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One of the best deals I’ve seen in a long time dropped in my inbox yesterday, and I’m excited to share it with you! Chase is offering an astounding 70,000 bonus points for the Chase Ink Plus after making $5,000 in purchases with the card in three months. The normal bonus is an already outstanding 50,000 points, making this a truly awesome value.
If you already know what makes Ultimate Rewards such a great program and Ink Plus such a great card, you can learn more and apply now using this special link!
Why Ultimate Rewards Is My Favorite Points Program
Like a few of our favorite Chase cards, Ink Plus earns Ultimate Rewards points. Unlike regular miles and points that are tied to a specific airline or hotel program, Ultimate Rewards can be transferred out to many programs instantly at a 1:1 rate.
That means your Ultimate Rewards points can become miles with these airlines:
Ultimate Rewards can also become points with these hotel programs:
We’ve spoken about several of these programs in detail previously.
- British Airways Avios can be used for spectacular redemptions on domestic travel with US Airways and American.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Points are another outstanding choice for free domestic travel, and there’s even a secret redemption option that makes it a good program for expensive flights.
- Amtrak Guest Rewards can offer surprising value if you’re looking to explore some of America’s most interesting and historic rail lines.
- Hyatt offers by far our favorite hotel program, and their participation in Ultimate Rewards adds substantial value.
- This feature shows how I used Ultimate Rewards to cover every flight and hotel involved in a trip to Washington, DC and Philadelphia by taking advantage of several Ultimate Rewards travel partners.
I’ve also written in-depth guides to earning and redeeming Ultimate Rewards points in the past, which include even more information.
Card Features
Category Bonuses
The 70,000 points bonus alone makes Ink Plus worth your attention, but it’s also a great card for everyday earnings.
Purchases at office supply stores like Staples, Office Depot and OfficeMax earn a whopping 5 points per $1 with the card. That’s particularly great considering how many gift cards are available at these retailers. For example, pick up a gift card to your favorite restaurant or retailer at Staples and it’ll be like earning 5 points per $1 next time you shop there!
The card also offers 5 points per $1 for telecom expenses, which includes cable, satellite, internet and cellular service. Given what a large chunk of regular expenses these entail for most people, the earnings on this line item alone can add up to tens of thousands of extra points per year.
Ink Plus also offers 2 points per $1 at gas stations and hotels and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
Cardholder Services
Many other card benefits also apply, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance of up to $5,000, primary auto rental collision damage waiver (most credit card protection only kicks in after your personal auto insurance) and purchase protection against damage or theft for 120 days after purchase, up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Ink Plus also has no foreign transaction fees, making it great for use overseas when other cards might charge up to 3% for currency conversion. Lounge Club membership is also complimentary, giving you access to hundreds of airport lounges twice for free and then for a flat rate of $27 per visit thereafter.
Visa Savings Edge
Finally, you can also register your Ink Plus card for the free Visa Savings Edge program. You’ll start saving up to 5% with dozens of travel brands like Ramada, Travelodge, Microtel, La Quinta, Wyndham, Alamo and more in addition to the points you’d normally earn on your card.
Staples also participates in this program, offering an extra 1% back on top of the 5 points per dollar you’ll already earn with them. Chevron and Texaco both stack an extra 1% earnings onto the 2 points per dollar you’ll earn while filling up.
These earnings show up on your statement as a credit automatically. Once you’ve signed up once, you’re good to go with no extra effort!
How Much Is This Bonus Worth?
Chase states that 70,000 Ultimate Rewards points are worth up to $875, but they’re actually underselling the value of these points. Chase allows you to use Ultimate Rewards points to pay for travel expenses through their own online booking service at a rate of 1.2¢ per point. That’s how they arrive at the $875 number. It’s also possible to take Ultimate Rewards points as a statement credit for 1¢ per point, which would make the bonus worth $700.
However, the best values can almost always be found by transferring Ultimate Rewards points to one of the many travel partners out there. The exact value of these points will vary depending on program and redemption, but I use a conservative ballpark value of 2.5¢ per point to estimate their worth. In many cases, I’ve received far more value with my Ultimate Rewards points.
For example, I transferred 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points to United earlier this summer to book a Business Class flight from Sydney to Hong Kong via Bangkok on Thai Airways. That flight had a cash cost of $2,906.20. By using miles, I only had to pay $151.70 in taxes and fees, saving $2,754.50. That’s like getting 9.2¢ per point in value. At that rate, this sign-up bonus would be worth almost $6,500!
What To Know
One thing that sets this bonus apart from the normal 50,000 points offered is that the annual fee of $95 is not waived.
In reality, the extra 20,000 points are worth far more than $95, but if that’s what’s holding you back from applying, consider using 10,000 points as a simple statement credit. At 1¢ per point, you’ll get $100 off your bill, knocking out the annual fee. You’ll still have 10,000 more points than the normal offer, though you’d be much better off saving all of these points for valuable travel redemptions.
Also, it’s important to understand Ink Plus is a business credit card. However, many more people are eligible for a business credit card than you might think. Even if you just sell things on eBay or make a few crafts you post to Etsy, you have a business!
If you’re not incorporated, you’re still eligible for the card as a sole proprietor. Just use your Social Security Number instead of an Employer Identification Number on your application.
Be honest about your business’s income. Even if it’s just a few hundred or thousand dollars per year, you can still be approved and use the card to help grow your business. Our guide to conquering minimum spend requirements can also help ensure you earn the sign-up bonus without trouble.
Wrapping Up
Ink Plus is one of my favorite cards and I’m envious of those who have the chance to earn such a handsome sign-up bonus by applying for one now. However, there’s good news for both of us! Chase is offering a refer-a-friend program and for the first five readers to sign up for the card using my link, I’ll get 10,000 Ultimate Rewards points, too! I’ll use them to fund future travel and content here on the site, so using our link will not only get you the very best deal but also support PointsAway.
This is the simplest way to earn thousands in free travel in one click:
Chase Ink Plus® Business Card
Card Sign-Up Bonus Offers
70,000 Ultimate Rewards Points after $5,000+ in purchases within the first 3 months.
Apply Now!
Card Features
- 1:1 point transfer to British Airways, Korean Air, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Amtrak, Hyatt, Priority Club, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton programs.
- Points may be redeemed for travel for 1¢ per point directly through Ultimate Rewards, as well, for 20% less than retail. For example, a $500 flight requires 40,000 points.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Free cards for your business’s employees.
Earning Points
- 5 points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, Internet and TV services.
- 2 points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually at gas stations and hotels.
- 1 point per $1 on all other purchases, with no earning limit.
Fee Information
- $95 annual fee.
- 3% balance transfer fee.
- 5% cash advance fee.
- 0% foreign transaction fee.
- Up to $39 late payment fee.
Every Friday, we send one email filled with:
- Points-Earning Secrets
- Trip Plans Based on Reader Submissions
- Informative How-To Features Showing You How to Save Thousands
- Exclusive Tips and Tricks Found Only in the Newsletter
- Contests Reserved Especially for Newsletter Subscribers