Old Chase Ink Cards Losing 5X?
🔄️ Update: Chase provided the following statement via email, confirming that there are no changes to the Ink Business Plus card:
“Today’s email to Ink Business Plus cardmembers included inaccurate information about the 5x earn on office supply stores and internet/cable/phone services benefit. To be clear: there has been no change to this earn category. The benefit remains as described in the card’s official terms and in cardmembers’ Rewards Program Agreement. We apologize for the confusion. Cardmembers will receive an email with the accurate information as soon as possible.”
Some Chase Ink Plus cardholders recently received an updated benefits email that listed 5X points on shipping and internet/cable/phone services, but did not mention office supply stores as part of the 5X category. That omission could be an error of it could mean that 5X at office supply stores is going away.
The email mentions that “Starting October 1, 2026, your Ultimate Rewards® points will transfer to World of Hyatt® at a rate of 4:3. That means if you transfer 1,000 Ultimate Rewards® points, you will get 750 World of Hyatt points.” It then lists the card’s earning potential:
Instead of office supply stores, shipping has been added as an eligible category. The thing that is giving me some hope is that once you log in, there’s no mention in the account that anything has changed, or will change.
When you click “Learn More”, everything still looks business as usual:
For those unfamiliar, the Ink Plus has a $95 annual fee and earns 5X points at office supply stores on up to $50,000 in combined purchases per cardmember year, in addition to cable services, wireless and landline phone services. Chase Ink Cash also gets 5X at office supply stores, but only up to $25,000 in combined purchases per cardmember year.
But obviously, the office supply stores category is the most popular as it includes stores like Staples and Office Depot.
Guru’s Wrap-up
The Ink Plus card has not been available for new applications for year, but it remains one of the most powerful cards for earning Chase Ultima Rewards. If you’re buying gift cards anyway, earning 5X points at office supply stores is one of the easiest ways to supercharge your balance. Hopefully that it not changing.
I have reached out to Chase for comment, and I will update the article with any relevant information.
HT: MTM
