Small Business credit cards are a bit of a special animal in the credit card world.  Unlike what we call “personal” cards, some cards like the Chase Ink Business Unlimited that are tagged as “business” cards do require you to have a business to apply.  You’ll be asked for business identifier (SSN or EIN), business income, years in business and other things about your business on your Chase Ink Business Unlimited application.  I’m lucky to have a couple of businesses, but you might have a business too, even if you don’t think you do. You can often apply just as a sole proprietorship with your own SSN if you don’t have a separate business EIN.

card_name

Chase Ultimate Rewards are one of the best types of miles and points currencies out there – because it’s a transferrable currency, it’s able to be transferred to a variety of miles and points partners, which helps insulate it from devaluations.

Plus it’s easier than others to get a lot of – including the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred, Ink Unlimited, Ink Cash, Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited.

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited has 3 main things going for it

• First, a welcome offer that allows you to bonus_miles_full (it’s advertised as a cash bonus, but see the section below)
• 1.5 Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent
• No annual fee

And that’s…. pretty much it.  No frills, no category bonuses.  Just a solid welcome offer, a solid earn for your everyday spend, and no annual fee. This is very similar to the Chase Freedom Unlimited card, but with a much bigger welcome offer. This card does fall under the Chase 5/24 rule, so you’ll likely not be approved if you’ve applied for 5 or more cards in the past 24 months.

Combining Chase Ultimate Rewards from your Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Since the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card is not considered a “premium” card, its points are only worth 1 cent when considered by themselves.  However, if you already HAVE a premium card (like the Sapphire Reserve or Ink Preferred for example), then you are able to (at least for now!) combine all your Chase Ultimate Rewards into one account.

So your 1.5x for every dollar spent, if transferred to an account with the Sapphire Reserve (where you can REDEEM for 1.5 times), would give you 2.25% back on purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.  And of course if you transfer them to travel partners, you can often get even MORE value.

To me, this makes the Chase Ink Business Unlimited possibly the best business credit card to put everyday spending on, if you’re not meeting a minimum spending requirement or getting a category bonus.

Primary Rental Car Coverage and Travel Protections

One of the best Chase Ink Business Unlimited benefits is that it offers primary car rental coverage in most countries around the world, as long as you are renting the car for business purposes. Renting a car using a credit card that has primary car rental coverage can be a big time and money saver if you happen to get into an accident or cause damage while renting.

(SEE ALSO: How a Chase car insurance claim saved my mom nearly $900)

(SEE ALSO: Why you’re foolish to rent a “standard” car)

The Chase Ink Unlimited card also offers travel and emergency assistance services.

Is the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card the best business card out there?

I think the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card has a case for the best business card out there.  Here’s a quick look at some of the other contenders

• card_name – welcome offer lets you bonus_miles_full. You’ll earn 3x category bonuses but only 1x on every day spend and a $95 fee
• card_name – welcome offer lets you bonus_miles_full. You’ll earn only 1x on everyday spend and 5x on certain categories and no annual fee. Comparing the Ink Cash to the Ink Business Unlimited will depend on how much of your regular spend is in these bonus categories
• American Express Blue Business Card – no annual fee, 2x Membership Rewards on every purchase and a 15,000 Membership Rewards bonus (though I’ve seen the bonus vary over time)
• American Express Business Platinum card – this card has a $695 annual fee but comes with a variety of premium benefits (but only 1x on everyday spend, though there are bonuses in some categories and for large purchases). Currently it has a bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards bonus but there are often targeted offers for more.

KEY LINK: card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees

If you’re looking for links to apply to the American Express business credit cards instead, you can find it on our top credit card offers page, under small business cards. If you’re interested in signing up, we may receive a commission if you sign up through our link – we appreciate the support!

What do you think? Where does the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card fall in the list of best business cards out there?  Leave your thoughts in the comments

I generally believe there are three reasons to apply for and keep a credit card.

• First is any welcome offer on the card.
• The second reason is if the card has attractive spending categories.
• The final reason is any ongoing benefits you receive for having the card.

Most credit cards check at least one of these boxes, but it’s rare that a card will check all three. The card_name, with its current welcome offer allowing you to bonus_miles, checks maybe 2 and a half. It has a great welcome offer and excellent ongoing benefits. The rewards you get from ongoing spending are okay but not extraordinary, though Chase has made some nice updates like adding 5x on travel booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and a $50 annual hotel credit. Still, the welcome offer alone makes it worth considering.

Outstanding Welcome Offer

The biggest reason to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred card right now is that its welcome offer is at an increased level. The Chase Sapphire Preferred was one of the first credit cards I ever got, and the signup bonus was 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points. That was 6 or 7 years ago, and over time, the welcome offer on the Sapphire Preferred has gradually continued to go up and up. First we saw 50,000 points, then 60,000 and then 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points. We have seen it go as high as 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points but I don’t know if or when that offer will ever come back.

Now you can bonus_miles_full And if you have a spouse with a Chase Sapphire Reserve card, it could be worth even more. And even better, you can often get even more value by transferring to Chase’s travel partners. Like the time I turned 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points into a $6,500 train trip.

