Chase adds new welcome bonus restrictions to its no-annual-fee business cards
Chase has recently implemented stricter rules regarding the welcome bonuses for its two popular no-annual-fee business credit cards: the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. This change reflects a broader trend within Chase to tighten eligibility for bonuses across its credit card offerings, a move that began earlier this year with the Sapphire family of cards. Effective immediately, the new policy stipulates that if a cardholder has ever had one of these Ink cards, they will no longer be eligible to receive the welcome bonus on the other. For instance, if you’ve previously held the Ink Business Cash card, you won’t qualify for the welcome bonus on the Ink Business Unlimited card, and vice versa.
This new “family rule” effectively aligns Chase’s no-annual-fee business products with the more restrictive policies seen in its Sapphire card lineup and mirrors similar strategies employed by competitors like American Express. The updated terms state, “The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had this card or any other Chase for Business card without an annual fee.” While business owners can still apply for or switch to either Ink card, the elimination of the ability to earn bonuses on both cards diminishes the attractiveness of these products for newcomers. Historically, many small businesses leveraged both cards to maximize their rewards strategy, with the Ink Business Cash offering up to 5% cash back in select categories and the Ink Business Unlimited providing a straightforward 1.5% cash back on every purchase.
The implications of this policy shift are significant for small business owners who rely on these cards to enhance their rewards potential, especially when paired with premium Chase cards like the Sapphire Reserve, which allows for the conversion of cash-back rewards into valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. By tightening eligibility for welcome bonuses, Chase appears to be nudging applicants toward committing to a single product within each card family, potentially limiting the overall rewards landscape for business owners. As the trend of restricting bonus eligibility continues, it raises questions about whether similar changes will be applied to other Chase card families in the future, marking a shift in how credit card issuers approach customer loyalty and rewards programs.
Chase
has quietly tightened the rules for earning welcome bonuses on two of its most popular business credit cards with no annual fee. This shift mirrors the issuer’s more restrictive approach across its broader portfolio, including the
Sapphire family of cards
in June.
What’s changing?
Effective immediately, Chase has added cross-card eligibility language to the
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
(see
rates and fees
) and the
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
(see
rates and fees
).
In practical terms, you can no longer earn the welcome bonus on one card if you’ve ever had the other. Here’s how it now works:
If you previously had the Ink Business Cash, you’re not eligible for the welcome bonus on the Ink Business Unlimited.
If you previously had the Ink Business Unlimited, you’re not eligible for the welcome bonus on the Ink Business Cash.
ROCKAA/GETTY IMAGES
Chase added the following clause in the terms and conditions for both cards:
“The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had this card or any other Chase for Business card without an annual fee. We may also consider factors pertinent to your business in determining your bonus eligibility.”
This new wording creates a “family rule” for Chase’s no-annual-fee business products, bringing them more in line with the issuer’s recent limits on Sapphire-branded cards and echoing the
card family restrictions increasingly used by American Express
.
What does this mean for business owners?
You can still apply for — or product change to — either Ink Business card, even if you’re not eligible for the welcome bonus. However, many small businesses have historically opened both cards to maximize their rewards strategy. That’s because the cards earn:
Ink Business Cash
: Up to 5% back in select business categories
Ink Business Unlimited
: Uncapped 1.5% back on every purchase
Neither card charges an annual fee, and when paired with a
premium card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points
, such as the
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
(see
rates and fees
), the cash-back rewards convert into fully transferable
Chase Ultimate Rewards
points. Losing the ability to earn both bonuses makes that strategy slightly less appealing for newcomers.
Bottom line
Chase has spent this year tightening bonus eligibility, most notably by restricting bonuses for its Sapphire cards five months ago. With these Ink-family restrictions, it appears the issuer is continuing its effort to limit duplicate sign-ups while nudging applicants to commit to a single product within each card family. We wouldn’t be surprised to see this roll out to other Chase card families in the future.
Related:
Your guide to the Chase Ink Business credit cards
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
