Chase adds new bonus restrictions to rest of Ink Business credit card family

Chase has once again tightened the rules for earning welcome bonuses across its Ink Business card portfolio, adding new eligibility language to the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card.This update follows similar changes made recently to Chase’s two no-annual-fee Ink Business cards, suggesting a broader shift toward limiting repeat bonuses within a card family.The information for the Ink Business Preferred and Ink Business Premier cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.What’s changing now?Chase has added new once-per-lifetime language to both the Ink Business Preferred and the Ink Business Premier. The issuer now states:”The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had this card. We may also consider factors pertinent to your business in determining your bonus eligibility.”MASKOT/GETTY IMAGESEffective immediately:If you have ever held the Preferred, you may not be eligible to earn the welcome bonus on that exact card again.If you have ever held the Premier, you may not be eligible to earn the welcome bonus on that exact card again.These restrictions apply only to the same product. Being a current or previous Preferred cardholder does not affect your eligibility to earn the Premier bonus (and vice versa).What changed previously for the no-annual-fee cards?In mid-November, Chase introduced new cross-card restrictions on the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (see rates and fees).Unlike the Preferred and Premier, which now have single-card lifetime rules, the two no-annual-fee cards are now treated collectively. Here is how eligibility works for them:If you previously had the Ink Business Cash, you are not eligible for the welcome bonus on the Ink Business Unlimited.If you previously had the Ink Business Unlimited, you are not eligible for the welcome bonus on the Ink Business Cash.And for both cards, you may not be eligible for the bonus if you have held that exact card before.Chase added the following clause for these two cards:”The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had this card or any other Chase for Business card without an annual fee. We may also consider factors pertinent to your business in determining your bonus eligibility.”These rules effectively create a single no-annual-fee Ink subfamily, aligning these products more closely with how Chase now treats other card families, including Sapphire.What does this mean for business owners?You can still apply for — or product change to — any Ink Business card, even if you’re not eligible for the welcome bonus. But these restrictions will influence how business owners build their Chase card strategy.Many small businesses historically opened multiple Ink cards to pair their earnings with a premium card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees). That approach still works for rewards maximization, but the new rules make it more important to choose the right Ink card upfront.ROCKAA/GETTY IMAGESApplicants considering a no-annual-fee card should be aware that the Cash and Unlimited now function together for earning one welcome bonus. And those considering the Preferred or Premier should assume that the welcome offer will only be available once.Bottom lineChase has continued tightening its welcome bonus rules across its credit card portfolio. The Ink Business Preferred and Ink Business Premier now limit bonus eligibility to a single lifetime per card, while the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited operate under both single-card and cross-card restrictions.These policies reduce duplicate bonuses and encourage applicants to intentionally commit to each product for the long run. With these changes, the full Ink lineup is now more aligned with the stricter eligibility standards Chase introduced earlier this year for the Sapphire family.Related: Your guide to the Chase Ink Business credit cardsEditorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.