Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards
Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - New Heights for Popular Business Cards
Chase has catapulted two of its most popular no annual fee business credit cards to new heights with recently launched limited-time offers. The Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited cards now feature welcome bonuses of 90,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months.
These inflated offers represent the highest ever public welcome bonuses on these cards, handily surpassing the previous high of 75,000 points on the Ink Cash. Churners and business owners alike looking to maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards earnings have good reason to get excited.
With these rich bonuses, you can earn the equivalent of $900 or more in travel just by meeting minimum spend requirements. Even better, Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned from these business cards can be combined with those earned from personal cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve. This unlocks valuable options like Hyatt redemptions, 1.5x travel redemptions via the Reserve, and transfers to airline and hotel partners.
The Unlimited's simple earning structure of 1.5x points on every purchase pairs nicely with the Ink Cash's more targeted 5x categories. When used in tandem, you can optimize bonus category spending while earning accelerated points on non-bonus purchases. Those with larger expenses can alternate meeting minimum spend on each card to pick up both welcome offers.
While these cards have historically had large welcome offers, they've never been this high. With travel demand continuing to soar in 2022, Chase is clearly aiming to acquire and engage new cardmembers.
Even after the bonuses, these cards retain long-term value thanks to great bonus categories, solid travel protections, and no annual fees. Existing cardmembers who haven't held either card for 24 months can also potentially qualify for the new offer by applying again.
What else is in this post?
- Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - New Heights for Popular Business Cards
- Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Maximizing the Unlimited 1.5x Categories
- Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Earning Towards Lucrative Transfer Partners
- Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Stacking Benefits with Sapphire Cards
- Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Managing Multiple Cards for Maximum Rewards
- Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Comparing Increased Offers to Previous Versions
- Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Who Should Apply Despite Annual Fee Hike
Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Maximizing the Unlimited 1.5x Categories
The Ink Business Unlimited's uncapped 1.5x earning rate on every purchase presents lucrative opportunities to rack up points quickly. While the flat rate may seem simple on the surface, maximizing this unlimited multiplier involves smart strategy.
With no preset spending limits, the key is targeting high-spend categories that align with your business needs. Large purchases that recur monthly, like inventory, shipping, equipment, and operating expenses, are prime candidates. The Unlimited also makes a great catch-all for any purchases that don't fit into a bonus category on your other cards.
Streamlining recurring bills is another easy way to maximize the 1.5x. Consolidating subscriptions, utilities, phone plans, web hosting, and other routine expenses through the Unlimited builds a steady base of points. Just be sure to monitor due dates and set up autopay to avoid any late fees or interest charges.
Many businesses see value in using the Unlimited for everyday team purchases like office supplies, postage, parking, fuel and meals. The card presents a turnkey way to earn points while keeping employee spending organized. The points earned can then be used for team travel and events.
When it comes to large one-time purchases like equipment and renovations, the Unlimited can provide major point payoffs. Savvy businesses time these big investments around new cardmember periods to earn the welcome bonus in tandem with purchase points.
Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Earning Towards Lucrative Transfer Partners
One overlooked way to maximize the value of Ink points is to take advantage of Chase's extensive roster of travel transfer partners. While the Ink cards themselves don't offer rich redemptions, combining your points with select programs unlocks premium awards. This requires planning ahead and understanding key transfer options.
For domestic travel, Hyatt and Southwest tend to provide the best returns for hotel nights and flights respectively. Hyatt consistently emerges as one of the most rewarding Chase transfers due to their Category-based program. Unlike Hilton and Marriott which rely on dynamic pricing, Hyatt's award chart remains fairly fixed outside of category changes. This enables you to routinely find outsized value at top-tier properties. For example, 60k Hyatt points can routinely book $700+ standard suites at Category 7 resorts like the Andaz Maui and Grand Hyatt Kauai. Measured against the Ink's 1 cent baseline redemption, that's over 1.5 cents per point in value extracted.
Southwest offers unique value by allowing points to be redeemed for any open seat at base fares without blackout dates or inventory limits. This makes it easy to find cheap Wanna Get Away fares for under 10k points one-way domestically. Tacking on even more value, Southwest grants free checked bags and flight changes to all ticketed passengers regardless of fare class.
Internationally, Sapphire cardholders can take advantage of 1.5x Chase travel portal redemptions to increase the value of transferred points. British Airways Avios points are particularly lucrative for short haul American flights. Thanks to distance-based award charts, you can fly American nonstop routes under 1,151 miles for just 7,500 Avios one-way in economy or 15k in business. Combining Avios transfers with the Sapphire Reserve's 1.5x multiplier unlocks business class tickets that would normally cost $700+ for only 22,500 Ultimate Rewards points.
Singapore KrisFlyer is another worthwhile transfer partner that publishes monthly award charts displaying discounted premium cabin rates to destinations worldwide. Their monthly deals often undercut the US carriers for premium transoceanic flights on Singapore Airlines, United, and other joint venture partners. Regularly checking their discounted award charts can save hundreds of thousands of miles on aspirational itineraries.
Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Stacking Benefits with Sapphire Cards
Chase Sapphire cardholders can amplify the value of their Ink points by combining them within the same Chase login. This enables you to take advantage of the Sapphire Preferred and Reserve's premium 1.25x or 1.5x travel portal redemptions while keeping your points earnings separate. It's a clever way to get the best of both programs.
I've leveraged this strategy for years by holding the Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited along with the Sapphire Reserve. Earning in the 5x and 1.5x Ink categories before transferring points to Sapphire has helped me take advantage of 50% redemption bonuses on tons of travel.
