Chase is one of the most popular credit card issuers, offering credit card options for just about anyone – whether you’re looking to get cash back on your weekly grocery shopping or earn great rewards while traveling the world.
But a big part of maximizing value is choosing the card that best suits your needs. If your idea of a home-cooked meal is a snack served on a real dish, then food rewards may not mean much to you. Likewise, if you prefer a simpler reward method, a card that requires a reward tier to be activated quarterly may not be worth your time.
When evaluating a new credit card, consider your own fees and financial needs (e.g., paying down debt, ease of use internationally, or funding a new business venture) rather than just being satisfied that it may not be right for you or Great benefits for your regular spending.
Best Chase Credit Cards for May 2022
Chasing freedom without limits
Good for: Earn money on every purchase
Earn 5% on travel booked through Chase, 3% on food and pharmacies, and at least 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. There is no annual fee for Chase Freedom Unlimited.
Focus on freedom and flexibility
Good for: Value for everyday expenses
Spend up to $1,500 quarterly on the Rotating Rewards Tier and get 5% cash back (on activation). You also get 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase, 3% cash back on restaurants and pharmacies, and 1% cash back on everything else. There is no annual fee for Chase Freedom Flex.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Suitable for: starter card
Earn 3x base points on restaurants, streaming services and online groceries, plus 2x travel and perks like free DashPass benefits through December 31, 2024 or at least 12 months, depending on activation date. When you redeem travel points with Chase Ultimate Rewards, your points will be rewarded with 25%. The annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is $95.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Good for: Big spending
Earn 5x Air Travel Points, 3x Food & Travel Points, and a host of perks with Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Earn $300 in annual travel credits, TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry membership fee credits, and a free DashPass through December 31, 2024. When you travel with Sapphire Reserve Points through Chase Redeem Ultimate Rewards, your points will increase by 50%. The annual fee is $550.
Chase ink business cash
Good for: Flexible business premiums
Earn 5% cash back on your first $25,000 combined annually at office supply stores and on Internet, cable, and phone service. Plus, you’ll get 2% cash back on your first $25,000 combined annually at gas stations and restaurants, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. There is no annual fee for this Chase Ink Commercial Cash.
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card
Suitable for: Amazon buyers
Earn 5% cash back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market. The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card also gives you 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations, and pharmacies, and 1% cash back on everything else. There is no annual fee, but you must be a Prime Rewards member, which usually costs $119 per year.
Why Choose a Chase Credit Card?
Chase is one of the most popular credit card issuers today — and has some of the most loyal customers — for good reason. While many issuers offer similarly compatible reward structures for their cards, Chase is taking its ecosystem to another level. The Ultimate Rewards program allows you to mix and match cards of different tiers and different benefits to far exceed your initial reward value and maximize every dollar spent.
However, make sure you have good credit before trying to open a new account with Chase. Almost every card in the issuer’s lineup requires good, if not terrific, credit to be approved.
How to Maximize Your Chase Rewards
Most of the cards on our list offer value in one of the most valuable reward currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards. With Chase’s rewards program, you can redeem your spending points for bank statements, gift cards, online shopping and travel (including referrals to multiple travel partners).
Your points will get the most value when redeemed for travel by booking directly through Chase Ultimate Rewards or transferring to one of Chase’s airline or hotel travel partners. This is especially true for Sapphire cardholders, who get higher redemption rates when they travel – 1.25 cents per point for Sapphire Preferred cardholders and 1.5 cents per point for Reserves.
Cash Back and Points Rewards
Chase cards like Freedom Unlimited, Freedom Flex, and Ink Business Cash are cash back cards, which means you get a percentage back on every purchase you make in eligible categories. For example, if you spend $100 on a meal with your Freedom Flex Card (3% cash back category), you’ll get the equivalent of $3 back.
