Transferable points are some of the most valuable rewards currencies in the travel world. The best ways to redeem these points is typically to book travel or to transfer them to airline and hotel partners. While there are many attractive rewards credit cards with annual fees, today we’ll focus solely on no-fee credit cards that …New to The Points Guy? Sign up for our daily newsletter and check out our beginner’s guide.
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The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card offers the largest sign-up bonus of any credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, often by a large margin. That makes it one of the most enticing travel credit cards on the market.
New cardholders can earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $15,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. That’s worth $2,000 in travel, per TPG valuations (and a lot more if you know how to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for maximize value).
There are some great credit cards that earn extra rewards when you use them at the supermarket, so if you cook at home on a regular basis, it's important to make sure you have the best credit card in your wallet when you're shopping for groceries.Groceries are a significant part of the monthly budget for most American households, which means you want to earn as much cash back or travel points on your supermarket purchases as you can. Fortunately, not only are there a number of great credit cards for grocery shopping, but some cards even feature limited-time bonuses on groceries.
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The card also offers outstanding everyday earning rates thanks to a multitude of bonus categories. Let’s look at the best times to swipe your Ink Business Preferred to save the most money and earn the most points.
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Geared toward small businesses, here are the key benefits of the Ink Business Preferred:
You may find a few of these benefits to be worth paying the $95 annual fee each year. But let’s take a closer look at the card’s earning rates to see how you can quickly replenish your points balance on an ongoing basis after you’ve spent that impressive 100,000-point bonus.
If you're going to be spending money, you may as well be getting rewarded for it -- and for many consumers, these rewards are a major motivator to swipe. A recent GOBankingRate survey found that the No. 1 reason people use credit cards is for the rewards and perks. And with the right credit cards, these rewards can really add up. © PeopleImages / Getty Images bestrewardscards GOBankingRates found the Best Rewards Credit Cards of 2021 by analyzing rewards cards across a number of factors: annual fees, purchase APR, promotional APR, sign-up bonuses, and rewards and features.
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The Ink Business Preferred can be rewarding to high-spending small business owners. Unless you own the kind of company that spends a lot on shipping and advertising on social media/search engines, however, you may find yourself better served with a personal card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, in terms of pure return rates on spending. For example, the Sapphire Preferred earns 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
Nevertheless, there are three main types of purchases for which the Ink Business Preferred is a fantastic option.
You’ll earn 3 points per dollar when purchasing airfare (a 6% return, per TPG valuations). Considering the comprehensive travel insurance that comes with the Ink Business Preferred, there aren’t many better cards to use when reserving flights.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information. If you truly want to maximize your miles, periodic transfer bonuses can offer lucrative opportunities for fantastic points redemptions. Specifically, you can sometimes get up to 50% more value from your points by transferring them to a specific airline or hotel partner during one of …If you truly want to maximize your miles, periodic transfer bonuses can offer lucrative opportunities for fantastic points redemptions. Specifically, you can sometimes get up to 50% more value from your points by transferring them to a specific airline or hotel partner during one of these bonuses.
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Aside from the strong earning rate, If your trip is delayed by 12 hours or more, or if your flight delay/cancellation results in you staying overnight, you’re eligible for up to $500 in reimbursement per ticket for reasonable expenses. That includes things like a hotel stay, meals, transportation etc.
Plus, you’ll receive baggage delay insurance, wherein Chase will reimburse you for “reasonable expenses” when your bags are delayed by more than six hours. You’ll receive a $100 allotment per day (for up to five days) for things like toiletries, clothing, chargers for your electronics, etc.
The Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per dollar on rental cars — another effective 6% return.
Depending on the nature of your small business (or lifestyle in general), this expense probably doesn’t comprise a meaningful amount of your spending. But it’s still one of the best cards for reserving a rental car because of the primary coverage you’ll receive when reserving for business purposes. When you waive the rental agency’s in-house CDW, the Ink Business Preferred will cover you for theft and damage up to the cash value of the rental car.
