If you've ever asked about credit card rewards, you've probably heard about a Chase credit card.
Chase offers many of the best credit cards around, whether you're interested in earning cash back or travel rewards.
These rewards are incredibly useful because they can be redeemed in many ways. You'll usually get the best value using them for travel, and Chase partners with well over a dozen airline and hotel chains like Southwest, United, Marriott, and Hyatt.
The most important aspect of holding a credit card is financial discipline: Make sure you pay off your statement in full each month to avoid incurring high interest.
If you need help paying down a large balance, Chase can help too: both of our guides to the best zero-interest credit cards and the best balance transfer credit cards include winners from Chase.
Best Chase Credit Cards
- Best for travel: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best for airport lounge access: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Best for Southwest travelers: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
- Best for Hyatt loyalists: The World Of Hyatt Credit Card
- Best for cash back and 0% intro APR: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Best for building credit: Chase Freedom Rise℠
Featured Chase Credit Cards
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
19.49% - 28.24% Variable
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy
Good to Excellent
- Solid flat cash-back rate
- You can combine cash-back rewards with Ultimate Rewards points if you have an eligible card
- No annual fee
- Some other cards offer a higher rate of cash back on certain types of purchases
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great choice for credit card beginners and experts alike. With no annual fee and a high earnings rate, it's worth considering as an everyday card — and it's even better when you pair it with an annual-fee Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited- 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!
- Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
- After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.49% - 28.24%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
$95
N/A
20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Good to Excellent
- High intro bonus offer starts you off with lots of points
- Strong travel coverage
- Doesn't offer a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit
If you're new to travel rewards credit cards or just don't want to pay hundreds in annual fees, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a smart choice. It earns bonus points on a wide variety of travel and dining purchases and offers strong travel and purchase coverage, including primary car rental insurance.
Sapphire Preferred Card- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- Member FDIC
$550
N/A
21.49% - 28.49% Variable
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Good to Excellent
- Annual travel credit can effectively shave $300 off the annual fee if you use it
- Strong travel insurance
- Strong bonus rewards on travel and dining
- Very high annual fee
If you're new to rewards credit cards you may want to start elsewhere, but if you know you want to earn Chase points and you spend a lot on travel and dining, the Sapphire Reserve is one of the most rewarding options.
Chase Sapphire Reserve- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Member FDIC
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for Travel
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a reasonable annual fee and great benefits, and comes with an excellent welcome bonus offer.
The Sapphire Preferred Card offers a substantial welcome bonus offer for a moderate $95annual fee: 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
This card earns generously on many common expenses:
- 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 2 points on all other travel purchases
- 3 points on dining
- 3 points on online grocery purchases excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 3 points on select streaming services
- 1 point per dollar on everything else
Points are worth 1.25 cents on travel booked through Chase, but you can still transfer them to Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners.
Cardholders also get top-tier travel insurance benefits including primary car rental insurance coverage, trip delay coverage, and purchase protection. Finally, cardholders earn a 10% anniversary points bonus on the card each year.
Expert Tip: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with 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.
Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred card review to learn more about this card.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for Airport Lounge Access
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a $550 annual fee that's offset by up to a generous $300 travel credit each year, and there aren't many downsides to this card beyond the hefty fee up front.
After you've used up the $300 annual credit each year, this card earns 5 points per dollar on airfare, and 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠. It earns 3 points per dollar on other travel expenses and all dining, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Chase points are worth 1.5 cents each toward travel booked through Chase. You can also transfer your rewards to more than a dozen Chase airline and hotel partners, which typically offers the most value for your points.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers some of the best travel insurance available, even surpassing that of The Platinum Card® from American Expressin some ways.
The card's complimentary travel benefits include trip delay coverage, purchase protection, up to $120 to cover the Global Entry and TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee. Finally, it offers primary car rental insurance — a valuable perk that allows you to file a claim with Chase's partner underwriter instead of impacting your own auto policy.
Expert tip: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also offers primary rental car insurance, making it one of the most valuable credit cards for people who frequently rent cars when traveling.
Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card review to learn more about this card.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Best for Southwest Flyers
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is well worth the $149 if you fly Southwest more than twice a year or travel with a companion.
Cardholders get an annual statement credit of $75 toward Southwest purchases and 25% off inflight purchases. You also get four complimentary Upgraded Boardings each year, which grant you a boarding position of A1 to A15, first in line for the plane.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card also offers a nice welcome bonus: 30,000 bonus points and a Companion Pass® good through 2/28/26 after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
You'll earn 3 points per dollar on Southwest® purchases, 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Cardholders also get an annual boost of 7,500 Southwest points each year when they renew their card.
