Both are $0-annual-fee, no-category flat-rate business cards with a 12-month 0% intro APR on purchases — the difference is the rate and the ceiling. Amex Blue Business Cash pays 2% back, but only on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year (1% after); Chase Ink Business Unlimited pays a flat 1.5% with no cap at all. Which wins depends entirely on your annual spend volume.
Scored against our published methodology · Updated July 31, 2026
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American Express
Businesses that want a flat, no-annual-fee cash-back rate with no categories to track: 2% back, automatically applied as a statement credit, on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year (1% after). A 12-month 0% intro APR on purchases gives new equipment or inventory spend real runway before interest applies.
Find your matchBusinesses whose spend doesn't concentrate in a specific bucket — unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, no annual fee, and no earning cap makes this the simplest 'set it and forget it' card in Chase's Ink lineup. There's also 5% total cash back on Lyft rides through September 30, 2027.
Find your matchBest for — by the numbers
Per-spec leads are computed from each issuer's published facts and our scored methodology — there is no single overall winner. Reviewed July 31, 2026. ClearValue Cards earns compensation through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool, and through separately labeled, paid partner placements (marked "Advertiser Disclosure · Sponsored") that sit outside our card rankings. Neither compensation source influences editorial scoring or ordering.
| Spec | American Express Blue Business Cash | Chase Ink Business Unlimited |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| 0% intro APR period | 12 months | 12 months |
| Ongoing APR (from) | 16.74% | 16.74% |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2.7% | 3% |
| Rewards score | 16/20 | 14/20 |
| Fee-structure score | 20/20 | 20/20 |
| ClearValue score | 85/100 | 88/100 |
| Balance transfer fee | See issuer terms | $5 or 5% |
| Late fee | Up to $39 | Up to $40 |
A check marks the card that leads that spec on published figures. Rows with no marker are either tied or judgment calls (fee wording, late-fee terms) where a single "winner" would misrepresent the data.
Tap the spec you care about — we'll show which card leads on it.
For Foreign transaction fee, the American Express Blue Business Cash leads (2.7%).
Businesses spending under roughly $50,000/yr on the card
2% beats 1.5% on every dollar up to the $50,000 annual threshold — a straightforward win for spend that stays under the cap, with cash back applied automatically as a statement credit.
See your matchesBusinesses spending well above $50,000/yr, or that want Ultimate Rewards points instead of a statement credit
No cap means the 1.5% rate never steps down — above roughly $50,000/yr in spend, Ink Business Unlimited's uncapped flat rate out-earns Blue Business Cash's post-cap 1% by a full half point on every dollar.
See your matchesBusinesses with real spend concentrated in office supplies, telecom, gas, or dining — Chase Ink Business Cash's 5%/2% categories beat either flat-rate card for that profile. Neither card's rewards report to personal credit bureaus, so don't hold one expecting a personal-credit boost from card activity alone.
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Answer a few questions about how you spend and we'll point you to the cards that actually fit — no guesswork.
Take the 60-second quizAnnual fee
American Express Blue Business Cash: $0
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: $0
Earn rate
American Express Blue Business Cash: 2% on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, automatically credited; 1% after
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: Unlimited 1.5% on every purchase, no cap; 5% total on Lyft rides through Sept. 30, 2027
Rewards format
American Express Blue Business Cash: Statement credit, automatic — no points program
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: Chase Ultimate Rewards points; 1 cpp as cash, 1.5+ cpp only if paired with a Preferred or Sapphire to transfer
Best for
American Express Blue Business Cash: Spend that stays under $50,000/yr
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: Spend that regularly clears $50,000/yr, or diversified spend with no single concentration
Intro APR
American Express Blue Business Cash: 0% on purchases for 12 months, then 16.74% – 28.49% variable
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: 0% on purchases for 12 months, then 16.74% – 24.74% variable
Foreign transaction fee
American Express Blue Business Cash: 2.7%
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: 3%
Honest knock
American Express Blue Business Cash: The 2% quietly drops to 1% once you cross $50,000/yr, with no alert when you cross it
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: 1.5% flat means no boosted category — a business with real office-supply or telecom spend is leaving money on the table versus Ink Business Cash
Neither is universally better — it depends on how you spend. On our published 100-point methodology the American Express Blue Business Cash scores 85/100 (Solid pick) and the Chase Ink Business Unlimited scores 88/100 (Solid pick). Businesses spending under roughly $50,000/yr on the card should lean American Express Blue Business Cash; businesses spending well above $50,000/yr, or that want Ultimate Rewards points instead of a statement credit should lean Chase Ink Business Unlimited. Take the 60-second quiz to see which fits your profile.
The American Express Blue Business Cash carries $0 (no annual fee), sourced from the issuer's published Schumer Box as of July 31, 2026. The Chase Ink Business Unlimited carries $0 (no annual fee), as of July 22, 2026. Fees change — confirm the current number at the issuer before you decide.
For purchases outside the U.S., the American Express Blue Business Cash is the cleaner pick — it charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, versus 3% on the Chase Ink Business Unlimited.
We score every card across five dimensions — effective rewards, fee structure, audience fit, transparency, and the weakness named — 0–20 each for a 100-point total. The American Express Blue Business Cash earned 85/100 and the Chase Ink Business Unlimited earned 88/100. Scoring follows our published methodology and is never influenced by compensation.
Independent editorial comparison. ClearValue Cards is not a card issuer, a bank, or a lender. ClearValue Cards earns compensation through our CardRatings partnership, paid when a reader clicks out to CardRatings from our match tool, and through separately labeled, paid partner placements (marked "Advertiser Disclosure · Sponsored") that sit outside our card rankings. Neither compensation source influences editorial scoring or ordering. Card facts are sourced from each issuer's published Schumer Box and terms — confirm current numbers at the issuer. See disclosure.
