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All the ways to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points

  • Meghan Hunter

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    (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

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    Chase Ultimate Rewards are our favorite points to collect because they are easy to earn and valuable to redeem.

    They’re also extremely flexible because you can use them through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal to book hotels and flights without worrying about award charts or blackout dates. Plus, when you have certain Chase cards, you can transfer your points to airline and hotel partners. This is one of the most important aspects the miles and points hobby. It’s where the real magic happens — and it’s why you should be collecting Chase points.

    Many of us at MMS have transferred our points to partners like Hyatt for stays at all-inclusive five-star resorts in the Caribbean. We transferred our points to United Airlines for lie-flat business class seats to Europe. We transfer our Chase points to Southwest for unbelievably cheap domestic flights.

    With current whopper sign-up bonuses, like 100,000 points (worth $1,250 in travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards) after meeting minimum spending requirements on the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, it’s easy to earn lots of Chase Ultimate Rewards points quickly.

    We’ll show you all the ways to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

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    Transfer your Chase points to valuable partners like United Airlines. You can book amazing flights on partner airlines like Lufthansa! (Photo by Zach Griff)

    What are Chase Ultimate Rewards points?

    Chase Ultimate Rewards points are one of the most powerful points currencies out there. Between their fantastic airline and hotel partners, the option to use your points to book through the Chase Travel Portal, and Chase Pay Yourself Back, you’ll be hard-pressed to find other travel rewards that offer so much flexibility.

    Check out our full review of Chase Ultimate Rewards points here.

    Earn transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points with these cards

    Chase cards with an annual fee

    These annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards cards allow you to redeem your points through valuable Chase transfer partners like Southwest, United Airlines and Hyatt (this is the best way to use Chase points). You’ll get an increased value when you redeem points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, as well. Here’s a more in-depth look at Chase points value.

    Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

    Many of us on the MMS team got started with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. In fact, this is the first card we recommend for beginners to miles and points. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (worth $750 in travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards) after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

    When you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can redeem your points through the Chase Travel Portal at a value of 1.25 cents per point.

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred annual fee is $95, but completely worth it due to its fantastic benefits and perks. Here’s our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

    Chase Sapphire Reserve®

    The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is one of the best credit cards for travel, and an MMS all-time favorite. It comes with 50,000 bonus Chase points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

    Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders get a value of 1.5 cents per point booking through the Chase Travel Portal (0.25 cents higher than any other Chase card), making the welcome bonus is worth at least $750 in travel — and potentially much more when you redeem your points with Chase transfer partners.

    Being a premium card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee is $550 annual fee. That said, the Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits outweigh that fee many times over. You’ll get up to $300 in credit for travel purchases each year, which effectively brings your net cost to $250 ($550 annual fee – $300 travel credit). So you’ll have to decide if the remaining benefits are worth $250 to you:

    If you travel frequently and can use the perks, this card is worth it. Keep in mind, you can no longer have more than one Sapphire card at the same time, so you’ll have to pick one between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve. Check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

    Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

    The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card currently has the highest bonus of any card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Because of the incredible bonus and outstanding benefits, this is our #1 pick for the best business credit card.

    With the Chase Ink Business Preferred, you’ll earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months after opening your account. With this card you can redeem points through the Chase Travel Portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point, making the sign-up bonus worth at least $1,250 in travel. You’ll also get:

    The card has a $95 annual fee, which is not waived the first year. But the ongoing benefits, like cell phone insurance, make the card well worth keeping year after year. Check out our review of the Ink Business Preferred.

    Chase no-annual-fee cards

    Chase offers several no-annual-fee cards which also earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. But unless you have one of the annual-fee cards mentioned above, you won’t be able to redeem your points with Chase travel partners or redeem them at an improved rate through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.

    By combining points from a no-annual-fee card with one of the premium Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, you’ll increase the value of all your points and have much more flexibility in how you redeem them. Without an annual-fee card, you’re limited to redeeming your points for cash back or travel at a rate of 1 cent per point.

    Ink Business Cash® Credit Card 

    The Ink Business Cash Credit Card comes with an all-time-high welcome bonus of $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s an amazing deal for a card with no annual fee.

    Here’s our review of the Ink Business Cash.

    If you’ve got a Chase Ultimate Rewards points earning card with an annual fee, you can transfer 50,000 points to Hyatt for a two-night stay at the all-inclusive Hyatt Zilara Cancun. (Photo by Joseph Hostetler/Million Mile Secrets)

    If you’ve got a Chase Ultimate Rewards points earning card with an annual fee, you can transfer 50,000 points to Hyatt for a two-night stay at the all-inclusive Hyatt Zilara Cancun. (Photo by Joseph Hostetler/Million Mile Secrets)

    Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

    If you don’t want the hassle of keeping track of bonus spending categories, the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card is an excellent pick. You’ll earn 1.5% cash back (1.5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) on all purchases — with no limits.

    The Ink Business Unlimited sign-up bonus is outstanding for a card with no annual fee. You’ll earn a $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Have a look at our review of the Ink Business Unlimited.

    Chase Freedom Unlimited®

    The Chase Freedom Unlimited is the perfect card for all your expenses that doesn’t fall into bonus categories on your other cards. This personal credit card is similar to the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card in that you’ll earn 1.5% back (1.5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) on purchases. No confusing rotating bonus categories.

    The Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with a $200 cash bonus (20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Read our full Chase Freedom Unlimited review for all the details.

    Chase Freedom Flex℠

    Much like the old Chase Freedom card, the Chase Freedom Flex is a terrific no-annual-fee card for common expenses. Each quarter, you can earn 5% cash back (5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) in rotating categories when you activate the bonus, on up to $1,500 in combined purchases. After that, and on all other purchases, you will earn 1% cash back (1 Chase Ultimate Rewards point per dollar).

