Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ vs. Ink Business Preferred®
Quick insights
- The Sapphire Reserve for Business credit card offers a variety of travel rewards and benefits, potentially making it a good option for businesses with frequent travel.
- The Ink Business Preferred credit card offers rewards across a broad range of everyday business expenses, including shipping, utilities, travel and advertising.
- Both cards have annual fees, but if the rewards program matches your spending habits, the value may outweigh the cost.
Chase offers several business credit card options, including the Sapphire Reserve for Business and Ink Business Preferred.
Sapphire Reserve for Business stands out for its airport lounge access, comparatively higher rewards earning potential on travel and opportunities to earn annual statement credits. The card could be beneficial if you have regular travel expenses or want added comfort during airport travel.
Ink Business Preferred also offers rewards on travel, though at a slightly lower earn rate. However, there’s still accelerated rewards-earning potential on some common business expenses. You may want to consider this card if your business has more varied spending habits.
In this article, we’ll compare these two business credit cards and highlight some examples of businesses that could potentially benefit from their rewards and benefits.
Comparing Sapphire Reserve for Business and Ink Business Preferred
Sapphire Reserve for Business and Ink Business Preferred each offer some unique benefits. Let’s compare their rewards programs, travel perks, fee structures and more to find out which one might be better suited to your business needs.
Rewards
Sapphire Reserve for Business cardmembers can earn:
- 8X points on purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The Edit by Chase TravelSM
- 4X points on flights and hotels booked direct
- 3X points on social media and search engine advertising
- 1 point per eligible dollar spent on all other purchases.
The card also offers over $2,500 in annual value in statement credits, including for the following:
- $300 annual travel credit
- $500 credit for stays with The EditSM
- Priority PassTM Select membership credit
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- $100 curated gift card credit
- $200 Google Workspace credit
- $400 ZipRecruiter credit
- $420 DoorDash value
- $120 Lyft credit
Ink Business Preferred cardmembers can earn points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year:
- 3X points on shipping
- 3X points on social media and search engine advertising
- 3X points on internet, cable and phone services
- 3X points on travel
Ink Business Preferred cardmembers can also earn 1 point on all other purchases with no limit to the amount.
Both cards offer flexible options for redeeming points, including points transfers to travel partners at a 1:1 ratio, cash back, gift cards, travel experiences and more.
Complimentary employee credit cards
Employee credit cards are complimentary with both of these business credit cards and can be issued to authorized employees. Plus, you can:
- Set spending limits.
- Track employee purchases in real time.
- Earn rewards on employee cardmembers’ eligible purchases.
Airport lounge access
Sapphire Reserve for Business cardmembers get access to a network of airport lounges. Ink Business Preferred does not come with lounge access. If you consider this travel perk essential, you may prefer Sapphire Reserve for Business.
Annual fees
Both Sapphire Reserve for Business and Ink Business Preferred have annual fees, with Sapphire Reserve for Business having a comparatively higher fee. Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee may be justifiable if your business’s spending habits align with the rewards program and potentially allow you to qualify for its multiple annual statement credits. Learn how the current annual fees of Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred compare.
Interested in business credit cards with low annual fees? The Ink Business Unlimited® credit card may be worth considering. Explore how Ink Business Preferred and Ink Business Unlimited differ.
Welcome bonus offers
New cardmember or welcome bonus offers provide a way to earn points faster than you would through a card’s standard rewards program. With these offers, you can earn points or cash back after meeting a specified spending requirement within a set period following the account opening.
Both cards typically have welcome bonus offers, but the bonus amounts and requirements will depend on the current promotion. Check the Chase website for current welcome bonus offers on these cards.
Reasons to consider Sapphire Reserve for Business
If you’re thinking about applying for the Sapphire Reserve for Business card, a few areas to consider include:
- Travel rewards and benefits: If you have high travel expenses, you might benefit from Sapphire Reserve for Business. The card offers a higher rewards rate on eligible travel purchases compared to Ink Business Preferred, as well as travel perks like airport lounge access.
- Statement credits: The card offers multiple opportunities to earn annual statement credits, which can help offset the annual fee. If your business’s normal spending habits would allow you to qualify for these credits, the card may be worth considering.
- Your industry: Some examples of businesses that could potentially benefit from the card include professional services (consulting, law, finance), tech startups, creative agencies or event planning services.
You may want to consider applying for Sapphire Reserve for Business if the rewards program matches your business’s spending habits.
Reasons to consider Ink Business Preferred
Considering the Ink Business Preferred credit card? Here are a couple of areas to evaluate before applying:
- Broader reward categories: Ink Business Preferred provides more opportunities to earn rewards across a wider range of common business expenses compared to Sapphire Reserve for Business.
- Annual fee: Ink Business Preferred has a lower annual fee compared to Sapphire Reserve for Business, which may make it a better option for price-conscious business owners whose spending habits match its rewards categories.
- Your industry: Retailers (online or in store), restaurants, construction companies, medical practices, professional services and IT service providers are just a few examples of businesses that could potentially benefit from Ink Business Preferred.
If your business could benefit from these rewards and benefits, you may want to consider applying for Ink Business Preferred.
In summary
Both the Sapphire Reserve for Business and Ink Business Preferred cards could help your business earn rewards on routine business purchases. With perks like airport lounge access and accelerated rewards on travel, Sapphire Reserve for Business could be the right choice if you travel frequently.
While both cards reward qualifying travel and advertising purchases, Ink Business Preferred also rewards utilities and shipping purchases. This card may be preferable if you have expenses across a wider range of spending categories.
Both cards provide complimentary employee cards and welcome bonus offers, but they also charge annual fees. The fees may be worth it if the card aligns with your business’s spending habits.
