Best Chase Credit Cards in 2024

Several Chase credit cards 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 most Chase cards, see if you can qualify for the Chase Freedom Rise℠ Credit Card, or see what other credit cards can help you build credit. You can improve your credit with responsible use with the goal of getting one of the top Chase cards in the future.

The following steps can help improve your credit or your approval odds for Chase cards:

• Build positive credit habits. If your credit score needs work, make sure you pay all your bills on time and avoid opening or closing accounts while you work toward boosting it. Paying down debt can also help improve your credit score if your credit utilization ratio is high.
• Check your credit reports for problems or errors. Checking your credit reports is a great way to spot incorrect reporting or other information that could be harming your credit score. You can check your credit reports from all three credit bureaus for free by visiting the website AnnualCreditReport.com.
• List your full household income on your application. Chase credit card applications ask for your household income, not just your own. This means that if you’re over the age of 21, you can list the full household income you have access to — including the earnings of a partner or spouse.
• Apply for Chase credit cards before you dive into other card products. Due to the Chase 5/24 rule, you’ll want to make sure you have the Chase credit cards you want before you apply for cards from other issuers.

• DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF CREDIT CARD YOU WANT

  Before you can decide on the best Chase credit card for your wallet, you’ll need to determine the type of card you want. This could be a cash back credit card if you want to earn basic rewards you can redeem for statement credits or gift cards, or an airline credit card or hotel credit card associated with your favorite brand. You could also opt for a general travel credit card with transferable points if you prefer flexibility.

  Chase even offers balance transfer credit cards and credit-building cards for new credit users. The chart below gives some basic card recommendations for different types of users.

  What type of card user are you?

  Type of user	Consider
  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 Club℠ Infinite Card)
  You frequently stay at a hotel chain and could use perks like elite status and free hotel night certificates.	Hotel credit card (Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® 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 Slate Edge℠)
  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

  Make sure you pick a card that offers more rewards in categories you typically spend the most in, whether that includes groceries, gas, dining out, travel or another category. This will help you earn more rewards over time, which is the main point of signing up for a rewards credit card in the first place.

  You can even pair together a few different Chase credit cards, so you can earn even more rewards on all your spending and bills. Just make sure to keep annual fees in mind (if they apply), and come up with a strategy for when you’ll use different cards and how you’ll keep track of your spending on each one.

  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 Instacart Mastercard®
  Travel	Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Chase Sapphire Reserve®

• DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO PAY AN ANNUAL FEE

  Some Chase credit cards have a high 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^® 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 cards are also known for their incredible benefits, which can include travel and purchase protections and other benefits that make travel more affordable and comfortable. Consider the following perks you can get with certain Chase credit cards.

  • No foreign transaction fees: This benefit can help you avoid paying extra fees when you use your card to pay for purchases outside the United States.
  • Lounge access: Airport lounge access gives you a quiet and relaxing place to escape in the airport, and most lounges offer free snacks and drinks to boot.
  • Travel protections: Look out for benefits like trip cancellation and interruption coverage, primary auto rental coverage, travel delay coverage and baggage insurance.
  • Purchase protections: Look for Chase credit cards that offer purchase protection against damage or theft, extended warranties on items that come with a manufacturer’s warranty or both.

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. There are several reasons this is the case, including the fact that Chase credit cards let you pool all your points in a single account for better redemption options.

Chase travel credit cards let users transfer their points to a variety of airline and hotel partners, and users can also redeem their points for travel through the Chase portal, sometimes for up to 25% to 50% more value, depending on the card.

You don’t have to redeem for Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for travel if you don’t want to. These points can also be used for cash back, statement credits, gift cards or merchandise — this means you won’t be stuck with unusable rewards.

How much are Ultimate Rewards points worth?

Ultimate Rewards points have a relatively high potential point value. Most options, including cash back, will net you 1 cent per point. You can get a 25% to 50% bonus on those points with some cards if you redeem through Chase Travel^SM. 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.

Which cards earn 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.

All the cards below earn points that fall within the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve^®
• Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
• Chase Freedom Unlimited^®
• Chase Freedom Flex℠
• Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card
• Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card
• Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card

Chase travel partners

Chase offers a great lineup of hotel and airline programs that you can transfer points to at a 1:1 ratio. Note that the same transfer partners apply to all travel credit cards from Chase.

• Aer Lingus
• Aeroplan/Air Canada
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates
• Flying Blue/Air France
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
• United MileagePlus®
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

Should you apply for multiple Ultimate Rewards cards?

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:

• Use the Chase Freedom Flex℠ to earn bonus rewards in its 5% back categories each quarter.
• Rely on the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card for its superior rate on travel purchases that aren’t booked through Chase.
• Devote the rest of your spending to the Chase Freedom Unlimited^® to earn 1.5% cash back.

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.

Sample reward earnings ($20,000 annual spend)

It really depends on the credit card you want. If you’re looking for flexible travel rewards and excellent travel benefits, Chase travel cards are some of the best on the market. Chase also offers some of the best co-branded airline and hotel cards.

If you’re new to credit cards and building credit, but you still want to earn rewards, Chase has one of the best options out there. If you’re looking for a business card for regular business expenses, or you want a business travel card, Chase has some high-value options.

However, if you want to rebuild your credit, looking for a secured card or certain types of balance transfer cards, you may find better options elsewhere. Determine what you need from a card before making a final decision on the issuer.

Before you choose a Chase credit card, make sure you know about potential advantages and disadvantages. The following pros and cons apply to these cards.