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Now that the world is opening up and travel is on the upswing again, we are seeing some of the best travel credit card offers ever arrive one right after the other. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is offering one of its highest bonuses ever: 60,000 points.
However, its small-business equivalent, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, offers an even higher welcome bonus: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Plus, its bonus spending categories may be more useful to business owners, so you might want to think about applying for it instead of, or in addition to, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Here’s a look at how the two cards compare, and some factors that will help you decide between the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Ink Business Preferred: Comparison
Though similar — each charges a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card annual fee that is not waived the first year — the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card have different sign-up bonus requirements and bonus spending categories. This is how the two stack up.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Annual fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Welcome bonus
60,000 points
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Earning rates
5x points on Lyft rides through March 2025
5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out
3x points on select streaming services
3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
2x points on other travel
1 point per dollar on everything else
3x points on the first $150,000 per year on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone, online and social media advertising (then 1x)
1 point per dollar on everything else
Redemption value through Chase Travel Portal
1.25 cents per point1.25 cents per point
Redemption value through Chase Pay Yourself Back
1.25 cents per point
1.25 cents per point
Other Benefits
Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership through December 2024 (activation required)
$10 per month in Gopuff rapid delivery credit through December 2023
N/A
Travel and purchase protection
Trip interruption/cancellation
Trip delay insurance
Baggage delay insurance
Lost luggage reimbursement
Extended warranty
Purchase protection
Trip interruption/cancellation
Trip delay insurance
Baggage delay insurance
Lost luggage reimbursement
Extended warranty
Purchase protection
Cell phone protection
Car rental insurance
PrimaryPrimary on business rentals in the US and all international rentals
Review
Chase Sapphire Preferred card review
Ink Business Preferred card review
Deciding between these two credit cards will come down to the benefits you will be able to use, and which earning structure is more suited to your spending habits. Here’s a detailed look at the biggest differences between the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred sign-up bonuses
There are two components to a sign-up bonus you have to take into account: The number of bonus points you can earn, and the minimum spending you must complete in order to earn those points. These cards field very different minimum spending requirements that might sway your decision in one direction or the other.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is currently offering 60,000 points. While still a substantial spending requirement, it breaks down to just over $1,300 a month for the first three months.
In its corner, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is offering a whopping Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. The minimum spending requirement is much higher, but the spending divides down to just $5,000 per month — well within reach of many small businesses.
That said, spending $11,000 more to earn welcome bonus points might not be worth it for folks whose finances are tight at the moment. If the spending threshold is going to be a reach, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an easier choice.
Eligibility requirements
This might not be top-of-mind, but if you currently carry, or have had in the past, other Chase cards, or if you have applied for several other credit cards recently, you might find yourself ineligible for one or both of these offers.
Chase has what’s informally known as the 5/24 rule. This means if you have opened five or more credit cards, from any bank, within the past 24 months, you won’t be approved for a new Chase card. So look at your accounts and make sure that you have not voided your ability to be considered for these cards off the bat.
Additionally, in the case of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase states: “This product is available to you if you do not have any Sapphire card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months.” So if you have the more-premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® open, you’ll be precluded from this offer. Likewise, if you opened either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and received the bonus within the past 48 months, you won’t get this sign-up bonus, even if you have since closed your other account.
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card does not have such eligibility requirements. However, you may be asked to prove that you actually have a small business, even if it’s just a sole proprietorship for your side hustle, in order to open the card. So be prepared to jump through a few hoops unless you can very clearly demonstrate that this card is for your business and you can verify your income.
Comparing earning rates
Here, too, the cards diverge significantly. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns 5x points on Lyft rides through March 2025, 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), 2x points on other travel, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
For its part, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns 3x points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year and 1x after that as well as on everything else:
TravelShipping purchasesAdvertising purchases made with social media sites and search enginesInternet, cable, and phone services
Depending on your spending habits, the best card for you will be the one that offers the opportunity to earn more bonus points. If your business requires a lot of purchases in the categories where the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card excels, then the card is a clear winner. Even if travel, which both cards treat as a bonus category, is your main expense, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 3x points up to its annual cap, which is pretty high, instead of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’s uncapped 2x points.
However, if dining is your major purchase segment, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card pulls ahead since the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card doesn’t even offer it as a bonus category.
