Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for best value

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program is incredibly versatile. You can redeem your points on cashback or gift cards, book travel through the Chase travel portal or transfer points to one of many partnered airlines.

To take advantage of the full value of the program, however, you’ll need at least two cards — one card for earning and one premium card for redeeming.

Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points in the Chase portal

There are four basic ways to redeem Chase points using your Chase Ultimate Rewards account on your dashboard. Note that some redemption options depend on your Chase credit card.

• Redeem for cashback or gift cards

  The cashback and gift card redemption options both offer a straightforward value of one cent per point. For example, you can redeem 5,000 points for $50 cash back on your account. Similarly, a $15 gift card would cost 1,500 points.

  The exception here is on gift cards, which often go on sale through Chase’s gift card portal. You can check out current sales by clicking on Gift Cards or Deals.

  

  For example, a 10% off sale on gift cards could bring your point value to about 1.1 cent per point.

• Purchase merchandise using points

  There are two redemption options for making purchases through Chase’s shopping portal: Amazon and Apple. However, points redeemed through Amazon and Apple are downgraded to about 0.8 cents per point.

  If you really want to use points on an Apple or Amazon product, check for limited-time promotions for added point value.

• Book travel through the Chase travel portal

  You can fly to Asia, North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Oceania using the Chase travel portal. You’ll also find no blackout dates or travel restrictions when booking with the Chase travel portal, which is a great benefit.

  This is a great use of your points, with a caveat — the value of your points depends on the card you’re using to redeem your flight.

  Chase card	Redemption value per point
  Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	1.25 cents per point
  Chase Sapphire Reserve®	1.5 cents per point
  Chase Freedom® Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card Chase Freedom Unlimited®	1 cent per point

  Data obtained March 2019. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

  Based on these values, redeeming your points for travel is only worth it if you have a Chase card that earns additional value upon redemption — preferably the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

• Transfer your points to a partner

  Transferring points to one of Chase’s travel partners is by far the best use of your Ultimate Rewards points, provided you’re comfortable putting in a little work. To transfer points, you’ll need one of Chase’s premium credit cards.

  {"niche":"USCCF"}

  Sort by:

  Name	Product	Filter values	Rewards	Purchase APR	Annual fee
  Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card			5x points on Lyft, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases	15.99% to 22.99% variable	$95	See offer View details	This popular travel card's signup bonus is worth up to $750. Get even more value out of your travel, dining, and Lyft rewards by transferring them to miles.	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
  Chase Sapphire Reserve®			10x points on Lyft rides, 3x points on dining and travel after earning your $300 travel credit and 1x points on all other purchases	16.99% to 23.99% variable	$550	See offer View details	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
  Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card			3x points on the first $150,000 on travel and select business categories annually, then 1x after and on all other purchases	15.99% to 20.99% variable	$95	View details	100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. That's $1,250 toward travel rewards when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
  CardMatch™ from creditcards.com			See terms	See issuer's website	See terms	See offer View details	Use the CardMatch tool to find cards you're likely to qualify for with your credit score, without a hard pull on your credit.	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Travel transfer partners

Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to each partner at a straightforward 1:1 ratio. However, once you’ve transferred your points, their value depends on the hotel or airline reward program. Here are the current average point values based on research for our reward program guides.

Data obtained March 2019. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

Our pick for a Chase rewards card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

• Spend $4,000 within your first 3 months of card membership to earn 60,000 bonus points — worth $750 when redeemed for travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• Earn 5x points on Lyft rides, 2x points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide and 1x point on all other purchases.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.

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Chase cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points

The following cards can help you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

{"niche":"USCCF"}

Sort by:

Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card		60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	5x points on Lyft, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases	$95		This popular travel card's signup bonus is worth up to $750. Get even more value out of your travel, dining, and Lyft rewards by transferring them to miles.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Reserve®		50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	10x points on Lyft rides, 3x points on dining and travel after earning your $300 travel credit and 1x points on all other purchases	$550		Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom Unlimited®		$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months	3.5% on Lyft and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases	$0		Earn a $200 signup bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months from account opening.	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom®		$200 cash back after spending $500 in the first 3 months	5% back in rotating categories up to $1,500 combined each activated quarter (then 1%), 4% on Lyft and 1% on all other purchases	$0		Earn $200 cash back after spending $500 in the first 3 months from account opening.	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card		100,000 points after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months	3x points on the first $150,000 on travel and select business categories annually, then 1x after and on all other purchases	$95		100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening. That's $1,250 toward travel rewards when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card		$500 cash back after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months	5% at office supply stores, on Internet, cable and phone up to $25,000 combined annually (then 1%), 2% on gas and dining up to $25,000 combined annually then 1% after that and on all other purchases	$0		$ bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months.	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card		$500 back after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months	1.5% cash back on all purchases	$0		$ bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.	View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
CardMatch™ from creditcards.com		See terms	See terms	See terms		Use the CardMatch tool to find cards you're likely to qualify for with your credit score, without a hard pull on your credit.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Choosing how to redeem your points

With two strong travel redemption options available, it can take a little research to figure out your best move for redeeming your points. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Do you have a preferred airline?

  While transferring your points to a Chase partner can prove more lucrative, your favored airline might not be a Chase partner. In this case, check the Chase travel portal for additional airline options.

• Do you want to earn miles on your flight?

  An important distinction of the Chase travel portal is that flights are treated as revenue tickets. That means you can earn airline reward points on eligible flights, even if you’re paying for the ticket with Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

  It’s a different situation when you transfer points to a partner, as flights booked with those points will count as award fare.

• Are you on a tight schedule?

  If you absolutely need to book a flight on a particular date, you might find it more difficult to book with a partner than through the Chase travel portal thanks to blackout dates, travel restrictions and seat availability.

  If you have plenty of time to spare or you’re travel dates are flexible, you’ll have more opportunities to find the perfect booking that maximizes your point value.

• Do you want to do the research?

  While you can get much greater value from your Chase Ultimate Rewards points by transferring them, you’re responsible for doing the research to get that value. If you’d rather do without the additional work, you might settle for the solid and simpler Chase travel portal redemption.

Bottom line

There are many ways to maximize the value of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program if you’re willing to do a little research and have at least two cards. Set yourself up for success by applying for a premium Chase card before you start spending your points.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I lose my points?

  Yes. If your account is closed for any reason, associated points will be forfeited.

• Do I earn the same rewards when I use Chase Pay?

  Yes. Earnings made with Chase Pay are identical to standard transactions.

• Do gift cards expire?

  Maybe. Gift card expiration policies vary based on the merchant.