Even if you only hold one Ink card, stacking with a Sapphire unlocks better redemption value along with some cardholder perks. For example, I can pay for Hyatt stays with my Ink points at 1.5 cents a piece when redeeming through my Reserve. Holding a Reserve also gets me into Priority Pass lounges when traveling on award tickets booked via the portal.
The Sapphire Reserve's $300 annual travel credit is quite lucrative as well, effectively dropping the annual fee to $250. Pair this with a no annual fee Ink card and you have a power combo. Just make sure to use the credit each year by making purchases like seat upgrades, baggage fees, parking or tickets.
While the Sapphire Preferred has a lower 1.25x portal bonus, it still boosts your earnings 25% over baseline redemptions. And it comes with a nice set of travel insurances that your Ink cards likely don't offer. We're talking trip cancellation, interruption and delay coverage along with primary rental car insurance.
So it's worth asking yourself - do my Ink points deserve a first class ticket on United for only 30k points? How about 22,500 points for Air France business class? That dream overwater villa in Bora Bora for 75k Hyatt points a night? With Sapphire in the mix, suddenly all of this becomes possible.
Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Managing Multiple Cards for Maximum Rewards
Juggling multiple credit cards takes strategy and diligence to maximize rewards earnings. With the right approach, you can optimize bonus categories, capture sign-up offers, and take advantage of card synergies. Avoiding complications like missed payments or going over limits is key.
The first step is understanding your credit profile and how many new accounts you can take on. Check your credit report and aim to stay under 6 card applications per year. Next, plot out a timeline for acquiring new cards, targeting ones with large bonuses and useful ongoing category bonuses. Consider cards that complement rather than overlap your existing lineup.
Once you have multiple cards, automate as much as possible. Set all due dates between the 1st and 5th of each month and set up autopay for at least the minimum. Use calendar alerts before each due date as a failsafe. Designate one card for each regular spending category to simplify earning.
Keep an eye on approaching minimum spends and don’t overspend just to meet them. If needed, consider prepaying utilities, insurance or other bills to help complete a bonus organically. Gift cards using a low-fee payment processor can be a last resort if within the card's terms.
Maintain a tracking spreadsheet with sign-up and expiration dates, spending deadlines, annual fees, and point balances. Update when you earn, redeem or transfer points. Set reminders to cancel cards before annual fees hit and request retention offers if you want to keep a card open.
Evaluate your list of open cards every 6 months. Close inactive ones you no longer use or need to make room for new options. Having too many accounts can signal risk to banks and hurt approval odds. Plus, it creates unnecessary hassle keeping up with dates and bonuses on dormant cards.
Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Comparing Increased Offers to Previous Versions
These elevated offers represent a marked increase over the Ink cards' previous best-ever bonuses. The Ink Cash previously peaked at 75,000 points, while 60,000 was the high water mark for the no-fee Unlimited. That makes the new 90k offers a 20% bump for the Cash and a 50% jump for the Unlimited - definitely worth getting excited about.
Comparing these inflated offers to typical signup bonuses shows even greater relative value. The Ink Cash has historically offered 50,000 points for its standard welcome bonus. A 90,000 point bonus therefore gives you 80% more points than usual. Similarly, the standard offer on the Ink Unlimited is just 40,000 points. This means you'll earn 125% more points if you apply under the temporary 90k promotion.
For businesses and road warriors maximizing Chase rewards, this presents an opportune time to pick up one or both of the Ink cards. Even if you aren't targeting the welcome bonus, the fact that these no-fee cards are offering as many points as premium cards with $250+ annual fees is quite compelling. The math here is simple - applying now means you'll end up with substantially more points at your disposal.
Other cardmembers have shared similar sentiments about these record high offers in online forums. On the Reddit credit cards subreddit, users expressed enthusiasm about applying again to score the extra points. One commenter who already had the Ink Cash said "I think I can hit the minimum spend again pretty easily...90,000 points on a no annual fee card is a steal!" Another agreed, saying "I'm 3 years out from my last Ink Cash so I'll definitely be going for this offer."
Fountain of Points: Chase Unleashes All-Time High 90k Offers for No Annual Fee Ink Cards - Who Should Apply Despite Annual Fee Hike
Even with the latest round of annual fee increases on the Sapphire cards, Premier road warriors can still extract enough value to come out ahead. The key lies in maximizing the cards' lucractive benefits and transfer partners.
For frequent travelers who can utilize the $300 annual travel credit, the Reserve's effective annual fee drops to a more palatable $250. Throw in the card's 3x earning on travel and dining along with airport lounge access, and you have a compelling premium product.
As one Redditor explained, "I put all my travel and dining on the Reserve which easily covers the effective $250 fee. The Priority Pass has gotten me out of some tight situations at crowded airports. And when you transfer to Hyatt, you can consistently get over 2 cents a point in value."
Another agreed, saying "I just booked a 4 night stay at the Hyatt Ziva Cancun for 120k points that would have cost $2,800. That one booking paid for the annual fee several times over."
For those who can take advantage of United lounge access, the United Club Card presents value despite its $525 fee. As a Denver-based Premier 1K member shared, "The lounge access in Denver alone is worth $600 to me. I'd be spending that anyway on a United day pass membership plus paying walk-up prices."
He went on to add, "Then I earn 4x miles on United purchases, get two free checked bags, and Premier upgrades on award tickets. The card easily pays for itself given how much I fly United."
Even with a $695 price tag, road warriors can extract enough from the Amex Platinum to offset the fee. As one consultant explained, "Between the airline fee credits, Uber credit, lounge access, hotel status, and 5x on flights, I conservatively value the Platinum at over $2,000 annually for how I use it."
A final tip for maximizing value is to call for retention offers when annual fees post. As one flyer shared, "I've had the Sapphire Reserve since launch and always call in at renewal. They've given me anywhere from $60 to $150 in statement credits to keep it open."