Why you should hold both the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business and Ink Business Preferred

The debut of the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees) has added a solid new product to Chase's business credit card lineup. The card offers high earning rates and a wide range of travel and business statement credits — but comes with a hefty $795 annual fee.

So, you may be wondering if this card is worth it, especially if you already hold another Chase business credit card like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, with a more manageable $95 annual fee. Even if you don't have the Ink Business Preferred and have been thinking about applying for it, you could consider opening both business cards instead.

Let's explore why holding both the Sapphire Reserve for Business and the Ink Business Preferred makes sense.

The information for the Ink Business Preferred has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Earn two welcome bonuses

Earning a large welcome bonus on a new credit card is one of the quickest ways to amass travel rewards. That large sum of points can help fund your next trip — and it's even better if you can earn them through two welcome offers.

Currently, new cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business can earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening. Meanwhile, new cardholders of the Ink Business Preferred can earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first three months from account opening.

So, you'd earn almost 300,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after meeting the minimum spending requirement and earning the two welcome bonuses. As a Chase enthusiast, I could book several business-class flights by transferring the points to airline partners for maximum value.

Pool your points

Cardholders can combine their points to further maximize value by having both the Ink Business Preferred and Sapphire Reserve for Business.

Ink Business Preferred cardholders can redeem their points for up to 1.75 cents through the Chase Travel℠ portal; however, as a cardholder of the more premium Sapphire Reserve for Business, you can redeem your points for up to 2 cents per point using Points Boost instead.

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Related: Family points pooling: How to transfer and maximize your rewards

Maximize your credit line

The Ink Business Preferred, like most credit cards, gives cardholders a credit limit that determines how much you can spend on the card monthly.

However, there can be times when your credit limit may not be enough. In this situation, the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business is a good choice, because it offers a revolving credit limit and a flexible payment option.

You can take advantage of Flex for Business, a revolving credit line that enables payments over time with interest. This gives you flexibility for occasional large purchases that might exceed your Ink Business Preferred credit limit.

Take advantage of complementary earning rates

The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business bonus-earning categories are centered around travel:

• 8 points per dollar spent on Chase Travel bookings
• 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027)
• 4 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked directly
• 3 points per dollar spent on social media and search engine advertising
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Meanwhile, the Ink Business Preferred earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases each year on the following:

• Travel
• Shipping purchases
• Internet, cable and phone services
• Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines

Travel purchases on the Ink Business Preferred are widely defined. So, you can make all eligible travel purchases apart from flights and hotels booked directly with the carrier or hotel to earn 3 points per dollar. Then, you can book travel through the portal, and flights and hotel directly, with the Sapphire Reserve for Business to maximize the 8 and 4 points per dollar, respectively.

Consider putting social media and search engine advertising purchases on the Ink Business Preferred until the annual $150,000 maximum is reached. This way, you keep your revolving credit line open on the Sapphire Reserve for Business for large purchases. Once you reach the spending cap on the Ink Business Preferred, you can continue earning bonus points in these categories with the Sapphire Reserve for Business.

The best part is that points between both accounts can be combined, so you're earning bonus points across many categories.

Related: 5 reasons to get the Chase Ink Business Preferred

Why not to get both cards

The main drawback to holding both cards is the combined annual fees.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business has a very high $795 annual fee. It may not be worth paying an additional $95 for the Ink Business Preferred, especially if you won't be taking advantage of the card's complementary earning rates and the access to an additional line of credit.

Related: How to decide if a credit card's annual fee is worth paying

Bottom line

Carrying two Chase business credit cards can be a useful way for a business to access more credit, giving you flexibility with cash flow.

By carrying the Ink Business Preferred, you can maximize the card's earning rates on general travel, shipping and advertising purchases. Then, the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business can be your business's main travel rewards card to maximize earnings on flights and hotels, not to mention travel-related statement credits.

To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Preferred and our full review of the Sapphire Reserve for Business.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business