If you own a business or even do freelance work, opening a small business credit card is a great way to separate your expenses and increase your earning potential. However, that may not be so useful if you have to maintain two separate rewards accounts for your personal and business points. TPG reader Sterling is wondering if he can avoid this inconvenience...
[pullquote source="TPG Reader Sterling"]I have a personal Chase account with a ton of points, and I need to open a business card. Is it possible to merge Chase points from multiple accounts?[/pullquote]
The Ultimate Rewards program offers an array of valuable cards for both individuals and small business. Some popular personal options include the Chase Sapphire Reserve (with an array of perks to offset the $550 annual fee), the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (a great starter card for those just getting into the world of travel rewards) and the Chase Freedom Unlimited (a simple yet rewarding card offering 1.5% back on purchases). On the other hand, well-known business options include the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card (with a large sign-up bonus) and the Ink Business Cash Credit Card (with 5% back on telecommunications and office supply store purchases).
So can Sterling open a business card from Chase to go along with his personal account(s) and pool his points together? Fortunately, the answer is an emphatic yes. I've actually walked through this process of transferring Ultimate Rewards points between accounts, but let's quickly review how to do this for those of you in Sterling's position.
The simplest way to combine your Ultimate Rewards points between business and personal accounts is to have a single login for Chase.com for all of your cards with the issuer, which is the exact set-up I have as part of what I consider to be the perfect Chase quartet of cards. When you login and navigate to the "Account Activity" page, you'll see your combined balances across all of your cards. Click on your current Ultimate Rewards balance and then select your business card from the next page:
From there, find the "Combine Points" link at the top right...
...and then choose the personal card to which you want to transfer your points. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the transfer of some (or all) of the points earned on your business card to your personal account.
If you have separate logins for your personal and business accounts, the process is just a bit more complex (though still very easy). Login using your business card credentials, and when you get to the "Combine Points" page, look for the link to "Add household member/company owner" as a destination for your points. Type in your personal card's number and your last name and follow the steps to add this card as a saved account. You can then transfer points from your business card to your personal card.
This isn't just helpful to pool your accounts into a single balance; it can also be used to increase the value of your points. For example, if you currently hold a personal card with an annual fee (like the Sapphire Reserve) and want to open a business card with no annual fee (like the Ink Cash), your business expenses are technically earned as cash-back points, redeemable at a rate of 1 cent per point. However, if you transfer them to the Sapphire Reserve, they instantly become fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points. These are both more valuable and more flexible, worth 1.5 cents apiece towards travel and with the ability to transfer to partners like United or Hyatt.
(Note that this works the other way too, as you can transfer points from cards like the Chase Freedom (No longer open to new applicants) to the Ink Business Preferred to enable them to be transferred). The information for the Chase Freedom has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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There's one important caveat here. The "Combine Points" page clearly indicates that you can only transfer points to an account belonging to you, a member of your household or an owner of the company. If the issuer thinks you're transferring points fraudulently, it reserves the right to close your accounts. I've read reports of this happening, so I would strongly encourage you to follow the rules!
It's also worth noting that the same thing holds true with American Express, though the combining process happens automatically. When you have both a personal Amex card (like The Platinum Card® from American Express) and a small business Amex card (like The Blue Business®️ Plus Credit Card from American Express) under the same login credentials, you'll have a single Membership Rewards account from which to redeem your points.
Bottom Line
There are many reasons to apply for a small business credit card, especially with many offering large sign-up bonuses and an array of perks like primary car rental protection when renting for business purchases and cell phone coverage for you and your employees. If you're worried about keeping tabs on separate rewards accounts, Chase makes it very easy to combine Ultimate Rewards points earned across its personal and business card portfolios, allowing you to quickly boost your account balance and unlock valuable redemptions for your next trip.
Thanks for the question, Sterling, and if you're a TPG reader who'd like us to answer a question of your own, tweet us at @thepointsguy, message us on Facebook or email us at info@thepointsguy.com.
