Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card Review – Financial Samurai

Quick Snapshot (For Busy Business Owners)

• Annual fee: $95
• Welcome offer (publicly advertised as of early 2026):
  around 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first 3 months (offers can vary by channel and change over time)
• Best earning: 3X points on the first $150,000 in combined annual purchases across:
  travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, and advertising (social media + search engines)
• Foreign transaction fees: None
• Big superpower: 1:1 transfers to airline + hotel partners (and the ability to unlock “premium” redemptions)

Translation: If you spend heavily in those 3X categories, Ink Preferred can be a high-ROI points engine with a relatively small annual fee.
If you don’t, it might feel like paying for a gym membership you only use to take selfies.

What Makes Ink Preferred “Preferred,” Exactly?

Chase has multiple Ink business cards. Some earn cash-back-like rewards, others earn Ultimate Rewards points.
Ink Preferred is the “premium” option in the Ink family because it does two important things:

1. It earns Ultimate Rewards points (not just simple cash back).
2. It unlocks 1:1 transfers to Chase travel partnerswhere the best “Financial Samurai-style” value tends to hide.

For many businesses, Ink Preferred becomes the “hub” card: earn points here (especially at 3X), then move them to partners for flights and hotels, or redeem via Chase Travel when it makes sense.

Important note: This is a business credit card. Card issuers generally require applicants to be of legal age and to meet credit and business eligibility requirements.
This review is educational and not an instruction manual for applying.

Welcome Offer: The Headline Value (And How to Think About It)

The welcome offer is often the fastest way to get meaningful value in year one. The public offer commonly advertised around early 2026 is roughly
90,000 bonus points after $8,000 in purchases in the first 3 months after opening.
(Chase also notes that offers can vary depending on where you apply and can change over time.)

What are 90,000 points worth?

This is where people accidentally lie to themselves. Points value depends on how you redeem:

• Cash-like redemptions: Often around 1 cent per point (so 90,000 points ≈ $900 in value).
• Chase Travel portal: Historically, some Chase cards offered a fixed boost. More recently, Chase has emphasized
  Points Boost, where select flights/hotels may price above 1 cent per point, while many redemptions stay closer to 1 cent.
• Transfer partners (the “power-user” path): Value can exceed 1 cent per pointsometimes significantlyif you redeem for high-value flights or hotels.

The Financial Samurai lens: treat the welcome bonus like a one-time “signing bonus” on a new financial instrument.
The real question is whether the card continues to pay you in future years, after the initial sugar rush.

Earning Points: Where Ink Preferred Actually Shines

Ink Preferred earns 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year in these categories:
travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines.
Everything else earns 1X.

The $150,000 cap matters

The cap is generous for many small businesses, but not all. If you spend beyond it in those categories, your earnings drop to 1X for additional spend.
For high-spend businesses, that’s the difference between a points firehose and a polite garden hose.

Examples: Who benefits the most?

• E-commerce brands: Shipping costs + digital ads can rack up fast. If you spend $60,000/year on ads and $20,000 on shipping,
  that’s 80,000 points just from those two categories (at 3X).
• Agencies and freelancers: Advertising spend on Google/Meta and frequent travel can make 3X easy to hit.
• Remote-first teams: Internet/phone services and travel for meetups add upespecially if you centralize billing.

Extra perks that can sweeten the pot

• Lyft: Earn up to 5X points on Lyft rides through September 30, 2027 (terms apply).
• DashPass: Complimentary DashPass access (activation required by December 31, 2027), plus up to $10/month
  on eligible non-restaurant DoorDash orders after activation (terms apply).
• Employee cards: Employee cards at no additional cost, with the ability to set individual spending limits.

Those extras won’t make or break the card, but they can meaningfully increase “real-life value” if you already use those services.

How You Redeem: Cash, Chase Travel, or Transfer Partners

1) Simple redemptions (good, not glamorous)

If you want maximum simplicity, you can redeem points for cash-like options (such as statement credits or cash back equivalents, depending on your Ultimate Rewards options).
Redemption values can vary, but many cash-style redemptions hover around 1 cent per point.
This is the “I want value, not homework” route.

2) Chase Travel and the “Points Boost” era

Chase has increasingly promoted Points Boost inside Chase Travel, where eligible cardholders may see boosted redemption values on select bookings.
Practically, this means:

• Some flights or hotels may price at higher value per point than baseline.
• Many bookings still hover around 1 cent per point.
• Boosted value depends on the specific itinerary and availability.

Financial Samurai takeaway: treat portal value as variable. Check the cents-per-point on your booking rather than assuming a fixed multiplier.

3) 1:1 transfer partners (where outsized value lives)

Ink Preferred allows you to transfer points at a 1:1 rate to participating airline and hotel programs. As of early 2026, Chase’s listed partners include:

Airline partners

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• British Airways Club
• Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
• United MileagePlus®
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Hotel partners

• IHG® One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy®
• World of Hyatt

Why transfers can be powerful: When you transfer points to a partner and redeem for high-value awards (think:
“expensive hotel night” or “international flight that costs a kidney”), your cents-per-point can exceed a basic cash redemption.
It requires more effort, but it’s also where Ink Preferred earns its reputation.

