Chase is a popular credit card issuer, with a broad range of credit card options -- whether you’re looking to earn cash back on your weekly grocery hauls, begin your credit-building journey or maximize rewards on worldwide travels. Chase also offers cards tailored to small business owners, with its Ink Business line, as well as students.
While Chase offers a variety of cards in different flavors, finding the right credit card hinges on your credit score and spending habits. A grocery rewards card, for example may not offer significant value if you spend more money on takeout or at restaurants. Similarly, a card that requires quarterly rewards category activations may not be worth your time if you prefer a more straightforward rewards approach. Keep your goals in mind when selecting the best credit card for you, so you won’t be swayed by flashy welcome bonuses or rewards that don’t serve your budget.
- Intro Offer
-
Earn an Additional 1.5% Cash Back Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back!
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1.5% – 5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service; 1.5% on all other purchases
The Freedom Unlimited offers a lot for a card without an annual fee. Its rewards cover a variety of purchases including travel, though it does have foreign transaction fees which limits its usefulness to domestic travel. In addition to its bonus categories, the 1.5% flat cash-back rate for all other purchases is higher than most cards. And as far as welcome bonuses go, it’s easier to get value from than most, considering you’ll earn a higher rewards rate for a set amount of spending.
You can find all the details in our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Freedom Unlimited offers a lot for a card without an annual fee. Its rewards cover a variety of purchases including travel, though it does have foreign transaction fees which limits its usefulness to domestic travel. In addition to its bonus categories, the 1.5% flat cash-back rate for all other purchases is higher than most cards. And as far as welcome bonuses go, it’s easier to get value from than most, considering you’ll earn a higher rewards rate for a set amount of spending.
You can find all the details in our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
60,000 points Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Annual fee
- $95
- APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
2x – 5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®; 3x on dining.; 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best travel cards to choose for general travel. It’s a flexible option thanks to its 1:1 point transfer rate to Chase’s travel partners and its 25% redemption bonus when redeeming points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, Chase’s branded travel portal. It also comes equipped with a slew of travel protections, like baggage delay insurance and auto rental collision damage waiver.
You can read more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best travel cards to choose for general travel. It’s a flexible option thanks to its 1:1 point transfer rate to Chase’s travel partners and its 25% redemption bonus when redeeming points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, Chase’s branded travel portal. It also comes equipped with a slew of travel protections, like baggage delay insurance and auto rental collision damage waiver.
You can read more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
60,000 points Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Annual fee
- $550
- APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
800 – 850
Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1x – 10x Earn 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.; Earn 5x total points on flights through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.; Earn 3x points on other travel and dining.; Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is the upgraded version of the Sapphire Preferred. It has an annual fee of $550, but includes an annual up to $300 travel credit to help essentially cover some of the cost. It includes all of the flexibility of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program with a larger 50% redemption bonus for redeeming points for travel. If you can book all or most of your travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you’ll earn a high return on your travel spending. Just be sure you can take full advantage of what the card offers and that it matches your travel budget.
You can learn more in our Chase Sapphire Reserve review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is the upgraded version of the Sapphire Preferred. It has an annual fee of $550, but includes an annual up to $300 travel credit to help essentially cover some of the cost. It includes all of the flexibility of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program with a larger 50% redemption bonus for redeeming points for travel. If you can book all or most of your travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you’ll earn a high return on your travel spending. Just be sure you can take full advantage of what the card offers and that it matches your travel budget.
You can learn more in our Chase Sapphire Reserve review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater
- Intro Offer
-
$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 5% 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!; 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service; Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The Chase Freedom Flex* features both rotating and static bonus categories, making it a good choice to use for specific purchases. Consider pairing it with a flat-rate rewards card to cover everything else. You’ll need to activate the rotating category each quarter online via your Chase account, but you can earn retroactive rewards if you forget to do so, as long as you activate by the quarterly deadline. Its rewards potential is hard to beat, especially considering there’s no annual fee to worry about.
You can read more in our Chase Freedom Flex review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Chase Freedom Flex* features both rotating and static bonus categories, making it a good choice to use for specific purchases. Consider pairing it with a flat-rate rewards card to cover everything else. You’ll need to activate the rotating category each quarter online via your Chase account, but you can earn retroactive rewards if you forget to do so, as long as you activate by the quarterly deadline. Its rewards potential is hard to beat, especially considering there’s no annual fee to worry about.
