How to apply for Chase Ink® & Sapphire® Business cards
Some of the best credit card welcome offers also happen to come from some of the best point-earning cards around: the Chase Business cards. These include the Sapphire Reserve for Business®, Ink Business. . .
Some of the best credit card welcome offers also happen to come from some of the best point-earning cards around: the Chase Business cards. These include the Sapphire Reserve for Business®, Ink Business Preferred®, Ink Business Cash®, and Ink Business Unlimited®. You have to have a business to apply for any of these cards, but you might be surprised by how many of the things you may already do that count as businesses. This post explains why points earned from these cards are valuable, how to know if you have an eligible business, how to fill out a business card application, and tips for getting approved. In this article:Watch the VideoThere are multiple Chase business cardsEach one offers valuable rewardsYou must have a business (and you probably do)Watch out for 5/24How to apply for Chase business cardsHow to improve your chances of successSign up for a Chase business checking accountUse an EIN instead of your SSN as the business Tax Identification NumberDo not call if your application goes to pendingCall if you are denied (and call again)More Chase Application TipsWatch the VideoIf you prefer watching an online guide to applying for Chase Ink and Sapphire Business cards, check this out:There are multiple Chase business cardsChase offers five different Ultimate Rewards-earning Business cards: Sapphire Reserve for Business, Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Cash, Ink Business Unlimited, and Ink Business Premier. Here’s a brief intro to each card:Card Offer and DetailsChase Ink Plus® Business Credit Cardⓘ $0 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimatesNoneNon-AffiliateThis card is no longer available$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95Learn moreClick here to view details about a similar card: Chase Ink Business CashInformation about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Earning rate:5X office supplies, 5X cellular/landline/cable ✦ 2X gas and hotels ✦ 5X Lyft through September 2027Base:1X(1. 5%)Hotels:2X(3%)Gas:2X(3%)Office:5X(7. 5%)Card Info:Visa Signature Business issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks:Points worth 25% more when redeemed for travel ✦ Transfer points to airline & hotel partnersSee also:Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete GuideInk Business Cash® Credit Cardⓘ $1372 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates$1,000 cash back*ⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offerEarn$750$1,000 (*awarded as 100,000 points) after $8k spend in the first 4 months. No Annual FeeLearn moreSee: How to apply for Chase Ink cardsFM Mini Review:This one should be in everyone's wallet. Incredible welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card. Great card for 5X categories. Excellent companion card to Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, or Ink Business Preferred. Click here for our complete card reviewEarning rate:5X office supplies and cellular/landline/cable (on up to $25,000 in total purchases in 5X categories annually) ✦ 2X on the first $25K in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each cardmember year ✦ 5x Lyft through September 2027Base:1X(1. 5%)Dine:2X(3%)Gas:2X(3%)Office:5X(7. 5%)Card Info:Visa Signature Business issued by Chase. This card imposes foreign transaction fees. Noteworthy perks:Complimentary Instacart+ for 3 months (must activate by 12/31/27) ✦ $20 monthly Instacart creditSee also:Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete GuideInk Business Preferred® Credit Cardⓘ $1277 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates100K pointsⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer100K after $8K spend in the first 3 months$95 Annual FeeLearn moreSee: How to apply for Chase Ink cardsRecent better offer:120K after $8K spend (expired 9/4/24)FM Mini Review:Great card for welcome offer and 3X categories. Also consider the Ink Business Cash for its 5X categories, and the Ink Business Unlimited to earn 1. 5X everywhere. Note that the transfer ratio from Chase Ultimate Rewards to World of Hyatt is 4:3 for cardholders who apply on or after 6/15/25 (and it becomes 4:3 on October 1, 2026 for those who applied before 6/15/26). Earning rate:3X travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone, and advertising with social media sites (up to $150K spend per year) ✦ 5X Lyft through September 2027Base:1X(1. 5%)Travel:3X(4. 5%)Flights:3X(4. 5%)Hotels:3X(4. 5%)Card Info:Visa Signature Business issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks:Points worth up to 75% more when redeemed for travel with Points Boosts ✦ Transfer points to airline & hotel partners ✦ Cell phone protection against theft or damageSee also:Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete GuideInk Business Unlimited® Credit Cardⓘ $1432 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates$1,000 cash back*ⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offerEarn$750$1,000 (*awarded as 100,000 points) after $8k spend in the first 4 months. No Annual FeeLearn moreSee: How to apply for Chase Ink cardsFM Mini Review:Great welcome offer for a no annual fee card. Good option for earning 1. 5X everywhere. Good companion card to Ink Business Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Sapphire Preferred. Click here for our complete card reviewEarning rate:1. 5X on all business purchases ✦ 5X Lyft through September 2027Base:1. 5X(2. 