The Chase 5/24 rule limits new card sign-ups for consumers who have had 5 or more new credit cards within the last 24 months. This rule applies to credit cards from all issuers, and not just from Chase.
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card ranks as the best Chase credit card for a variety of reasons, including its valuable sign-up bonus, generous rewards rate, convenient benefits and affordable annual fee.
Chase credit cards are some of the most rewarding and flexible on the market today, which is the main reason they’re so popular with consumers. Not only does Chase have cash back credit cards with several built-in bonus categories, but it offers travel credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that are known for their value and flexibility.
That said, Chase credit cards come with some of the most stringent credit score requirements. You’ll need to strive for a score of at least 660 for their cash back cards and a score of 720 or higher for a Chase travel credit card.
This means the best Chase credit card for you will depend on the perks you want and the rewards you want to earn, but also whether you can qualify for the card.
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Sign-up bonus: 60,000 bonus points
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best Chase credit card for travel since it earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points without charging a high annual fee. While this card doesn’t come with perks like airport lounge access, cardholders can use its flexible points to book travel through Chase or transfer to the brand’s airline or hotel partners.
Who’s this card best for?
If you’re in the market for a travel rewards card, but you don’t want to be tied to a particular airline or hotel brand, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is ideal. Points can be redeemed for a variety of travel needs, including airfare, hotels, rental cars and more. Note that the card does come with a $95 annual fee — however, the value of the sign-up bonus more than makes up for the annual fee in the first year.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also comes with $0 in foreign transaction fees, making it a good choice for anyone planning an overseas trip.
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$300 annual travel credit
You’ll receive up to a $300 statement credit reimbursement for travel purchases each anniversary year
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with luxury travel benefits like a Priority Pass™ Select airport lounge membership, a fee credit for Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck and a $300 annual travel credit. Plus, it lets cardholders transfer their points to Chase airline and hotel partners or book travel through the Chase portal with 50% more value for their rewards. The card also offers bonus points on travel purchases and other spending, and cardholders get VIP access to special events.
Who’s this card best for?
If you’re looking for a luxury travel card with a lucrative sign-up bonus, generous rewards rate and premium benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a great fit. The card gives you 50% more value from your rewards when you redeem them for airfare, hotels, car rentals or cruises via Chase’s travel portal.
Plus, cardholders receive a number of valuable benefits: a $300 annual travel credit; a Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck application fee credit; complimentary airport lounge access; trip cancellation and interruption insurance; purchase protection and much more.
All of this comes with a hefty annual fee of $550. But the $300 travel credit, which applies to most travel purchases, cancels out more than half of it. Considering the credits, purchase and travel protections, lounge access and other benefits that come with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® — and provided you take advantage of them — the price of the card is well worth it.
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Sign-up bonus: 100,000 bonus points
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card made our ranking due to its exceptional earning rate of 3X points on up to $150,000 in annual spending in popular business categories (then 1X points). This card also comes with a generous sign-up bonus that’s worth $1,250 in travel through Chase and its flexible, valuable points that net you a 25% bonus when redeemed for Ultimate Rewards travel.
Who’s this card best for?
If you’re a small business owner who spends a large sum on business travel and other company expenses, you have the potential to earn a generous amount of rewards with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. The card lets you earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.
The card also offers a variety of benefits to help you manage your business finances, including the ability to easily track expenses and maintain records for tax reporting and other business needs. You can also add employee cards at no additional cost.
Just know, you’re limited to earning the higher rewards rate on the first $150,000 in qualifying business purchases. After that, you will only earn 1 point per dollar on every purchase.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Earn 5% cash back on quarterly rotating categories
Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter. Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers the highest cash back earning potential of any Chase card, due to an exceptional bonus on rotating quarterly categories, plus bonus rewards on dining, drugstores and Chase travel purchases. There’s $0 annual fee, and cardholders even get an intro APR offer that applies to both purchases and balance transfers. Rewards are also flexible since you can redeem for travel through Chase, cash back, gift cards, merchandise and more.
Who’s this card best for?
If you don’t mind keeping track of bonus categories each quarter, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ provides a great opportunity to earn a large amount of cash back rewards. In addition to offering an accelerated cash back rate in ongoing categories like travel, dining and drugstore purchases, cardholders earn a generous cash back rate in categories that rotate quarterly, like grocery stores and select streaming services.