Furthermore, points you earn from spending on Southwest credit cards count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. If you earn 135,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points within a calendar year, you can bring a designated companion with you on all of the flights you take — for just the cost of taxes and fees, which can be as low as $5.60 per one-way flight.
Pro Tip: You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Airlines, but you can't transfer Southwest points back to Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority credit card review to learn more.
Alternative Airline Credit Card: United℠ Explorer Card
If you're a United Airlines fan, the United℠ Explorer Card is worth the $0 intro for the first year, then $95 annual fee if you pay for a checked bag on United flights more than twice a year.
The United℠ Explorer Card gives you a free checked bag when you pay for your United flight with this card. You'll also get priority boarding, discounts on inflight purchases, and bonus miles for purchases with the airline.
Cardholders of any United credit card get expanded access to United's lowest-priced "saver" awards, which can come with discounts of up to 25% on flights booked with miles.
You'll also get two one-time United Club passes each year on your anniversary, plus an application fee credit of up to $120 for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS.
Read our United Explorer card review to learn more.
The World Of Hyatt Credit Card: Best for Hyatt Loyalists
The World Of Hyatt Credit Card costs $95 a year in exchange for entry-level Discoverist elite status, which includes perks such as premium internet access in your room and 10% bonus points on paid stays.
If you're interested in earning a higher tier of elite status, you'll get there more quickly with this card as well. The World Of Hyatt credit card offers five qualifying night credits each year, plus two additional night credits per $5,000 spent on the card.
Since Hyatt status is partially based on the number of nights you stay with the hotel chain each year, these credits help you get closer to your status goals without requiring you to book as many hotel stays.
The World Of Hyatt Credit Cardholders also get an annual free night certificate that can be used at any Hyatt Category 1 to 4 hotels. You also earn a second free night certificate if you spend $15,000 or more on the card within a calendar year.
Pro tip: As with Southwest, you can transfer Chase points to Hyatt, but Hyatt points do not transfer to Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Read more in our World of Hyatt credit card review.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for Cash Back and 0% Intro APR
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a fantastic "daily driver" and one of the simplest credit cards you can get. It rewards you with cash back for everyday purchases without charging an annual fee.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns a minimum of 1.5% cash back (or 1.5 points per dollar spent), so it's a great card to use for purchases that aren't travel or dining.
This card earns cash back in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which can be redeemed for statement credits at a value of 1 point per cent.
But you can get far greater value from these points by adding a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. After that, you can transfer your Chase Freedom Unlimited® points to one of these cards to use for booking award travel.
If you're planning ahead for a large expense or already carrying a balance on another card, The Chase Freedom Unlimited® can be very helpful as well.
New cardholders can take advantage of a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After that, there's a 19.49% - 28.24% Variable APR. While we never recommend carrying a balance, it's helpful to use offers like this one to pay down what you owe without incurring additional interest.
Read our Chase Freedom Unlimited review to learn more.
Alternative Chase Freedom Credit Card: Chase Freedom Flex®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is really easy to use. But if you don't mind trading a little extra brain power at check-out in exchange for greater rewards, check out this card's cousin: the Chase Freedom Flex®.
The Chase Freedom Flex® shares almost all of the same benefits, but earns cash back differently: 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate, 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The Chase Freedom 5% bonus categories change every three months, so you can really rack up a slew of bonus rewards up to the quarterly limit if you enjoy gamifying your purchasing strategy.
Read more in our Chase Freedom Flex credit card review.
Best for Building Credit: Chase Freedom Rise℠
The Chase Freedom Rise℠ is specifically designed for people with no credit history at all. This no-annual-fee card earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases, which is a generous rate for a starter credit card.
You can't apply for this card online. Instead, you'll need to visit a Chase bank branch and work directly with a banker.
You have the best chance of being approved for this card if you have a Chase checking account with a minimum account balance of $250, or open one within two days of applying for the card. You won't need to maintain that checking account balance after you've been approved for the card.
Cardholders who enroll in autopay within 90 days of opening the Chase Freedom Rise℠ will earn a $25 statement credit.
Read more in our Chase Freedom Rise review.
What are Chase Credit Cards?
Chase credit cards are issued by financial giant Chase, which also offers banking, mortgages, loans, and several other major services.
Many Chase cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards — one of the most valuable reward "currencies" in the ecosystem for their flexible use on high-ticket redemptions.
Others, like the Southwest credit cards, earn rewards with their co-branded travel partner, such as an airline or hotel chain.
Choosing the Right Chase Credit Card for You
When comparing the top Chase credit cards, factors you should consider include the card's rewards and earning potential against annual fees and any additional costs.