25%)Card Info:Visa Signature Business issued by Chase. This card imposes foreign transaction fees. Noteworthy perks:Complimentary Instacart+ for 3 months (must activate by 12/31/27) ✦ $20 monthly Instacart creditSee also:Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete GuideSapphire Reserve for Business℠ Cardⓘ $2185 1st Yr Value Estimate$300 travel credit valued at $285, $500 Chase The Edit credit (2x per calendar year) valued at $125, $100 GiftCards. com credit ($50 Jan-Jun and again Jul-Dec for cards purchased from https://reservebusiness. giftcards. com/) valued at $50Click to learn about first year value estimates200K pointsⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer200K points after $30K spend in first 6 months. $795 Annual FeeLearn moreRecent better offer:NoneFM Mini Review:Could be very appealing for a business that books a lot of travel, as it earns 8x through Chase Travel℠ or 4x when booking direct through airline and hotels. It has decent perks, best-in-class travel protections, and earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Best when paired with no annual fee Chase Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited & Chase Ink Cash cardsEarning rate:8X Chase Travel℠ ✦ 4X flights and hotels booked direct ✦ 3X social media and search engine advertising ✦ 5X Lyft (through September 2027)Base:1X(1. 5%)Flights:4X(6%)Portal Flights:8X(12%)Hotels:4X(6%)Portal Hotels:8X(12%)Card Info:Visa Infinite issued by Chase. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus:After spending $120,000 each calendar year, get the following benefits: IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite Status ✦ World of Hyatt Explorist Status ✦ Southwest Airlines A-List Status ✦ $500 Southwest Airlines credit when booked through Chase Travel ✦ $500 credit to The Shops at ChaseNoteworthy perks:$300 Annual Travel Credit ✦ Up to $500 The Edit credit ($250 twice per calendar year) ✦ Up to $400 ZipRecruiter credit ($200 January to June and again July to December) ✦ $200 Google Workspace credit ✦ $100 Giftcards. com ($50 January to June and again July to December for purchases at giftcards. com/reservebusiness) ✦ Points worth up to 2 cents each towards qualified bookings through Chase Travel(SM) ✦ Transfer points to airline & hotel partners ✦ Primary auto rental coverage ✦ Priority Pass Select lounge access ✦ Access Sapphire Lounges for yourself and 2 guests for free ✦ Access select Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges when flying Star Alliance ✦ Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Application Fee Statement Credit ✦ IHG One Rewards Platinum status through 12/31/27 ✦ Free DoorDash DashPass through 2027 ✦ Two promos of $10 off each month on non-restaurant orders from DoorDash ✦ $5 off restaurant order each month from DoorDash ✦ $10 monthly Lyft creditSee also:Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete GuideEach one offers valuable rewardsEven though the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited cards are advertised as cash back cards,they actually earn Ultimate Rewards points. For example, $750 in “cash back” is really 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for $750 in cash back. Similarly, $900 in “cash back” is really 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for $900 in cash back. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are valuable and flexible. At the most basic level, points can be redeemed for cash or merchandise, but you'll only get one cent per point value that way. A better option is to use points for travel booked through Chase. When used in these ways, points may be worth up to 1. 75 cents each with premium cards (Sapphire PreferredorInk Business Preferred, for example) or up to 2 cents each with the ultra premiumSapphire Reserve card. An even better option is to transfer points from a premium or ultra-premium card to an airline or hotel program when high value awards are available (see this post for details). If your points are tied to a no-annual-fee "cash back" Ultimate Rewards card, then first move those points to a premium or ultra-premium card before redeeming them in order to get better value. For more about Chase Ultimate Rewards, see:Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete Guide. The Ink Business Preferred Card is great for its 3X categories. The Ink Business Cash is awesome for its 5X categories. And the Ink Business Unlimited is a good choice to use as your “everywhere else” card, thanks to earning 1. 5X everywhere. The Sapphire Reserve for Business is undoubtedly the blingiest card and is loaded with coupons and credits, which may or may not make it worth the annual fee. The Ink Business Premier is unfortunately different from the rest. This one doesn’t allow points to be transferred to other Chase cards or to partners. As a result, it isonlygood for cash back. You must have a business (and you probably do)These are all small business credit cards. Youmusthave a business to apply. That said, almost everyone does something that can be legitimately considered a business. Legitimate businesses include selling items on eBay or at yard sales, being an aspiring musician or author, owning rental property, and driving for Uber or Lyft. The list is endless. Applying for Business Credit Cards:You must have a business to apply, but even a simple sole proprietorship will work. It's likely that you have a business even if you don't realize it. More:You must have a business (but you probably do): In order to apply for a business credit card, you must have a business. That said, it's common for people to have businesses without realizing it. If you sell