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Business Insider
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Best Credit Cards in America: Top Credit Card Offers for June 2025
I think about credit cards all the time. As a personal finance journalist, I've covered credit card rewards for a decade and have more than three dozen active cards. It's impossible to name a single credit card that would be perfect for everyone's needs. But knowing what you want from your credit card can help you find your best option. My family and friends frequently ask me, "What's the best credit card?" and "What credit card should I get?" I offer personalized recommendations based on their individual needs and wants, factoring in benefits, rewards, and financial protection they won't get from paying cash or using a debit card. I compiled this list of winners based on that research. I compared welcome offers, ongoing rewards for common expenses, benefits and protections like trip insurance and purchase protection, and reasonable annual fees (or lack thereof) across dozens of credit cards available today. These are the best credit cards you can get right now — you'll find most of them in my own wallet. Best For Card Annual Fee Best for cash rewards Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card $0 (rates and fees) Best for travelers Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card $95 (rates and fees) Best for families Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express $0 intro for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees) Best for 0% APR Chase Freedom Unlimited® $0 (rates and fees) Best for young adults Bilt Mastercard® $0 (rates and fees) Best for reward maximizers Discover it® Cash Back $0 What Is the Best Credit Card to Get? I always say there isn't a magical "best credit card" that works for every person. Many people prefer no-annual-fee credit cards because they're easy to keep long-term. Other people don't mind paying a hefty annual sum for premium credit cards with airport lounge access because the benefits of luxury and comfort are worth the cost. Some value travel rewards credit cards, while others prefer to focus on cash-back credit cards. Wherever you fall on each of these spectrums, I encourage you to hone in on what you really need for your personal situation. If you have kids, you may want to forgo airport lounges in favor of free checked bags. If you travel solo, you may want to prioritize credit cards that offer luxury benefits such as hotel elite status and shopping credits. Credit Cards for Families For parents with young children, I recommend credit cards that reward groceries, streaming services, and commuting expenses with flexible points that can be redeemed in many different ways. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express checks all of these boxes. I also suggest choosing a credit card that offers travel insurance coverage, since little kids often get sick during or right before a big trip. If you have to cancel or reschedule that expensive Disney vacation, it's always nice to recoup some of your nonrefundable expenses. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is my top choice recommendation for this benefit because it's so well-rounded on all of these fronts. Credit Cards for Young Adults Young adults in college or early in their careers often find themselves spending a lot of money on rent while dining out with friends or colleagues every night. At the same time, they often value the simplicity of loading a single credit card into Apple Pay and using it for every transaction. The Bilt Mastercard® is perfect for this life stage, with gamified rewards and bonus points on common lifestyle expenses. If you're a first-time credit card applicant or a student with minimal income, you may want to consider one of the best starter credit cards or the best student credit cards. When to Pay For Annual Fees If you're a foodie, you'll want to choose one of the best credit cards for dining, restaurants, and food in general. But if you're more of a homebody, you may want to focus on the best credit cards for buying groceries and the best credit cards for gas purchases. What to Get If Your Credit is Subpar If your credit score is lower than you'd like, you may qualify for some of the best credit cards for bad credit or seek a secured credit card, which can help you heal your credit and even earn rewards while you work toward a stronger financial future. Airline Lounge Access for Infrequent Travelers It isn't worth paying for airport lounge access via a credit card if you're an infrequent traveler. Instead, pay for a mid-tier travel credit card with a sub-$100 annual fee, and buy lounge day passes as needed. If you find yourself buying more than two lounge passes each year, it might be time to consider an upgrade. How I Chose the Best Credit Cards Choosing the best credit cards is a momentous task and a responsibility I take very seriously. I regularly evaluate dozens of credit cards available to consumers and business owners, and update this guide on a monthly basis. In addition to considering my own perspective and consulting with industry colleagues, I also read popular forums such as Reddit and FlyerTalk to see what everyday consumers are saying about different cards. I evaluated each of the cards in this guide — and screened out many others — against the following criteria: Simplicity: All of the cards on this list are easy for consumers to use and understand. While I regularly update several credit card guides for maximizing rewards and benefits, my list of top recommendations is meant to help people like my parents find an easy card to use for everyday purchases. Affordability: Most of the credit cards in this guide don't cost you any money to keep. While there's a case to be made for paying a high annual fee when you're getting high value in return, most people dislike the idea of paying money to spend money. Value: A good credit card should offer enough value to offset any annual fee several times over. When evaluating no-annual-fee cards, I focused on the ones that provide the best benefits or most generous rewards. Read Business Insider's guide to points and miles valuations to learn what your credit card rewards are worth, and learn more about how we rate credit cards. