Chase Ultimate Rewards: How the Program Works
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Chase Ultimate Rewards® is the name of the points program for Chase's rewards credit cards. Among points systems, Chase's program is highly regarded because point values can be relatively high if used strategically to pay for travel.
Here’s what to know about earning and redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
In this article
Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points
You earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points by making purchases with Chase-branded rewards cards — including the Sapphire travel cards, Freedom cash back cards and Ink business cards.
You earn at least 1 point per dollar spent on all purchases, and most (but not all) of these cards give you additional rewards for purchases made in certain categories. (Jump ahead to see cards that earn Ultimate Rewards® points.) Additional points are available through sign-up bonuses, targeted offers (e.g. 5 points per dollar at a particular merchant for a limited time) and incentives, such as bonuses for referring new applicants.
Cards issued by Chase with a brand partner — such as United Airlines, Amazon or Marriott — do not earn Ultimate Rewards® points. They earn rewards in the partner's loyalty program.
Chase's "cash-back" credit cards, such as the Chase Freedom Flex®, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, actually earn Ultimate Rewards® points. With those cards, you just redeem your points for cash back.
How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards® points worth?
The value of a Chase Ultimate Rewards® point varies depending on what you do with it — redeem for cash back, for travel or for something else. Further, when redeeming for travel, point values also depend on which cards you have.
Let's start with cash and cash-like redemption options. Point values for these redemptions are the same regardless of which card you have.
Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Chase Ultimate Rewards® points can be exchanged for a range of redemptions, including
Cash back.
Travel.
Gift cards.
Amazon purchases.
Apple purchases.
You may also be able to redeem for "experiences" — access to special events — if you have an eligible Chase card.
Cash redemptions
Cash back: This can take the form of a credit on your statement or a direct deposit at a rate of 1 cent per point, or 100 points for $1. There is no minimum redemption about.
Gift cards: Most cost the equivalent of 1 cent per point, but Chase often sells specific cards at a discount. For example, a $25 gift card for a specific retailer might cost 2,250 points instead of the full 2,500 points, a value of 1.1 cents per point.
Amazon payment: You can link your eligible Chase card to your Amazon account and use your card's rewards to pay through the Shop With Points program, at a rate of about 0.8 cents per point. That’s the lowest-value redemption option for Chase points and not recommended if you’re trying to maximize the value of your points. You’re better off just taking cash back at a full penny per point and using that money to pay for Amazon purchases.
Apple purchases: Redeem points for Apple merchandise through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal for 1 cent per point.
Travel redemptions
There are two ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for travel:
By booking your travel through Chase and paying for it with your points.
By transferring points to Chase's partner airline and hotel programs.
Booking travel through Chase
Chase has a travel-booking tool with competitive prices. The value you get per point depends on which card you have:
With cash-back cards, booking travel through Chase gets you a value of 1 cent per point. These include the Freedom-branded cards (Chase Freedom®, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Freedom Flex®) as well as the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card.
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, booking travel through Chase gets you a value of 1.25 cents per point.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, booking travel through Chase gets you a value of 1.5 cents per point.
Transferring points to Chase travel partners
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can transfer your points on a 1:1 basis to about a dozen airline and hotel loyalty programs.
The exact value you get per point depends on which program you transfer to and how you redeem the points within that program, but NerdWallet estimates the overall transfer value at 2.1 cents per point.
» HOW THEY STACK UP: See how Chase Ultimate Rewards® points compare with other issuer programs on our points and miles valuations page. Or:
Card-to-card points transfers
Chase Ultimate Rewards® points earned on different cards can be pooled and redeemed together. That allows you to move points to one of the Sapphire cards or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card to redeem for outsize value.
For example, if you have the Chase Freedom Flex®, you can't redeem for travel at the higher rewards rate — just the usual 1 cent per point. But if you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can transfer your Chase Freedom Flex® points to either of those cards and redeem for the higher value (or transfer to a partner airline or hotel).
» MORE: What is the 'Chase trifecta'?
Chase Dining
Chase Dining launched in 2020 as a hub for Chase Sapphire, Freedom and Ink cardmembers. Powered by reservation website Tock, the program allows cardmembers to make reservations at participating restaurants and order takeout. Cardmembers can also redeem points for their food orders.
While all cardmembers earn rewards for purchases made through Chase Dining, cardholders earn an eye-opening rate of 10 points for each $1 spent on Chase Dining purchases.
Chase Experiences
For the Dinner on the Court series, cardmembers got the unique opportunity to walk onto the court and see the Golden State Warriors' championship trophies up close. (Photo by Sally French)
Ever since J.P. Morgan Chase’s 2021 acquisition of the restaurant website The Infatuation, cardholders have gotten increased access to exclusive invitations and unique experiences — many of which are related to dining. That includes events such as the “Dinner on the Court” series, where Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardmembers who bought tickets using either cash or Chase Ultimate Rewards® points got to dine in what was an incredibly-unique dinner experience on the court of San Francisco’s Chase Center, home of the NBA's Golden State Warriors.
Other experiences have included private dinners with celebrity chefs or VIP travel packages to big events such as Formula One races.
Many of these Chase Experiences and Chase Dining events are limited only to people who hold Chase's premium credit cards. For example, only people with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® could book the Dinner on the Court event.
Credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Note: Chase's cash-back credit cards technically earn that cash in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards®. One point equals 1 cent in those cases.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5 points per $1 spent on all travel booked through Chase.
3 points per $1 spent on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout).
3 points per $1 spent on select streaming services.
3 points per $1 spent on online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
2 points per $1 spent on travel not booked through Chase.
1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
10 points per $1 spent on Chase Dining purchases.
10 points per $1 spent on hotel stays and car rentals booked through Chase.
5 points per $1 spent on air travel booked through Chase.
3 points per $1 spent on travel and dining not booked with Chase.
1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Freedom Flex®
5% cash back on rotating bonus categories, on up to $1,500 spent per quarter (cash back comes in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards®).
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase.
3% back at restaurants.
3% back at drugstores.
1% back on all other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the Chase Freedom Flex®
The Chase Freedom Flex® replaced the original Chase Freedom®, but holders of the original card were able to keep using it. That card offers the same 5% in rotating categories and 1% elsewhere, but not the bonus rewards on travel, dining and drugstores.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase.
3% back at restaurants.
3% back at drugstores.
1.5% on all other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
» READ OUR REVIEW of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
3 points per $1 spent on the first $150,000 per year in combined spending on travel and select business categories.
1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
5% cash back on office supply store purchases and internet, cable and phone services, on up to $25,000 spent per year combined.
2% back at gas stations and restaurants, on up to $25,000 spent per year combined.
1% back on all other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
1.5% cash back on all spending.
Sign-up bonus: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Other ways to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Online shopping through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal with any of these cards will earn extra points or cash back.
You can earn anywhere from 1 to 15 points per dollar spent, depending on the retailer.
Fine print
Chase Ultimate Rewards® points don’t expire as long as your card is open. If you cancel your account, you’ll lose unredeemed points.
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