InkBlog

• Welcome Bonus Offers
• Eligibility Requirements
• Earning Rates
• Redeeming Points
• Travel and Purchase Protections
• Side-by-Side Comparison
• Which Chase Card Is Right for You?

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's worth around $1,080 in travel, based on Insider's valuation of Chase points.

Its small-business equivalent, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, offers an even higher welcome bonus: 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening (worth about $1,800 in travel based on Personal Finance Insider's valuation of Chase points). 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 Sapphire Preferred Card.

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Deciding between these two travel 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.

Chase Ink Business Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred 

Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.

$95

N/A

21.49% - 28.49% Variable

Earn 60,000 bonus points

Good to Excellent

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High intro bonus offer starts you off with lots of points
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong travel coverage

• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't offer a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit

If you're new to travel rewards credit cards or just don't want to pay hundreds in annual fees, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a smart choice. It earns bonus points on a wide variety of travel and dining purchases and offers strong travel and purchase coverage, including primary car rental insurance.

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Member FDIC

Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

$95

N/A

21.24% - 26.24% Variable

Earn 100,000 bonus points

Good to Excellent

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High sign-up bonus
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers 3x bonus points on several spending categories, including travel and advertising purchases
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes comprehensive travel coverage

• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Welcome bonus has a very high minimum spending requirement

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers a huge welcome bonus and solid earning and benefits for a moderate annual fee. If your small-business expenses line up with the card's bonus categories and you like redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for travel, this is one of the best small-business credit cards to consider.

• Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
• Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
• With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• Member FDIC

Welcome Bonus Offers

There are two components to a welcome bonus offer you have to take into account: The number of bonus points you can earn, and the minimum spending requirement 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 Sapphire Preferred Card is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. To earn the bonus, you'll have to spend an average of $1,334 each month for the first three months. 

Alternatively, the Ink Business Preferred Card is offering a whopping 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. The minimum spending requirement is much higher, but the spending divides down to just $2,666 per month — well within reach of many small businesses.

That said, spending $4,000 extra to earn more welcome bonus points might not be practical for many. If the spending threshold is going to be a toss-up, the Sapphire Preferred Card is the smart choice. You can always open the 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening later.

Eligibility Requirements

This might not be top-of-mind, but if you currently have (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 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 Sapphire Preferred Card and received the bonus within the past 48 months, you won't get this welcome bonus, even if you have since closed your other account.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card does not have such eligibility requirements. However, because it's a small business credit card, 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.

Earning Rates

Here, too, the cards diverge significantly. The Sapphire Preferred Card earns:

• 5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 2025
• 5 points per dollar on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
• 2 points per dollar on other travel
• 1 point per dollar on everything else

For its part, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year (1 point per dollar after that:

• Travel
• Shipping purchases
• Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
• Internet, cable, and phone services

You'll earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

The best card for you will be the one that complements your spending habits. 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 is your main expense is travel, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 3x points for up to $150,000 in spending, which is pretty high — instead of the Sapphire Preferred Card's uncapped 2x points.

However, if dining is your major purchase segment, then the 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 travel portal. For some perspective, that means the welcome bonus from the Sapphire Preferred Card is worth $750 when cashed in this way, while the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card bonus is worth $1,250.

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 welcome 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 earning and using 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.

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 the Chase portal 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 a 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:

Chase Transfer Partners

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• IHG Rewards Club
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

Travel and Purchase Protections

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 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. 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.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Compared to Ink Business Preferred

Though similar — each charges a $95 annual fee that is not waived the first year — the Sapphire Preferred Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card have different welcome bonus requirements and bonus spending categories. This is how the two stack up.

Which Chase 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 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?

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 the Sapphire Preferred Card first 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.

Again, 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.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

**Enrollment required.

Watch: Why the Chase Cards CEO is not worried about the hundreds of millions lost last quarter due to credit card rewards

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyxsdGspqeZnGKzqrrAp5qeZ5OdrrSxjKyYqaiYnr%2Bmec%2BrnJ%2BdoqeypXnVrGSipptir7a%2FyKecrKtdpb%2BmssSrqZ6cXZius7CMnKamqJGntrS7zQ%3D%3D