Just know that you must activate the bonus category each quarter to earn the 5% cash back rate on those purchases, and that rate will be capped at $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter.
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Earn 1.5% cash back
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the best Chase card for groceries, since it earns a high flat rate of cash back on your grocery purchases all year round. Cardholders also earn bonus rewards on dining and drugstore purchases, as well as travel booked through Chase. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® also offers a higher flat rate of 1.5% cash back on regular spending that doesn’t fall within bonus categories.
Who’s this card best for?
If you want to earn a solid cash back rate in popular spending categories, like travel, dining and drugstores, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card could be a good fit. Plus, the card offers a higher cash back rate on general purchases than most other cash back credit cards.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is also ideal if you need to finance a large purchase and pay it off over time, since the card comes with a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months; after that, a regular APR of 19.99% - 28.74% Variable applies.
There is also a 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months. After the intro period ends, the regular APR will be 19.99% - 28.74% variable. The balance transfer fee is either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
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Sign-up bonus: 30,000 bonus miles
The United Gateway℠ Card is a good option for gas since it offers 2 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases, at gas stations and on local transit and commuting. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. This airline credit card is also one of the few that charges a $0 annual fee, and miles earned can be used to book flights with United and its Star Alliance partners.
Who’s this card best for?
The United Gateway℠ Card is a solid choice for somewhat infrequent flyers who want to begin racking up miles for award flights. This card charges a $0 annual fee, so it’s a good option if you don’t want to pay to earn travel rewards. Cardholders even get a 25% back as a statement credit on in-flight purchases with the card, and the United Gateway℠ Card has $0 foreign transaction fees.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Receive a free night every year
Receive one free night at any Category 1–4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
The World of Hyatt Credit Card is a great option for hotels since it offers great hotel perks, including Discoverist status, and lets you earn valuable Hyatt points at a fast pace. The World of Hyatt Credit Card also comes with a generous welcome offer and offers a free night each year you renew the card.
Who’s this card best for?
If you are interested in earning points for free hotel stays and you travel to destinations with Hyatt properties, the World of Hyatt Credit Card could be for you. This card gives you automatic elite status that comes with free premium internet and late checkouts, and you can earn valuable World of Hyatt points for each dollar you spend.
Cardholders can redeem their rewards at more than 1,350 properties worldwide, including basic hotels, luxury resorts and even all-inclusive properties. This card’s generous bonus categories also make it easy to rack up points faster.
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Sign-up bonus: 60,000 miles
The United℠ Explorer Card is great for airfare since cardholders get the chance to earn a lucrative sign-up bonus and 2X miles in several different categories. Frequent flyers will also love all the perks they get, as well as the fact the card’s annual fee is waived the first year.
Who’s this card best for?
The United℠ Explorer Card is a solid choice for frequent flyers who want to earn miles on spending while enjoying perks when they fly with United. Cardholders qualify for a free checked bag for themselves and a companion, two United Club passes per year, priority boarding, 25% back on eligible in-flight purchases and a $100 credit toward Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck membership.
Note that it’s possible to redeem miles from this card for United flights or flights with its Star Alliance partners. That makes this card a good option for individuals who want to travel to more than 1,200 destinations around the world.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Intro APR length: 18 months
0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. Then, a 19.99% – 28.74% variable APR applies.
The Chase Slate Edge℠ isn’t the only Chase credit card with an intro offer for balance transfers, but its offer lasts the longest. You’ll forfeit the chance to earn rewards with this card, but you’ll have a longer time to pay down your balance than with other Chase cards.
Who’s this card best for?
If you have a large amount of high-interest credit card debt, the Chase Slate Edge℠ may be ideal since it offers an interest-free period on balance transfers for a year and a half. It’s also a good choice if you want to finance a big purchase and pay it off over time.
But if you want to earn miles, points or cash back for the purchases you make, a rewards credit card may be a better fit.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Travel
|
Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year. | $95 | 1X - 5X points
|
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Luxury Travel
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $550 | 1X - 10X points
|
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Business
|
Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $95 | 1x - 3x points
|
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Chase Freedom Flex℠*
|
Cash back
|
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $0 | 1% - 5% cash back
| |
|
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Grocery
|
Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | $0 | 1.5% - 5% cash back
|
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
United Gateway℠ Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Gas
|
Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | $0 | 1x - 2x miles
|
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
World of Hyatt Credit Card*
|
Hotel
|
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent. | $95 | 1X - 9X points
| |
|
United℠ Explorer Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Airline
|
Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | $95 | 1x - 2x miles
|
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Chase Slate Edge℠*
|
Balance transfer
|
N/A | $0 | N/A |
If you are in the market for a new credit card and you’re considering any of the Chase credit card offers on this page, you should know that you’ll likely need good credit or better to qualify. That said, the rewards and benefits of Chase cards can be well worth it if you meet eligibility requirements, particularly if you’re considering a cash back card or travel credit card from the issuer.
