Ink Business Cash vs Ink Business Preferred (2026)
Updated September 27, 2026 from verified card data.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card wins on 11 of 11 spending profiles we ran; Ink Business Cash Credit Card wins the other 0. That is the whole answer to "which is better": it depends on the spend, and below is exactly how. Each row is the card's net annual value on that profile's spend - earning at the profile's valuation, caps applied, fee subtracted - computed by the same engine that builds Perko's individual reports. No editor picked a winner.
| Ink Business Cash Credit Card | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $95 |
| Earning (as our data reads it) | business services 5x; gas 2x; dining 2x; other 1x; restaurants 2x; software 1x; contractors 1x; advertising 1x; shipping 1x | travel 3x; advertising 3x; shipping 3x; other 1x; marketing 3x |
| Caps | office supplies $25,000/yr; telecom $25,000/yr; gas $25,000/yr; dining $25,000/yr; restaurants $25,000/yr; internet $25,000/yr; phone $25,000/yr; utilities $25,000/yr | travel $150,000/yr; advertising $150,000/yr; shipping $150,000/yr; telecom $150,000/yr; internet $150,000/yr; phone $150,000/yr; utilities $150,000/yr; marketing $150,000/yr |
| Welcome bonus on record | 6,000 points | 100,000 points |
| Credits on record | $25 statement credit for every three consecutive monthly taxi or rideshare trips | Up to $120 in statement credits for internet, cable, and phone services every year; complimentary access to DashPass |
| Currency | Cash Back | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
| Reaches (common goals) | cash back - no transfer partners | World of Hyatt: direct transfer; Southwest Airlines: direct transfer; Marriott Bonvoy: direct transfer; United Airlines: direct transfer; Delta Air Lines: via air france/klm flying blue (skyteam); Air France/KLM Flying Blue: direct transfer; Hilton Honors: not reachable |
| Data confidence | medium | high |
Who wins, profile by profile
Net = earning at the profile's valuation, caps applied, fee subtracted. The last column adds each card's listed credits at face value - only real if you would use them anyway.
| Profile | Group | Wins on earning | By | Ink Business Cash / Ink Business Preferred net | with credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a dental practice | the practice | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $23,305 | $9,540 / $32,845 | $9,640 / $32,965 |
| a law firm | the firm | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $17,775 | $4,810 / $22,585 | $4,910 / $22,705 |
| a marketing agency | the agency | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $30,025 | $10,560 / $40,585 | $10,660 / $40,705 |
| an e-commerce business | the shop | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $14,545 | $8,640 / $23,185 | $8,740 / $23,305 |
| a restaurant | the restaurant | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $4,705 | $4,800 / $9,505 | $4,900 / $9,625 |
| a solo consultant | the practice | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $7,045 | $1,500 / $8,545 | $1,600 / $8,665 |
| a real estate agent | the brokerage | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $4,740 | $1,596 / $6,336 | $1,696 / $6,456 |
| a trucking company | the company | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $6,615 | $7,210 / $13,825 | $7,310 / $13,945 |
| a medical clinic | the clinic | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $10,705 | $5,400 / $16,105 | $5,500 / $16,225 |
| a landscaping company | the company | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $3,375 | $3,970 / $7,345 | $4,070 / $7,465 |
| a nonprofit | the organization | Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | $3,181 | $1,116 / $4,297 | $1,216 / $4,417 |
The part the comparison articles leave out: a card can lose on the numbers and still be the right card because of where its points go. The reach row above shows which named programs each currency actually transfers to; a Perko report lists a card that reaches your program and loses on the numbers as listed, not recommended, with the dollar gap, so the choice is yours with the price attached.
Run both against your own numbers - one minute, free, and the answer is about your spend, not a sample profile.