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is ideal for people who prioritize flat-rate cash rewards. Its ease of use makes it our pick for the best credit card for earning cash rewards. This card is all about simple math and cash, earning unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases across all categories. Wells Fargo Rewards can easily be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, travel, and more. New cardholders can easily earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first three months from account opening. There's also a 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 12 months from account opening, followed by a 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% variable APR. Finally, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card comes with a wide range of valuable benefits including cell phone protection for up to $600 per claim. This card does charge foreign transaction fees, so leave it at home on international trips. What I don't love: Foreign transaction fees Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card The Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is the best credit card for foodies. That's because this card earns serious rewards on food and fun: 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Capital One miles are very easy to use once you've earned them, and have an average value of 1.7 cents apiece by Business Insider's calculations of what points and miles are worth. New cardholders can earn $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases within three months from account opening, and 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (3% fee for the first 15 months, then 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time), followed by 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR. What I love: Great earning rates, no annual fee, and 0% intro APR What I don't love: Typically requires excellent credit score for approval Pro tip: If you're a student, you may want to consider the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card. It has more lenient credit requirements but earns the same generous rewards. Citi Double Cash Card The Citi® Double Cash Card offers solid benefits and rewards while helping you pay off debt via a long balance transfer period, making it our top credit card for paying down debt. New cardholders can benefit from a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, then 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR. Cardholders who want to make a balance transfer must pay the following balance transfer fee: 3% intro fee of each transfer ($5 minimum) completed within the first four months of account opening, then 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum). But this expense is significantly lower than the credit card interest you'd pay elsewhere. The Citi® Double Cash Card earns unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase (1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases) and 5% cash back on hotel and car rentals booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. This rate is generous for a card with no annual fee that offers such a long period with no interest, and makes the Citi® Double Cash Card worth keeping in your wallet long after your zero-interest offer expires. New cardholders can also earn $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is best for travelers for several reasons. One of those factors is complimentary travel insurance with generous coverage terms, especially for its low annual fee of $95. Travel insurance benefits help you recoup non-refundable expenses when things go awry, and this coverage is particularly beneficial for families who may need to cancel or postpone travel at the last minute for illness or bad weather. Cardholders also get primary car rental insurance, trip delay insurance, and baggage delay insurance. Finally, cardholders earn 5 points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2 points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point on all other purchases. They also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, and up to $50 a year in statement credits for hotels booked through Chase. What I don't love: Annual fee Pro tip: Right now, new cardholders can earn a welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This offer is worth $1,080, according to Business Insider's valuations. Blue Cash Preferred ® Card The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a fantastic household credit card for families who spend money on groceries, commutes, and streaming services. This card earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, and 1% cash back on other purchases (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at checkout). Terms apply. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees). If you max out the cash back bonus at U.S. supermarkets spending $6,000 each year, that's $360 of cash in your pocket — significantly more than the annual fee you'll start paying in Year 2. What I love: Generous rewards for gas, transit, groceries, and streaming expenses What I don't love: Annual fee after the first year (rates and fees) Pro tip: If you like everything about this card except its yearly cost, consider its sibling, the no-annual-fee Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. This card earns 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, at U.S. gas stations, and on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per category per year, then 1%) and 1% cash back on other purchases (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at checkout). The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is our pick for the best credit card for an intro APRO because it offers a generous 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then 18.99% - 28.49% Variable APR. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® also earns great rewards, especially for a no-annual-fee credit card: 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases. New cardholders can earn a generous welcome bonus on this card: $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This card charges foreign transaction fees, so make sure you leave this card in your wallet when you pack your passport or shop online from a non-U.S. business. What I love: Great earning rates, no annual fee, and initial zero-interest period What I don't love: Foreign transaction fees Pro tip: While this is technically a cash-back credit card, it earns those rewards in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. I can transfer points from my Chase Freedom Unlimited® to a Chase credit card that earns travel rewards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, to book business-class award flights through Chase transfer partners or through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Chase points are some of the most valuable credit card rewards you can earn, worth an average of 1.8 cents apiece by Business Insider's valuations. Bilt Mastercard® The Bilt Mastercard® is a one-size-fits-all credit card for young adults because it earns bonus points on restaurant and travel purchases. Young adults can even earn up to 100,000 Bilt Points per calendar year on rent by paying rent with this credit card without incurring any transaction fees. Bilt Points are extremely flexible and can be used to pay rent, book travel, or redeemed for merch or statement credits. Even non-renters earn great rewards with the Bilt Mastercard®. For instance, I got this card because I can earn 3 points per dollar on dining, 2 points on travel, and 1 point on other purchases. You won't earn points unless you make at least five purchases each billing cycle, but this card makes it very easy to maximize your everyday purchases. Cardholders earn double points on the first day of every month, affectionately known as " Bilt Rent Day", on up to 1,000 points. The Bilt Mastercard® also comes with generous benefits including primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance that goes into effect after just six hours, cell phone protection of up to $800 per claim which is subject to a $25 deductible, and no foreign transaction fees (rates and fees). All of these benefits add up to make the Bilt Mastercard® a perfect travel companion for adventurous young adults who are ready to see the world but aren't prepared to pay an annual fee for a credit card. What I love: Double point days, the ability to pay rent with a credit card, and generous dining rewards with no annual fee (rates and fees) Pro tip: You don't have to be a Bilt cardholder to earn Bilt Points. Simply link any credit card to the Bilt app wallet to earn points on all eligible dining purchases. The Discover it® Cash Back makes earning extra fun, when you enroll in the quarterly 5% bonuses that change every three months with up to $1,500 in combined category spending. Cardholders can earn 5% cash back on purchases from rotating categories each quarter up to $1,500 when you activate and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases (from April 1 to June 30, 2025, earn 5% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%). I use Business Insider's Discover cash back calendar to help me remember each quarter's categories. This card doesn't earn a traditional welcome bonus, but Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of new card members' first year through the Discover it Cashback Match program. This means you'll have your rewards earnings matched at the end of Year 1 of card ownership. This card offers new cardholders a generous zero-interest offer on new purchases and existing debt: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR APR. While some cards offer longer 0% APR periods, few do so while still earning rewards as generous as the Discover it® Cash Back. Southwest Rapid Rewards ® Priority Credit Card Southwest is one of the most popular airlines for U.S. travelers, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card gives frequent flyers a serious leg up on benefits. This credit card is Southwest's premium consumer card and comes with a $149 annual fee. But cardholders get an annual credit of $75 toward Southwest flights, which effectively halves the out-of-pocket cost of the annual fee. After 50-odd years of proudly proclaiming no bag fees, Southwest Airlines began charging for checked bags in late May 2025. But cardholders and travelers with elite status will still be able to check at least one free bag per flight. Southwest will also begin charging for seat assignments in late 2025. While we don't yet know many details about this momentous change, cardholders will likely get exclusive benefits that everyday travelers do not. If nothing else, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Cardholders will earn 3 points per dollar when paying for preferred seating. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card won't do you any good if you don't fly Southwest, of course. But if you do, this card can help you fast-track your way to elite status and the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, especially if you time your welcome offer just right. What I love: $75 annual statement credit toward Southwest travel, free checked bag Capital One Venture X The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the most affordable premium credit card with complimentary access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass airport lounges. The $395 annual fee may shock you, but the Capital One Venture X actually offers lounge access at a far lower cost than its competitors. Authorized users under your account also get complimentary memberships to all Capital One lounges — an unprecedented generosity you won't see from any other high-end credit card including the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express. Cardholders get an annual travel credit of up to $300 on travel booked through the Capital One travel portal, and a 10,000-mile bonus on each account anniversary worth at least $100 toward travel. New customers can also earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Rewards are very easy to calculate: 10 miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles on all other purchases. They're also very easy to redeem. FAQs The Chase Freedom Unlimited®, the Bilt Mastercard® (rates and fees), and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are three of the top credit cards you can get right now. Each card earns generous rewards on everyday expenses like food and travel. The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Citi® Double Cash Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Want the 100,000-point Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus? Make sure you meet these requirements first. (expired)
