Two business cards for different spend profiles. The Ink Business Cash ($0) earns 5% at office supply stores and on telecom services (up to $25,000/yr combined) — best for businesses with real office and phone bills. The Business Gold ($375) earns 4x on your top two categories each billing period, auto-selected from six eligible buckets — best for businesses with diverse, shifting spend. Neither substitutes for the other; the fit depends on whether your top categories match Ink Cash's fixed structure or Business Gold's flexible 4x.
Scored against our published methodology · Updated July 16, 2026
Take the 60-second quizSmall businesses with real office-supply and telecom spend. The 5% back at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services (first $25,000 combined per year) is the best $0-fee business earn rate for that spend profile — and the points are Ultimate Rewards when paired with a premium Chase card.
Find your match
American Express
Service businesses with concentrated spend in two clear top categories (Amex picks your 2 highest categories each month from a list of 6: airfare, advertising, gas, restaurants, computing/hosting, shipping). The 4x on top-2 categories at our 1.4 cpp MR benchmark beats most business flat-rate cards.
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 16, 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 | Chase Ink Business Cash | American Express Business Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $375 |
| 0% intro APR period | 12 months | None |
| Ongoing APR (from) | 16.74% | 17.74% |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% | None |
| Rewards score | 16/20 | 16/20 |
| Fee-structure score | 20/20 | 13/20 |
| ClearValue score | 85/100 | 75/100 |
| Late fee | Up to $40 | $39, or 2.99% of the past-due Pay in Full amount, whichever is greater |
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 Annual fee, the Chase Ink Business Cash leads ($0).
Businesses with concentrated office-supply and telecom spend that want no annual fee
5% at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone (first $25,000/yr combined) is the best $0-fee earn rate for that profile. The rewards are Ultimate Rewards points, worth more if you also hold a premium Chase card to transfer through. No fee means nothing to earn back.
See your matchesBusinesses with diverse spend concentrated in Amex's six eligible categories
4x on your two highest categories each month — from airfare, advertising, gas, restaurants, computing/hosting, and shipping (up to $150,000/yr) — beats most flat-rate business cards for high spenders whose top buckets shift. The points are transferable Membership Rewards. But the $375 fee needs real category volume to pencil out.
See your matchesBusinesses whose biggest spend is payroll, rent, or SaaS subscriptions — none of that counts for either card, so a flat 2% business card returns more. Note also the Ink Cash's 3% foreign transaction fee versus the Business Gold's none.
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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
Chase Ink Business Cash: $0
American Express Business Gold: $375
Top earn structure
Chase Ink Business Cash: 5% at office supply + internet/cable/phone (up to $25,000/yr); 2% at gas and dining (up to $25,000/yr)
American Express Business Gold: 4x on your 2 highest of 6 eligible categories each month (up to $150,000/yr, then 1x)
Category flexibility
Chase Ink Business Cash: Fixed categories — you earn 5% only where Chase defines it
American Express Business Gold: Auto-selects your top 2 categories monthly from the eligible list
Points currency
Chase Ink Business Cash: Ultimate Rewards — 1 cpp cash, more if paired with a premium Chase card
American Express Business Gold: Membership Rewards — transferable (~1.4 cpp at our benchmark)
Foreign transaction fee
Chase Ink Business Cash: 3%
American Express Business Gold: None
Intro APR
Chase Ink Business Cash: 0% on purchases for 12 months, then 16.74% – 24.74% variable
American Express Business Gold: None (Pay Over Time; ongoing 17.74% – 28.49% variable)
Honest knock
Chase Ink Business Cash: The 5% caps at $25,000/yr combined, then drops to 1% — and it's a poor card abroad at 3% FX
American Express Business Gold: Amex picks your top 2 from THEIR list — if your real top spend is payroll or rent, the 4x never fires
Neither is universally better — it depends on how you spend. On our published 100-point methodology the Chase Ink Business Cash scores 85/100 (Solid pick) and the American Express Business Gold scores 75/100 (Worth considering). Businesses with concentrated office-supply and telecom spend that want no annual fee should lean Chase Ink Business Cash; businesses with diverse spend concentrated in Amex's six eligible categories should lean American Express Business Gold. Take the 60-second quiz to see which fits your profile.
The Chase Ink Business Cash carries $0 (no annual fee), sourced from the issuer's published Schumer Box as of July 16, 2026. The American Express Business Gold carries $375, as of July 15, 2026. Fees change — confirm the current number at the issuer before you decide.
For purchases outside the U.S., the American Express Business Gold is the cleaner pick — it charges no foreign transaction fee, versus 3% on the Chase Ink Business Cash.
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 Chase Ink Business Cash earned 85/100 and the American Express Business Gold earned 75/100. 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.
