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Credit card points and frequent flyer miles are incredibly useful, no matter what program you earn them with or what you eventually choose to do with them. While there are a few different types of credit card rewards, you benefit regardless of which kind your card earns by collecting a rebate on your everyday spending — as long as you practice financial discipline and pay off your statement in full each month.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a premium rewards card that has set the standard for other credit card issuers who updated their own products to keep up with the Reserve’s top-of-the-line rewards and benefits. But even if you don’t want to pay the steep annual fee for the Reserve, Chase has other excellent rewards cards to consider, including options that earn cash back and great small-business credit cards.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is currently offering an elevated welcome bonus of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Read our guide to the best ways to earn and redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to find out how to make the most of your rewards — even if you’re not traveling right now.
Take a look below at our choices of the best available Chase cards, including our overall top pick, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Best overall for travel rewards: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Best premium card: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Best for everyday spending: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Best for bonus categories: Chase Freedom Flex
Best small-business travel rewards card: Chase Ink Preferred
Best for small-business bonus categories: Chase Ink Cash
Best small-business card for flat-rate rewards: Chase Ink Unlimited
Best for students: Chase Freedom Student
Comparing Chase credit cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred card
Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is worth it: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a reasonable annual fee and great benefits, and comes with an excellent sign-up bonus offer.
Sign-up bonus offer: 60,000 points
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers top-notch travel and purchase protections and a substantial sign-up bonus for a moderate annual fee. It earns 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (2x points on all other travel purchases), 3x points on dining, 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), 3x points on select streaming services, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Points are worth 1.25 cents on travel booked through Chase and with Pay Yourself Back, but you can still transfer them to Chase’s frequent flyer and hotel loyalty program partners. You’ll also receive primary car rental insurance coverage, trip delay coverage, purchase protection, and a 10% anniversary points bonus. The annual fee is a manageable $95.
Recent updates to the Chase Sapphire Preferred include the addition of up to $50 per year in statement credits for hotels booked through Chase. If you maximize this credit, you can shave off more than half of the card’s annual fee.
Pros: Great sign-up bonus, transferable points, travel perks, lower annual fee than the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card
Cons: Earns fewer points in some categories than the Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Review: Chase Sapphire Preferred card review
Insider’s points and miles valuations peg Chase Ultimate Rewards points as worth, on average, 1.8 cents apiece. This is in large part due to the ability to transfer points to partners and get outsized value on flight and hotel redemptions when you have certain cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Chase Sapphire Reserve card
Why the Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth it: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® makes it easy to earn rewards for travel and more with a great sign-up bonus offer and a lucrative points-earning scheme.
Sign-up bonus offer: 50,000 points
With 5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (after earning the $300 travel credit), 3x points on other travel and dining, and 1 point per dollar on everything else, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns points quickly through your everyday spending, and it comes with a slew of perks.
Points are worth 1.5 cents each toward travel booked through Chase or with Pay Yourself Back, but you can also transfer them to over a dozen Chase airline and hotel partners — typically, this gets you the most value for your points. Benefits include access to airport lounges through the Priority Pass network, trip delay coverage, purchase protection, up to $100 to cover the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee, and primary car rental insurance.
However, while the airport lounge access can be great, most Priority Pass lounges are in international terminals, which isn’t helpful when you’re flying domestically.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® recently added new benefits, including access to Chase Sapphire by The Club airport lounges (yet to open) and $5 per month in DoorDash in-app credits.
The annual fee is $550, but that’s offset by up to a $300 travel credit each year, which is good for things like taxis, subway fares, parking, tolls, and flights.
There aren’t many downsides to this card — besides the upfront annual fee. Chase has invested heavily in making the Chase Ultimate Rewards program competitive. Booking flights by transferring points to frequent flyer partners is generally more lucrative — that’s usually how people use points to fly in first and business class — but it can be complicated because you have to decipher award charts, find availability, and work around complex airline rules.
However, because the Chase Sapphire Reserve® allows you to get 1.5 cents for each point when you book paid travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, there’s a simpler and still-valuable option.
Pros: Solid welcome bonus, easy-to-earn points, points transfer to popular frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs, good airport benefits
Cons: High annual fee, Priority Pass lounges are typically in international terminals
Review: Chase Sapphire Reserve card review
Chase Freedom Unlimited card
Why the Chase Freedom Unlimited is worth it: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® helps you earn points for everyday purchases and get cash back with no annual fee.
Sign-up bonus offer: $200 after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening.
If you already have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and are saving your points for a redemption, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® can give your balance a nice boost. While Chase markets the card as “cash back,” it actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that you can redeem for cash, gift cards, travel, and more (1 point = 1 cent).