Earning Ultimate Rewards points

Here is the earning potential while using the card_name

• 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit.
• 2x on other travel purchases
• 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out.
• 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
• 3x points on select streaming services.
• 1x points on all other purchases

Combining Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Another great reason to consider signing up for the card_name is the ability to combine Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can combine your Ultimate Rewards points that you’ve earned on different cards, and you can also combine points with authorized users on your account. That makes it fairly straightforward to combine points between spouses / partners as well.

The reason this is so important and valuable is that the value of your Ultimate Rewards points depends on the card that you earn them on. If you only have a no-fee Chase card like the card_name or card_name, then your points are only worth 1 cent each. But if you have a premium card like the card_name or card_name, then your points become worth 1.25 cents per point. So if you already have a lot of Ultimate Rewards that you’ve earned with a Freedom Flex or other no-fee Chase card, then applying for the Sapphire Preferred not only lets you bonus_miles, but it makes all of your EXISTING points worth 25% more. Having a premium Chase card like the Sapphire Preferred also unlocks the ability to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Chase’s hotel and airline transfer partners.

Points for those who have the card_name are worth 1.5 cents per point. Unfortunately, you can’t hold both the Sapphire Reserve and the Sapphire Preferred at the same time. But if you have a spouse or partner who does have the Sapphire Reserve, then you should be able to combine points with them. That might make the welcome bonus worth $1,000 or more.

Primary Car Rental Insurance

Another great reason to have the card_name is for the car rental insurance. Like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Sapphire Preferred has outstanding car rental insurance. Paying for a rental car with the Sapphire Reserve saved my parents nearly $1000 when they ran into problems with their rental car. The best part about the rental insurance with the Sapphire Preferred is that it’s primary, unlike the insurance with many other credit cards. That means that it comes into play before you would be required to make a claim with your own auto insurer.

Other card_name Benefits

Besides primary car rental insurance, some of the other benefits that come with the card are:

• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Unlock 1:1 point transfers to Chase’s hotel and airline travel partners
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
• Baggage Delay Insurance
• Earn 5x points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025
• Complimentary access to DashPass
• $10 monthly statement credit from Gopuff.
• 6 months of complimentary Instacart+ if you activate by July 31, 2024. Plus, Instacart+ members earn up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
• No foreign transaction fees
• annual_fees

If you use the $50 hotel credit, that more than cuts the annual fee in half

The Bottom Line

If you’re eligible to get the welcome bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you should highly consider it. This is one of the best offers that we’ve ever seen, on any card. In order to be eligible for the bonus you must:

• Be under Chase 5/24
• Not be a current cardholder of any Chase Sapphire card – aka the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Not have received a new member bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months

KEY LINK: card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees

If you have any questions about this offer or want to talk over how it might work for you, please email me at dan at pointswithacrew dot com. I am more than happy to talk to anyone about this or any other offer and how it might work for you.

Are you planning on applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred with its outstanding welcome offer? Leave a note in the comments.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card gets a bit of a bad rap in the miles and points community.  I get the sense that it’s widely panned by some, because it’s very (VERY) widely mentioned by many travel bloggers.  It gets to the point where sometimes it feels like every post by some folks, no matter what the question or topic, ends up with the answer being APPLY FOR THE CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED CARD!

But, there are valid reasons to talk about the card_name card – if you’re just starting out in the miles and points world and wanting to use your good credit to help you travel more, the Chase Sapphire Preferred can make a lot of sense as your first card.

Getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred card as a first card

Amongst my family and friends, I am known as the “credit card guy”.  I suspect if you’re reading this blog, that probably applies to many of you as well. It is not uncommon that friends or co-workers will ask me my opinion of what credit card to get.

Typically, this is someone who is not really interested into getting into MY lifestyle and signing up for multiple credit cards at a time, but is just looking for 1 or maybe 2 cards to take a specific trip, and even that’s only after I make them decide on where they want to go FIRST. And of course making sure that they are already in solid financial health where they have the  ability and financial discipline to pay off their bills in full EVERY month.

I’d say that in over 75% of the cases, the card_name is the card (or one of the cards) I recommend they get

Why Chase Sapphire Preferred?

What are some of the reasons I find myself generally recommending the Chase Sapphire Preferred as a “first” card?

1. Usually gives a very good signup bonus (currently you can bonus_miles after meeting the minimum spending requirement)
2. Reasonable annual fee (currently annual_fees )
3. Many folks I talk to already have a Chase Freedom Flex or card_name as their “go to” card.  So signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card lets you use those Ultimate Rewards you might ALREADY have with your Chase Freedom Flex or Chase Freedom Unlimited by transferring them to travel partners (instead of only using them for statement credits at 1 cent per point)
4. It allows you to get a valuable signup bonus without locking you in to a particular hotel or airline.  You can use your Chase Ultimate Rewards to transfer to British Airways (for my friend who is always flying to New York) or United or Southwest or Hyatt (or some combination of the above!)
5. Plus if you ARE later going to get into multiple credit cards, the Chase 5/24 rule might make it more difficult to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred card later on

Comparing Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Chase Sapphire Reserve

I originally wrote this post right after the card_name came out a few years ago.  It seemed like the entire miles and points world had their head asplode.  I do agree that the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a very good card, and for people with a basic understanding of miles and points, it definitely makes sense.