The current Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card welcome bonus is among the best the card has ever offered. For a limited time, you can earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points — worth as much as $1,250 toward future travel — after spending $5,000 within the first three months of account opening. But before enjoying those big rewards, every new cardholder must meet some eligibility requirements. We checked the fine print to help you figure out whether you qualify. Read more: All about the limited-time 100,000-point Chase Sapphire Preferred offerYou must get approved for the card and spend $5,000 within the first three months to earn the limited-time Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome bonus. However, you could be ineligible if you meet either of these criteria: You currently have aChase Sapphire credit card You're a previous Chase Sapphire cardholder who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months The good news is that you're not automatically excluded if you've had a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or earned a Chase Sapphire bonus in the past. Here's more info about the limitations: Chase only allows cardholders to own one Chase Sapphire card at a time. You cannot have multiples of the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and you cannot hold both cards simultaneously. If you do have a Chase Sapphire card and apply for a new Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to get the limited-time bonus, your application won't be approved. Asking for a product change won't suffice either. If you currently have a Sapphire Reserve card, you may be eligible to switch to the Sapphire Preferred, but that swap won't qualify for the 100,000-point bonus. Related: Best rewards credit cards The 48-month rule applies whether you currently have a Chase Sapphire card or did in the past. You can check your past statements to find out exactly how long ago you earned a welcome bonus with Chase. For example, I opened a Chase Sapphire Preferred and earned the 100,000-point bonus the last time it was offered in 2021. I didn't apply for the card until June, and the bonus was awarded on my August statement. Because that was less than 48 months ago, I'm not currently eligible — and wouldn't be eligible to earn a new Chase Sapphire bonus until August 2025. Remember, you can only earn a Chase Sapphire welcome bonus if you haven't earned another new cardmember bonus from either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve within the past 48 months. That means 48 months since you received the bonus, which could be weeks or months after you actually applied for the card, depending on when you meet the spending requirement. Related: The best credit card sign-up bonuses To have the opportunity to earn the 100,000-point welcome offer, you'll first have to get approved as a Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholder. This travel rewards card generally requires a solid credit history, and you're most likely to get approved if you have a good-to-excellent credit score. But for Chase card applications, you should also watch out for the issuer's unofficial (yet broadly discussed) 5/24 rule. This guideline prevents you from opening a new Chase credit card account if you have opened five or more new credit cards within the past 24 months. That includes credit cards from any issuer, not just Chase. Even if you would otherwise qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you'll likely get denied if you've surpassed the 5/24 threshold. Related: How to apply for a credit card Couples and families can benefit from combining points from different Chase accounts within the same household. This can be a good option if you don't qualify for the Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus but a loved one is interested in the card. Say, for example, you already have a Chase Sapphire Reserve account you opened a year ago — making you ineligible for the limited-time Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offer. But your spouse does not have a Chase Sapphire account and is eligible. They could open a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and earn the 100,000-point bonus. As members of the same household, you can combine your points under the same account when you're ready to redeem for future travel — just call the number on the back of your card to request the transfer between accounts and confirm you have the same home address (you can only share points with one designated person). Before your other household member applies, you should make sure the card makes sense for their overall spending and budget. If they don't get enough value to justify the ongoing annual fee, for example, or can't afford to pay off balances before accruing interest, this tactic could cost more in the long run than the benefits are worth. This embedded content is not available in your region. This article was edited by Alicia Hahn. Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Last call: Get 100,000 points with a new Chase Sapphire Preferred Card welcome offer
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card's 100,000-point welcome bonus is coming to an end: The limited-time offer will expire at 9 a.m. EST on May 15, 2025. The current 100k offer is one of the Sapphire Preferred card's best-ever welcome bonuses. After you apply, you will need to spend $5,000 on your new card within the first three months of account opening to earn it. In exchange, you can unlock as much as $1,250 toward future travel. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of our favorite travel credit cards, and it's even more valuable with this welcome offer. If you've been considering a new rewards card for an upcoming vacation, now is a great time to compare how your spending and travel habits match up with the Sapphire the past few weeks, we've analyzed all the details you need to know about the Chase Sapphire Preferred's 100k bonus offer. Below, find our tips for deciding if this offer is right for you and making sure you qualify. And, of course, how to maximize your bonus points for the greatest redemption value. 100,000-point welcome bonus for new Chase Sapphire Preferred cardmembers How to use the Chase Sapphire Preferred 100,000-point bonus Who is eligible for the Chase Sapphire Preferred 100,000-point bonus? Learn more about the long-term value of your new Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card worth it? The best benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to the Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Quickly Can You Earn Chase's 100k Welcome Bonus? Faster Than You'd Think!
