First thing’s first: the Ink Business Cash is currently offering new cardholders a staggering $900 cash-back bonus after spending $6,000 within the first three months of account membership. Not only is that the best-ever bonus for this card, but it’s one of the highest welcome bonuses we’ve seen for any card. And as you’ll see below, the bonus could potentially be worth even more than that.

As a point of comparison, the Amex Blue Business Plus offers new cardholders a welcome bonus of 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening. Terms Apply. So, the Ink Business Cash is worth getting for the welcome bonus alone.

While the Membership Rewards® points I’ve earned from using my Amex Blue Business Plus card are incredibly valuable, they’re not the best when it comes to redeeming points for hotel stays, mainly because they can only be transferred to Choice Privileges, Hilton Honors, or Marriott Bonvoy. Those particular loyalty programs aren’t always ideal options, as Choice Privileges offers mostly budget properties, while Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy tend to have inflated award charts.

World of Hyatt is often the sweet spot for booking award nights, offering reasonable redemptions and top-notch hotels and resorts worldwide. The only problem? World of Hyatt is not a transfer partner of American Express. But it is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

The Ink Business Cash Card technically earns cash back. However, those rewards can be converted to transferable Ultimate Rewards points if you have another Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

So, the $900 welcome bonus you can earn by signing up for the Ink Business Cash Card and spending $6,000 within the first three months of account opening would translate to 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points, which can then be redeemed for World of Hyatt stays. Considering free nights start at just 3,500 points, that Ink Business Cash Card welcome bonus will go a long way when it’s time to top off my Hyatt account.

The economy isn’t so great at the moment so I have to be especially cautious with my finances. That means keeping a robust rainy day fund as well as covering other bases.

Having a low- or no-interest credit card offer can be a real perk when it comes to paying the bills during an economic downturn. The Ink Business Cash Credit Card currently offers a 0% APR for the first 12 months from account opening (then a variable APR of 17.49% to 23.49%), providing a solid backup option if I need it. 

If a downturn occurs in the next 12 months, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, I won’t have to stress about paying off my credit card bill if I don’t have sufficient cash reserves — I can take advantage of the 0% APR option and simply pay my balance over time. Granted, that’s not exactly ideal as it’s typically best to pay your bills in full each month, but it’s still good to know I’ll have a bit of a cushion if I need it.

It’s also worth noting that The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express also has a 0% APR offer for the first 12 months (then a variable APR of 17.74% – 25.74%), but that’s just a perk for new cardholders and I’ve had mine for several years now so I wouldn’t be eligible.

The Amex Blue Business Plus has been my go-to credit card for years thanks to its flat 2X points-earning rate on all purchases, which has allowed me to maximize purchases that didn’t qualify for category bonuses with my other cards.

That said, this card does have its limits — the 2X points earning rate is actually capped at the first $50,000 spent per calendar year. That’s where the Ink Business Cash Credit Card comes in handy, providing additional bonus categories to help me maximize all my spending.

The Ink Business Cash Credit Card card earns 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined spending at office supply stores, and on internet, cable, and phone services every anniversary year — that’s a pretty extensive spending category, so 5% is a substantial number for me. The card also lets me earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent at gas stations and restaurants, which provides a nice backup whenever I max out the Blue Business Plus card’s 2X points bonus.

Overall, the Ink Business Cash card provides higher earning potential without me having to pay an annual fee. The fact that the cash back you receive can be converted to Ultimate Rewards® points is useful since the points are actually more valuable than the cash-back rewards.

Instead of redeeming them at a rate of one cent each, I can put them toward World of Hyatt stays and end up scoring 1.8 cents per point or higher value. Better yet, I can also redeem those points for international business or first-class tickets through one of Chase’s airline partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan or United MileagePlus for a return of 3 cents per point or more. 

For those that prefer simplicity, points can be redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® travel portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and 1.5 cents per point with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

One of the most substantial benefits of the Ink Business Cash — and one that’s especially rare for a card with no annual fee — is the included primary auto rental collision damage waiver.

If you’ve ever rented a car, you’ve probably been subject to a sales pitch at the check-in counter where you’re told that paying an extra $15 or so per day will fully protect you in case of an accident, and you won’t have to go through your own insurance company. While that’s an invaluable benefit, you don’t have to pay for it if you have certain credit cards, including the Ink Business Cash card.

Two years ago, I was involved in a rental car accident while traveling through Virginia. I had paid for it with my American Express® Gold Card, which only provides secondary coverage. Thankfully, I’d had the foresight to enroll in premium car rental protection for just $14.99 more, which covered my entire rental period. Enterprise sent me a bill for nearly $4,000 but American Express completely took care of it and I didn’t even have to get my own car insurance company involved. 

The Amex Blue Business Plus, on the other hand, only offers secondary rental car insurance, meaning my insurance company would have needed to reject the claim before my credit card benefit could kick in. Although that’s a less-than-ideal situation to be in, it’s pretty typical when you have a no-annual-fee credit card.

Luckily, the Ink Business Cash card does provide primary coverage, so I won’t have to pay extra for supplemental insurance as long as I charge the car rental to that card. This invaluable benefit will eliminate plenty of headaches if I’m ever involved in another rental car accident. Having experienced it first-hand, it became even more important than ever for me to receive this perk from my credit card. 

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.