The best Chase credit cards to add to your wallet

Chase credit cards have always held a special place in my heart — and my wallet. My very first credit card, the United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees), was a Chase product, and it introduced me to the world of points and miles.

I’ll never forget how it felt to redeem miles I’d earned with the card for the first time or the trip I took: a last-minute trip with friends to Moab, Utah, that at the time I never would have been able to afford otherwise. It opened up my eyes to what was possible with credit cards, and from that moment on, I was hooked.

Since taking that card out 12 years ago, my collection has expanded to include 11 Chase cards, each playing a unique role in my wallet.

If I were to start all over again, I’d probably choose a different card for my first, but I can confidently say that anchoring my points and miles strategy with Chase credit cards has been a decision that’s helped me see more of the world over the last decade than I ever could have dreamed.

Whether your goal is to earn points and miles for travel, collect cash back or access perks that will enhance your travel experience, Chase has a card to meet your needs. Here are our top picks.

Standout benefits: The Chase Sapphire Preferred has long been one of the most popular travel credit cards out there — and for good reason. Between its earning rates and perks, it’s a point-earning workhorse. Plus, it’s currently sporting a 100,000-point welcome bonus that’s incredibly lucrative since Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to a range of hotel and airline partners.

I love transferring points earned with my Chase Sapphire Preferred to Hyatt to book luxe hotel stays. Some of my favorite recent redemptions have been four nights at Alila Ventana Big Sur in California, which was part of my honeymoon, and a long weekend stay at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort in Hawaii.

But beyond the bonus, the card’s earning rates have cemented its permanent place in my wallet. It earns 3 points per dollar spent on dining, which is a major category for me since it covers everything from the fine dining restaurants I love trying out when traveling to the food trucks I frequent in my home city of Portland, Oregon, to the coffee shop I visit daily with my dog.

Related: I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred — which card should I get next?

It also earns 3 points per dollar spent on online groceries, which is my preferred method of shopping for bulky items like canned beans and baby formula, (excludes Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs).

This card also includes at least one year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by Dec. 31, 2027), and even though I don’t order delivery frequently, it’s easy to get value from the membership, which cuts down on the fees associated with each order.

For more details, see our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Welcome offer: Earn $250 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $0.

Standout benefits: The Chase Freedom Unlimited is an indispensable part of my credit card strategy.

It earns at least 1.5% cash back — or 1.5 points per dollar when you pair this card with an Ultimate Rewards-earning product (more on that below) — on all purchases, including those that fall outside one of its bonus categories. This means it’s a great choice for those who want to earn a solid cash-back rate without tracking their spending across various categories.

That’s a nice proposition, but it’s not the reason I have spent years shouting about this card from the rooftops. While the Freedom Unlimited is advertised as a cash-back card, meaning it doesn’t offer the ability to transfer points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners, that all changes if you also hold a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Those who have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Ink Business Preferred can combine the rewards from the Freedom Unlimited with those in their other accounts, instantly making them transferable — and much more valuable.

Using this strategy, I effectively earn 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent with the Chase Freedom Unlimited in categories where I’d earn just 1 point per dollar with a different card. That’s a 50% increase in earning potential on retail purchases, concert tickets, medical bills and more — all for no annual fee.

Since there’s no annual fee required to hold the Freedom Unlimited, I recommend it to everyone who already has a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points so they can build up their points stash.

You can also get Chase cards in the reverse order. In the past, I’ve recommended the Freedom Unlimited as a stepping-stone product to friends and family members who may not yet have the credit score or history needed to secure a Sapphire card.

For more details, see our full review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

Welcome offer: Earn $750 after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $0.

Standout benefits: Think of this card as the business version of the Chase Freedom Unlimited. It earns 1.5% cash back across all purchases, making it a simple and user-friendly option for business owners of all stripes.

Like its consumer counterpart, it’s best leveraged as part of a duo with an Ultimate Rewards-earning card, as that will unlock the ability to convert the cash back it earns into transferable points. I love transferring my points to programs like British Airways, which has a distance-based award chart that allows me to book economy Alaska Airlines flights up and down the West Coast at very reasonable rates.

I was thrilled to see Chase add a product like this one to its business lineup. While many business credit cards offer bonuses in categories like travel, shipping and advertising, there are so many business expenses that don’t fall under those umbrellas.

In the past, I’ve used this card for expenses related to building and maintaining a website and email list, as well as for software platforms like Zoom.

For more details, see our full review of the Ink Business Unlimited.

Apply here: Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Welcome offer: Earn 90,000 points after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $95.

Standout benefits: The Ink Business Preferred is a heavy hitter in the business card category thanks to great earning rates, a hefty welcome bonus and a reasonable annual fee.

It earns 3 points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases each year on a range of business categories, many of which are widely useful.

For example, I love using the card to earn 3 points per dollar spent on travel, a category that includes everything from airfare and hotels to taxis and parking lots. Even if your business doesn’t specifically relate to travel, taking advantage of this earning rate on purchases that are travel-adjacent can help you maximize your spending.