There's a huge bonus for new cardholders available on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. If you've been considering applying, Chase announced that Thursday, May 15, at 9 a.m. EST, is the last day to apply for the 100,000-point welcome offer on the Sapphire Preferred via the application link on our website. Are you looking for an award right away? If so, you'll need those points to post as quickly as possible. How long will it take you to access your Sapphire Preferred bonus? Get the timeline, tips to speed it up and strategies to maximize this massive travel rewards offer. Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account ... More opening. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - See Rates & Fees To earn the current Sapphire Preferred offer, you'll be time-bound to meet the minimum spending requirements. Specifically, you'll need to complete your total spending in the first three months after being approved for the card. That includes an important distinction: The clock starts ticking the day you're approved, even though you won't receive the actual card in the mail for another week. One other thing to keep in mind is that transactions don't always post to your credit card account the day you make them—there can be a lag of a few days. This is especially true with online shopping. Many retailers won't charge your card until the order is fully processed and the item is shipped, regardless of when you placed the order. Because of this, it's best to finish your spending a week or two in advance, just in case something gets held up. Bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards® are issued in a lump sum once you've hit the full spending amount—there's no way to get some of the points in advance, even if you've completed 99% of the spending. Officially, Chase Bank states that customers will receive their welcome bonus points six to eight weeks after completing their qualifying spending. Unofficially, though, it could be faster. Chase typically deposits all pending Ultimate Rewards points into your rewards account on the date your credit card statement closes. So, once you've completed your minimum spending requirement, you could see your bonus as early as your next statement closing date, which should be within the next 30 days. If eight weeks have passed and you haven't yet received your bonus, you can follow up with Chase to see if there was a reason for the delay. However, most bonuses post automatically. Once the bonus points are credited to your account, you are free to redeem them however you wish. The speed at which you receive your credit card bonus is impacted by a number of factors, including: If you have a redemption in mind for your expected bonus, you might be motivated to earn those points as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, you can't speed up Chase's standard backend operations to access your bonus points sooner, but there are a few things you can do to hit your spending requirement quickly and get the process started. Pro Tip: Although meeting the full spending requirement in a short amount of time is a fast way to earn your credit card bonus, be sure not to charge more than you can pay off by your bill date. There's no introductory APR on the Sapphire Preferred, so standard interest rates will apply immediately. The promise of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards could be burning a hole in your pocket, but the Sapphire Preferred's bonus won't be available immediately. You'll need to meet the minimum spending first and then wait for Chase to credit the points to your account, which is a process that could take several months even in a best-case scenario, though there are a few steps you can take to help this happen as quickly as possible. Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author's alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
Forbes
14-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
100k Chase Points Can Do More Than You Think—Here's How The Savviest Travelers Use Every Last One
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is offering a 100,000-point welcome bonus, which is currently one of the most valuable offers on the market. For a limited time, new cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. With a minimum redemption value of $1,250 through Chase Travel℠ and potentially much more through transfer partners, there are multiple ways to stretch your rewards for maximum value. But which route delivers the best bang for your buck, transferring points or using Chase Travel? The answer depends on how you travel, where you're going and whether you value simplicity or strategy. Below, we compare the two options head-to-head in several categories. Up to 5x Reward Rate Earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on allRead More 100,000 bonus points $95 19.99% - 28.24% Variable Excellent, Good (670 - 739) Offering a rare mix of high rewards rates and redemption flexibility, this card is a dream for frequent spenders on travel & dining – while charging a modest annual fee. Winner: Transfers to travel partners Chase has over a dozen