Don't book your rental without considering #11.
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The insurance offered by the rental agency can cost $15+ per day, so being covered for free is a big deal.
You’ll earn 3 points per dollar on cable and phone services, which includes your monthly phone bill. Again, this expense alone won’t earn you enough points for a luxurious vacation, but remember that you’ll also receive cellphone protection.
By paying your bill with the Ink Business Preferred, you’ll get up to $600 in coverage against damage or theft. This also applies to any eligible members on the same plan. There is a $100 deductible per claim, and you can only submit three claims per 12-month period. Still, that can be more than enough coverage to safeguard you against common mishaps.
The card earns 1 point per dollar on all expenses that don’t fall into a bonus category. That’s not very noteworthy considering there are other Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning cards that earn significantly more for those purchases.
Even the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited earns a minimum of 1.5% (1.5 points per dollar) on purchases — a 50% increase over the Ink Business Preferred. And as long as you’ve still got the Ink Business Preferred — or the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, for that matter — you can transfer those rewards to the program’s valuable airline and hotel partners.
The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card has long been touted as one of the best business cards on the market. It has expansive bonus categories, a long list of travel and purchase protections and a reasonable $95 annual fee – and the card only gets more desirable after you factor in its six-figure welcome offer. …New applicants can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 in the first three months from account opening. TPG estimates that Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2 cents apiece, so this sign-up bonus presents $2,000 in value.
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Other Chase cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Flex, have several bonus categories that the Ink Business Preferred doesn’t. For instance, the Chase Freedom Flex earns:
For its part, the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns:
Depending on what your major spending categories typically are, one of those might be a better choice than the Ink Business Preferred. Still the business card offers solid rates of return on a broad array of expenses — you just have to bear that $150,000 annual cap in mind.
In case you didn’t catch the disclaimer above, Chase will only cover your car rental with the Ink Business Preferred if you’re renting for business purposes. You may get away with it, but if Chase presses you about the nature of your rental, be prepared to provide proof that you were in fact on business.
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information. Citi is a TPG advertising partner. Many Citi cardholders simply redeem their Citi ThankYou Rewards points for travel or gift cards. But if you have a premium Citi ThankYou card, you may be able to get greater value from your points. Specifically, you …Many Citi cardholders simply redeem their Citi ThankYou Rewards points for travel or gift cards. But if you have a premium Citi ThankYou card, you may be able to get greater value from your points. Specifically, you can maximize your Citi ThankYou Rewards points by transferring points to the program’s airline and hotel partners.
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The Ink Business Preferred is a fantastic card for spending on:
That’s because it earns 3 points per dollar on these purchases — and it provides some of the best credit card travel protections for these expenses.
The card’s bonus categories are very business-focused, which is understandable. But if most of your spending happens outside these categories, be sure to read our guide to the Chase Trifecta to learn how to become a serious Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning machine.
Featured photo by John Gribben for The Points Guy.
SPONSORED: With states reopening, enjoying a meal from a restaurant no longer just means curbside pickup.
And when you do spend on dining, you should use a credit card that will maximize your rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Thanks to temporary card bonuses and changes due to coronavirus, you may even be able to score a meal at your favorite restaurant for free.
These are the best credit cards for dining out, taking out, and ordering in to maximize every meal purchase.
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Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Move over Sapphire: Here’s why I prefer Membership Rewards instead of Ultimate Rewards .
In early 2020 I product changed my Chase Sapphire Reserve to a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. What was once my favorite credit card had become a card I only used for car rentals (for the primary damage waiver) and earning 10x points on Lyft rides. The Sapphire Preferred offers both of those benefits, albeit with a …The reason for this is? Chase Ultimate Rewards. Ever since Chase lost Korean Airlines as a transfer partner, I’ve struggled to find good flight redemptions with the currency. To make matters worse, United — once one of Chase’s most valuable transfer partners — has massively devalued its program, skyrocketing the cost of Star Alliance partner awards.