The Ink Business Preferred is also my go-to card for earning bonus points on internet, cable and phone services, which can apply to almost every business.

I initially took out this card to support a freelance writing business, for which internet access was critical. Later, as I moved into travel consulting, I jumped on the opportunity to earn extra points on advertising purchases with social media sites, netting 3 points per dollar spent to boost posts on Instagram.

The Ink Business Preferred sports a hefty welcome bonus of 90,000 points, and while the spending requirement is high at $8,000 over three months, if your business can support that level of spend, it’s an offer you don’t want to miss.

In the last couple of years, I’ve transferred fewer than 90,000 points to Chase partners like Air Canada and United Airlines to book business-class flights to Japan and Tahiti, respectively.

For more details, see our full review of the Ink Business Preferred.

Apply here: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $550.

Standout benefits: When the Sapphire Reserve first launched in 2016, I jumped at the chance to get it. I was immediately attracted by features like the $300 travel credit, which I always found extremely easy to use, and the generous earning rate of 3 points per dollar spent on travel and dining, two of my biggest spending categories.

While I ultimately decided the Sapphire Preferred was a better fit for my specific needs, I did hold the Reserve for many years and found a lot to love about it.

In particular, I loved the ability to get 50% more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel. While you’ll often get better value when transferring your points to hotel or airline partners, I found many cases where the elevated portal redemption rate saved me points over doing a transfer.

Booking this way also allowed me to earn points on the flights I took, helping me earn elite status on both United Airlines and American Airlines for several years.

Related: Amex Platinum vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve: Which $550-plus card is right for you?

Best of all, using Chase Travel helped me get decent value on flights and hotels when good transfer options weren’t available. For example, I leaned heavily on the portal when booking flights and hotels in Ushuaia, Argentina, before setting sail on a cruise to Antarctica.

I also loved using the Sapphire Reserve for primary rental car insurance while traveling. If you decline the rental company’s collision insurance, Chase provides reimbursement of up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles in the U.S. and abroad.

This benefit gave me peace of mind while on road trips in places like Ireland and Scotland, where I had to drive on the left side of the road, and the Azores, where we drove over some rocky terrain.

For more details, see our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $149.

Standout benefits: Southwest is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, meaning you don’t specifically need a Southwest card to earn points that can be used for flights on the airline; many of the cards on this list will do the trick. But there’s something to be said about the other benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card and their impact on your flying experience.

The card has some key features that can make your travel day much more relaxing. For starters, 25% back on inflight purchases can help you access discounted Wi-Fi to take care of any last-minute trip details or enjoy a discounted glass of wine. Meanwhile, four upgraded boardings per year can help you beat the boarding chaos and give you extra time to get settled.

Plus, the card comes with additional features that help offset the annual fee — and then some. It comes with a $75 annual Southwest travel credit and 7,500 points each year on your cardmember anniversary, both of which will get you closer to your next adventure.

For me, that’s often a trip to see a concert or sporting event in Las Vegas or to explore national parks in Arizona, Colorado and beyond.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card also comes with a 10,000-point qualifying boost each year for Southwest’s coveted Companion Pass, which allows you to designate a travel companion to fly on your itineraries for just the price of taxes and fees, whether you book with cash or points.

For more details, see our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Ink Business Cash Credit Card

Welcome offer: Earn up to $750 cash back: $350 cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months after account opening.

Annual fee: $0.

Standout benefits: If you’re a business owner who prioritizes earning cash back — or wants the option to convert cash back into transferable travel points by pairing an Ultimate Rewards-earning card with a product like the Ink Business Cash card — you’re in the right place.

My favorite feature of this card is that it earns 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar spent if you combine it with a card like the Sapphire Preferred or the Sapphire Reserve) on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each anniversary year at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services.

It’s easy to see how internet and phone services are useful for most business owners. My computer-based freelance writing and travel consulting side hustles have always relied on the internet. But even my husband, who walks dogs outside his nine-to-five, uses his phone and the internet for client communication and administrative work, such as filing taxes.

But the ways to capitalize on the office supply store bonus may be less obvious. Even if you don’t typically use traditional office supplies in your line of work, as is the case for both me and my husband, you can find a lot of value here if you look for it.

Staples, for instance, sells everything from office furniture to passport services to Apple AirPods, and I’ve even purchased food there during the workday more than once. Its website even has a section you can scope out titled “Yes, Staples has that” if you’re not convinced of this bonus category’s broad utility.

For more details, see our full review of the Ink Business Cash card.

Apply here: Ink Business Cash Credit Card

Chase Freedom Flex

Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $0.

Standout benefits: If there’s an unsung hero in my wallet, it’s the Chase Freedom Flex. While maximizing its earning potential does take some careful planning, to me, it’s 100% worth it for the payoff.

The Freedom Flex offers the opportunity to earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined spending purchases in rotating quarterly bonus categories (after activation).

That means you can use it to earn 7,500 bonus points per quarter or 30,000 points per year, which is pretty great for a card without an annual fee. This is especially true since, like with the Chase Freedom Unlimited, the points you earn with the Chase Freedom Flex can be converted to transferable travel points if you also hold an Ultimate Rewards-earning card.