airline and hotel transfer partners. Those partners include: Airline Partners Hotel Partners Thanks to the 25% bonus offered to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card owners, Chase Travel bookings yield a fixed redemption value of 1.25 cents per point. However, your Ultimate Reward points can be worth significantly more when redeemed for bookings through the loyalty programs of Chase's travel partners. I personally love transferring my points to Hyatt as I frequently get a value of more than 2 cents per point on my stays. As an example, I ran a sample rate search for the Hyatt Regency Dallas. On Hyatt's own site, cash prices start at $358 a night for nonmembers with a total of around $420 after taxes and fees. Chase shows the same base price and cost after adding taxes and fees, for a total of $420. Booking with rewards in Chase Travel would cost 33,594 Ultimate Rewards points, reflecting the 25% points bonus. That's a better deal than paying cash, however, you can book this hotel on the same night for just 9,000 World of Hyatt points transferred from Chase to your World of Hyatt account. By leveraging the points transfer option, you could save 24,594 Ultimate Rewards points and receive an incredible redemption value of 4.7 cents per point! This is an excellent example of how points transfers can be such a powerful weapon in a traveler's arsenal. It's also worth mentioning that Hyatt waives resort fees on award stays. This is an often-overlooked benefit that can save you a decent chunk of change. Not every property charges resort fees. But you're still on the hook for these fees when booking through Chase's portal, and they can't be paid with Ultimate Rewards points. Rather, these charges must be paid directly to the hotel at check-in, adding an extra out-of-pocket cost to your stay. Moving beyond Hyatt stays, transferring your points to airline partners and then redeeming them for long-haul international flights in premium cabins can also provide outsized value. In the example below, a one-way business class seat for an Air France flight from New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) would cost $3,458 or just 60,000 Air France Flying Blue miles + $237.60. That's another superb value of 5.4 cents per point. We could go on with many more examples, but the bottom line is this: If you enjoy strategizing to get the most potential value from your points, transferring them to partners is the way to go. Winner: Chase Travel Unlike redemptions with partners, Chase Travel redemptions have a minimum redemption value, and it's a solid one. As we've already mentioned, Ultimate Rewards points are worth a fixed 1.25 cents on the Chase Travel portal for Sapphire Preferred cardholders. Depending on the booking you're considering, this could outperform the value you'd receive by booking through the transfer partner's own program. And 1.25 cents per point is often better than the per-point value of IHG One Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy points. For a sample booking at the Courtyard Miami Beach South Beach, the total price on Chase Travel comes to $233, or 16,324 Ultimate Rewards points + $29. If you booked directly through Marriott Bonvoy, you'd need to pay 30,000 Bonvoy points + $33.06 for the same reservation. So by using Chase Travel instead of transferring your points to Marriott, you'd save over 13,000 of your Ultimate Rewards points. Plus, keep in mind that Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders get a $50 annual hotel credit for hotels purchased through Chase Travel. So that's additional value that can only be realized through the platform. While it's true that with international flights you're likely to get more value for your points by transferring them to partners, it's not as much of a sure thing with domestic flights. And it's worth noting that while you typically lose benefits by booking hotels through Chase (more on that next), the opposite is true with flights, as you could gain the ability to earn frequent flier miles. If you book a Southwest flight with Rapid Rewards points, for instance, you can't earn Rapid Rewards points for that flight. But if you book that same flight through Chase and add your Rapid Rewards number to the reservation, you'll earn points from Southwest because it will be viewed as a revenue fare (even if you paid with Ultimate Rewards points). Those additional rewards simply add more value to the 1.25 cpp you're guaranteed to receive. Winner: Transfers to travel partners If you've earned elite status with Hyatt, IHG or Marriott, you're entitled to exclusive benefits. While those benefits will vary by hotel and the status level you've achieved, common examples include: Some of these benefits could add significant value to your stay. But you won't be eligible to receive them on a Chase Travel booking, as hotels don't provide status benefits to members who book through third-party platforms. Winner: Chase Travel You don't have to worry about award inventory when using Chase Travel. If there's an empty seat on the plane or a vacant room at the hotel, you can book it since it's just like a cash