(SEE ALSO: I just got a Chase Sapphire Reserve (and didn’t even get the signup bonus))

(SEE ALSO: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Chase Sapphire Preferred card)

But I’m not sure I feel comfortable recommending the Chase Sapphire Reserve card as someone’s first miles and points card to get.  I think that the annual_fees annual fee (although possibly offset by annual $300 travel credits) has a high chance to be wasted, either from forgetting about the $300 travel credits, or by not redeeming them correctly.  Remember that annual_fees comes due right off the top on your first statement.  So while I do think the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a good one, it’s not one I’d recommend for beginners or other people starting out.

The CSR is a little bit less attractive now than it was last summer as the $300 travel credit is now by cardmember year instead of calendar year (preventing you from double dipping the first year) and also the signup bonus is down.

The Bottom Line

KEY LINK: card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees

So why does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card get so much press? Undoubtedly at least part of it is due to affiliate relationships, where people receive a commission for people that sign up through the card.  If you want to apply for this or any other top travel cards and support PWaC, you can find apply for the card_name here.  And just because people like to talk about it doesn’t mean that it’s not a good card.

As always, please understand the risks of credit cards before you apply for one, and DO NOT SIGN UP FOR A CREDIT CARD JUST BECAUSE SOME GUY ON THE INTERNET SAID SO.

The Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is one of the best cards in the market currently for businesses. If you are under the dreaded 5/24, I highly recommend you grab this card at its current bonus. Here are 3 reasons why you should add the Chase Ink Business Preferred to your wallet.

If you are already interested, we would be extremely appreciative if you use our link. We may receive a commission if you’re approved for the card through our link

card_name

Reason #1 – High Sign Up Bonus

The Chase Ink Business Preferred allows you to bonus_miles_full. Those Ultimate Rewards points can easily be worth over $1,000.

These Ultimate Rewards can be transferred to partners such as United Airlines, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Hyatt Hotels, Marriott Bonvoy, Singapore KrisFlyer, and British Airways Avios just to name a few.

Reason #2  – Earning Categories

Many credit cards in the market currently have very robust earning charts. However, the Chase Ink Business Preferred keeps it simple and to the point.

• 3 points per dollar on travel
• 3 points per dollar on business expenses (shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines)
• Note that the 3 points per dollar bonus amount is only on the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year in combined purchases on travel and business expenses
• 1 point per dollar on all other expenses

Reason #3 – Protection Of Valuables

I find this to be some of the highest coverage offered currently.

• Cell Phone Protection. If something happens to your phone and you are paying the bill with your Chase Ink Business Preferred, it is eligible for protection.
• Primary Car Rental Insurance. If your rental car is damage and you have declined the insurance from the rental car company, you are eligible for this. My parents saved over $900 with a Chase rental car claim when they ran into problems with their car in Scotland.

• Trip Delay & Cancellation Insurance. Travel can sometimes go awry. If you have fallen sick or weather gets in the way, this insurance could prove to be helpful.
• Travel Accident Insurance. Hopefully you never have to use this. But if you do, the coverage is quite large. It is listed as up to $500,000 for accident death or dismemberment on a common carrier.

Final Thoughts on the card_name

If you are a small business owner, this card could serve your business well! Not only is the card a great addition to your wallet, but small promotions like bonus stars at Starbucks make it that much better. And if you are already collecting Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can combine them!

If you are interested in earning these points & perks, you can learn more here –

card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees

(Update 5/13 – I’ve been told that the current welcome offer on the Sapphire Preferred is ending soon. I don’t know when exactly, but if you’ve had your eye on getting the 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points, you might consider acting soon)

I generally believe there are three reasons to apply for and keep a credit card.

First is any welcome offer on the card.

The second reason is if the card has attractive spending categories.

The final reason is any ongoing benefits you receive for having the card.

Most credit cards check at least one of these boxes, but it’s rare that a card will check all three. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card, with its current welcome offer allowing you to bonus_miles, checks maybe 2 and a half. It has a great welcome offer and excellent ongoing benefits. The rewards you get from ongoing spending are okay but not extraordinary. Still, the welcome offer alone makes it worth considering.

Outstanding Welcome Offer

The biggest reason to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred card right now is that its welcome offer is at an increased level. The Chase Sapphire Preferred was one of the first credit cards I ever got, and the signup bonus was 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points. That was 6 or 7 years ago, and over time, the welcome offer on the Sapphire Preferred has gradually continued to go up and up. First we saw 50,000 points, then 60,000 and then 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points. We have seen it go as high as 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points but I don’t know if or when that offer will ever come back.

Now you can bonus_miles_full And if you have a spouse with a Chase Sapphire Reserve card, it could be worth even more. And even better, you can often get even more value by transferring to Chase’s travel partners. Like the time I turned 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points into a $6,500 train trip.

Combining Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Another great reason to consider signing up for the card_name is the ability to combine Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can combine your Ultimate Rewards points that you’ve earned on different cards, and you can also combine points with authorized users on your account. That makes it fairly straightforward to combine points between spouses / partners as well.

