Chase
The most popular starting point in rewards optimization. A deep lineup of personal and business cards, all earning the same currency. The Sapphire is your transfer hub; the Freedom and Ink cards are your earners.
The cards in the Chase ecosystem
Every card below earns Ultimate Rewards, and the points pool into a single balance no matter which card earned them. The Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve and Ink Preferred and CSR Business act as the transfer hub card, where points become transferable to airline and hotel partners.
| Card | Role | Annual fee | Top earn | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® | Transfer hub | $95 | 1000x on bonus | 100,000 Ultimate Rewards® Points | Apply |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Transfer hub | $795 | 1000x on bonus | 100,000 Ultimate Rewards® Points | Apply |
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ | Earner | No annual fee | 200x on bonus | $200 cash bonus | Apply |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Earner | No annual fee | 200x on bonus | $200 cash bonus | Apply |
| Chase Freedom Rise® | Earner | No annual fee | 25x on bonus | $25 statement credit | Apply |
| Ink Business Preferred® | Transfer hub | $95 | 1000x on bonus | 100,000 Ultimate Rewards® Points | Apply |
| Ink Business Cash® | Earner | No annual fee | 1000x on bonus | $1,000 cash back | Apply |
| Ink Business Unlimited® | Earner | No annual fee | 1000x on bonus | $1,000 cash back | Apply |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ | Transfer hub | $795 | 2000x on bonus | 200,000 Ultimate Rewards® Points | Apply |
See the full filtered list on the best Chase cards page. Offers verified June 2026 and valued at a flat 1 cent per point.
Transfer partners
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to the airline and hotel programs below, where the right redemption can push each point well past 1 cent. Learn the mechanics in transferable points explained and how to find award space.
Live transfer bonus right now: Virgin Atlantic +30% (ends July 14, 2026). A bonus is free extra value when you already have an award in mind. How to use a transfer bonus.
The best earn-rate combination
Start with a Sapphire as your transfer hub. Add Freedom Flex for rotating 5% categories and Freedom Unlimited for a 1.5% floor. All points pool together, one transfer card, maximum flexibility.
Put together, here is the card in the Chase lineup that earns the most in each everyday category, the backbone of an optimized Chase setup:
| Spending | Best card in the ecosystem | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries | Sapphire Preferred | 3x |
| Dining | CSR Business | 4x |
| Gas and EV charging | Sapphire Preferred | 3x |
| Travel | Sapphire Reserve | 4x |
| Streaming | Sapphire Preferred | 3x |
| Everything else | Freedom Unlimited | 1.5x |
Application and welcome-bonus rules
Chase enforces the 5/24 rule: if you have opened five or more personal credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months, new Chase applications are almost always declined. As of early 2026 each Sapphire welcome bonus is once per lifetime per product, so you can hold the Preferred and the Reserve at the same time but earn each bonus only once. Read the full Chase application rules.
Frequently asked questions
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