Ink Cash Business Card Offering an Increased Sign-Up Bonus

The Ink Cash Business Card is a great pick for earning Ultimate Rewards points — especially if you can maximize the 5% back/5x categories. (To do so, you’ll also need to hold a UR points-earning card, but with the recently introduced Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, not to mention the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Ink Plus Business Card, there are some great options).

If you’ve yet to add this no-fee card to your wallet, now could be a great time to sign up. It’s currently offering a higher-than-usual bonus of $300 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 in the first three months — we saw this same offer last May. That’s equal to 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points. Even better, this offer doesn’t require meeting a higher-than-usual minimum spending requirement.

Here’s an overview of the card’s main features:

• Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services each account anniversary year.
• Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.
• Earn 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
• 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers
• Employee cards at no additional cost
• No annual fee

Again, while this is a cash-back card, you can redeem your cash-back rewards as Ultimate Rewards points provided you have a card like Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Ink Plus Business Card.

Is it worth it?

The Ink Cash Business Card typically has a sign-up bonus of $200 cash back after you spend $3,000 in the first three months, so this current offer lets you rack up an additional $100 in cash-back rewards without needing to spend more in that time period. $300 is equal to 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points, and based on TPG’s valuations, that points haul is worth $630. Compared to the standard bonus of $200 cash back/20,000 Ultimate Rewards points, you’re getting $210 more in value toward a variety of great redemptions with 11 different travel partners.

While now’s clearly an ideal time to sign up for the Ink Cash, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best card for you. To really maximize earnings with this card, you’ll need to make purchases that qualify for the 5%/5x bonus category, which includes office supply stores, plus cellular phone and other services. You’ll also earn 2% back/2x points at gas stations and restaurants. While other cards offer similar or superior returns on dining purchases, the Ink Cash Business Card can be a solid choice for gas purchases, getting you a 4.2% return.

Beyond that, as TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Nick Ewen explains in his post comparing this card to the Ink Plus Business Card, in certain cases it might make more sense to go with the latter option. For example, if you don’t have the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and don’t plan on signing up for either, you’ll want to go with the Ink Plus Business Card, since unlike the Ink Cash it earns transferrable Ultimate Rewards points by default. The Ink Plus card does come with a $95 annual fee, but its 60,000-point sign-up bonus is also more valuable, and unlike the Ink Cash it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

Another factor to consider is how much you spend in the 5x and 2x bonus categories. With the Ink Cash Business Card, your 5x and 2x bonus earnings are capped at $25,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, after which you’ll earn just 1% cash back/1x points. With the Ink Plus Business Card, the bonus earning rates apply to the first $50,000 in combined purchases in each bonus category per calendar year, so it’s a better choice if you’ll spend well beyond the Ink Cash card’s limits.

Bottom Line

The Ink Cash Business Card is a great pick if you make significant purchases at office supply stores and on telecommunications and other eligible services, and now’s a great time to sign up if it fits in with your spending habits. To really maximize your return, you’ll want to ensure that you can redeem rewards as Ultimate Rewards points rather than straight cash back — and if you don’t currently hold a UR-earning card, you might want to consider the Ink Plus Business Card instead. However, if you already hold higher-end Chase cards like the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, this can be a great no-fee option for boosting your rewards balance.

Source: thepointsguy.com