The reason this is so important and valuable is that the value of your Ultimate Rewards points depends on the card that you earn them on. If you only have a no-fee Chase card like the card_name or card_name, then your points are only worth 1 cent each. But if you have a premium card like the card_name or card_name, then your points become worth 1.25 cents per point. So if you already have a lot of Ultimate Rewards that you’ve earned with a Freedom Flex or other no-fee Chase card, then applying for the Sapphire Preferred not only lets you bonus_miles, but it makes all of your EXISTING points worth 25% more. Having a premium Chase card like the Sapphire Preferred also unlocks the ability to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Chase’s hotel and airline transfer partners.

Points for those who have the card_name are worth 1.5 cents per point. Unfortunately, you can’t hold both the Sapphire Reserve and the Sapphire Preferred at the same time. But if you have a spouse or partner who does have the Sapphire Reserve, then you should be able to combine points with them. That might make the welcome bonus worth $1,000 or more.

Primary Car Rental Insurance

Another great reason to have the Sapphire Preferred is for the car rental insurance. Like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Sapphire Preferred has outstanding car rental insurance. Paying for a rental car with the Sapphire Reserve saved my parents nearly $1000 when they ran into problems with their rental car. The best part about the rental insurance with the Sapphire Preferred is that it is primary, unlike the insurance with many other credit cards. That means that it comes into play before you would be required to make a claim with your own auto insurer.

Flexibility of Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards

I think Chase Ultimate Rewards are the best miles and points currency out there, and one reason for that is how flexible they are. You can redeem them for travel (with a 25% bonus if you have the Sapphire Preferred). Sometimes that is the best way to use your Ultimate Rewards points. You can also transfer them to travel partners like United, Hyatt, Marriott and others. I have earned and redeemed hundreds of thousands of Ultimate Rewards points over the last few years and they have had a huge impact on our family’s ability to travel for free / cheap.

The Bottom Line

KEY LINK: card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees

If you’re eligible to get the welcome bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you should highly consider it. This is an outstanding offer. In order to be eligible for the bonus you must:

• Be under Chase 5/24
• Not be a current cardholder of any Chase Sapphire card – aka the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Not have received a new member bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months

If you have any questions about this offer or want to talk over how it might work for you, please email me at dan at pointswithacrew dot com. I am more than happy to talk to anyone about this or any other offer and how it might work for you.

Are you planning on applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred with its current welcome offer? Leave a note in the comments.

• • card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
  • card_name – bonus_miles_full. annual_fees

“What credit card should I get?” Lots of people wonder which card to sign up for when starting the pursuit of points and miles. The Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred have long been frontrunners in this discussion. We first compared the two cards in 2019. Then we updated the scorecard last year as the value proposition for each card had changed. With some recent changes, it’s time to revisit the standoff between the Venture and Preferred yet again.

I’ve had both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture cards and so has my wife. The Preferred was one of the first credit cards I ever signed up for. I signed up for the Sapphire Preferred as well as two Southwest cards and used those to get my first ever Southwest Companion Pass. Then used 170,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points to fly our family of 8 to Reno – our very first use of miles and points back in 2014.

In 2019, Capital One made some enhancements to the Venture card offering that gave the CSP a run for its money. In 2020, it was pretty clear that the CSP had the upper hand. However, as I recently pointed out, the Venture has made some positive changes. So I thought that it was time to revisit these two mid-range cards to see if one is better.  Let’s review the details.

card_name vs. card_name: Annual fee

• The Capital One Venture is $95 for the first year.
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred is $95 for the first year.

Winner: This is a tie obviously. At one point, the Venture card waived the annual fee for the first year, but that is no longer the case.

Comparing the welcome offers

The current Capital One Venture welcome offer is 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account. The Venture has had a sweeter offer of 100,000 bonus miles after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months of opening an account, but unfortunately that offer is no longer available.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred allows you to bonus_miles_full.

Winner: Tie. Obviously the welcome offers on the cards change over time, so you can argue a slight edge to one card vs. the other depending on where the welcome offers currently sit. Remember too that Ultimate Rewards can be redeemed for 1.25 cents per point with the Sapphire Preferred as compared to 1 cents per mile for Venture Rewards miles. Capital One has massively increased the value of miles by adding transfer partners and increasing the transfer rate for some current partners. Which transfer partners are better will depend on how and with whom you want to travel – I’ve gotten outstanding value from transferring Venture miles to Wyndham for Vacasa vacations.

Rewards

The Venture card earns 2 miles per dollar spent. This applies to every purchase, every day.

The CSP card has a tiered earning structure. You’ll earn:

• 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit.
• 2x on other travel purchases
• 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out.
• 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
• 3x points on select streaming services.
• 1x points on all other purchases

Winner: Edge to Venture.  If you use your card for dining, online grocery purchases or travel, then the earnings on the CSP may be better. However, the Venture provides 2x miles on all purchases and is great for those who want to simplify their award earnings. It’s certainly EASIER to maximize your points and value with the Venture. All points earn the 2x miles and can be redeemed for most any travel if you decide to do that instead of transferring the miles.

