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Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards program
Transfer your points to travel partners to take full advantage of this versatile program.
Chase Ultimate Rewards is a highly regarded program with a lot to offer cardholders. To unlock the full value of your Ultimate Rewards membership though, you’ll need to understand how the points program works and which travel partners it works with.
What's in this guide?
Why should you sign up for Chase Ultimate Rewards?
Chase consistently ranks high among recommended credit card rewards programs thanks to its value and flexibility.
Unlike some rewards programs, Ultimate Rewards points are universally worth 1 cent per point, making it easy to know exactly how many points you need to get what you want. Chase Ultimate Rewards also features a host of airline transfer partners with points transferring at a ratio of 1:1 to the eligible airline program, provided you’re using an eligible Chase credit card.
How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1 cent per point. There are some exceptions — both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® provide a bonus to your point value when you redeem them on travel with Chase’s booking portal.
The other major exception is when you transfer points to partner airlines. While points transfer at a 1:1 ratio, the value of your points may be more or less than the airline’s loyalty program.
Our pick for Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points
There are three Chase cards that play an important role in making the most of your Ultimate Rewards points — the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
These cards allow two features: transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to partnered airlines and book travel through Chase for more point value. These improved values are 1.25 cents per point for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card, and 1.5 cents per point for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
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Pairing cards for maximum value
While only three Chase cards allow you to transfer points and receive travel discounts, Chase lets you transfer your points to these cards.
Pairing up cards can help you take advantage of the program’s value — one card for earning everyday points and one card for redeeming those points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Transfer partners
Chase has 12 travel transfer partners to choose from — nine airlines and three hotel brands. Read more about how to transfer Chase points to travel partners.
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air France KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Executive Club/Avios
- Iberia Airlines Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- IHG Rewards Club
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
Earning and redeeming for best value
While earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points is relatively straightforward, having an earning strategy can help you build points even faster. Compare Ultimate Rewards earning strategies to find one that works for you.
And once you grow your collection, check out which Chase Ultimate Rewards redemption options offer the best value for your points.
How to navigate your account
The number of options available to manage your account might seem overwhelming at first. Here’s how to get to some of the more important features of your Ultimate Rewards account.
Navigation bar
You can find most earning and redeeming options for your Chase account on the navigation bar. You’ll find this horizontal bar across the top of the Chase Ultimate Rewards homepage.
You can also access a vertical version of this navigation bar at any time by clicking the three horizontal lines in the upper-left corner of the webpage.
5% Categories
If you ever forget that quarter’s bonus categories, this section features a quick reminder along with how much you’ve spent up to the limit for that quarter.
Earn bonus points
Clicking the Earn bonus points icon takes you to the Chase shopping portal. Earning bonus points on shopping through the portal can help maximize your earnings.
Combine points
The Combine points section of the Ultimate Rewards site is where you’ll go to move points from one card to another. Do this often to make the most of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program.
Travel
Clicking Travel takes you to Chase’s travel portal. This is how you’ll book flights and hotel stays — at increased value if you’re an eligible cardholder.
Rewards activity
This page allows you to view the points you’ve earned in the calendar year based on how you earned those awards. This is a great feature for identifying additional rewards opportunities and understanding where most of your points are coming from.
Bottom line
Not may credit card rewards programs offer the sheer versatility of Chase Ultimate Rewards. Choose your favorite Chase card to start earning points and pair that up with one of Chase’s transfer cards to equip yourself with everything you need to get the most value out of this program.
If you’re already a Chase Ultimate Rewards member or want to know what other reward programs are out there, compare reward credit cards to find a rewards program that stands out to you.
Frequently asked questions
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