One major reason to sign up for a Chase credit card is the need for flexibility when it comes to redeeming rewards. After all, all Chase credit cards with rewards you can redeem for statement credits, gift cards or merchandise, as well as airfare, hotels and other travel booked through the Chase travel portal.
Chase travel credit cards are even more valuable since they offer a 25% to 50% bonus when you redeem rewards for travel through Chase. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card also let cardholders transfer points to airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio, which can help users stretch their points even farther.
The best Chase card for you depends on a range of factors. For example, you’ll need to take your credit score into account to figure out which Chase credit cards you can qualify for. You also need to decide on the type of rewards you want to earn, the Chase credit card benefits you want to have and whether you’re willing to pay an annual fee.
Find the right Chase credit card for your needs with the following tips:
Make sure you can qualify for a Chase credit card
Some Chase credit cards typically require a credit score of 660 or higher, which is just below where the “good” credit score range begins with FICO scores. However, the best travel and rewards credit cards from Chase require a credit score of 720 or higher, which is considered “very good.”
If your credit score isn’t quite high enough to qualify for a Chase card, you can consider signing up for credit cards for fair credit instead. You can improve your credit with responsible use with the goal of getting a Chase credit card in the future.
| FICO Score | VantageScore |
|---|---|
|
|
Decide what type of credit card you want
You also need to determine the type of Chase card you want, based on how you plan to use the card. For instance, a cash back card might be the best option if you don’t travel much and don’t want to deal with complexity. On the other hand, you might skip the rewards altogether and apply for a balance transfer card if you’re carrying a high card balance.
| What type of user are you? | Choose a … |
|---|---|
| You want to earn points that you can use with any hotel or airline. | General travel card (Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card) |
| You want the simplest, most flexible rewards possible. | Cash back credit card (Chase Freedom Unlimited®) |
| You're collecting miles with a particular airline, or could use perks like free checked bags and lounge access. | Airline credit card (United℠ Explorer Card) |
| You frequently stay at a hotel chain and could use perks like elite status and free hotel night certificates. | Hotel credit card (World of Hyatt Credit Card) |
| You're trying to pay down a balance on another credit card. | Balance transfer credit card (Chase Slate Edge℠) |
| You want to finance a large purchase. | 0% APR credit card (Chase Freedom Unlimited®) |
| You need a card to make purchases for your small business. | Business credit card (Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card) |
Find rewards that match your spending patterns
If you do decide to pick a Chase credit card that earns rewards, you’ll want to make sure you select one that gives you more points in categories where you spend the most.
| Popular bonus categories | Best cards |
|---|---|
| Dining | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Freedom Flex℠ |
| Gas | Chase Freedom Flex℠, United℠ Explorer Card, Instacart Mastercard® |
| Groceries | Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
| Travel | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® |
Decide if want to pay an annual fee
Some Chase credit cards have an annual fee, yet these fees can be worth it if you’re able to use the perks or earn more in rewards than the fee is worth. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a $550 annual fee, yet it also has a $300 annual travel credit, a $100 credit for TSA PreCheck, NEXUS or Global Entry membership and a Priority Pass™ Select membership worth $469. If you use all of these benefits, you’re getting $869 in value from the card without even taking the rewards you earn into account.
Consider other card benefits
Chase credit card benefits can also be generous, and they can come in handy if you need them.
Some of the most important perks to watch out for include:
The Chase Ultimate Rewards® program is one of the most flexible credit card programs out there, and that’s especially true if you have a Chase travel credit card. After all, most Chase credit cards let you pool all your points in a single account for better redemption options. If you have a Chase cash back credit card and a Chase travel credit card, for example, you can move all your points to your Chase travel card in order to get a better value for travel through Chase or to transfer points to Chase airline and hotel partners.