items at a yard sale or on eBay, for example, then you have a business. Similar examples include: consulting, writing (e. g. blog authorship, planning your first novel, etc. ), handyman services, owning rental property, renting on airbnb, driving for Uber or Lyft, etc. In any of these cases, your business is considered a Sole Proprietorship unless you form a corporation of some sort. When you apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor, you can useyour own nameas yourbusiness name, use your own address and phone as the business' address and phone, and your social security number as the business' Tax ID / EIN. Alternatively, you can get a proper Tax ID / EIN from the IRS for free, in about a minute,through this website. Is it OK to use business cards forpersonal expenses?Anecdotally, almost everyone I know uses business cards for personal expenses. That said, the terms in most business card applications state that you should use the card only for business use. Also, some consumer credit card protections do not apply to business cards. My advice: don't use the card for personal expenses if you're not comfortable doing so. Watch out for 5/24Chase's 5/24 Rule: With most Chase credit cards, Chase will not approve your application if you have opened 5 or more cards with any bank in the past 24 months. This is true for Chase business cards too: you won't be approved if you are at or over 5/24. That said, if you are under 5/24 and get approved for a Chase business card, that card won't add to your 5/24 count. To determine your 5/24 status, see:Easy ways to count your 5/24 status. The easiest option is to track all of your cards for free withTravel Freely. All Ink cards are subject to the 5/24 rule. This meansyou probably won’t be approved if you’ve opened5 or more cards with any bank inthe past 24 months. Fortunately, the Ink cards do not count toward your 5/24 limit. That is, if you are approved, they will not hurt your chances of future approvals due to 5/24. The first part of the application asks for personal info. Fill this out the same way you would fill out a consumer credit card application with your own name and home address, your income (not just your business income), etc. For the question about your business title, answer "owner. " Next up is the business info section. If you already have a well established business, then the answers should be straightforward. If you are just getting started with your business, below are examples of how to fill this out. These answers assume that you do not have any employees and you operate as a sole proprietorship (which is the most basic form of a business). Use your judgment to answer differently if the examples given don’t match your circumstances:Here are example answers for the business part of the application:Legal business structure:Sole ProprietorBusiness legal name: If you don’t already have a business name, I recommend using your own name as the business name. Desired business name on card: Again, this can be your own name if you don’t have a business name to use. Does your business use another name?NoTax ID type: EIN (you can get an EIN quickly and for free from the IRS here) If you'd prefer to use your social security number as your tax ID, select SSN rather than EIN. Is your business's physical address the same as your personal address?YesNumber of employees: 0 (the instructions say to enter the number of employees you have, not including yourself)Business phone number: Your phone numberBusiness established date: When did your business start? If you've been doing your business for years (selling stuff at yard sales, for example), it's fine to estimate the starting date. Annual business revenue: $0 (or project an amount based on expected revenue)Business category, Business type, Business sub-type:Pick whichever categories are closest to your business. For example, an aspiring author, artist, or musician might choose: "Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation" and "Independent Artists, Writers, Performers. "Estimated monthly spend: $3,000 (Use your judgement here. A higher number might lead to a larger credit line, but if it's too high it might negatively affect approval). Keep records of your answersIn some cases Chase will ask to speak with you before approving your application. In those cases, they are likely to ask some of the same questions (annual business revenue, number of years in business, total gross income, etc. ). Ideally you'll answer the same as you did on the application. Check Application StatusAfter submitting your application, you can check status by calling the automated status line: (888) 338-2586How to improve your chances of successThe following tips may help with approval, but none are required:Sign up for a Chase business checking accountUse an EIN instead of your SSN when entering your Business Tax ID on the applicationDon’t callif your application goes to pendingDo callif your application is deniedBelow you’ll find more info about each of the above suggestions:Sign up for a Chase business checking accountBusiness checking accounts must be opened in-branch. At the end of the process, you are likely to receive pre-approved offers for business cards. Go for it. While pre-approval doesn’t guarantee final approval, in this case, it makes final approval very likely. Make sure to be prepared with the necessary documentation and identification. Chase has a checklist here for sole proprietorships. You’ll see that you may need an Assumed Name Certificate, often referred to as a DBA (Doing Business As). Usually, you can get the certificate by registering your business name with either your local or state