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I used to apply for multiple rewards-earning credit cards each year. My over-stuffed (mobile) wallet tells that tale as it's stacked with over 20 rewards credit cards from a long list of banks.
And while it is probably time for a good credit card culling, they all have made sense for me to have in different ways. But I realized that it had been close to a year since I had applied for a new card, and while ongoing earnings and card benefits are great, so is a big, nice welcome bonus.
I've got enough cards with (big) annual fees for now, so this time, I targeted a card with a big bonus and no annual fee: the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees).
The Ink Business Cash card has no annual fee and offers a solid welcome bonus. New cardholders can earn $750 cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
You may be thinking, that sounds fantastic, but I'm not out there running a small business, so it doesn't help me at all. Well, that may be true. But you also may be running a small business without realizing it.
Here's how and why I applied without an LLC and very much business revenue or expenses.
Related: Who qualifies for a business credit card?
Why I picked the Ink Business Cash Credit Card
This card's no annual fee, solid welcome bonus and good ongoing points-earning rates made it an easy choice for me.
The word 'cash' is in the card's name, and it's often marketed as a cash-back card, but you can choose to use your rewards as Chase Ultimate Rewards points if you also have a premium Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees).
TPG's August 2024 valuation pegs transferable Chase points at 2.05 cents each (which is what these can become when paired with a premium Ultimate Rewards card), taking that $750 cash bonus and making it worth $1,538 in points that I can use with Hyatt, United and any of Chase's other hotel and airline transfer partners.
Those points can help fund big award stays at Hyatt properties in Tokyo, Paris and even a beachy Hyatt all-inclusive in Mexico.
In addition, the card has no annual fee but will earn me 5 points (or 5% cash back) per dollar on the first $25,000 I make in combined purchases each account anniversary year at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services.
I'm a sucker for earning 5 points per dollar on gift cards sold at office supply stores for places like Disney and Amazon, so this will come in handy for my spending and earning strategy, too.
Related: 5 reasons to apply for the Chase Ink Business Cash Card
How I applied — and got approved — with a very small business
I have an LLC, but that's not the business I used to apply for this card. Instead, I wanted to keep expenses from my LLC venture separate, so I didn't use it for this (and I have a few Ink cards attached to that business already, anyway).
I've started selling a few things online (think closet cleanouts, a timeshare stay I can't use, etc.) to the tune of a few thousand dollars a year in revenue.
I applied for this card with a (very small) business that generates just a few thousand dollars a year in revenue and has minimal expenses. As a sole proprietor without much formalization on this venture so far, I applied with my name as the business name and my social security number instead of an Employer Identification Number (EIN), as I don't have one to use for this.
After I applied, I received a pending status instead of immediate approval. It took about 10 days to process my status, and the result was an approval that didn't require any additional action on my part.
If you make money through a side hustle, such as walking dogs, mowing lawns, selling items second-hand or driving for a service like Uber or DoorDash, you can qualify for a business credit card, like I did.
Related reading: Do I need a business to get a business credit card?
Bottom line
My credit limit for my shiny new small-business credit card was very low, at just $3,000, but that was fine for just starting out. It was high enough to make hitting the spending requirement for the welcome bonus realistic.
If you've been thinking about applying for a business card, the process is straightforward and opens an additional world of credit card rewards.
To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Cash.
Apply here: Chase Ink Business Cash
Related: The power of the Chase Trifecta: Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred and Freedom Unlimited