But Chase does allow cash back earned on these cards to be redeemed for Ultimate Rewards points. If you choose a points-based redemption option (such as when booking travel), $100 you spend on a Freedom Flex meal equals 30 Ultimate Rewards points.
Other cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve, have reward structures based on points rather than cash back. You’ll also earn 30 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $100 on dinner with Sapphire Reserve (3x points category).
The monetary value of these points depends on your specific card (the Sapphire card offers a redemption boost) and how you redeem it (the cashless redemption option is usually more valuable). But generally speaking, you can redeem cash back or statements from any Ultimate Rewards-earning Chase card for 1 cent per point.
For a full breakdown of redemption value, see our Ultimate Rewards guide.
Combine Chase Cards
The best way to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards is to accumulate points on multiple cards in a Chase combo that fits your spending habits, then combine those points into one account when you need to redeem them.
For example, let’s say you have a Chase Freedom Unlimited card that earns you 50,000 points in a year, and a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card that earns you another 25,000 points. By the end of the year, you can accumulate these points in your Preferred Card account for a total of 75,000 points and redeem them for travel at a redemption value of $937.50.
But that’s not the only way to save. Cardholders can customize their Chase card portfolio in a number of ways:
Chase Trio and Chase Quartet
Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points are easy to pair, creating a card strategy that allows you to maximize almost any purchase you make.
Rather than earning points, miles or cash back in different rewards program currencies, earn Ultimate Rewards points with multiple Chase cards, which you can combine into one account and redeem together.
Two common methods are chase trios and chase quads, which you can customize to suit your spending and performance preferences. Essentially, each strategy uses the Ultimate Rewards cards from Chase’s three main card families: Sapphire, Ink Business, and Liberty. Since these cards offer a variety of reward tiers, you can easily maximize each purchase, then funnel rewards into your Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred Card, or Ink Business Preferred account at the higher prices ($1.50) charged by these cards. cents) redeem them and 1.25 cents per point).
For the quartet, you could open a Sapphire Card, one of the Ink Business cards, and both the Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex. Though they do have some overlapping rewards categories, they’re also both no annual fee cards. And if you’re unable to qualify for a business card, you can also create a consumer-card-only trifecta using either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred Card, the Freedom Unlimited, and the Freedom Flex.
CARD | WHAT TO USE IT FOR |
---|---|
Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred Card | Travel, Dining Out |
Chase Ink Business Preferred or Cash | Business Expenses |
Chase Freedom Unlimited and/or Freedom Flex | Rotating Categories, All Other Spending |
How many Chase credit cards can you have?
There is officially no limit to the number of Chase cards you can have, but Chase has a strict limit on the number of accounts you can open in a short period of time.
Keep in mind that applying for multiple cards from any one card issuer in a short period of time can negatively impact your credit score and cause lenders to consider you at greater risk than other cardholders. Be sure to do your research before applying for a new card, including checking your chances of approval, and only apply for a new loan if you are confident that you will pay your balance on time and in full each month.
Chase the 5/24 Rule
Chase has an unverified standard that may affect your chances of getting approved for a new card account. Generally, if you have opened five or more personal credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months, your application for a new card will be declined.
While Chase has not officially recognized this rule, issuer representative Ashley Dodd recently emailed us the following information about Chase’s approval criteria:
“Chase carefully reviews each application and considers a variety of factors, including the number of cards opened. Customers opening multiple card applications in a short period of time may experience difficulties regardless of the card issuer.”
What if your Chase application is denied?
There are many reasons why your application for a new card may be denied. After a loan has been rejected, take the time to determine why your application was rejected and what steps you need to take to increase your chances of being approved. Here are steps you can take to improve your chances of getting approved next time:
Eliminate existing credit card debt and develop healthy credit habits.
Before applying, make sure your credit score is within the recommended range for your card. If not, take the time to improve your credit score by making payments on time, reducing credit utilization, and taking advantage of credit enhancement programs.
Regularly monitor your credit and current accounts for unusual activity.
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