You can read more in our Chase Freedom Flex review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
$50 $50 Bonus after first purchase made within the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.49% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% Earn 1% cash back on all purchases plus $20 Good Standing Rewards after each account anniversary for up to 5 years
A credit-building option for college students, the Chase Freedom Student provides a small return on your spending. It doesn’t offer much more than that, but it’s rare to find a student card with a welcome bonus, let alone one so easily accessible.
You can learn more in our Chase Freedom Student review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
A credit-building option for college students, the Chase Freedom Student provides a small return on your spending. It doesn’t offer much more than that, but it’s rare to find a student card with a welcome bonus, let alone one so easily accessible.
You can learn more in our Chase Freedom Student review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
No current offer
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
N/A This card doesn’t offer cash back, miles, or points
The Chase Slate Edge offers the unique opportunity to lower your regular APR over time, with responsible use. While you can’t earn rewards, the introductory APR combined with the potential to decrease your regular APR can be quite valuable for the right cardholder -- particularly someone with existing credit card debt searching for a balance transfer.
Read more in our Chase Slate Edge review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 18 months
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Chase Slate Edge offers the unique opportunity to lower your regular APR over time, with responsible use. While you can’t earn rewards, the introductory APR combined with the potential to decrease your regular APR can be quite valuable for the right cardholder -- particularly someone with existing credit card debt searching for a balance transfer.
Read more in our Chase Slate Edge review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 18 months
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
$150 Amazon Gift Card Up to a $150 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 18.74% – 26.74% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 5% 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market with eligible Prime membership*; 2% back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores*; 1% back on all other purchases*
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* offers a high return on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. While it doesn’t require an annual fee, you will need to be a Prime member to qualify. In addition to its strong cash-back rate, it comes with a number of useful shopping protections like purchase protection and extended warranty that can make your purchases more secure.
You can learn more in our Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 18.74% – 26.74% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card* offers a high return on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. While it doesn’t require an annual fee, you will need to be a Prime member to qualify. In addition to its strong cash-back rate, it comes with a number of useful shopping protections like purchase protection and extended warranty that can make your purchases more secure.
You can learn more in our Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 18.74% – 26.74% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
Earn 50,000 points Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Annual fee
- $149
- APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
2x – 3x Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases.; Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.; Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card provides a lot for Southwest flyers, and its rewards include more purchase categories than most airline cards. It charges a $149 annual fee, but cardholders also get up to $75 in Southwest credits each year to help soften the blow. There’s a number of other perks like 7,500 bonus points each cardholder anniversary and four upgraded boardings per year when available.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card provides a lot for Southwest flyers, and its rewards include more purchase categories than most airline cards. It charges a $149 annual fee, but cardholders also get up to $75 in Southwest credits each year to help soften the blow. There’s a number of other perks like 7,500 bonus points each cardholder anniversary and four upgraded boardings per year when available.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
50,000 Bonus Miles Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- Annual fee
- $0 Intro for First Year, then $95.
- APR
- 20.99% – 27.99% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1x – 2x Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United® purchases; Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining including eligible delivery services; 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
With the United Explorer Card, the rewards aren’t really proportional to its ongoing annual fee. That said, it does offer a good value thanks to its welcome bonus and free first checked bag for you and a companion. United’s credit cards don’t always stack up to the competition, and you may be better off choosing a general rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, instead. But if you fly with United often and spend a lot on dining, hotels and checked bags when you do, this card could help you save money.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.99% – 27.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
With the United Explorer Card, the rewards aren’t really proportional to its ongoing annual fee. That said, it does offer a good value thanks to its welcome bonus and free first checked bag for you and a companion. United’s credit cards don’t always stack up to the competition, and you may be better off choosing a general rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, instead. But if you fly with United often and spend a lot on dining, hotels and checked bags when you do, this card could help you save money.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.99% – 27.99% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
Limited Time Offer! Earn 100,000 Bonus Points Limited Time Offer! Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Annual fee
- $95
- APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
2x – 17x Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.; Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.; 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Besides earning rewards at Marriott Bonvoy properties with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card*, you get a free night award each year after your cardholder anniversary (up to 35,000 points). We found that Marriott Bonvoy points are worth a bit more than competitor hotel cards when used for hotel stays, making it slightly more valuable despite offering a lower welcome bonus than other mid-tier hotel cards. There are no foreign transaction fees and a number of useful perks like complimentary Silver Elite status, lost luggage reimbursement and trip delay insurance.
