Ink Business Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited: Controversy of credit cards
Chase offers a full line of rewards credit cards, including the Sapphire and Liberty card families for consumers and the Ink Business family for business owners. However, there is some overlap in the rewards and benefits offered by these cards.
One example is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Cards. Both offer a minimum of 1.5% on all spending, making them excellent cards that can be paid annually for everyday expenses that don’t fall under other bonus categories.
If you’re considering these two cards, make sure you’re subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule and that you’re eligible for a business card.
Let’s take a closer look at each card’s offering to see which is the most important.
Ink Business Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited comparison
| Card | Chase Freedom Unlimited | Ink Business Unlimited |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance offer | Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on all purchases (up to $20,000 spent in the first year), worth up to $300 | Earn $900 in cashback after spending $6,000 in purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Level of rewards |
|
|
| Foreign transaction currency | 3% | 3% |
| Other benefits |
|
|
Ink Business Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited welcome bonus
Currently, new Ink Business Unlimited cardholders can earn $900 in cash back after spending $6,000 in purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Meanwhile, new Freedom Unlimited cardholders can earn an additional 1.5% cash back on all purchases (up to $20,000 spent in the first year), which is up to $300.
The winner: Unlimited ink business. Its welcome offer is very important.
Related: Best time to apply for these popular Chase credit cards based on offer history
Ink Business Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited benefits
Ink Business Unlimited, surprisingly, doesn’t offer as many benefits as other cards with higher annual fees. Most notably, you won’t enjoy mobile phone protection or trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
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However, you will receive purchase protection, automatic employment collision damage waiver, year-long warranty extension on select purchases and employee cards at no additional cost.
Freedom Unlimited offers some solid benefits like rental car protection, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, road shipping, extended warranty protection and purchase protection. If you don’t have another card with strong benefits, Freedom Unlimited offers decent card coverage with no annual fee.
The winner: Freedom Unlimited. Since Freedom Unlimited offers trip cancellation and interruption insurance, it terminates Ink Business Unlimited.
Earning cashback with Ink Business Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
Ink Business Unlimited offers 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025 and 1.5% straight cash back on all other purchases except in exchange or bonus categories.
Freedom Unlimited offers 5% back on trips booked through Chase Travel, 3% back on food (including takeout and eligible delivery services), 3% back on drugstores and 1.5% back on all other purchases.
The winner: Freedom Unlimited. Its earning rates are high as it has bonus categories in addition to offering 1.5% back on non-bonus spending.
Cashback with Ink Business Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
Your rewards earned with both of these Chase cards can be used for cash back, gift cards, travel or for goods and services offered through the Chase rewards program. If you choose to redeem a refund, you can receive your refund as a statement credit, as a mailed check or electronic deposit.
None of these options are as lucrative as converting your money back to Chase points (more on that in the next section), but they’ll get the job done. If you want to keep things simple, I recommend using your rewards for cash in addition to the other options available.
The winner: Responsibility. These cards offer similar redemption options.
Cashback with Ink Business Unlimited vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
By transferring the rewards you’ve earned from any of these cards to a full-featured Ultimate Rewards personal or business card like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can increase your redemption rate significantly. . return of at least 3%, based on TPG estimates for October 2024.
Once points are transferred to an Ultimate Rewards account, you can become like TPG credit card editor Emily Thompson and redeem them at key airline and hotel partners.
Or, you can book travel directly through Chase Travel at a flat rate per point (1.5 cents with Chase Sapphire Reserve or 1.25 cents with Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred).
If you’re willing to go through the extra steps and have the right card in hand, I recommend transferring your Freedom Unlimited or Ink Business Unlimited rewards to a High Rewards account.
The winner: Responsibility. The options here are also the same.
Should I Get Unlimited Ink Business or Fire Unlimited Freedom?
In general, Freedom Unlimited is the better choice for many because of its better income structure and greater benefits. However, if you are looking for a basic business card, I recommend that you consider Ink Business Unlimited. Earning a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases (except Lyft until 2025) is still solid.
Bottom line
We recommend that you have a card in your wallet that you can use to earn bonus rewards for everyday spend that does not fall under a certain bonus category. Both of these cards meet those criteria.
If you already have Chase Ultimate Ultimate Rewards credit cards, combining them with Freedom Unlimited or Ink Business Unlimited is a great way to spend your rewards. Both beginners and experts can use any of these cards to maximize value.
To learn more, read our full reviews of Ink Business Unlimited and Chase Freedom Unlimited.
Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited
Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Related: Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited comparison
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