Redemptions and transfers

The Venture allows you to use miles to “erase” travel purchases from your activity at a 1 cent per mile ratio.  There is a lot of flexibility for redemptions. Most types of travel will qualify.  You can also transfer to 19 Capital One travel partners. While this was previously at a 2:1.5 ratio (or worse), Capital One did recently up the transfer ratio to 1:1 for most partner programs. This update offers a lot more potential value for Venture card holders. In addition, the simplicity of the program when redeeming for travel purchases is good for newbies. It’s also great for those who are heavy into the miles game already but need a card that has added flexibility. In 2019, we used AA miles to book flights to Europe and used the Venture card to absorb the taxes and fees.  If you redeem for cash the miles are worth 0.5 cents each…don’t do this.

CSP gives you a redemption value of 1.25 cents per point when booking through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal.  This is now run by Expedia. You can also transfer UR points to 13 travel partners.  If you decide to redeem for cash the value is 1 cent each.

Winner: Too Close to Call. With the addition of travel partners, improved transfer rates and the simplicity of erasing the travel purchases, the Venture card gives the CSP run for its money. Previously, more experienced travel hackers may have found better opportunities for transfers or redemptions with the CSP. The Venture card has certainly stepped up their offering for those looking to maximize redemption sweet spots. The CSP does offer the flexibility of the Pay Yourself Back option which provides a lot of value for redemptions. This makes it easier for less frequent travelers to benefit. It was also a valuable benefit during the pandemic for those who were traveling less often.

Other benefits of the cards

My favorite ancillary benefit to the Venture card is the statement credit of up to $100 for a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application. Besides this, it offers benefits such as a “Credit Wise” credit score tracker, secondary auto rental coverage, travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, no foreign transaction fees and extended warranty protection. They will also be opening airport lounges in Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington Dulles in the near future. One downside is that Capital One pulls credit reports from all 3 bureaus. You’ll also get two complimentary visits per year to Plaza Premium Lounges or Capital One Lounges, including the outstanding Capital One lounge in DFW (pictured below).

The Preferred has a ton of travel benefits for its $95 annual fee. These include primary CDW on car rentals, $10,000 in trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, travel accident insurance, lost luggage insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and extended warranty protection among others. In addition, cardholders can get a $60 credit on an eligible Peleton Digital or All-Access Membership. Lastly, the CSP provides one-year DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated through the end of 2021.

Winner: Depends. If you need Global Entry or TSA Precheck, the Venture is pretty compelling here. Otherwise, if you are looking for top tier ongoing benefits at the $95 annual fee charge, the Preferred has a leg up.

And the winner is…

The Chase Sapphire Preferred! When we first wrote this post back a few years ago, the Sapphire Preferred came out on top. Then when the bonus on the Sapphire Preferred went down, it was back to the Venture card. But with the current bonus levels, I think we are back to the Sapphire Preferred. The Venture card has drastically improved the value proposition compared to last year. For years, I recommended the CSP card due to its great benefits and low annual fee. In 2019, Capital One made some adjustments that led to the Venture card offering a great value. These changes gave the CSP a run for its money.

KEY LINKS

• card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
• card_name – bonus_miles_full. annual_fees

The Chase Sapphire Preferred certainly offers and it is also a great card to hold over the long run due to the slightly better benefits. It could make sense to get both cards if you utilize the Global Entry/TSA Pre benefit of the Venture. However, the caveat is that you need to get approved for both, hit both sign up bonuses, and make sure to avoid carrying a balance.  This will give you the maximum flexibility when it comes to redemptions, transfer partners, and earning options. With that being said both cards offer a ton of value for the $95 annual fee and would be a great addition to your wallet.

Which card would you pick between the Capital One Venture and Chase Sapphire Preferred? Is there another card that is better than both of these? Leave a comment below and let us know why!

• card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
• card_name – bonus_miles_full. annual_fees

There are two Chase personal credit cards that Chase Sapphire Reserve card.  It is certainly a premium card, and not one that I would recommend most beginners signing up for.  I thought it might be a good idea to do a comparison of the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Chase Sapphire Preferred card, so if you’re looking to get one of these 2 cards, this comparison of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred card might help

Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Signup bonus

The signup bonuses for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards vary over time.

Currently, the welcome offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card allows you to bonus_miles, while the welcome offer on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card allows you to bonus_miles.

ADVANTAGE: Chase Sapphire Preferred (though that may change over time depending on the current bonuses above)

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Ultimate Rewards redemptions

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card gives you 1.25 cents per point when redeeming travel at the Ultimate Rewards portal

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card gives you a value of 1.5 cents per point

(SEE ALSO: Why it pays to check the Chase Ultimate Rewards mall before transferring points)

Both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred card have the advantage over just having a card_name card, which only gives a value of 1 cent per point, whether it’s on travel purchases through the Ultimate Rewards mall or just as statement credits.

ADVANTAGE: Chase Sapphire Reserve card

Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Transfer partners

Although the Chase Sapphire Reserve has an advantage over the Chase Sapphire Preferred card when redeeming through the Ultimate Rewards mall, the real value of both cards is their ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards to partners, such as United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Hyatt Hotels and more.

