Chase Sapphire Preferred Vs. Ink Business Preferred: Which Is Better?

Link: Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Two of my favorite mid-range credit cards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (review). Both of these cards have “Preferred” in the name, and they also have quite a bit of overlap. In this post I wanted to compare the two cards, and talk about which makes the most sense depending on your situation.

Should you get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Or Ink Business Preferred?

The most basic difference between these cards is that the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a personal credit card, while the Ink Business Preferred is a small business credit card. As a result, you should use the cards for the appropriate spending.

I’d say the two cards could be complements or substitutes, depending on your spending patterns and your overall involvement in the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem.

Let’s compare various aspects of these two cards, including the welcome bonuses, eligibility, annual fees, rewards structures, redemption opportunities, and perks.

Comparing welcome bonuses

Both of these cards offer excellent welcome bonuses:

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred is offering a welcome bonus of 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within three months
• The Ink Business Preferred is offering a limited time welcome bonus of 120,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 within three months

Winner: The Ink Business Preferred has a much bigger welcome bonus at the moment, though the spending requirement is also higher. Still, that’s definitely the card to get at the moment.

Comparing eligibility

Credit card application restrictions are a major consideration for prospective cardmembers. In addition to Chase’s 5/24 rule (though that’s not necessarily consistently enforced anymore), there are some other things to keep in mind:

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus isn’t available to those who currently have any Chase Sapphire card, or those who have received a welcome bonus on any Chase Sapphire card in the past 48 months; so if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (review), you wouldn’t be eligible for this bonus
• The Ink Business Preferred bonus comes with few eligibility requirements, as it’s available even if you have the no annual fee Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (review) and/or Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (review), meaning you can earn all three bonuses

Winner: The Ink Business Preferred has the benefit of being available to those with other cards in the portfolio and with no formal waiting period for earning the bonus, while the Sapphire Preferred doesn’t have that benefit. However, be aware of the basics of applying for Chase business cards.

Comparing annual fees

Both cards have identical annual fees:

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee
• The Ink Business Preferred has a $95 annual fee

Winner: As you can tell, this is a tie, as both cards have identical annual fees.

Comparing rewards structures

Both cards have bonus categories, though the rewards structures are still very different:

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 3x points on dining, 3x points on online groceries and select streaming services, 2x points on travel, and 10% anniversary bonus points (calculated from base points earned)
• The Ink Business Preferred offers 3x points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases per account anniversary year on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising purchases on social media and search engine optimization.

Winner: I don’t think there’s an obvious answer here, and that it really depends on your spending profile. The Sapphire Preferred has some great bonus categories, but the Ink Business Preferred bonus categories are also awesome. I love how the Sapphire Preferred offers 3x points on dining, while I love how the Ink Preferred offers 3x points on travel.

Comparing points redemptions

For all practical purposes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred are identical when it comes to the ability to redeem points:

• Points with both cards can be transferred to the Ultimate Rewards airline & hotel partners, at a 1:1 ratio
• Points can be redeemed for 1.25 cents each toward the cost of a travel purchase through the Chase Travel Portal
• Both cards allow you to pool the points earned on other no annual fee Chase cards, like the Chase Freedom Flex^SM Credit Card (review) and Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review), so that you can maximize rewards

Winner: This is a tie, as redemption options are basically the same between the two cards.

Comparing perks & benefits

Both cards have different perks, which cardmembers will get different value out of:

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred has perks like a $50 annual hotel credit, primary rental car coverage, great travel protection, Instacart perks, DoorDash perks, and more
• The Ink Business Preferred offers perks like cell phone protection, primary rental car coverage, and great travel protection

Winner: While it depends on the consumer, I’d say the Sapphire Preferred has the slight edge here, for the hotel credit, Instacart, and DoorDash perks.

Which Chase “Preferred” card is better?

I’d argue that the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred are the two most well rounded cards out there with annual fees of under $100. I think there are merits to having both of these cards, and then complementing them with other no annual fee cards.

If I had to choose between these two cards, which would I pick?

• You can’t beat the welcome bonus on the Ink Business Preferred, which is massive
• The Chase Sapphire Preferred is awesome for offering 3x points on dining, while the Ink Business Preferred is awesome for offering 3x points on travel
• A major consideration is whether you are looking for a personal or business card; on balance I’d say the Ink Business Preferred is a slightly stronger card, but both are excellent

Personally I think there’s merit to having both of these cards, as you’ll pay under $200 in annual fees, and get lots of value. Another strategy could be to pick up the Chase Sapphire Reserve in place of the Chase Sapphire Preferred, as the perks-rich card offers a $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass membership, Chase Sapphire Lounge access, and much more.

Bottom line

The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred are both extremely compelling cards. Personally, I think there’s merit to having both of them, and which card makes the most sense for you depends on whether you need a personal or business card. Both are also excellent Ultimate Rewards “hub” cards, allowing you to maximize the value of other Chase cards, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited and Ink Business Unlimited.

Which Chase “Preferred” card do you prefer — the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred?