Best Chase Credit Cards

Chase is one of the best credit card issuers in the industry. They have some of the best offers for transferrable points-earning, cash back-earning, and co-branded cards. They have a plethora personal and business credit cards available. But not all of them are created equally. That’s why this post highlights the best Chase credit cards.

Premium Ultimate Rewards Earning

Anyone who earns points and miles for travel should collect at least one type of transferrable points. Chase’s points are called Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points.

The following cards give you the ability to transfer points without holding another card. This is because you receive access to the Chase travel portal and travel partners. Either option, especially the latter, lets you redeem UR points for high value.

Sapphire Reserve

Sign-Up Bonus: 50,000 points for $4,000 spend in 3 months

Earning: 3x points on Travel and Dining

Perks: $300 Annual General Travel credit, Priority Pass Airport Lounges, Pre-TSA / Global Entry Fee Waiver, Primary Car Rental Insurance, Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance, several temporary benefits

Annual Fee: $550

The Sapphire Reserve does not need much of an introduction, as its one of the most popular cards of the late 2010s. Chase’s premium card is simply a great balance between perks and earning potential. It’s also a favorite among points and miles enthusiasts everywhere.

In January 2020, Chase increased the Sapphire Reserve’s annual fee to $550. However, Chase also added Lyft Pink membership, a $60 annual Door Dash credit, and Door Dash Dash Pass membership.

Sapphire Preferred

Sign-Up Bonus: 60,000 points for $4,000 spend in 3 months

Earning: 2x points on Travel and Dining

Perks: Primary Car Rental Insurance, Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance

Annual Fee: $95

The Sapphire Preferred is one of my favorite cards for those just getting into points and miles. It’s a budget-friendly option to get into earning and transferring UR points. Plus, it can also be upgraded to the Sapphire Reserve after holding it for one year.

However, the Sapphire Preferred Card’s earning potential isn’t great as a standalone card. But potential rewards can be huge when its combined with any of the UR-earning cards mentioned next.

Furthermore, the Sapphire Preferred has the best sign-up bonus of Chase’s personal cards. This is a major consideration if you’re trying to decide whether to apply for it or the Sapphire Reserve.

Ink Business Preferred

Sign-Up Bonus: 80,000 points for $5,000 spend in 3 months

Earning: 3x points on Travel, Online Advertising, Shipping, Internet, Cable, and Phone purchases. There is a limit of $150,000 per year for bonus category spend

Perks: Primary Car Rental Insurance, Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance

Annual Fee: $95

Chase’s top business card is great for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to travel. The Ink Business Preferred will print UR points if you can spend within its categories. It comes with a high multiplier for its categories as well as Chase’s highest sign-up bonus among cards that earn UR points.

No Annual Fee Ultimate Rewards Earning

These cards require a premium card to transfer points to partners or use the Chase travel portal. Otherwise, the best redemption options are gift cards and cash back. Either option makes UR points worth 1 cent apiece.

Freedom Flex

Sign-Up Bonus: 20,000 points (or $200) for $500 spend in 3 months

Earning: 5x points on Rotating Quarterly Categories and Travel purchased through the Chase Travel Portal; 3x points on Drugstores and Dining; 1x points on non-bonus spend. There is a limit of $7,500 per quarter for rotating category category spend.

Perks: Standard Chase and MasterCard

The Chase Freedom was recently replaced with the Chase Freedom Flex. And the Flex has a better earning structure, sign-up bonus, and perks than its predecessor. These include World (Elite) MasterCard perks if your credit limit is at least $2,000 ($5,000 for the World Elite MasterCard).

Freedom Unlimited

Sign-Up Bonus: 20,000 points (or $200) for $500 spend in 3 months

Earning: 5x points on Travel purchased through the Chase Travel Portal; 3x points on Drugstores and Dining; 1.5x points on non-bonus spend. There is a limit of $7,500 per quarter for rotating category category spend.

Perks: Standard Chase

The Freedom Unlimited was released in the spring of 2016 to much excitement. And it was revamped in 2020 to include some new concrete bonus categories. While this card’s earning structure is similar to that of the Freedom Flex, the Freedom Unlimited is the better card for varied expenses.

Ink Business Unlimited

Sign-Up Bonus: 50,000 points (or $500) for $3,000 spend in 3 months

Earning: 1.5x points on all purchases

Perks: Primary Car Rental Insurance, Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance

Annual Fee: $0

The Ink Business Unlimited is the business counterpart of the Freedom Unlimited. The only differences are the higher sign-up bonus and a few benefits.

Ink Business Cash

Sign-Up Bonus: 50,000 points (or $500) for $3,000 spend in 3 months

Earning: 5x points on Office Supply Stores, Phones, TV, and Internet purchases; 2x points on Gas and Dining. There is a limit of $25,000 per year for bonus category purchases.

Perks: Primary Car Rental Insurance, Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance

The Ink Business Cash is one of my favorite Chase cards and business cards. It has no annual fee and can earn points very quickly. This card has some of the biggest earning potential in Chase’s arsenal if combined with at least one premium card.

Hotel & Airline

Chase offers over 20 co-branded cards alongside those that earn Ultimate Rewards Points. I will spotlight four of my favorites below:

World of Hyatt Card

Sign-Up Bonus: 25,000 points for $3,000 spend in 3 months and another 25,000 points for another $3,000 spend within the first 6 months

Earning: 4x points on Hyatt Purchases; 2x points on Dining, airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit and commuting, and gym memberships.

Burning: Hyatt hotel nights

Perks: Hyatt Discoverist Status, Free Night, 2 Elite Night Credits for every $5,000 you spend on the card

Annual Fee: $95

Hyatt lovers will love the World of Hyatt Card. Despite its hard to obtain sign-up bonus, the card’s free night and status will offset the annual fee for many. Loyalists will love this card because of the automatic status and the value of points.

This card also appeals to millennials and general travelers given its 2x categories. The Hyatt card is the only card that I have seen that has gym memberships as a bonus category.

IHG Premier Card

Sign-Up Bonus: 80,000 IHG points for $2,000 spend in 3 months

Earning: 10x points on IHG Purchases; 2x points on Gas, Groceries, and Dining

Burning: IHG hotel nights

Perks: IHG Platinum Status, Free Nights

Annual Fee: $89

The IHG Premier Card is one of my favorite co-branded cards and favorite hotel cards. It has a great sign-up bonus and great perks, creating a great balance. Earning points is very easy, especially if you stay at IHG hotels often. And IHG loyalists could make this card a long-term keeper card because of its benefits.

United Explorer Card

Sign-Up Bonus: 40,000 points for $3,000 spend in 3 months and another 25,000 points after spending $10,000 total within the first 6 months

Earning: 2x miles on United purchases, Dining, and Hotel purchases booked directly with the hotel

Burning: United airfare, travel partners

Perks: Pre-TSA / Global Entry membership fee waiver, Free first checked bag, 25% off in-flight purchases, and two United Club passes per year

Annual Fee: $95 (NOT waived the first year)

The United Explorer Card is the only mid-tier card that offers a Pre-TSA / Global Entry membership fee waiver. However, this perk is ubiquitous on premium cards. This perk and the others should be enough to make the United Explorer card a long-term keeper card for United loyalists.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card

Sign-Up Bonus: 40,000 points for $1,000 spend in 3 months and another 20,000 points after spending $12,000 total within the first 6 months

Earning: 2x points on Southwest purchases

Burning: Southwest airfare

Perks: A-List Status, 6,000 bonus points per anniversary year, free first and second checked bags, priority boarding

Annual Fee: $95

Southwest lovers and domestic travelers alike will love the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card. Its perks are enough to justify its annual fee with just one flight per year. However, earning is not this card’s forte. Fortunately, you can transfer UR points to Southwest if you have the right cards.

Final Draw

Chase is one of the most well-known, best, and versatile issuers. They specialize in both travel and cash back credit cards. But they also have some excellent co-branded credit cards.

Many people have multiple Chase cards to combine points. Some people have three UR-point earning cards, which are together known as the “Chase Trifecta”. Some have more than three and others have fewer. I currently have three UR-earning cards: the Sapphire Preferred, the Freedom Unlimited, and the Ink Business Cash. These cards are what I’m comfortable carrying given earning potential, perks, and annual fees.