If you’re hunting for the best small-business sign-up bonuses, the Chase Ink Business Credit Card family should be on your radar.

This guide breaks down eligibility, the Chase 5/24 rule, application tips, and a step-by-step walkthrough so you can apply with confidence.

Table of Contents

• Why the Chase Ink Business Cards
• Do you need a business?
• Do you need an LLC for a business card?
• What credit score do I need?
• What’s Chase’s 5/24 Rule?
• How to improve your odds
• Will it affect my credit?
• Application walkthrough: what you’ll fill out
• Quick recap and final tips

Why the Chase Ink Business Cards

There are three Chase Ink Business Credit Card options most people care about: Ink Business Cash, Ink Business Unlimited, and Ink Business Preferred.

The Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited are no-annual-fee cards with historically large sign-up bonuses, often sitting at 75k points (or $750), while the Ink Business Preferred typically offers a higher bonus (around 90k) and carries a $95 annual fee.

One powerful twist: the Cash and Unlimited are marketed as cash-back cards, but if you also hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or the Ink Business Preferred, you can combine or move those cash rewards into Ultimate Rewards and access airline and hotel transfer partners.

That conversion is why many people think and reference these rewards in terms of points instead of cashback when evaluating the Chase Ink Business Credit Card options.

Another benefit these cards offer is large referral bonuses i.e. 20,000 Ultimate Rewards per referral instead of the 10,000 points the Sapphire cards offer; however, Chase is changing their referral benefits for the Ink family. After October 7th, a referral bonus will only be awarded if the person you’re referring is a new Chase business card customer.

Which Ink card to apply for depends on current bonus offers, whether you want an annual fee, and which bonus categories match your spending habits.

• Ink Business Unlimited: flat 1.5x on purchases; sometimes runs elevated sign-up bonuses (e.g., 90k).
• Ink Business Cash: Bonus categories (5x) like office supplies and gas.
• Ink Business Preferred: higher annual fee ($95) but better earnings on travel, advertising, and shipping and enables the ability to transfer your rewards to travel partners if you don’t have a Chase Sapphire card.

Now let’s discuss the big questions to answer in order to get approved.

Do you need a business?

Short answer: Yes — but the definition of “business” is broad.

If you earn money from an activity with an intent to profit, you can typically apply for a Chase Ink Business Credit Card.

• Etsy or other product sales
• Reselling on Mercari, Poshmark, or Facebook Marketplace
• Ride-share or delivery driving (Uber, DoorDash)
• Monetized blog, YouTube channel, or other social accounts
• Tutoring, babysitting, dog walking, house sitting

You don’t need to be profitable yet — revenue or intent to earn is enough to qualify for business cards.

Do you need an LLC for a business card?

No, you don’t need an LLC to apply for a Chase Ink Business Credit Card.

Applicants can use their name and Social Security number and apply as a sole proprietor; you simply list your business name (it can be your own name) and enter your SSN where asked.

Just remember this is Nurse Michael Travels, I’m not a lawyer or accountant, so if you’re wondering about forming an LLC for liability, taxes, or long-term strategy, consult a professional.

What credit score do I need?

Chase approvals are generally easier with a solid profile: a 680 score is a commonly cited minimum.

Being over 700–720 improves your odds substantially for premium cards in the Chase Ink Business Credit Card lineup.

What’s Chase’s 5/24 Rule?

Chase’s 5/24 rule is critical: if you’ve been approved for five or more new personal credit cards in the past 24 months, Chase will usually deny new personal credit card applications.

Important nuance: the 5/24 count is based on approvals for personal cards, not business cards — so business approvals typically don’t add to your 5/24 total (exceptions exist for some issuers like Capital One and Discover). Also, credit card applications themselves do not count – just approvals.

Authorized user status can complicate things. If you are listed as an authorized user on a card, these cards may be counted at the time of application; sometimes, you can call the reconsideration line and get that removed from consideration and reverse the denial.

Tip: Use the free app Travel Freely to track your 5/24 status automatically by entering card approval dates.

How to improve your odds

If you’re new to credit or new to Chase, build a relationship first: open a basic Chase personal card or maintain a checking account.

Chase tends to favor applicants with existing relationships, payment history, and established credit lines.

• Consider starter cards like Chase Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, or even the Chase Freedom Rise to build history.
• Watch for Chase prequalification offers in the mail or email — they’re not guarantees, but a good sign.

Will it affect my credit?

Applying will generate a hard inquiry, which may shave a few points temporarily.

While the hard inquiry affects your personal report, business card balances generally do not report to your personal credit utilization.

Also, business cards typically don’t count toward Chase’s 5/24 rule, making them a useful tool if you’re near the  5/24 limit.

One more perk: you can sometimes earn the sign-up bonus for the same Ink card more than once if you apply with a different legal business entity (different LLC/EIN).

That said, don’t abuse this — Chase has been cutting down on approvals for multiple cards, and they can always claw back points or shut accounts if they detect gaming the system.

Application walkthrough: what you’ll fill out

When applying for any of these cards, consider using my referral link to support this channel at no cost to you!

Filling out a Chase Ink Business Credit Card application is straightforward if you prepare the common fields ahead of time.

Here’s what you’ll see and how to approach each item:

• Owner: usually you, the applicant; pick “owner” if sole proprietor.
• Personal info: name, suffix (optional), mother’s maiden name, DOB, SSN — use your SSN within the personal info section even if applying for an LLC.
• Address, email, phone.
• Total gross income: include wages, Social Security, public assistance, or others paying bills; be honest.
• Legal business structure: select “sole proprietorship” if no LLC; select “LLC” and enter EIN if you have one.
• Business name vs DBA; only say “yes” to DBA if you formally filed one. Your legal name is your business name if sole proprietor.
• Business address: tick “same as home” if you work from home.
• Business established date: use the date you started the activity, even roughly.
• Annual business revenue: this is gross revenue, not profit — people often project annual revenue if less than a year old. I’ve been approved for revenue less than a $1000 for my new business.
• Estimated monthly spend: input your expected card spend; small estimates are fine.
• Number of employees: put zero if it’s just you; contractors typically don’t count as employees.

At the end, you’ll agree to terms and submit. Expect an instant decision or a “pending review.”

If the application goes into review, give it a day and then call the Chase reconsideration line to check the status of your application. They often simply require you to verify some info over the phone to get you approved.

If approved, feel free to call Chase and ask about expedited shipping so you can start meeting the spend requirement for the bonus immediately.

After approval: using your points

Once you earn that 75k or 90k bonus from a Chase Ink Business Credit Card, explore Ultimate Rewards transfer partners for the best value — think Hyatt and other airline partners.

Moving rewards into a Chase Sapphire or Ink Business Preferred gives you transfer access and often better redemption value than straight cashback.

Quick recap and final tips

The Chase Ink Business Credit Card family offers generous bonuses and the flexibility to convert rewards into Ultimate Rewards when paired with the right Chase cards.

Make sure you qualify (business activity, reasonable credit history, under 5/24), be honest on the application, build a relationship with Chase, and call the reconsideration line if your app goes to review.

Credit-card rules and offers change, so confirm current bonuses and terms before applying.

Good luck!