Redeeming Ultimate Rewards points
This is one of the areas where the two cards are most similar. With either, the points you earn are worth 1.25 cents apiece toward travel reservations booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. For some perspective, that means the sign-up bonus from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is worth $750 when cashed in this way, while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card bonus is also worth $1,250 in travel.
The interesting play here is that, if you also have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, your points are worth 1.5 cents apiece, upping your value even more. As mentioned above, carrying the Chase Sapphire Reserve® will preclude you from earning the sign-up bonus with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, but you might still be able to combine your points with the account of someone else in your household who has the Reserve.
Read our guide to the best ways to earn and redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for more strategies — and don’t forget there are lots of ways to use Ultimate Rewards points that don’t involve travel.
On the other hand, there’s no crossover exclusion between the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, so that might be an easier combo to carry.
Chase introduced a new feature called Pay Yourself Back for certain cards. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, your points are worth 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed toward eligible everyday purchases. With the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you’ll also get a value of 1.25 cents per point through Pay Yourself Back, but in different eligible categories.
The best card in this respect really depends on your spending habits. However, think again about the Chase Sapphire Reserve® double-play with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card since you can combine your points and redeem them through Pay Yourself Back at 1.5 cents apiece.
Aside from that, you can cash in points for 1 cent apiece toward statement credits, gift cards, and Apple purchases with either card and at lower rate when redeemed directly on Amazon for purchases.
With either card, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to the program’s 14 airline and hotel transfer partners:
Aer Lingus AerClubAir Canada AeroplanAir France-KLM Flying BlueBritish Airways Executive ClubEmirates SkywardsIberia PlusJetBlue TrueBlueSingapore Airlines KrisFlyerSouthwest Rapid RewardsUnited MileagePlusVirgin Atlantic Flying ClubIHG Rewards ClubMarriott BonvoyWorld of Hyatt
Doing so can help you score some phenomenal redemptions that way. When you’re ready to travel again, that is.
Comparing travel and purchase protections
Now for another element that might seem secondary, but that can become extremely significant for frequent travelers.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers one of the most comprehensive collections of travel protections of any rewards credit card. Its trip cancellation or interruption coverage maxes out at $10,000 per trip, $20,000 per occurrence, and $40,000 per 12-month period. If your trip is delayed 12 hours or overnight, you can claim up to $500 per purchased ticket to cover meals and lodging. Its baggage delay insurance goes into effect at six hours, with up to $100 per day for up to five days, while lost or stolen luggage is covered up to $3,000.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the few cards to offer primary rental car insurance against theft or damage. Finally, its purchase protection remains in effect up to 120 days after you buy an item, and is capped at $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
By contrast, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip for interruption and cancellation but includes the same trip delay and baggage coverage as the Sapphire Preferred. Its auto rental coverage is primary for business rentals in the US and both business and personal rentals internationally. As for purchase protection, items are covered up to 120 days out, for as much as $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account — so if you’re making a large purchase, this is the card to do it on.
The other major difference is that the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers cell phone protection against theft or damage. It’s capped at $1,000 per claim and up to three claims per 12-month period with a $100 deductible per occurrence. Even with those limitations, though, this perk is one of the best the card offers.
Which card is right for you?
The answer to this question will mainly depend on a few key factors. First, would a business credit card be more useful than a personal one — both for things like helping you separate personal from work expenses, but also for the extensive purchase protections it might provide?
Second, which card’s minimum spending requirement is a better fit for your spending capacity? Of course, it’s tempting to earn 100,000 points, but not at the expense of overextending your finances. Additionally, will you be able to take advantage of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card dining category enough to justify getting it, versus earning more points on travel as well as a variety of other purchases with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card?
Finally, how do you actually want to use your points? If it’s for travel, the choice between these two cards is basically a wash unless you get the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and already have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to up your redemption potential. But if statement credits and Pay Yourself Back are more your style, for the time being, you’ll have more choices with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
If you’re thinking of getting both cards, apply for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card first. Because it’s a business card, Chase won’t add it to your 5/24 count. Applying for theChase Sapphire Preferred® Cardfirst would disqualify you from getting approved for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card if it’s your fifth card opened in the past 24 months, so the order in which you apply is important.
Of course, you could always think about getting both cards. That way, you can earn even more bonus points with two welcome offers, and spread your bonus earning potential across several categories with two cards rather than having to choose between them. That might be an overreach, but if the spending requirements are within your purview, it’s something to think about.