Chase Ink bonus eligibility comes before the application
Chase Ink bonus eligibility is the first thing to check before pursuing the current $1,000 offer. As of September 14, 2026, Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited each offer $1,000 cash back after $8,000 in purchases in the first four months, with no annual fee. The offers end September 17, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET. Those are appealing terms only if the applicant qualifies for the bonus and can meet the purchase requirement. Prior bonuses on either no-annual-fee Ink card may restrict another bonus. Do not treat an attractive offer as proof that it is available to you.
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Separate card approval from welcome-bonus eligibility
There are two questions to resolve: whether Chase will approve an application and whether the applicant can receive the advertised welcome reward. A favorable answer to one does not guarantee the other. Review the offer language shown for the exact product before applying, especially if you previously earned a bonus on Ink Cash or Ink Unlimited. Keep your own account history nearby rather than trying to reconstruct it from memory. If the wording leaves your situation unclear, ask Chase about the relevant restriction before submitting an application. A general article cannot make an individualized eligibility decision.
A previous no-annual-fee Ink bonus may matter
The eligibility concern is not limited to someone currently holding the same card. A prior welcome bonus on either no-annual-fee Ink product may affect access to another welcome bonus. Do not assume that choosing the other product, or no longer holding an old account, removes that concern. Read the current application terms and compare them with the cards and bonuses in your history. This is a reason to check carefully, not a statement that every former cardholder will receive the same result. Avoid relying on another applicant’s outcome as a promise about your own application.
Check the business and recent-card requirements
Business eligibility and Chase’s 5/24 policy also matter. Consider them separately from the welcome-bonus restriction rather than using one as a substitute for the others. Gather an accurate picture of your business activity and recent card history before deciding whether to apply. Provide truthful information on the application and ask the issuer about requirements that are unclear. Neither a qualifying business nor an acceptable recent-card history guarantees approval or a bonus. The practical aim is to understand the questions that apply to your situation before making a decision, not to find a way around an issuer’s rules.
Keep the $8,000 requirement inside your existing plans
The offer requires $8,000 in purchases during the first four months. Before considering the reward, write down the business purchases you already expect to make and compare them with that requirement. Do not include uncertain future expenses simply to make the total look achievable. If the planned purchases fall short, the welcome reward may not be a useful reason to apply. No annual fee does not remove the spending requirement or make extra purchases costless. Evaluate the card as a payment choice for genuine expenses, and read the complete purchase rules in the offer displayed to you.
Treat the September 17 cutoff as a check, not pressure
The stated cutoff is September 17, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET. Check the actual offer before starting an application and keep a record of the terms you are considering. The application deadline and the period for meeting the purchase requirement are different conditions, so do not collapse them into one date. If you cannot resolve eligibility or comfortably fit the purchases into your plans before the offer closes, passing is a reasonable outcome. A deadline should help you organize the decision, not push you into treating an uncertain bonus as money already earned.
Choose the card for the business after checking the bonus
The two cards have the same advertised welcome amount and purchase requirement in this offer. That makes bonus eligibility a useful first filter, but it does not establish which card is the better ongoing fit. After checking eligibility, compare the current product terms with how your business actually spends and how you intend to use rewards. This guide focuses on the welcome-offer decision, not a complete comparison of every earning category or benefit. Keep the initial incentive separate from the longer-term choice, and choose only when the terms and the role of the card both make sense.