The grown-up version of points strategy: you don’t need to chase unicorn redemptions.
Even a modest improvement over baseline can be meaningful if your business earns points every month.

Protections and Benefits: The “Boring” Stuff That Saves Real Money

Rewards are fun. Protections are what you appreciate after something goes wrong at 11:47 p.m. in an airport hotel lobby while eating pretzels for dinner.
Ink Preferred includes a set of travel and purchase protections that can add real-world value.

Cell phone protection

If you pay your monthly cell phone bill with the card, coverage may reimburse up to $1,000 per claim (after a $100 deductible),
with a maximum of three claims per 12-month period (terms and exclusions apply).

Trip delay reimbursement

If a common carrier delay lasts more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, the card can provide reimbursement up to
$500 per covered traveler per trip for eligible expenses (like meals, lodging, toiletries, and medication), subject to covered reasons and documentation.

Baggage delay insurance

If checked baggage is delayed more than 6 hours after you arrive at your destination, coverage can reimburse up to
$100 per day (up to 5 days) for essential items, subject to terms.

Trip cancellation and interruption

Coverage may reimburse eligible prepaid travel expenses if a trip is cancelled or interrupted due to a covered reason, up to
$5,000 per covered traveler and $10,000 per trip (with an additional annual cap per account), subject to terms.

Auto rental coverage

Auto rental collision damage coverage can reimburse damage due to theft or collision up to $60,000.
In the U.S., it may be primary when the rental is for business purposes (terms apply).

Purchase protection

Eligible purchases can be protected against theft, damage, or involuntary and accidental parting for up to 120 days from purchase
(90 days for certain New York residents), up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per account (terms apply).

Extended warranty protection

Extended Warranty Protection can extend eligible original manufacturer warranties (generally by one additional year on eligible warranties),
up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year (terms apply).

Financial Samurai reality check: protections don’t show up as “points earned,” but they can prevent cash leaks. A single delayed trip or cracked phone screen can justify a chunk of that $95 annual fee.

Fees, Rules, and “Gotchas” (Read This Before You Fall in Love)

Annual fee and APR

The annual fee is $95. Like most rewards cards, carrying a balance can quickly erase the value of points through interest charges.
If you’re not paying in full, points are basically a coupon you bought at full price.

No foreign transaction fees

Ink Preferred charges no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S. If your business travels or buys internationally, that’s a practical win.

Welcome bonus eligibility

Chase notes the new cardmember bonus may not be available if you’ve had the card before, and it may consider business-related factors in bonus eligibility.
Also, offers can vary depending on where you apply (online vs. branch), and can change over time.

Chase application restrictions (including the 5/24 conversation)

While details can depend on your profile, Chase is widely known for restrictions tied to the number of accounts opened in the last 24 months (often discussed as the “5/24 rule”).
Some sources note that you may need to be under that threshold to be approved for certain Chase business cards,
and that many business cards don’t necessarily add to the count the same way personal cards do.
Bottom line: approvals are never guaranteed, and it’s smart to think strategically before you apply.

Ink Preferred vs. Other Cards: The Smart Comparisons

Ink Preferred vs. Ink Business Cash® / Ink Business Unlimited®

The biggest difference: Ink Preferred is designed for travelers and transfer-partner value.
Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited can be excellent for earning, but Ink Preferred (or another premium Ultimate Rewards card) is often what unlocks transfer partners.

A common strategy is building a simple “points stack”:

• Use whichever Ink card earns best for your spending pattern.
• Pool points into the account that can transfer to partners.
• Redeem when you have a high-value travel plannot just because you’re bored on a Tuesday.

Ink Preferred vs. Sapphire Preferred® / Sapphire Reserve®

Sapphire cards are personal cards that also unlock Ultimate Rewards transfers.
Ink Preferred is the business counterpart with business-friendly categories like shipping and digital advertising.
If your biggest spend is business-related, Ink Preferred often fits more naturally.

Ink Preferred vs. AmEx Business cards

American Express business cards can be strongespecially for certain bonus categories and premium benefits.
Ink Preferred’s advantage is the combination of a relatively modest annual fee, strong business-category earning, and the Chase transfer partner ecosystem.
Which is “better” depends on what you buy and how you redeem.

The Financial Samurai Scorecard: Risk-Adjusted Value

Here’s a practical, not-hype framework:

1) Return on spend

If you can place significant annual spend into the 3X categories, the card can generate a meaningful stream of points.
The $150,000 cap is high enough for many small businesses to benefit without micromanaging.

2) Opportunity cost

If you prefer simple cash back and don’t travel often, a flat-rate cash-back business card could be a better “set it and forget it” choice.
Points are only valuable if you actually use them well.

3) Downside protection

Travel and purchase protections can reduce “financial surprise” costsespecially for businesses that travel, buy electronics, or manage employee phones.

4) Complexity tax

If you’re willing to do a little work (learning transfer partners, watching redemption values), Ink Preferred gets more valuable.
If you hate complexity, redeeming for cash-like value can still be solidbut less exciting.

