Amex Blue Business Cash vs. Chase Ink Business Unlimited

Both cards are the "set it and forget it" option for a small business: no annual fee, no categories to track, and one rate on almost everything. The difference is the shape of that rate. The American Express Blue Business Cash Card pays 2% cash back on the first $50,000 of eligible purchases each calendar year and 1% after that. The Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card pays 1.5% on every purchase with no cap.

That makes the core question simple: how much does your business put on one card in a year? The rest of this guide covers what changes the answer — welcome offers, how the rewards are paid, intro APRs, foreign fees, and the protections that come with each card.

The short answer

• You spend under $100,000 a year on the card: Blue Business Cash earns more on spending. At $50,000 it earns $1,000 versus $750.
• You spend over $100,000 a year: Ink Business Unlimited pulls ahead, because every dollar keeps earning 1.5% while Blue Business Cash drops to 1%.
• You want the bigger first-year haul: Ink Business Unlimited's current welcome offer is larger, but it needs $6,000 of spending in the first three months versus $5,000.
• You want points you can move to travel partners later: Ink Business Unlimited earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which become more flexible if you also hold a Chase card that can transfer them.

Side-by-side

Welcome offers change often. Both offers were confirmed on the issuers' pages on October 19, 2026. Amex shows Blue Business Cash's offer as "as high as" $500, so the amount you're offered can be lower; check the Amex page before you apply. The card pages show what our data currently lists.

The $100,000 break-even

Because Blue Business Cash pays 2% up to $50,000 and 1% beyond it, the math looks like this:

The cap is per calendar year, not per cardmember year. If your business is seasonal and you front-load spending in the fall, you might hit $50,000 in a few months and then reset on January 1. That timing can work in your favor or against you, so look at when your spending actually happens, not just the annual total.

A common workaround is to stop using Blue Business Cash once you reach $50,000 and switch to a flat-rate card for the rest of the year. That gets you 2% on the first $50,000 and 1.5% on the rest — but only if you actually remember to switch.

First year: the welcome offer changes the picture

In year one, the welcome offers matter more than the earning rates for most small businesses. Using the offers above and a business that spends $30,000 in its first year:

• Blue Business Cash: $600 on spending + up to $500 bonus = up to $1,100
• Ink Business Unlimited: $450 on spending + $750 bonus = $1,200

Ink wins year one by at least $100 in this example, even though it earns less on everyday spending. The catch is the $6,000 minimum in three months, about $2,000 a month. If that only happens by pulling future expenses forward or paying for things you wouldn't otherwise buy, the bonus isn't free. Our minimum spend planning guide walks through how to judge that honestly.

Chase also notes the Ink Business Unlimited bonus may not be available if you have ever had this card or another no-annual-fee Chase business card. If you already hold an Ink Business Cash, read the bonus terms before applying.

Cash vs. points

Blue Business Cash is plain cash back. Amex credits it to your statement automatically every month, and there is nothing to redeem or forget.

Ink Business Unlimited earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Redeemed as cash back, they work like 1.5% cash. Chase also lets cardholders combine Ultimate Rewards points with certain premium Chase cards that can transfer points to airline and hotel partners. For many owners, that's the real reason to choose Ink Business Unlimited: it becomes a 1.5x points engine for everything that doesn't fit a bonus category. Our guide to transferring points explains when that is worth more than cash and when it isn't.

If you want flexible points from Amex instead, the sibling Amex Blue Business Plus has the same 2%-on-$50,000 structure, paid as Membership Rewards points. For a cash-versus-points framework, see cash back vs. travel points.

Fees and protections

Foreign transactions. Neither card is a good choice for overseas spending: our records list 2.7% on Blue Business Cash and 3% on Ink Business Unlimited. If you pay overseas suppliers or travel internationally for work, use a card without foreign transaction fees for those charges. See our foreign transaction fee guide.

Purchase protection and warranty. Amex's page lists purchase protection up to $1,000 per covered purchase (up to $50,000 per calendar year) for 90 days, plus extended warranty that adds up to one year to manufacturer warranties of five years or less. Our record lists purchase protection and extended warranty for Ink Business Unlimited too; check Chase's Guide to Benefits for the limits. Our purchase protection guide explains how to file a claim that actually gets paid.

Rental cars. Amex describes Blue Business Cash's coverage as secondary, with no coverage for rentals in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand. Our record lists primary coverage for Ink Business Unlimited. Coverage terms for business cards can depend on the rental being for business purposes, so read the benefit guide before you decline the counter's coverage. More in our rental car coverage guide.

Spending above the limit. Blue Business Cash offers Expanded Buying Power, which can let you spend above your credit limit. Amex decides how much, so don't plan a big purchase around it without checking first.

Intro APR. Both cards have a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months. After that, Ink Business Unlimited's variable APR is 16.99%–24.99% (as listed by Chase on October 19, 2026) and Blue Business Cash's is 16.99%–28.74% (as listed by Amex). A 0% period is useful for spreading out a planned purchase, but it isn't a substitute for cash flow. Carrying a balance after the intro period will wipe out the rewards on either card.

Smaller perks

• Ink Business Unlimited: Chase lists a complimentary three-month Instacart+ membership and a $20 monthly Instacart credit for business accounts once activated, ending 12/31/27. Instacart+ auto-renews at $99 a year after the free period, so set a reminder if you don't want it.
• Both: free employee cards that earn at the card's rate. Amex also lists QuickBooks integration.

Who should pick which

Choose Blue Business Cash if your card spending is under about $100,000 a year, you want rewards that appear on your statement without any redemption step, and you don't care about travel points.

Choose Ink Business Unlimited if you spend well over $100,000 a year on one card, you can comfortably reach $6,000 in the first three months, or you already hold, or plan to get, a Chase card that can transfer Ultimate Rewards points.

Consider both if your business has distinct spending streams. Plenty of owners keep a bonus-category card such as Chase Ink Business Cash for office supplies and phone/internet bills, then use a flat-rate card for everything else. If you are planning several applications, our application sequencing guide helps you put them in a sensible order.

Before you apply

1. Total your expected card spending for the next 12 months, and note which months it lands in.
2. Check the current welcome offer on each issuer's page; ours may be out of date.
3. Decide whether you want cash or points, honestly. If you won't use transfer partners, treat Ultimate Rewards as 1.5% cash.
4. Keep foreign purchases on a different card.
5. Pay in full every month. A flat-rate card only beats interest when the balance is zero.

Card terms, rates, and offers change. Facts in this guide were checked against our card records and the issuers' pages on the dates noted; confirm current terms with the issuer before applying.