ADVANTAGE: Even (both cards have the same transfer partners)

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card vs Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Category spending bonuses

Comparing the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Reserve in terms of their category spending bonuses, they share some of the same category bonuses.

For the Sapphire Preferred:

• 5 points per $1 spent on all travel purchased through the Ultimate Rewards portal
• 3 points per $1 spent on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout).
• 3 points per $1 spent on select streaming services.
• 3 points per $1 spent on online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
• 2 points per $1 spent on travel not purchased through the Ultimate Rewards portal
• 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.

The Sapphire Reserve offers:

• 10 points per $1 spent on Chase Dining purchased through the Ultimate Rewards portal
• 10 points per $1 spent on hotel stays and car rentals purchased through the Ultimate Rewards portal
• 5 points per $1 spent on air travel purchased through the Ultimate Rewards portal
• 3 points per $1 spent on travel and dining not booked with Chase.
• 1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.

WEAK ADVANTAGE: Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card

Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Other benefits

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers primary rental car insurance, no foreign transaction fees, trip cancellation insurance, trip delay reimbursement and baggage delay coverage

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has all of the above PLUS

• $300 annual travel credit, applied automatically to anything in the travel category
• $100 reimbursement for Global Entry
• Priority Pass airport lounge access

BIG ADVANTAGE: Chase Sapphire Reserve 

Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Annual Fee

I saved the big one for last, of course.  With all those additional benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve also comes with a hefty annual_fees annual fee, and an additional fee for additional authorized users (who don’t end up with many of the benefits).  In contrast, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a annual_fees annual fee.  No additional fee for authorized users.

Yes, some of the extra fee can be covered by the $300 annual travel credit (above under other benefits), but $300 in travel credits is NOT the same as $300 in cash.

HUGE advantage to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card

The Bottom Line: Comparing the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

KEY LINKS:

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Deciding whether to get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes down to what you’re looking for in a card.  I always recommend that you first figure out WHAT TO DO with your miles and points BEFORE applying for a card.

To me, if you were just starting out, or relatively new to miles and points, I would recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred card

(SEE ALSO: Why I keep recommending the Chase Sapphire Preferred for people starting out)

If you’re more experienced, and feel confident in the system you have in place that the annual_fees annual fee will not be wasted, then the Chase Sapphire Reserve card becomes more attractive. Certainly, other than the annual fee, there’s no arguing with the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits.

What is your take? Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve? Leave your vote in the comments below

KEY LINKS

• American Express Delta Gold card – 70,000 Skymiles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months. $0 annual fee the first year, then $99
• American Express Delta Gold business card – 75,000 Skymiles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. $0 annual fee the first year, then $99
• American Express Delta Platinum card – 90,000 Skymiles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. $250 annual fee
• American Express Delta Platinum business card – 90,000 Skymiles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. $250 annual fee
• American Express Delta Reserve card – 95,000 Skymiles after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months. $550 annual fee

You can find all of these offers on our top credit card offers page. They are under either the airline cards or business cards section

They’re baaaaack!

The increased Delta American Express card offers we’ve seen a number of time over the past few years are here again, but some with a slight twist. There are offers on all “flavors” of the card (except the Blue), including the Gold, Platinum and Reserve. If you’re finding yourself short of Skymiles, then this could be good news.

Delta Gold Skymiles personal card offer

The current offer is for 70,000 bonus Skymiles which is close to if not the highest offer we’ve seen.

Offer details:

• Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Read more and learn how to apply here.
• Annual fee is waived the first year ($99 thereafter)
• Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• 15% off Delta-operated award flights
• Free first checked bag on Delta flights

This is a great card to pick up if you want Skymiles for no out of pocket cost.

Delta Gold Skymiles business card offer

The current offer is for 75,000 bonus Skymiles.

Offer details:

Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Read more and learn how to apply here.

• Annual fee is waived the first year ($99 thereafter)
• Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• 15% off Delta-operated award flights
• Free first checked bag on Delta flights

You are eligible for the Delta Gold Skymiles business card offer if you’ve never had the Delta Gold business card before, EVEN if you have had the Delta Gold personal card.

(SEE ALSO: Can you get a business credit cards even if you don’t (really) have a business?)

Delta Platinum Skymiles personal card offer

The Delta Platinum is back with another outstanding sign-up bonus offer:

• Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you make $4,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 3 months. Read more and learn how to apply here.
• After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year
• $250 annual fee
• Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• 15% off Delta-operated award flights
• Free first checked bag on Delta flights
• Annual companion certificate for domestic main cabin fares (some restrictions)

It’s possible that this offer is less desirable than the one I signed up for which was for 70,000 bonus miles and 10,000 bonus MQMs. But for most folks, the redeemable miles are probably more valuable. This welcome offer is worth at least $1,000, in my opinion.

Delta Platinum Skymiles business card offer

The Delta Platinum is back with the highest sign-up bonus I’ve seen:

• Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you make $4,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 3 months. Read more and learn how to apply here.
• After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year
• $250 annual fee
• Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• 15% off Delta-operated award flights
• Free first checked bag on Delta flights
• Annual companion certificate for domestic main cabin fares (some restrictions)

You are eligible for the Delta Platinum Skymiles business card offer if you’ve never had the Platinum Delta business card before, EVEN if you have had the Delta Platinum personal card.