Who Should Get Ink Preferred (And Who Should Avoid It)

This card makes sense if:

• You spend meaningfully on travel, shipping, digital advertising, or telecom/internet services.
• You want to earn points that can transfer to airline/hotel partners.
• You can pay the balance in full and treat the card as a toolnot a loan.
• You can hit the welcome offer spend requirement without buying “inventory” you don’t need (a.k.a. financial self-sabotage).

You may want to skip it if:

• Your spend rarely fits the 3X categories and you’d rather keep things simple.
• You don’t travel and don’t want to learn partner transfers.
• You’re likely to carry a balance (interest will usually outweigh rewards).

Real-World Experiences & Scenarios (500+ Words)

Because credit card reviews can get a little “spreadsheet cosplay,” let’s translate Ink Preferred into real life. Below are three composite scenariosbased on common business patterns
that show how this card can either feel like a genius move or like you’re paying $95 to earn bragging rights in a points forum.
These are not personal anecdotes; they’re realistic examples meant to help you map the card to your own spending.

Scenario 1: The e-commerce shop that lives on shipping labels and ad dashboards

Imagine a small e-commerce brand doing $300,000 a year in revenue. It spends $5,000/month on social and search ads ($60,000/year) and another $1,500/month on shipping ($18,000/year).
Add $3,600/year on internet/phone services and maybe $4,000/year on travel for one trade show and a supplier visit. That’s roughly $85,600 of spend in 3X categories.

At 3X, that’s about 256,800 points per yearbefore even considering the welcome bonus.
If those points were redeemed at a simple 1 cent each, that’s $2,568 in value. If the business transfers a chunk to a hotel partner for a high-value redemption, the value could be higher.
This is the kind of spend pattern Ink Preferred was basically built for.

The “experience lesson” here: the card rewards businesses that have predictable recurring costs in the bonus categories.
The owner doesn’t need to game the systemjust centralize spend and avoid splitting purchases across too many random cards.

Scenario 2: The marketing agency that travels just enough to be annoyed by airports

Now picture a boutique agency with a handful of clients. The agency runs paid ads for clients and pays for certain advertising tools and placements.
It also travels for on-site shoots and client meetings. The spending mix isn’t massive, but it’s consistent:
$2,000/month in ad spend ($24,000/year), $6,000/year in travel, and $3,000/year in internet/phone services.

That’s $33,000 in 3X spend → about 99,000 points annually. Add the welcome bonus (assuming the spend requirement is met naturally, not forced),
and year one could become a meaningful travel “war chest.”

The agency’s practical experience is that the protections matter almost as much as the points. One delayed flight that forces an overnight stay can trigger trip delay coverage.
Paying the cell phone bill with the card can create a safety net if an employee’s phone gets damaged or stolen.
These aren’t glamorous benefits, but they reduce surprise coststhe enemy of consistent cash flow.

Scenario 3: The solo consultant who wants points but hates complexity

Finally, consider a solo consultant who spends modestly in the bonus categories: maybe $2,000/year on travel, $1,800/year on phone/internet, and $2,000/year on online ads
(or none at all). Total 3X spend: around $4,000–$6,000. That’s 12,000–18,000 points a year from bonus categorieshelpful, but not life-changing.

In this scenario, Ink Preferred can still be worthwhile if the consultant values the ability to transfer points and plans one good redemption per year.
But if the consultant wants maximum simplicity, a flat-rate cash-back card might feel better day to day.
The “experience lesson” is that points cards have a built-in complexity taxsmall, but real. If you won’t use the premium redemption options,
you’re essentially paying $95 to earn points that you treat like cash anyway.

The biggest real-world mistake: manufacturing spend just to “earn” a bonus

Across all scenarios, the most common regret story is someone forcing spend to hit the welcome bonusbuying extra inventory they don’t need,
prepaying services they won’t use, or making purchases that strain cash flow. The Financial Samurai principle is simple:
don’t sacrifice liquidity for points. A business that runs out of cash is not comforted by an extra 20,000 points.

The smarter approach is boring: time the application when you already have legitimate expenses coming upannual software renewals,
planned advertising campaigns, a scheduled trip, or a large equipment purchase. If the spend requirement fits naturally, the bonus is a true benefit.
If it doesn’t, the bonus becomes a temptation trap.

Bottom line from these real-world scenarios: Ink Preferred is best when it matches your existing business spending rhythm.
When it doesn’t, you’ll either ignore the card’s strengths or contort your finances to justify itneither of which is a winning move.

Conclusion: Is Ink Preferred Worth It?

The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a strong business rewards card for companies that spend in its core 3X categories and want access to
Chase’s transfer partner ecosystem. The annual fee is modest for a premium-style points card, the earning structure is business-friendly,
and the protections can provide tangible value beyond points.

The Financial Samurai verdict: if you can earn points consistently and redeem them intentionally, Ink Preferred can deliver excellent risk-adjusted rewards.
If you’ll redeem like cash and rarely hit bonus categories, there are simpler options that may fit better.