You can read more in our Marriott Bonvoy Boundless review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Besides earning rewards at Marriott Bonvoy properties with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card*, you get a free night award each year after your cardholder anniversary (up to 35,000 points). We found that Marriott Bonvoy points are worth a bit more than competitor hotel cards when used for hotel stays, making it slightly more valuable despite offering a lower welcome bonus than other mid-tier hotel cards. There are no foreign transaction fees and a number of useful perks like complimentary Silver Elite status, lost luggage reimbursement and trip delay insurance.
You can read more in our Marriott Bonvoy Boundless review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
$100 Instacart Credit Get a free year of Instacart+ and a $100 Instacart credit automatically upon approval. Membership auto-renews. Terms apply.
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 5% Earn 5% cash back on Instacart app and Instacart.com purchases; Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Chase Travel Center, including flights, hotels and more; Earn 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations and on select streaming services; Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
For Instacart users, the Instacart Mastercard offers a solid return on your Instacart purchases, along with rewards for eating out at restaurants, gas stations, select streaming services and travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Its welcome bonus gives you a year of Instacart Plus and an automatic $100 Instacart credit upon approval, which is a great value. If you’re already an Instacart user, consider choosing this card so as to not miss out on any rewards. You can redeem your rewards for Instacart purchases, as cash back directly into your bank account or for travel.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
For Instacart users, the Instacart Mastercard offers a solid return on your Instacart purchases, along with rewards for eating out at restaurants, gas stations, select streaming services and travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Its welcome bonus gives you a year of Instacart Plus and an automatic $100 Instacart credit upon approval, which is a great value. If you’re already an Instacart user, consider choosing this card so as to not miss out on any rewards. You can redeem your rewards for Instacart purchases, as cash back directly into your bank account or for travel.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 28.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Intro Offer
-
175,000 points Best Points Offer Ever – Earn 175,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee
- $99
- APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
-
670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
3x – 26x Earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel.; Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. ; Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The IHG Rewards Premier card provides a high rewards rate for IHG purchases. It offers a free night award on your card anniversary (up to 40,000 points) and your fourth night free when you redeem points for three consecutive nights. It’s welcome bonus is on par with its competitors, and it could be a rewarding choice if you stay frequently at IHG properties.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The IHG Rewards Premier card provides a high rewards rate for IHG purchases. It offers a free night award on your card anniversary (up to 40,000 points) and your fourth night free when you redeem points for three consecutive nights. It’s welcome bonus is on par with its competitors, and it could be a rewarding choice if you stay frequently at IHG properties.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Credit score requirements for a Chase credit card
Credit cards offered by Chase generally require good or excellent credit -- a FICO score of 670 or higher. If you have no credit or bad credit, you may want to consider other issuers.
Can you be preapproved for a Chase credit card?
If you’re unsure whether or not you’d qualify for a Chase credit card, you can check to see if you qualify for any preapproval offers. These are sometimes sent unsolicited via physical mail or email, but you can also check on Chase’s website.
While preapproval doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the credit card, it can give you an idea of your chances. It’s a good way to find out where you stand without damaging your credit, as it only results in a soft credit check rather than a hard credit check.
Just keep in mind that once you actually apply for a credit card, your credit score will typically decrease by a few points temporarily from the hard credit check.
Is Chase the right credit card issuer for you?
It depends on what you’re looking for. Chase provides some great cards for travelers and businesses, but it doesn’t offer as many general rewards credit cards as other issuers. However, if you’re looking for a good rewards card for general spending, the Chase Freedom Unlimited cash back card could be the one for you.
How to choose the right Chase credit card
Consider which aspects of your financial life you’re looking to bolster. A cash-back credit card could be a good way to earn a return on most of your spending. A balance transfer card, like the Chase Slate Edge, could help eliminate some existing credit card debt. A travel credit card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve can go a long way toward your trips. Make sure the credit card matches your budget and spending habits.
How to maximize your Chase rewards
The majority of cards on our list offer increased value when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Through Chase’s rewards program, you can redeem points earned on your spending for statement credits, gift cards, online shopping and travel (including transfers to multiple travel partners).
You’ll get the most value for your points when you redeem for travel, either by booking directly through Chase Ultimate Rewards or transferring to one of Chase’s airline or hotel travel partners. That’s especially true for Sapphire cardholders, who get boosted redemptions on travel -- 1.25 cents per point for Sapphire Preferred cardholders and 1.5 cents per point with the Reserve.
Cash-back vs. points rewards
Chase cards like the Freedom Unlimited, Freedom Flex and Ink Business Cash are cash-back cards, meaning each purchase you make in a qualifying category earns a certain percentage back. If you spend $100 on dining with your Freedom Flex card (a 3% cash back category), for example, you would earn the equivalent of $3 back.