You'll also want to consider additional features and flexibility such as travel perks and benefits — if you don't travel, for example, you probably don't want to get an airline or hotel credit card.
Matching card features with your spending habits will also help you maximize your rewards and benefits. For example, if you frequently dine out, a card that earns bonus points per dollar spent at restaurants will help you quickly reach your earning goals.
Chase Business Credit Cards
Chase offers some of the most popular cards available on the market, and that distinction isn't limited to consumer credit cards. If you're a business owner, you can combine rewards between personal and business credit cards for even more rewards.
Our guide to the best Chase business credit cards can help you understand which option might be best for your company's needs.
Chase Co-Branded Airline and Hotel Cards
Chase offers many co-branded credit cards with popular airlines and hotel chains such as United, Southwest, Marriott, and Hyatt.
These cards offer specific benefits and rewards for brand loyalists, such as points for travel and stays and automatic elite status.
Chase Credit Card Consumer Insights
We've shared our top insights here, but consumer feedback is also really important to consider when evaluating your next credit card.
Our experts scoured Reddit, FlyerTalk, and other popular forums to summarize common themes from current cardholders.
Chase cardholders emphasize how easy it is to use Ultimate Rewards for different redemptions.
If you just want a single card with no annual fee and cash-back rewards, the Chase Freedom Flex® or the Chase Freedom Unlimited® will work well for most everyday spending categories.
If you're open to holding more than one Chase card, pairing either of the cards mentioned above with a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® can expand your redemption possibilities.
Chase Trifecta: Combining Chase Credit Cards to Maximize Rewards
A popular strategy among Chase card aficionados is combining two or more cards with different bonus categories and benefits to maximize rewards.
The so-called "Chase trifecta" describes the sweet spot of three Chase cards that cover almost every category of everyday spending and unlock multiple redemption opportunities.
You can create your own Chase trifecta with any three cards. A particularly effective trio combines a card with rotating bonus categories like the Chase Freedom Flex®, a flat-rate rewards card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and a travel rewards card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
This particular trifecta only costs you $95 in annual fees from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, since the other two cards have no annual fees.
There are countless ways to create your own trifecta to maximize Chase earning opportunities, but the trio above is a great place to start.
Travel Rewards or Cash Back? How to Decide
The best Chase credit card will be the one that fits your lifestyle. If you travel frequently, cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® are a no-brainer for their generous rewards, flexible redemptions, and travel protection benefits.
If you don't travel often, the Chase Freedom Flex® can be a much better choice. Young families in particular benefit from this no-annual-fee card, because it earns 3% back on restaurants and drugstore purchases — frequent expenses for many households, according to online feedback.
The card also comes with cellphone protection and trip cancellation/interruption insurance, which is helpful if a family vacation needs to be canceled for health reasons or severe weather conditions.
Chase Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions
Chase offers some of the best credit card customer service, a robust rewards programs, extensive travel perks, and competitive earning rates on various spending categories. Chase credit cards also offer additional perks such as purchase protection, travel insurance, and access to exclusive events and experiences.
Chase's credit card rewards ecosystem offers a wide range of ways to earn and redeem points for different needs. Cardholders can choose from products that help pay for travel, cash back, and business expenses. The flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards® points system is one of the most valuable programs around, offering valuable redemptions and high-value transfers to travel partners.
As with most high-end credit products, the best Chase credit cards come with high annual fees and require good to excellent credit for approval. Some cards also require a bit more attention to maximize benefits and earning potential.
Chase issues some of the best credit cards available to consumers. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best credit cards for most people because it offers top-tier benefits and generous rewards on common spending categories for a low annual fee. Another winner is the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which earns easy cash back on many expenses without any annual fee.
The premium Chase Sapphire Reserve® requires excellent credit and costs $550 per year. Frequent travelers who value complimentary airport lounge access and the best trip insurance in the industry will be able to maximize the benefits on this card.
The Chase Freedom card series is fantastic for first-time cardholders. If you have no credit whatsoever, apply for the Chase Freedom Rise℠ in person at a Chase bank branch. People who have already built out some credit history can benefit from the Chase Freedom Flex®, which earns up to 5% cash back on certain categories, or the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, which earns a flat 1.5% cash back on everything.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Chase Credit Cards
Chase issues many extremely valuable credit cards. We landed on the best of the best in this post by only including Chase-branded credit cards with one or more of the following attributes:
- A sizable welcome bonus
- Above-average return rates
- Valuable ongoing benefits
We evaluated the pros and cons of each credit card in narrow categories to determine which card offers the highest upside for each financial situation.
Here's more about how we rate credit cards at Business Insider.
