Chase Credit Cards – Which Is Right for You?
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Finding a credit card that meets your spending needs and offers rewards points for travel, cash back, or other things is easy with Chase credit cards.
It has 36 rewards credit cards targeted at students, businesses, travelers, dining enthusiasts, cash-back fans, and consumers who don’t want to pay an annual fee, among other categories.
Here are some of the best Chase credit cards, based on several categories that can help you turn your spending into rewards that should save you money. With all of these, factor in the annual fee into the savings you expect in a year of using a card.
Jump To
Overview of the best Chase credit cards
Card | Best for |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Drugstore cash back |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Travel rewards |
Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Luxury travel |
Chase Freedom Flex℠ | Rotating categories |
Chase Freedom® Student credit card | Students new to credit |
The World of Hyatt Credit Card | Hyatt hotels customers |
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card | Marriott customers |
United℠ Explorer Card | United Airlines customers |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card | Southwest Airlines customers |
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
Chase cash back credit cards
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Card Name
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
APR
20.49% - 29.24%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer
Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year)
Special Offer Terms
— worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
Rewards Rate
Enjoy 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; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases
Terms
Why We Like It
- Higher cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back.
- No annual fee.
- Monitor your credit for free access using Chase Credit Journey.
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Card Name
Chase Freedom Flex℠
APR
19.24% - 27.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer
Earn a $200 Bonus
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening!
Rewards Rate
5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.
Terms
Why We Like It
- No minimum to redeem for cash back.
- No annual fee.
- Free access to your credit score and real-time alerts through Chase Credit Journey.
Chase travel credit cards
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Card Name
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
APR
21.49%-28.49%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$95
Special Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Rewards Rate
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.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Generous bonus points offered.
- High points for travel and dining purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and points on all purchases.
- Complimentary one-year access to DashPass.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Card Name
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
APR
22.49%-29.49%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent
Annual Fee
$550
Special Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Rewards Rate
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.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Generous bonus points offer.
- Annual travel credit on your account anniversary.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
- Access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide.
- Up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®.
Chase hotel credit cards
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
Card Name
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
APR
20.24% - 27.24%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$95
Special Offer
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
Rewards Rate
Earn up to 9 points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4 Bonus Points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
Terms
Why We Like It
- Generous bonus points.
- Complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status.
- One free night each year at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® credit card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Card Name
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
APR
20.24% - 27.24%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$95
Special Offer
Limited Time Offer! Earn 100,000 Bonus Points
Special Offer Terms
after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card!
Rewards Rate
Earn up to 17X total points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and 2X points on all other purchases.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Earn 3 Free Night Awards bonus as well as one Free Night Award every year after the account anniversary.
- Automatic Silver Elite Status.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Chase airline credit cards
United℠ Explorer Card
United℠ Explorer Card
Card Name
United℠ Explorer Card
APR
21.99% - 28.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
Special Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus miles
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Rewards Rate
Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Why We Like It
- Generous bonus miles offered.
- Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- 25% back on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi onboard United-operated flights when you pay with your Explorer Card.
- Free first checked bag.
- Priority boarding privileges and two one-time passes to the United Club℠ on anniversary.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Card Name
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
APR
21.49%-28.49%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$69
Special Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points
Special Offer Terms
after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards Rate
Receive 3,000 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming, 2 Early Bird Check-In® each year, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Generous bonus points offer.
- Two EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
Chase student credit cards
Chase Freedom® Student credit card
Chase Freedom® Student credit card
Card Name
Chase Freedom® Student credit card
APR
19.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Fair, Good, Excellent
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer
$50 Bonus
Special Offer Terms
after first purchase made within the first 3 months from account opening
Rewards Rate
Earn 1% cash back on all purchases plus $20 Good Standing Rewards after each account anniversary for up to 5 years
Why We Like It
- No annual fee.
- Earn a credit limit increase after making five monthly payments on time within 10 months from account opening.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back and rewards never expire.
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
FAQs
Why get a credit card with no annual fee?