(SEE ALSO: Can you get a business credit cards even if you don’t (really) have a business?)

Delta Reserve card offer

The Reserve is the huge offer of the bunch. Often, the offer is super low for redeemable miles, although the card often gives you some MQMs after the initial spend as well. In this case, no MQMs are awarded initially, but far more redeemable miles. You do also have the ability to earn MQMs with additional spending. Here are the details:

• Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Read more and learn how to apply here.
• Delta SkyClub access for the primary cardmember when traveling on Delta flights
• After you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 15,000 MQMs up to four times per year
• $550 annual fee
• Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• 15% off Delta-operated award flights
• Free first checked bag on Delta flights
• Annual companion certificate for main cabin or first class fares (some restrictions)

The main perk of this card is Delta SkyClub access, but at a significant annual cost. It makes way more sense to pick up the card, however, than to simply buy a lounge membership, if that is something you would normally do. If you book paid first class fares, the companion certificate is also very valuable. This is definitely a card for the elite Delta flyer, unless you’re just eyeing the sign up bonus worth at least $1,200 in my opinion.

Which one is best?

This all really depends on which you’ve had and what your plans are. Remember that American Express has a once-per-lifetime rule for their card products. As I’ve had every version Gold and Platinum cards, both personal and business, I’m only eligible for the Reserve. The fee is the huge turnoff, although this offer is amazing. If I knew I’d be flying Delta as much as I did last year for work, I might bite the bullet and jump on it.

If you’re looking for an entry-level card with a solid bonus, the Gold is for you. If you’re already a Delta flyer and don’t have the Platinum, that one is probably the better pick if you can use the MQMs and the annual certificate. If you fly Delta weekly for work and don’t have the Reserve in your wallet (or some other option to access a Delta lounge), it might deserve a place. You could definitely eat and drink back that $550.

Again, here are the key links

• American Express Delta Gold card – 70,000 Skymiles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months. $0 annual fee the first year, then $99
• American Express Delta Gold business card – 75,000 Skymiles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. $0 annual fee the first year, then $99
• American Express Delta Platinum card – 90,000 Skymiles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. $250 annual fee
• American Express Delta Platinum business card – 90,000 Skymiles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. $250 annual fee
• American Express Delta Reserve card – 95,000 Skymiles after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months. $550 annual fee

Planning on taking advantage of any of these all-time high offers? Let us know which one in the comments!

We talk a lot about credit cards and welcome offers here, because that is one of the best ways to get a lot of points quickly. It’s too hard to get any appreciable amount of points when you only earn them 1 or 2 per dollar, unless you have a LOT of spending. We just did a rundown of the 3 different IHG cards a few weeks ago

(SEE ALSO: Which IHG credit card is the best?)

Today we’re going to look at the IHG Traveler credit card, which is IHG’s credit card option with no annual fee. The IHG Traveler card can make sense for you if you’re looking to pick up a bunch of IHG points without paying an annual fee

(SEE ALSO: 13 cards I’ll consider paying the annual fee on)

IHG Traveler Welcome Bonus

Previously, the welcome bonus on the IHG Traveler card has fluctuated between 60,000 and 100,000 points. IHG has recently upped the offer so that you get 120,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months of having the card. IHG points aren’t as valuable as some other types of miles and points, but if you figure a value of around 0.7 cents per point, that still means this signup bonus is worth $840. And that’s not even including the fact that you’ll get the fourth night free when redeeming awards and IHG Gold status.

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The IHG Traveler credit card is the no annual fee IHG credit card that is a potential option for people that don’t want to pay annual fees. My favorite place to use my IHG points so far was at the Holiday Inn Resort in Jamaica (pictured above)

(SEE ALSO: Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay Jamaica review)

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• 1 free night certificate after each anniversary
• 4th night free when redeeming points
• 5X points on IHG stays
• 3X points on dining, utilities, select streaming services, and at gas stations
• 2X points on all other purchases
• IHG Gold Elite status
• NO annual fee

Best for: People under 5/24 who are looking for an IHG credit card with no annual fee

Which IHG card is the best?

As I mentioned in my post the other day, there are currently 3 IHG credit cards, the IHG Premier (that we’re talking about here), the IHG Premier Business and the no-fee IHG Traveler. Currently, the free night for the first year is only on the IHG Premier card – the IHG Premier Business card offers a free night, but only on your card anniversary. The IHG Traveler card does not currently offer a free night certificate. All 3 cards offer the 4th night free on award stays.

If you don’t have any IHG credit card right now, my recommendation would be to get the IHG Premier card. It has a great welcome bonus and the annual free night certificate is (for me)  easily worth the $99 annual fee. If you already have that card, then consider the IHG Premier Business credit card. If you don’t feel comfortable applying for a business credit card and you don’t want to pay the fee of the IHG Premier credit card, then you might consider the no-fee IHG Traveler credit card, though IMO it’s barely worth a 5/24 slot (if at all). The terms of the Premier and Traveler card both say that you can’t get the card if you have the other.