reservation. This is a major advantage over award bookings made with the airline's or hotel's own points or miles, as they often limit the number of seats or rooms that are made available for award bookings. Take, for example, this sample booking for the Hyatt Place across from Universal Orlando Resort. I can see that it has rooms available when I'm trying to book with cash. But when I switch to using World of Hyatt points, it shows no availability. On Chase Travel, I can book this hotel on the same date with no issue using my Ultimate Rewards points. Even when you can find award availability with hotels, there may not be as many options as with a paid stay. Going back to our sample Hyatt Regency Dallas booking, I was given several room types to choose from for a cash booking. But when I toggled the 'Points' switch, my options suddenly dropped to just a two Queen Beds room. That's not exactly ideal if you're trying to book a romantic getaway. But the full menu of room types are available on the Chase Travel portal to book with Ultimate Rewards points. Winner: Transfer to partners Generally, hotels and airlines provide generous cancellation policies on award bookings. But since Chase Travel bookings are viewed as cash purchases, they may not have the same refundability, or may charge extra for it. For example, all United award flights are refundable with no fee provided you cancel before departure ('no shows' are charged a $125 fee). But if you try to book a United flight with Chase, you'll see that you have to pay $45 more for the privilege of refundability. You'll typically see something similar with hotel bookings. The lowest-price option is often nonrefundable, and then there will be a refundable option that has a bit of an upcharge. If you're using the hotel's points system, however, it won't typically charge you extra for a cancellation period. Going back to our earlier example of the sample booking of the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, you automatically get the right to cancel up to 48 hours prior to your scheduled arrival, included in your award booking price of 9,000 World of Hyatt points. While airline and hotel programs are generally more cancellation-friendly, there is a downside to keep in mind. Even if you're allowed to get a refund of your points or miles, you won't be able to transfer them back to Chase Ultimate Rewards, as points transfers from Chase are one-way. This means there's a higher potential for refunded points or miles to become 'orphaned,' with no way to use them until you're ready to book another reservation with the specific provider. Whereas if you receive a refund from Chase Travel, those points can be used in a variety of ways, including toward future Chase Travel bookings, transfers to partners or even for cash-back redemptions. Winner: Chase Travel With Chase Travel, you'll have access to a broader range of hotel options. Rather than being limited to Hyatt, IHG or Marriott hotels, you can book with other popular brands like Hilton or Choice Hotels, or even with independent, boutique hotels. The same goes for flights. You'll have no problem booking a flight with Delta or American Airlines, for example, even though neither is a Chase transfer partner. Winner: Transfers to partners If you need to make changes to a reservation made through Chase Travel, you'll have to go through the Chase Ultimate Rewards customer service team. This can sometimes add an extra layer of friction, especially if you're facing a time-sensitive issue or need quick assistance. By contrast, booking directly through an airline or hotel's loyalty program allows you to manage changes with the provider directly. This can result in faster resolutions and more flexible options. Winner: Chase Travel Navigating loyalty programs and tracking down award space can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. For travelers who aren't interested in diving deep into the world of points and miles, the sheer complexity can be a barrier. Chase Travel provides a much simpler alternative. You don't need to be an expert who's fluent in airline award charts to get solid value for your points—you just search and book your flight or hotel like you would on Tripadvisor (which powers Chase Travel). It's an intuitive, user-friendly option. Consider a hybrid approach when deciding how to redeem your points. To identify high-value transfer redemptions from partners, consider using an award search tool like PointsYeah or AwardTool. These platforms can help you uncover premium flight and hotel options that maximize the value of your Ultimate Rewards points. Just remember: Once you transfer points to a travel partner, that transfer is final. Always confirm availability and pricing before moving your Ultimate Rewards points. Find the best travel credit card for your travel needs. The Chase Sapphire Preferred's 100,000 bonus offers an abundance of reward riches, and understanding the pros and cons of its two travel redemption paths can help you make the most of every point. Match your strategy to your travel goals and you'll be well on your way to an unforgettable trip at an incredible value.
