Chase Ink No Fee Lifetime Rule
The signup bonus may not be available to you if you have ever had any Chase for Business card with no annual fee
Deep Dive into the Chase Ink No Fee Lifetime Rule Rule
The Chase Ink Business Cash and Chase Ink Business Unlimited have long been favorites of points and miles hobbyists. They offer solid signup bonuses, no annual fees, and are business cards that do not count against your 5/24 status. Until late 2025, you could apply for each card multiple times and earn a signup bonus each time you were approved. Even as Chase tightened approvals, many applicants could still earn welcome offers on both cards, even if they had previously held them.
Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Chase now includes the following language on both cards:
In practice, this means:
- If you've previously earned a welcome bonus on either the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited, you may not be eligible for the welcome bonus on the other card.
- In practice, this means you should expect to earn the welcome bonus on only one of Chase's two no-annual-fee Ink cards.
- These are Chase's only two no-annual-fee business cards that are not co-branded with a hotel or airline.
This makes choosing between the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited much more important than it used to be, since your first application could also be your last opportunity to earn a welcome bonus on either card.
Chase Popup
Chase has also added a popup similar to the one American Express uses. It alerts you that you are not eligible for the welcome offer before doing a hard pull on your credit, allowing you to abandon the application if you prefer not to proceed without earning the bonus.
Chase has been pretty consistent enforcing this rule, so you should generally assume you'll only receive one welcome bonus between the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited.
One possible exception involves business structure. Some hobbyists who originally opened one of these cards as a sole proprietor using only their Social Security number have later been approved using a business EIN. Data points remain mixed, though, and approval is far from guaranteed since Chase still ties applications to your Social Security number. Fortunately, the popup lets you test your eligibility without risking a hard inquiry.
Here is what the popup language looks like:
A quick update about your application. It looks like you’re not eligible for a bonus for a Chase Ink Business Cash credit card. This can happen if you currently have this card or have had it previously. Customers who are applying for a Chase Business card without an annual fee or who have held this card are also ineligible.
Related Rules
How Does This Affect Your Credit Card Strategy?
For anyone who has been in the hobby for a while, this new rule is likely a major blow to your overall card strategy. Chase has long been the standard bearer for collecting points. They have one of the strongest transfer partner lists, the most cards for earning points, and the ability to earn signup bonuses on Ink cards over and over again has been central to collecting Ultimate Rewards points.
This No Fee Family Lifetime Rule, along with another Ink Lifetime Rule that restricts you from earning signup bonuses on the Chase Ink Business Preferred and Chase Ink Business Premier, will significantly affect how you collect Chase points. You are allowed to get both these cards, but we don't suggest the Premier card, as it only earns cash back and you cannot transfer points to an Ulitmate Rewards earning card.
This doesn't mean Chase Ultimate Rewards are no longer worth pursuing. It simply means the strategy has changed. Adaptation is the key to longevity in this hobby. Between these changes and restrictions on the Chase Sapphire cards, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are now harder to earn. Below are some tips for moving forward with Chase business cards that offer Ultimate Rewards.
If you've never opened an Ink card
- Only apply for a new Chase Ink card when the signup bonus is elevated.
- Choose one of the two no fee cards based on which spending multipliers will maximize your points, assuming you may not be able to get the other one later.
- Apply for Chase Ink Business Preferred when an elevated offer is available. Since you can likely only earn the welcome offer once, waiting for a strong offer is even more important than it used to be.
- You can also get the Ink Business Premier, but we don't recommend this card because it only offers cash back and you cannot combine those rewards with Ultimate Rewards, even if you also hold an Ultimate Rewards earning card.
- Spread out your applications to avoid denials. Since you cannot earn these repeatedly anymore, there is no rush.
Think about which Chase partners you transfer to most and build a strategy around their co-branded cards:
- If you transfer to Hyatt, open the World of Hyatt and the World of Hyatt Business card, and use Ultimate Rewards points for top ups.
- If you transfer to United or Southwest, each has several co-branded cards. Use the same strategy and start building points in those systems, using Chase points as needed for top ups.
- Chase also has co-branded cards with IHG, Marriott, Air Canada, and British Airways, so apply the same strategy if you are loyal to any of these brands.
If you've opened Ink cards before
You may not be able to earn a welcome offer on either no fee Ink card again, but you can try. The new popup works in your favor because it warns you before a hard pull, giving you the chance to stop the application.
If you want to try applying even though you have owned one or both no fee Ink cards in the past, consider the following:
- Close any Ink cards you have held for more than a year and no longer use.
- Even before this rule went into effect, Chase had tightened Ink approvals, and data shows approval chances increase when you have fewer cards open.
If you get denied, regroup. Consider expanding into other transferable points systems such as Amex, Bilt, Citi, or Capital One. If you hold a large balance of Chase points and rely on their partners, apply for Chase co-branded cards. By building points directly with transfer partners like Hyatt, United, or Southwest, you can use your Ultimate Rewards for top ups, stretching your balance further now that they are harder to earn.
While these new rules are frustrating, Chase Ultimate Rewards remain one of the most valuable points currencies in the hobby. The difference is that earning them now requires a more thoughtful, long-term strategy along with the acceptance that there will be a limit to how many you can earn. Adapt to the new rules, build around the partners you value most, and you'll continue earning plenty of free travel for years to come.
Importance of this Rule
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The importance of this rule depends largely on how long you've been in the points and miles hobby. If you're just getting started, it simply becomes another rule to build your strategy around. Since you likely weren't relying on repeat Ink welcome offers, your long-term approach doesn't change much. Just be selective about which no-annual-fee Ink card you choose and wait for elevated offers whenever possible.
For experienced hobbyists, however, this is one of the biggest changes Chase has made in years. If you regularly earned multiple Ink welcome offers or played two-player mode with a spouse or partner, this rule removes what was once one of the best ways to generate large balances of Ultimate Rewards points. Fortunately, there are still plenty of ways to earn valuable travel rewards. The strategy has simply shifted.
Cards Subject to This Rule
FAQs
Are there exceptions to this rule?
There may be a few. One potential exception involves applicants who originally opened one of these cards as a sole proprietor using only their Social Security number but now have a business with its own EIN. Some hobbyists have successfully received another welcome offer in this situation, though approval is far from guaranteed. Fortunately, Chase's popup appears before a hard credit inquiry, so there's little downside to testing your eligibility. Just have a backup plan if you're denied the bonus.
How do I check my status?
Load your cards into Points Navigator, and we'll track this rule and every other major credit card eligibility rule for you. There are now dozens of application and welcome offer restrictions across the major issuers, making it increasingly difficult to know which cards you're eligible for next.
Do business cards count for this rule?
Yes. This rule applies only to the two no-annual-fee Chase Ink business cards: the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited.
Do product changes on existing cards count for this rule?
Not really. We generally don't recommend product changing into either of these cards because doing so could cost you a future welcome offer.
About Approval Rules
Collecting credit card points is largely driven by understanding and abiding by bank rules regarding approval (or disapproval) of cards. So here's what you need to know:
- Approval rules are rarely fully publicized by the banks
- We use our own research and data points from other users in creating the rules listing
- Our goal in sharing/using the rule listings is to provide you guidance to avoid getting declined
- There can sometimes be exceptions to the rules, but we try to take a more cautious approach in advising you.