As always, don’t apply for a credit card just because some guy on the internet said you should, but if you are planning on applying and would like to support the site, we appreciate it.

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Are you planning on getting the Chase IHG Traveler Credit Card?

KEY LINKS:

• card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
• card_name – bonus_miles_full. annual_fees
• card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
• card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees

I’ve often said that the best way to get a good number of points is through judicious credit card signups. If you find that you are putting all of your spending on your one airline or rewards credit card but not actually getting enough points for any trips, you might want to take a closer look at periodically signing up for new credit cards. As long as you have the financial ability and discipline to pay off your credit cards in full, each and every month, I think that most people could sign up for a new card every few months without having any real effect to your credit score.

(SEE ALSO: 5 myths about credit and your credit score) 

Today I wanted to take a look at four of the Chase Ink credit cards. All of them have increased signup bonuses worth several hundred dollars and maybe even close to $1,000 or more. All of these cards are considered “small business” credit cards, but you may have a business even if you don’t think you do. And I would say that if you are ignoring the small business cards and only applying for personal credit cards, you are doing yourself a disservice by passing up on half of the available credit card bonus offers.

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The first card to look at is the Chase Ink Unlimited. The Ink Unlimited has a very simple earning structure. You’ll get 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on the card (marketed as 1.5% cash back). If you don’t have a premium Chase card (like the Sapphire Reserve or Ink Preferred), then your points are worth just 1 cent per point. But if you do have a premium card, you can transfer your Chase points that you earn with the Ink Unlimited and get 25% or 50% extra value.

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• 1.5X Ultimate Rewards points on all purchases
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• Primary Car Rental Damage Insurance when traveling for business (so you can decline the car rental company’s insurance)
• No annual fee

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The Chase Ink Cash is another no-fee option. Rather than earning 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar, you’ll get 5X at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services, and 2x at gas stations and restaurants. So depending on your spending patterns, you may find that you’ll come out ahead with the Ink Cash instead of the Ink Unlimited. You can also consider having both cards – that way you can use the Ink Cash where it gets a spending bonus and the Ink Unlimited everywhere else.

Just like with the Ink Cash, if you don’t have a premium Chase card (like the Sapphire Reserve or Ink Preferred), then your points are worth just 1 cent per point. But if you do have a premium card, you can transfer your Chase points that you earn with the Ink Unlimited and get 25% or 50% extra value.

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• 5X at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services (up to $25,000 per year combined)
• 2X at gas stations and restaurants (up to $25,000 per year combined)
• Primary Car Rental Damage Insurance when traveling for business (so you can decline the car rental company’s insurance)
• No annual fee

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The Chase Ink Preferred comes with a $95 annual fee and is considered one of Chase’s premium travel cards. It also comes with a higher initial welcome bonus (100,000 Ultimate Rewards points) but also has a higher spending requirement ($15,000 in the first 3 months of having the card)

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• 3X points on shipping and advertising purchases, Internet, cable and phone services and travel (on the first $150,000 of purchases, then 1X)
• Redeem points for 1.25 cents per point through the Chase travel portal (25% bonus)
• Ability to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Chase travel partners including United Airlines, Hyatt Hotels and Southwest Airlines
• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance
• Primary Car Rental Damage Insurance when traveling for business (so you can decline the car rental company’s insurance)
• Cell Phone protection (if you pay your bill with the card)
• $annual_fees

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The Chase Ink Premier is the newest of the four Chase Ink cards and comes with a $195 annual fee. It also comes with a higher initial welcome bonus ($1,000) but also has a higher spending requirement ($10,000 in the first 3 months of having the card). The Chase Ink Premier is a bit different than the other Ink cards as it’s meant as a true cashback card. The Chase Ink Cash and Chase Ink Unlimited are MARKETED as cashback cards, but really the rewards they offer are actually Ultimate Rewards points. So while the Ink Unlimited says it offers 1.5% cash back, it’s actually 1.5X Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent.

The Chase Ink Premier is not like this. The rewards it earns are straight cashback and can’t be combined with Ultimate Rewards points that are earned by other Chase Ink cards.

• bonus_miles_full
• 2.5% cash back on large purchases over $5,000
• 2% cash back on all other purchases with no limit
• 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Can only redeem your points for cash back and can’t combine
• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance
• Primary Car Rental Damage Insurance when traveling for business (so you can decline the car rental company’s insurance)
• Cell Phone protection (if you pay your bill with the card)
• annual_fees

Which Chase Ink Card is Best?

Deciding which of these four Chase Ink credit cards is best for you will depend on your particular spending patterns. Of course $10,000 or $15,000 spending in only 3 months is quite a bit, so if you don’t feel like you can make that, the Ink Preferred and Ink Premier may not be great options for you. Even $6,000 in 3 months could be challenging for some people. If you can make the spending targets, I would consider the Ink Preferred if you don’t have another premium Chase credit card. Other than that, I would probably get the Ink Cash first and then the Ink Unlimited. Personally, I have both the Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited (along with the Sapphire Preferred).

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• card_name – bonus_miles_full annual_fees
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What about you? Do you have any of the Chase Ink cards? Which one do you think is best?