Which one you can apply for
dependsYou meet the two rules Ramp publishes: an incorporated business type and at least $25,000 in the bank. Ramp still decides each application.
SwitchWize decision guide
Chase Ink Business Preferred vs Ramp: Which One Will Approve You?
These cards answer different questions. Ramp asks about your business type and bank balance. Ink Preferred pays points on set categories for a fee. Check whether you can apply first, then compare value.
What you can expect
- No login required
- No credit pull
- Assumptions shown
- Sources included
Quick answer
Check eligibility first. A sole proprietor cannot apply for Ramp. An LLC or corporation with $25,000 or more in the bank can try. Ramp wins on rewards only if its rate beats the break-even rate shown for your spending.
Ramp is for corporations, LLCs and LPs. Its own blog says sole proprietors cannot apply and U.S. applicants need $25,000 in a business bank account. Ink Business Preferred has a $95 fee and leaves about $985 a year at $5,000 a month. Ramp does not publish its cash back rate, so we show the rate it would need.
See current business cardsIf ink preferred
Open to more owners. Pays well when much of your spending is travel, shipping, ads, and phone or internet bills. The $95 fee is charged each year.
If ramp
No annual fee and no personal guarantee. Only for corporations, LLCs and LPs, with a reported $25,000 bank balance. Ramp does not publish its cash back rate.
Key number to watch
Ramp reports a $25,000 business bank balance rule for U.S. applicants. Sole proprietors are ineligible whatever their balance.
Test your situation
See your result in dollars
Change any number below to match your situation. No login is required. Saved decisions stay on this device, and signed-in users can revisit them across devices.
Ramp says it is only for corporations, LLCs and LPs. A sole proprietor is one person running a business with no separate company.
$
Ramp reports that U.S. applicants need $25,000 in a business bank account. That comes from a Ramp blog post, so confirm it.
$
The total you would put on the card each month.
$
Travel, shipping, social media and search ads, and internet, cable and phone services. Chase decides which purchases count.
cents
Chase does not state a value. One cent is a common assumption. Use what you can really get.
Your answer so far
Ramp eligibility: likely fit. Ink Preferred leaves you about $985 a year after its fee. Ramp would need to pay about 1.64% on all spending to match it. Ramp does not publish its rate, so ask Ramp for yours.
See the full breakdownFrom your lender's quote
Copy these from your Loan Estimate or written quote. Nothing leaves your browser.
%
Ramp does not publish a rate. Leave this blank and we will not guess. Enter the rate Ramp gives you to see its dollars.
Ramp eligibility: likely fit. Ink Preferred leaves you about $985 a year after its fee. Ramp would need to pay about 1.64% on all spending to match it. Ramp does not publish its rate, so ask Ramp for yours.
Ink Preferred
$985
points value after the annual fee
Ramp
Not modeled
Ramp does not publish its rate. Enter yours to see dollars.
Try a scenario
What could change this
Ramp reports a $25,000 business bank balance rule for U.S. applicants. Sole proprietors are ineligible whatever their balance.
How certain: moderate
Ramp would need to pay about 1.64% on every dollar to match Ink Preferred at $60,000 a year with points worth 1 cents.
How certain: moderate
Check these assumptions
- • The bank balance rule comes from a Ramp blog post, not its card page. It may have changed, so confirm it with Ramp.
- • Ramp does not publish a cash back rate or a reward cap on the pages we read. We never guess one.
- • Ramp is a charge card: the balance is due after about 30 days. Chase Ink Preferred lets you carry a balance, at interest.
- • Welcome bonuses, interest, Ramp software plans and employee-card terms are not included.
What matters most
No personal guarantee
RampRamp says it has no personal guarantee, but only if it approves you.
Most rewards after fees
dependsRamp does not publish its rate, so we cannot name a rewards winner. Use the break-even rate.
Side-by-side comparison
Who can apply
- Ink Preferred
- Business owners. Chase makes the approval decision.
- Ramp
- Corporations, LLCs and LPs. Sole proprietors are ineligible, per Ramp.
Bank balance rule
- Ink Preferred
- None stated on Chase’s page
- Ramp
- $25,000 in a business bank account for U.S. applicants, per Ramp’s blog
Annual fee
- Ink Preferred
- $95
- Ramp
- $0, per Ramp’s card page
Rewards
- Ink Preferred
- 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 a year in four categories, then 1 point
- Ramp
- Cash back, but Ramp does not publish a rate
Personal guarantee
- Ink Preferred
- Not stated on Chase’s page. Read the terms.
- Ramp
- None, per Ramp
Type of card
- Ink Preferred
- Credit card. You may carry a balance and pay interest.
- Ramp
- Charge card with 30-day payback and no interest
Foreign purchase fee
- Ink Preferred
- None, per Chase’s page
- Ramp
- None, per a Ramp blog post
What could go wrong
Chase Ink Business Preferred
- What needs to work
- A large share of your spending counts as bonus categories and you can use points at the value you assumed.