government for a small fee. Use an EIN instead of your SSN as the business Tax Identification NumberTo apply for a business credit card, you’ll need a business Tax Identification Number. Sole Proprietors can use their Social Security number as the business’s tax ID or their company’s EIN. While either will work, it can’t hurt to have an EIN and may help give your business more credibility. You can sign up for an EIN, for free, from the IRS:Apply-for-an-Employer-Identification-Number-(EIN)-Online. Do not call if your application goes to pendingWhen applications go pending, people often find they are approved without a call. When people do call, they may get tough analysts who deny the application. The approval process goes through up to 3 “gates”:Instant Approval (this can be rare with business cards)Automatic Approval, sent by mail (may take several weeks)Analyst Phone ApprovalIf you’re not instantly approved, then calling bypasses gate 2 and may reduce your overall chance of approval. Instead, I recommend waiting to get a letter in the mail. Hopefully, it will say “congratulations”. Of course, if Chase contacts you asking for more information, you absolutely should talk to them on the phone. In some cases, they’ll need more information about you or your business before your application can proceed to the next review stage. Call if you are denied (and call again)If your application is denied outright (either instantly or by mail), call Chase’s business reconsideration number, which is open Monday through Friday during business hours. There are many cases where analysts have overturned denials over the phone. Up-to-date reconsideration phone numbers are available here. The analyst will likely ask many questions. Make sure your answers match your application. Also, if you have multiple Chase business cards, make sure to let the analyst know that you don’t need Chase to extend you more credit. Tell them that you are willing to move available credit from another card or to cancel another card if necessary. Be prepared to answer financial questions about your business. Be prepared to answer questions about why you want the card and how you expect to use it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying that you were attracted by the welcome bonus and by the 5X spend categories (for example). If the analyst doesn’t approve your application,call again. Many people have had luck simply calling a few times until they reached an analyst willing to take a chance on their business. More Chase Application Tips5/24 Rule:You are unlikely to be approved for a new card if you have opened 5 or more cards (with any bank) within the past 24 months. Mostbusiness cards do not count towards that five-card total. Business cards that DO count include:TD Bank,Discover,and theCapital One Spark Cash Select,Spark Miles, andSpark Miles Select. 24 Month Rule: If you’ve had a card before, you can only get a welcome offer on that card again if you no longer have it, AND it's been more than 24 months since you last received a welcome offer for that card. This rule does not apply to theSapphire PreferredandReservecards (see below). There can also be exceptions with some business cards. Sapphire cards:TheSapphire PreferredorSapphire Reservecards no longer have a family rule that prevents you from getting one if you currently have the other. However, both now have limitations that may prevent you from being eligible for a welcome offer if you've previously hadthe same card. In that event, you'll get a pop-up window telling you that you're not eligible, and you will be asked whether you want to proceed with the application without the welcome offer attached. Southwest "Family" Rules:Chase applies additional "family" rules to the Southwest cards. You're not eligible for the welcome offer on apersonalSouthwest card if you currently have one, or if you've received a welcome offer on any personal Southwest card within the last 24 months. Thisdoesn'tapply to business cards. You also can't be approved for the Southwest consumer card if you already have one open. IHG "Family" Rules:You're not eligible for the welcome offer if you've received one on any personal IHG card within the last 24 months. You also can't be approved for another IHG consumer card if you already have one open. You can have both an IHG personal and an IHG business card. Ink "Lifetime" Rule:You "may not" be eligible for the welcome offer on an Ink no-annual-fee card if you have ever had the same card or any other Chase for Business card without an annual fee. In addition, you may not be eligible for a welcome offer on a Chase Ink Business Preferred card if you currently have the card or have had it in the past. We don't yet know how consistently this is enforced. 2 per month Rule:Most applicants are limited to 2 new cards per 30 days. Business cards are usually limited to one per 30 days. Marriott cards:Approval for any Marriott card is governed by a labyrinthine set of unintuitive rules. You can see the fulleligibility chart here. Card Limits: Chase doesn't have a strict limit on the number of cards you can have, but it does place limits on the total credit it will issue across all cards. Because of this, reconsideration can sometimes be successful by moving credit from one existing card to the new card that you want. Application Status: Call (888) 338-2586 to check your application status. Reconsideration: If denied, call (888) 270-2127 for personal cards or (800) 453-9719 for business cards, and ask that your application be reconsidered. Want to learn more about miles and points?Subscribe to email updatesor check outour podcaston your favorite podcast platform.