But Chase allows cash back earned on these cards to be redeemed as Ultimate Rewards points. If you choose a point-based redemption option (like booking travel), the $100 you spent on dining with your Freedom Flex would equal 30 Ultimate Rewards points.
Other cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve, have rewards structures based on points, rather than cash back. If you spend $100 on dining with your Sapphire Reserve (a 3x points category), you’d also earn 30 Ultimate Rewards points.
The monetary value of these points varies depending on your specific card (the Sapphire cards carry redemption boosts) and how you redeem (non-cash redemption options are often more valuable). But generally, you can redeem points from any Ultimate Rewards-earning Chase card for cash back or statement credits at a rate of 1 cent per point.
See our Ultimate Rewards guide for a full breakdown of redemption values.
Combining Chase cards
The best way to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards is by earning points using multiple cards in Chase’s portfolio that align with your spending habits, then combining those points into one account when it’s time to redeem.
For example, imagine you have a Chase Freedom Unlimited card on which you’ve earned 50,000 points in one year, and a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on which you’ve collected an additional 25,000. At the end of the year, you can pool those points onto your Preferred Card account for a total of 75,000 and redeem for travel at a redemption value of $937.50.
But that’s not the only way to save. Cardholders can customize Chase card combinations in several different way:
Create a Chase trifecta or Chase quartet
Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points are easy to pair, creating a card strategy that can help you maximize nearly every purchase you make.
Instead of collecting points, miles or cash back toward different rewards program currencies, it can be advantageous to earn Ultimate Rewards points on multiple Chase cards, which you can combine into one account and redeem together.
Two common methods are the Chase trifecta and Chase quartet, which you can create and customize to fit your spending and benefits preferences. Essentially, each strategy uses one Ultimate Rewards-earning card from Chase’s three primary card families: the Sapphire, Ink Business and Freedom cards. Because these cards offer a diverse range of rewards categories, it’s easy to maximize each purchase you make, then pool rewards onto your Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred Card, or Ink Business Preferred® account and redeem at the boosted rate those cards offer (1.5 cents and 1.25 cents per point, respectively).
For the quartet, you could open a Sapphire Card, one of the Ink Business cards, and both the Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex. Though both of the Freedom cards have some overlapping rewards categories, they’re also both no annual fee cards.
And if you don’t qualify for a business card, you can also create a trifecta using either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred Card, the Freedom Unlimited and the Freedom Flex.
Chase vs. other issuers
Chase offers a number of best-in-class credit cards, particularly the Chase Sapphire Preferred travel card and its Ink Business cards.
Comparatively, Bank of America credit cards include fewer business and travel cards but a good selection of rewards credit cards. It also offers cardholders the chance to increase how much their card earns through the Preferred Rewards Program, which boosts your card earnings based on how much money you have in your Bank of America bank account and/or Merrill Investing account.
Capital One offers some credit cards that may be a little easier to qualify for, including secured cards for people who are looking to establish or rebuild their credit score. Capital One also offers a few more rewards credit cards and a mid-tier travel credit card -- the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card* -- that compete with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
How many Chase cards can you have?
While there isn’t a hard cap on the number of credit cards you can have, Chase does adhere to a 5/24 rule. That means Chase likely won’t approve you for any new cards if you’ve already opened five personal credit card accounts -- no matter the issuer -- within 24 months.
That said, the number of cards in your wallet should also depend on how responsible you are with managing debt and payments.
How to apply for a Chase credit card
Follow these steps to apply for a Chase credit card:
1. Choose a credit card that matches your budget and financial needs.
2. Follow one of the links above to be taken to a secure application.
3. Fill out the application with all the required financial and personal information.
4. Use your new card responsibly and always pay your bill on time.
FAQs
There are Chase credit cards with an annual fee and without. Chase cards typically range from $0 to $95, and a high-end travel card that clocks in at $550 annually.
The easiest Chase credit card to qualify for will depend on your credit level. Most products provided by Chase have relatively high credit requirements, so typically the better your credit scores, the more likely you are to be approved.
You can cancel a credit card by contacting the credit card issuer. However, keep in mind that canceling a credit card can lead to lower credit scores.
*All information about the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, Chase Freedom Flex, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card, and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
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This article includes some material that was previously published on NextAdvisor, a CNET Money sister site that was also owned by Red Ventures and which has merged with CNET Money. It has been edited and updated by CNET Money editors.
