlue TrueBlue
These programs allow for everything from short haul domestic flights to long haul international premium cabin redemptions. Transfers are generally instant, which makes planning and booking far easier than with many other issuers.
Hotel Transfer Partners
Chase hotel partners include:
• World of Hyatt • Marriott Bonvoy • IHG One Rewards
While all three have value in specific situations, Hyatt is the clear standout and a major reason many people choose Chase over Amex.
Why World of Hyatt Is the Ultimate Sweet Spot
World of Hyatt continues to be one of the most generous and predictable hotel loyalty programs available.
Hyatt still uses an award chart structure that keeps redemptions reasonable. While other programs have leaned heavily into dynamic pricing, Hyatt has largely avoided the worst devaluations.
In practical terms, this means you can book luxury properties for a fraction of their cash cost. Resorts that charge seven hundred to one thousand dollars per night can often be booked for a manageable number of points.
Some of my most memorable hotel stays have come from transferring Ink Preferred points to Hyatt. These are not theoretical valuations. They are real bookings that delivered consistent two to five cents per point in value.
If you only ever use one transfer partner, Hyatt alone can justify holding this card.
Chase Travel Portal Redemptions
For those who prefer simplicity, the Chase travel portal provides another strong redemption option.
When redeeming points through the portal with Ink Preferred, your points are worth more than their base cash value. You can book flights, hotels, and rental cars just like you would on any online travel site.
This option works well for economy flights, domestic routes, and situations where award availability is limited or nonexistent.
Real World Redemption Examples
Here are a few realistic redemption scenarios to illustrate how Ultimate Rewards points can be used.
| Redemption Type | Cash Price | Points Used | Approximate Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park Hyatt Maldives Per Night | 1,000 USD | 30,000 points | 3.3 cents per point |
| Business class flight to Europe | 3,000 USD | 75,000 points | 4.0 cents per point |
| Domestic economy flight | 350 USD | 25,000 points | 1.4 cents per point |
| Chase travel portal booking | 500 USD | 40,000 points | 1.25 cents per point |
These examples show why premium travel and high cash cost stays deliver the best value.
Chase Ink Preferred vs Amex Business Gold
The most common comparison for the Ink Preferred is the Amex Business Gold, and for good reason. Both cards target business owners and both offer strong earning potential. That said, they appeal to very different strategies.
The Amex Business Gold excels at earning points quickly through high bonus multipliers. However, its categories are more restrictive and require active management to maximize.
The Ink Preferred, by contrast, is simpler and more flexible. Its bonus categories align better with common business expenses, and Ultimate Rewards are generally easier to redeem at high value.
Another major difference is hotel partners. Amex lacks a true equivalent to World of Hyatt. While Membership Rewards have value, Hyatt alone often tips the scales in Chase’s favor.
Finally, the Ink Preferred typically offers a significantly larger welcome bonus. One hundred thousand Ultimate Rewards points is difficult to beat and often outpaces what Amex offers, especially when factoring in redemption value.
For businesses that value simplicity, predictability, and high value redemptions, the Ink Preferred often comes out ahead.
Who the Chase Ink Preferred Is Best For
This card is ideal for business owners, freelancers, consultants, content creators, and anyone with legitimate business expenses.
If you spend money on advertising, travel, shipping, or recurring services, the earning categories alone make sense. If you care about travel rewards, the transfer partners seal the deal.
Even relatively small businesses can extract enormous value when the card is used intentionally.
Final Thoughts
The Chase Ink Preferred remains one of the best business credit cards available.
Its welcome bonus is among the strongest in the industry, the earning structure is practical, and the redemption options are outstanding.
Used correctly, this card is not just a credit card. It is a long term points engine capable of funding years of meaningful travel.