Another big benefit of rewards from Chase is that you don’t have to use them for travel if you don’t want to. You can redeem rewards for cash back or a statement credit, or even for gift cards if you prefer. This means you will never be stuck with Chase Ultimate Rewards® points you cannot use.
Ultimate Rewards points give you a lot of return on your spending, since you can redeem them in so many ways. Most options, including cash back, will net you $0.01 per point. You can get a 25%-50% bonus on those points with some cards if you redeem through the Chase travel portal. You’ll get the most value (around 2 cents per point or possibly higher) by transferring them to hotel and airline loyalty program partners via a premium Chase travel card.
Value of 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points
You may already know that Chase’s travel cards earn points. However, it may be news to you that Chase’s cash back cards also earn Ultimate Rewards points that you can pool with your Chase travel cards.
Chase offers a great lineup of hotel and airline programs that you can transfer points to at a 1:1 ratio. In fact, maybe one the best lineups of any credit card rewards program, since partners include two major U.S. airlines — United and Southwest.
Applying for several Chase credit cards can be a good idea provided you can keep track of balances and payments and avoid paying interest on your purchases. After all, having multiple Chase credit cards gives you the chance to maximize bonus rewards in each of the categories your selection of cards offer. From there, you can pool all your points in a single account to get better redemptions.
The Chase Trifecta is popular for this reason. With the three cards involved (the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card), cardholders can rotate cards to get the highest point value on every purchase. For example, you could:
From there, you can move all your points to your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card account. This would let you get 25% more value for your rewards if you redeem them for travel through Chase. It also unlocks the option to transfer points to Chase airline and hotel partners.
| Chase Freedom Unlimited alone | Chase Trifecta | |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards earned on $3,000 in dining | 9,000 points | 9,000 points |
| Rewards earned on $1,300 in groceries (frequent quarterly category for Chase Freedom Flex℠) | 1,950 points | 6,500 points |
| Rewards earned on $500 in gas (frequent quarterly category for Chase Freedom Flex℠) | 750 points | 1,187 points |
| Rewards earned on $1,400 in travel not booked through Chase | 2,100 points | 2,800 points |
| Rewards earned on $13,800 in other spend | 20,700 points | 20,700 points |
| Total points | 34,500 | 40,187 |
| Target redemption option | Cash back ($0.01 per point) | Transfer points to Southwest airlines (average point value = $0.014) |
| Redemption value | $345 | $563 |
| Value minus annual fee | $345 | $468 |
| Other travel benefits |
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Chase offers a credit card preapproval page that lets you gauge your approval odds for their selection of cards before you apply. This step only takes a few minutes, and you only have to share basic information like your name, your address and the last four digits of your Social Security number (SSN).
The Chase 5/24 rule limits new card sign-ups for consumers who have had 5 or more new credit cards within the last 24 months. This rule applies to credit cards from all issuers, and not just from Chase.
Activate your Chase credit card by calling the number on the back of the card. If you already have an online account with Chase, you can also activate your card online.
Chase does not offer a secured credit card for building credit. However, many other card issuers do offer secured card options.
Because Chase doesn’t offer any secured credit cards, you cannot qualify if you don’t have any credit history to speak of.
Some Chase credit cards offer Chase credit card benefits like rental car coverage, but you’ll want to read the fine print to understand how the coverage works. For example, auto rental coverage offered with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ works secondary to other car insurance you have, whereas rental car coverage with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® is primary.
Chase credit cards typically arrive in the mail within 10 to 14 days after you’re approved.
You can use your Chase account for purchases before you get the physical card in the mail if you add your card to a digital wallet like Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
Some Chase credit cards charge foreign transaction fees, whereas others do not. Make sure you compare cards based on their interest rates and fees to find the best option for your wallet.
To select the best Chase credit card, our credit card experts compared the leading credit cards offered on Chase’s site and LendingTree.com, including cash back cards, business cards, travel cards and more.
Although we primarily focused on Chase-branded cards, we also considered Chase co-branded credit cards.
We then chose our top picks based on a variety of factors, including rewards value, the amount of the sign-up bonus, the annual fee and more. We also looked at the benefits offered by each card, such as purchase protection, travel insurance and complimentary lounge access.
The information related to the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and World of Hyatt Credit Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The information related to the Chase Freedom Flex℠, World of Hyatt Credit Card, Chase Slate Edge℠ and Instacart Mastercard® has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