While the bonus category for each quarter isn’t revealed very far in advance, I have typically found the categories incredibly lucrative.

For example, since becoming a cardholder, I’ve seen restaurants and grocery stores featured several times, both of which are big spending categories for me. Chase has also used PayPal as a bonus category multiple times, and since so many online businesses accept it, your options for earning are nearly limitless.

Recently, a bonus on purchases at pet shops and veterinary services helped me earn so many points during an emergency with my dog that I was able to book a free hotel room in London.

For more details, see our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex.

Apply here: Chase Freedom Flex

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $69.

Standout benefits: While we love the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card, there’s another less expensive option that also provides great value: the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card.

An annual fee of just $69 will get you access to many of the same benefits, including the 25% discount on inflight purchases, the 10,000-point qualifying boost each year for the Companion Pass and an earning rate of 2 points per dollar spent on categories like local transit and commuting, Rapid Rewards hotels and car rental partner purchases, and select streaming services.

Both cards also have another feature in common that will soon become important when Southwest ends its longtime bags-fly-free policy: They’ll each allow you to check your first bag free of cost.

As a new mom who totes around a lot of baby supplies, this benefit is extremely attractive to me. With such a low annual fee, the card would likely make sense for me based on the bag perk alone.

For more details, see our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Prime Visa

Welcome offer: Get a $100 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval (exclusively for Prime members).

Annual fee: $0, though this card requires a Prime membership.

Standout benefits: A favorite among Amazon enthusiasts, the Prime Visa is perfect for those with Amazon Prime accounts who spend frequently at Amazon and Whole Foods and want to earn cash back rather than travel rewards (though the Prime Visa does let you earn an elevated reward rate on Chase Travel purchases since it’s a Chase product).

It nets a lucrative 3% cash back at amazon.com and on purchases from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market, which covers pretty much anything you could possibly need, including food, household supplies, clothing and gifts. But the earning rate gets even more impressive if you have an eligible Prime membership, jumping to 5%.

As a new parent, it feels like I turn to Amazon nearly every day for one thing or another. Whether it’s supplies like diapers, wipes or formula that I didn’t realize were running low or a last-minute outfit for a themed day at day care, I’m on the site more than I care to admit.

I can easily see how this card would be essential in a household that values cash-back rewards over other reward currencies.

For more details, see our full review of the Prime Visa.

Apply here: Prime Visa

Related: The power of the Chase Trifecta: Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred and Freedom Unlimited

I did this a few years back, downgrading my Chase Sapphire Reserve to the Chase Freedom Flex since the Freedom Flex was better suited for my spending needs at the time.

Eventually, I settled on the Chase Sapphire Preferred as my primary Ultimate Rewards-earning card, and I’ve held it ever since.

Preferred rewards

Thinking about what kind of rewards you’d like to earn is a great starting point for choosing a credit card. Do you want to keep it simple with cash back? Or, are you eager to dive into the world of transferable travel points?

Welcome bonus

Welcome bonuses are important in the world of credit cards, as they represent your best chance to earn a large sum of points at once. They also vary throughout the year: The Chase Sapphire Preferred, for example, is currently offering its highest-ever bonus but only for a limited time.

Spending habits

To get the best possible return on your spending, you’ll want to consider where you spend most of your money and choose a card with a bonus on those categories.

For me, travel, dining and online grocery shopping are all major ones, which is why the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Ink Business Preferred continue to hold places in my wallet year after year.

Annual fee

Of course, you’ll also want to think through your budget and what, if anything, you’re willing to spend on credit card annual fees.

Chase offers a range of options, from $0 all the way up to $550, so there’s something for everyone. While getting more than your money’s worth with any of these cards is certainly possible, a premium offering only makes sense if you can maximize the card’s benefits.

To learn more about how TPG evaluates and chooses cards to feature in our roundups, check out our methodology.

Your redemption options will depend on which card you go for. With the Southwest cobranded cards, it’s important to note that you’ll only earn Rapid Rewards points, whereas the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Ink Business Preferred earn Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to a range of airline and hotel partners — Southwest included.

The Prime Visa, the Ink Business Preferred, the Ink Business Cash, the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Freedom Flex all earn cash back if you prefer to earn cash instead of travel rewards. However, the latter four cards have the flexibility to convert those rewards to transferrable travel currency if you also have a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points.

I personally choose to earn travel rewards over cash back since I travel frequently and feel confident that I can get more value out of Ultimate Rewards points than cash back.

No matter where you are with your credit card strategy, Chase has a card that will suit your needs. Credit card beginners have excellent options in the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Freedom Flex.

Frequent travelers searching for a premium card experience can leverage the Chase Sapphire Reserve, while business owners have a solid lineup to choose from: the Ink Business Preferred, the Ink Business Unlimited or the Ink Business Cash.

Whichever card you pick, rest assured that you can’t go wrong. With useful perks and protections, great earning rates and healthy welcome bonuses, Chase cards are among the most valuable you can have in your wallet.

Related: Reasons the Chase Sapphire Preferred should be your next credit card