Paying an annual fee for a credit card usually gets you more benefits and rewards. Who doesn’t want that? Maybe you if you don’t travel often or spend enough money to make the rewards and annual fee worthwhile. If you only stay in a hotel or take a flight once or twice a year, then a credit card tied to a hotel chain or airline may not be worth the annual fee. However, some Chase credit cards with travel perks have no annual fee that can make trying them out for a year or so worthwhile and then you may be able to upgrade to a card with better perks. Almost every airline affiliated with Chase has at least one credit card with no minimum fee. For everyday spending, a card such as the Chase Freedom Flex doesn’t have an annual fee, so you won’t feel like you have to spend in a certain category to get the best rewards and try to make a fee worth the cost. Regular shoppers at Disney and Amazon may get the most benefit from a Chase card with no annual fee. They’re rewarded with points that can be spent at the retailers, or on travel, dining and other things that can be experienced instead of more consumer goods in your home.
Do my rewards expire?
Most credit cards allow earned rewards to stay with the customer until their account is closed. Some may have expiration dates for rewards for current customers, such as a year or two, but most don’t allow them to expire as long as your account is open. For example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card doesn’t allow cash back rewards to expire for open accounts. Another thing to check is if a minimum amount of rewards must be redeemed for cash or anything else when you decide to use them. Most Chase cards don’t have a minimum but read the fine print in the offer details before signing up for a card.
Will a rewards credit card get me to spend more?
Yes, though that’s true for any type of credit card when used instead of cash. Research has shown that as much as 83% of people are willing to spend more when paying with a credit card instead of cash. We can only assume that a rewards card, where you earn money and points to redeem for goods and services by charging more to the card, can cause you to spend more than you normally would. Just getting 10% off Disney merchandise with a Disney Visa Card could convince you to buy more than you normally would, so it’s an enticement that should remind you to think twice about what you buy. At the very least, a rewards card should be a strong reminder to pay your credit card bills off on time and in full each month. Not doing so could cause your credit score to drop, and that would make getting a credit card in the future more difficult.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- A credit card’s value can be different from one person to another. You may like having cash back so you can spend it on anything you want, though since cash back rewards often come in a statement credit, you’ll have to buy what you want with that credit card to get the cash benefit.
- Someone else may want a travel card so they can use bonus points to get free stays at their favorite hotel. Travel credit for free flights, car rentals, discounts at gas stations, Lyft rides, and free entry to airport lounges are some of the other uses for bonus points in a rewards program.
- Rewards credit cards with annual fees can be worthwhile, though they usually won’t pay as much in rewards as cards with annual fees of $100 or so. If you get a card with an annual fee, be sure that the rewards or statement credits at least cover the cost of the fee, and that they’re rewards you’ll actually use.
Cons
- One of the biggest potential downsides to getting a credit card, whether it’s a rewards card or not, is that it could convince you to spend more.
- Having cash in your pocket is a natural way to stop spending more money because it’s real and you can see it leave your hands. A credit card is just a piece of plastic or a phone app that pays for what you want, but you don’t have to pay the bill until a month later.
- If your budget is tight and you barely have enough money to pay your bills, a new credit card probably isn’t the best solution for you. It won’t help you manage your money and the rewards it offers could be enticing enough that you’ll spend more than you can afford. Don’t spend money just to earn a reward.
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
The bottom line
Few people want to turn away a freebie. Free flights, hotel stays, dinners, rental cars, gift cards, clothes, and many other things that reward credit cards will dangle in front of you to get you to sign up for their cards.
These perks can be worthwhile if you can avoid carrying a credit card balance from month to month. Otherwise, you’re paying interest for rewards that now have less value. Add an annual fee to the card, and the value drops more.
Compare credit cards as you would any other purchase. If a card fits your spending habits and you expect to pay it off each month, then getting a free hotel room now and then or another reward you’d like to have can be a good reward for spending money you were going to spend anyway.
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Writer
Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist who specializes in personal finance writing and editing. He has worked at newspapers, where he won a Pulitzer Prize, and has written for numerous online publications. These include AOL, US News & World Report, WiseBread, Bankrate, AARP, and many websites focusing on housing, credit and insurance. He lives in California with his wife and daughter.
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