- Common problem
- Spending does not count as a bonus category, or points are worth less than you hoped.
- What it could cost
- The $95 fee, plus points worth less than you assumed.
- How to prepare
- The fee is charged each year until you close or change the card.
Ramp corporate card
- What needs to work
- Your business meets Ramp’s rules, Ramp approves you, and its cash back rate beats the break-even rate.
- Common problem
- The application is declined, or the rate Ramp offers is below the break-even rate.
- What it could cost
- Time spent applying, and rewards you do not get.
- How to prepare
- Easy. There is no annual fee to lose.
A simple backup plan
Use both only when each has a clear job
Ink Preferred can take bonus-category spending. A Ramp card can take team spending that needs controls. Two cards means two bills to pay on time.
- 1Check that your business can apply for Ramp.
- 2Ask Ramp for the cash back rate your business would get.
- 3Compare that rate with the break-even rate in the calculator.
- 4Pay the Ramp balance on time. It is due in about 30 days.
Educational illustration only. The right amount depends on your needs and timing.
What to do next
Question 1
Are you a sole proprietor?
Yes: Ramp says you cannot apply. Compare other business cards.
No: Go to the next question.
Question 2
Do you have $25,000 or more in your business bank account?
Yes: You meet the balance rule Ramp reports. Ramp still decides.
No: Ramp may decline you. Ink Preferred is the open door of the two.
Question 3
Is much of your spending in travel, shipping, ads, and phone or internet bills?
Yes: Ink Preferred can pay well. Ask Ramp for its rate and compare.
No: The Ink Preferred fee is harder to recover. Ramp has no annual fee.
Plain-text decision tree. Are you a sole proprietor? If yes, Ramp says you cannot apply. Compare other business cards. If no, Go to the next question. Do you have $25,000 or more in your business bank account? If yes, You meet the balance rule Ramp reports. Ramp still decides. If no, Ramp may decline you. Ink Preferred is the open door of the two. Is much of your spending in travel, shipping, ads, and phone or internet bills? If yes, Ink Preferred can pay well. Ask Ramp for its rate and compare. If no, The Ink Preferred fee is harder to recover. Ramp has no annual fee.
When to check again
- Your bank balance changes by a lot.
- You form an LLC or corporation.
- Ramp publishes or quotes you a cash back rate.
- Your spending mix changes.
- Either issuer changes its terms.
Methodology
First the calculator checks the Ramp rules against your business type and bank balance. Then it values Ink Preferred points at the cents you enter and subtracts the fee. The break-even rate is that net value divided by your yearly spending.
Chase rates, the cap and the fee come from the Chase page. Ramp rules come from Ramp’s card page and blog. We checked each on 2026-10-20.
- • Ramp does not publish a cash back rate or a reward cap on the pages we read, so we never guess one.
- • The $25,000 bank balance rule comes from a Ramp blog post. It may have changed.
- • It leaves out welcome bonuses, interest, Ramp software plans and employee-card terms.
- • It does not predict whether either issuer will approve you.
Terms are checked every quarter and after any announced change. Editorial conclusions do not depend on affiliate availability.
Sources
Ramp: corporate cardsChecked October 20, 2026 · high confidence
No personal guarantee, no annual fee, charge card with 30-day payback. No cash back rate stated.
Ramp blog: business credit cards with cashbackChecked October 20, 2026 · moderate confidence
Corporations, LLCs and LPs only. $25,000 bank balance for U.S. applicants. A blog post, so it may change.
Chase: Ink Business PreferredChecked October 20, 2026 · high confidence
$95 fee. 3 points on the first $150,000 in set categories, then 1 point. No foreign transaction fees.
Frequently asked questions
Can a sole proprietor get a Ramp card?
No. Ramp’s own blog says its card is only for corporations, LLCs and LPs, and sole proprietors are ineligible. If you run a sole proprietorship, Chase Ink Business Preferred and other business cards remain open to apply for.
Does Ramp require a personal guarantee?
Ramp says there is no personal guarantee and no personal credit check. Its limit is based on business numbers such as revenue. Chase’s page does not state its guarantee terms, so read them before you apply.
How much money do I need in the bank for Ramp?
A Ramp blog post says U.S. applicants need $25,000 in a business bank account. Ramp’s card page does not state this rule, so confirm the amount with Ramp before you apply.
What cash back rate does Ramp pay?
Ramp does not publish a rate on the pages we read. It says it offers cash back. Ask Ramp for your rate, then compare it with the break-even rate in the calculator.
What does Chase Ink Business Preferred cost?
It has a $95 annual fee. It pays 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 a year in travel, shipping, ads, and phone or internet services. Other purchases earn 1 point per dollar.
Which is better for a small LLC?
It depends on approval and spending. Ramp has no fee but you must qualify, and its rate is unknown. Ink Preferred can pay well if much of your spending is in its bonus categories.
Will a Ramp card help my personal credit?
Probably not. Ramp says it runs no personal credit check and sets limits from business numbers. That helps privacy, but it is not a way to build personal credit.