    With the Chase Freedom Flex, you’ll earn a $200 cash bonus (20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Here’s our thorough Chase Freedom Flex review.

    Hot tip: Any existing Chase Freedom cardholders can continue to take advantage of their card’s benefits and perks (like the quarterly rotating bonus categories!). But the Chase Freedom is no longer open to new applicants.

    Use the right Chase card for bonused purchases

    You can easily increase your Chase Ultimate Rewards points earning by having multiple Chase Ultimate Rewards cards that straddle different bonus categories. By using the right card for certain purchases, you could earn 2X, 3X, or even 5X points for just about everything. Read our post on the “Chase Trifecta” to master this strategy!

    Here are popular categories for everyday personal and small business purchases where you can earn extra points by using the right Chase card.

    Travel purchases

    All three annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards cards offer bonus points for travel purchases — and Chase’s definition of travel is very broad! It includes things like airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, travel agencies, trains, taxis, ride share services (like Uber) and more.

    Restaurants & Dining Purchases

    There are several high-earning cards for dining purchases. And dining doesn’t just mean sit-down restaurants — you’ll earn the bonus on fast food and some bars and lounges that serve food, too.

    Jasmin always uses her Chase Sapphire Preferred to earn 2X points while treating her kids to dinner. (Photo by Jasmin Baron/Million Mile Secrets)

    Since I eat out quite frequently, I earn a lot of Chase points each month from restaurants thanks to the 2X points earning on the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

    Groceries

    While groceries are a popular spending category for most households, there aren’t any Chase cards that have grocery stores as a permanent bonus category. However, consider these cards that offer unlimited 1.5% earning (1.5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) in all categories:

    We like to keep these cards in our wallets for purchases like this that don’t qualify for bonuses on other Chase cards. Both of these cards offer unlimited earning and no annual fee.

    In the past, grocery stores have sometimes been included in the rotating quarterly bonus categories with the Chase Freedom card. Each quarter, you can earn 5% cash back (5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) in rotating categories when you activate the bonus, on up to $1,500 in combined purchases.

    Gas stations

    Everyone hates to fill up the car, but it will sting a bit less when you are earning points towards free travel by doing it.

    The Chase Freedom sometimes includes gas stations as a rotating 5% cash back (5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) quarterly bonus category.

    Office supplies

    Business owners inevitably spend a bunch of money on office supplies. This could be purchases at stores like Office Depot or Staples.

    Business purchases (shipping, advertising, etc)

    The Ink Business Preferred is the best card to use if you find yourself spending a significant amount on business purchases. You’ll earn 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on the first $150,000 you spend (combined) in these categories each account anniversary year:

    This is a great way to rack up lots of points from purchases you make to keep your business running. Then you can then redeem these points for a much-needed vacation to get away from the office.

    Cell phone bill

    We all have mobile phones these days, but only 2 of these cards specifically reward you for your cell phone bill spending each month.

    Some folks have cell phone bills in the hundreds of dollars, so purchase category can really add up to quite a few points each month.

    Other purchases

    For other purchases, having one of the unlimited earning cards is the best back-up plan to use when a purchase doesn’t fall into a bonus category.

    Both of these cards earn 1.5% cash back (1.5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) on purchases. There are no categories to remember and no caps!

    Other ways of earning more rewards

    Boost your points earning by using the Chase Ultimate Rewards shopping portal

    It’s possible to double-dip rewards by starting your online shopping at the Chase Ultimate Rewards shopping portal. By adding this simple step, you’ll earn rewards from your credit card and bonus points at dozens of popular retailers – sometimes 10 points per dollar or more.

    That said, it’s always worth checking sites like Cashback Monitor to see if other portals are paying out more for the store you’re interested in. Here’s a guide on how to use the everything you need to know about earning bonus miles shopping online.

    Refer a friend and earn a bonus, too

    When you refer someone and they’re approved for a card through the Chase Refer-a-Friend program, they’ll earn a bonus and so will you! If you already have a Chase Ultimate Rewards card, this is a great way to keep the points coming long after you’ve earned a welcome bonus.

    The number of referral points you’ll earn depends on the card, and it’s capped at a maximum number of bonus points per year. To see which cards you’re eligible to refer, log into your Chase account here.

    Does it make sense to have multiple Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards?

    Absolutely. In fact, we recommend it.

    Having more than one Chase Ultimate Rewards card will allow you to use the best card for your purchase to earn the most points. The only limitation to keep in mind is that you can only have one Chase Sapphire card. That means that you’ll have to choose between the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Chase Sapphire Preferred. But if you have one of these cards, you can still get any of the other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards.

    Keep in mind, if you have opened five or more credit cards (from any bank, with the exception of some business cards) in the last 24 months, you won’t be approved. This is called the Chase 5/24 rule. However, opening a Chase business credit card will not increase your 5/24 count because they’re not included on your personal credit report.

    Bottom line

    Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points is your key to unlocking incredible travel experiences.  They’re our favorite transferable points because of their flexibility – you can redeem them for cash back, travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, or (when you have an annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards card) transfer them to valuable travel partners like United Airlines and Hyatt.

    The easiest way to earn lots of Chase Ultimate Rewards points quickly is by opening a card like the Chase Ink Business Preferred, Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Chase Freedom Unlimited.

    Don’t forget to make the most of the bonus categories for common expenses some of these cards include. And to really boost your points earning, consider making online purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards shopping portal to double-dip rewards.

    If you’ve already got a Chase Ultimate Rewards card, you can earn more bonus points by referring friends to the card. When they’re approved, they’ll earn a bonus and so will you (up to a maximum number of points per year). Let me know your favorite way to earn (and use) Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)