If you have a premium card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can pool your points from the two cards. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns a minimum of 1.5% cash back (or 1.5 points per dollar spent), so paired with a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, it’s a great card to use for purchases that aren’t made on travel expenses or dining.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® also earns 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase and 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases.
Best of all, the card has no annual fee and comes with an Chase Freedom Unlimited®. After that, there’s a 14.99%–23.74% variable APR APR. If you have a major purchase ahead of you, that introductory offer can be useful.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a fantastic all-around card. However, to get the most value when it’s time to spend your points, you need the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, too, so you can pool your points. Otherwise, points are only worth 1 cent each no matter how you use them and they can’t be transferred to airline or hotel partners.
Pros: Strong sign-up bonus, earn points on regular purchases, no annual fee, Chase Freedom Unlimited® (and a 14.99%–23.74% variable APR APR after that)
Cons: One point only equals 1 cent for cash back; to get a better value you’ll need to pair it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Review: Chase Freedom Unlimited card review
Chase Freedom Flex card
Why the Chase Freedom Flex is worth it: The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers 5% cash back or 5x points on up to $1,500 of spending in categories that rotate each quarter when you activate (then 1%), in addition to 5% back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1% back on everything else
Sign-up bonus offer: $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Just like the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is marketed as a cash-back card, but actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that you can redeem for cash, gift cards, and travel (1 point = 1 cent). You can combine them with Chase Ultimate Rewards earned from a different card, which gives you the option to get a bonus when redeeming them for travel or transfer them to travel partners.
The key feature of the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is that it earns 5% cash back (5x points) on up to $1,500 spent per quarter once activated in rotating quarterly bonus categories. In the past, quarterly categories have included Amazon, grocery stores, and PayPal.
However, that’s not where the bonus cash back ends; the Chase Freedom Flex℠ also earns 5% cash back (with no cap) on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1% back on everything else.
It doesn’t have an annual fee, and there’s a Chase Freedom Flex℠ (with a Chase Freedom Flex℠ APR afterward).
Pros: Good sign-up bonus, great earning rate for several bonus categories, Chase Freedom Flex℠ (and a Chase Freedom Flex℠ APR after that)
Cons: One point only equals 1 cent for cash back, to get a better value you’ll need to pair it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Review: Chase Freedom Flex card review
Right now, there are alternate offers available through Chase for the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited — read our guide to the current Chase Freedom offers to compare and decide which is best for you.
Ink Business Preferred card
Why the Chase Ink Preferred is worth it: The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card helps small business owners rack up points quickly, and combine them with points earned on their personal cards.
Sign-up bonus offer: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is an excellent rewards credit card for small-business owners — and you don’t have to run a multi-million dollar corporation to qualify for a business credit card.
The card, which has a $95 annual fee, earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 you spend each cardmember year in select categories, including travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, and advertising on social media sites or with search engines, such as Google Ads. Purchases after you reach $150,000, or in any other category, earn 1 point per dollar.
Unless you operate a small business that’s on the larger side, chances are you won’t hit that cap for bonus rewards. The card’s welcome bonus is a great value — you’ll earn 100,000 points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening — worth $1,250 toward travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Like with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you’ll get a 25% bonus when using points from your Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card to book travel directly with Chase or through Pay Yourself Back. Of course, if you pool them on your Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, that bonus will be 50% instead.
The card comes with a handful of other perks, many of which overlap with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary car rental coverage, and various purchase protections. It also comes with cell phone insurance when you use the card to pay your phone bill, offering up to $1,000 for each covered claim, with a $100 deductible, up to three times per 12-month period.
Pros: Useful bonus categories, cell phone insurance, ability to transfer points
Cons: Caps on bonus earning which larger small businesses may reach quickly
Review: Ink Business Preferred card review
Ink Business Cash card
Why the Chase Ink Cash is worth it: The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers a very generous welcome bonus for a no-annual-fee business card and, if your spending lines up with the card’s 5x bonus categories, you could earn a huge amount of points.
Sign-up bonus offer: Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is an excellent option if you prefer a no-annual-fee small-business card, especially if your business spends a lot in certain categories. Along with Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, cardholders earn 5% cash back (5x points) at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services, and 2% cash back (2x points) at gas stations and restaurants. You’ll earn 5% and 2% in these categories on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year (then 1%), and 1% cash back (1 point per dollar) on all other purchases with no caps.
Although this card is marketed as a cash-back credit card, it actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which are worth 1 cent each when you redeem them for cash back, gift cards, or travel through the Chase travel portal. However, if you also have the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can combine your points and unlock more valuable redemptions, including transfers to airline and hotel partners.
Cardholders also receive a good selection of benefits, including primary car rental insurance (when renting for business purposes), extended warranty, purchase protection, and travel emergency assistance services. There’s a Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, followed by a Ink Business Cash® Credit Card APR.
Pros: Great welcome bonus and intro APR offer, strong bonus categories, decent benefits, no annual fee
Cons: High minimum spending requirement to unlock intro bonus offer, points are only worth 1 cent apiece unless you have an annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards card
Review: Ink Business Cash card review
Ink Business Unlimited card
Why the Chase Ink Unlimited is worth it: If you’re looking for a straightforward small-business card with a big welcome offer, intro APR, and no annual fee, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a solid pick — and there are no bonus categories to keep track of.
Sign-up bonus offer: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Small-business owners who prefer simplicity or who spend a lot on purchases that don’t fall under typical bonus categories should consider the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. There are no bonus categories or spending caps to keep track of — instead, all purchases earn 1.5% cash back (1.5x points) with no limits.
The welcome bonus offer is especially good for a no-annual-fee card: Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. In addition, cardholders receive a Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (then a Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card). Other benefits include primary car rental insurance (when renting for business purposes), extended warranty, purchase protection, and travel emergency assistance services.
Similar to the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, the points you earn from the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card can be more valuable if you pool them into an Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, or Chase Sapphire Reserve® account.
Pros: Generous welcome bonus and APR offer, no bonus categories to track, strong flat-rate cash back earning
Cons: Intro bonus offer has a high minimum spending requirement, points are only worth 1 cent apiece unless you have an annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards card
Review: Chase Ink Business Unlimited card review
Chase Freedom Student card
Why the Chase Freedom Student card is worth it: College students who don’t qualify for regular credit cards because of their limited credit history can have an easier time getting approved for the Chase Freedom® Student credit card, and unlike some student credit cards, it comes with a welcome bonus offer and incentives for keeping your account in good standing.
Sign-up bonus offer: Chase Freedom® Student credit card
While the Chase Freedom® Student credit card doesn’t offer the best rewards rate — 1% cash back on all purchases — it’s a good starting point if you’re a college student who is new to credit cards. Some student cards don’t add a welcome bonus offer at all, but the Chase Freedom® Student credit card comes with a Chase Freedom® Student credit card.
It’s also easy to earn the bonus — you don’t have to spend a certain amount within a specific timeframe. Instead, you’ll trigger the offer after your first purchase as long as you make it within the first three months of opening the account. Cardholders also receive a $20 Good Standing Reward (2,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) each year on their account anniversary for up to five years from account opening, as long as the account stays open and is not in default.
The Chase Freedom® Student credit card comes with surprisingly good benefits for a no-annual-fee student card, including trip cancellation/interruption insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Be aware that the card charges foreign transaction fees, so it’s not a good choice to use if you study abroad or take an international summer trip.
Pros: No requirement for a high credit score or long credit history, decent welcome bonus and annual Good Standing Reward
Cons: Foreign transaction fees, only earns 1% back on all purchases
Review: Chase Freedom Student credit card review
Chase credit card frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Are Chase credit cards hard to get?
Most Chase rewards credit cards require good to excellent credit to be approved, which means a FICO score of at least 670, or a VantageScore of at least 700. If your score isn’t quite there yet, check out our guides on improving your credit score and how using credit cards can help boost your score.
One notable exception is the Chase Freedom® Student credit card, which is designed for students who are new to credit. If you don’t have an established credit history yet, it may be easier to get approved for this card.
Are Chase credit cards good?
Chase has become a leader in the credit card rewards and benefits space, growing its Chase Ultimate Rewards program with the lucrative Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and then rolling out the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® in 2016 with a massive introductory sign-up bonus.
Beyond their welcome bonuses, these cards remain a powerhouse of value, and the Chase Ultimate Rewards program is fiercely competitive, with a ton of different ways to redeem points and a number of different cards available with varied benefits.
Who is eligible for Chase credit cards?
Before you start applying for Chase credit cards, there’s an important restriction you should know about. The issuer has an unofficial policy, commonly referred to as the 5/24 rule, which prevents you from getting approved for Chase cards if you’ve opened five or more credit cards with any bank in the last 24 months.
Due to this rule, many rewards enthusiasts focus on opening Chase credit cards before cards with other banks.
If you’re interested in a Sapphire card, be aware that Chase now only allows you to have one Sapphire card at a time, so you’ll have to choose one or the other. You’re also not eligible if you’ve earned the bonus on any Sapphire card in the past 48 months.
Are Chase cards worth it?
If you’re looking for a new Chase card to boost your stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, or you’re interested in getting access to new benefits or perks, it’s worth considering a new Chase card — just make sure that you know how opening a new card for the sign-up bonus or benefits can affect your credit.
Often, the benefits you’ll receive can be worth far more than the card’s annual fee, and even no-annual-fee options come with valuable perks.