The 8 best Chase credit cards of September 2022

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Credit card points and frequent flyer miles are incredibly useful, no matter what program you earn them with or what you eventually choose to do with them. While there are a few different types of credit card rewards, you benefit regardless of which kind your card earns by collecting a rebate on your everyday spending — as long as you practice financial discipline and pay off your statement in full each month.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a premium rewards card that has set the standard for other credit card issuers who updated their own products to keep up with the Reserve’s top-of-the-line rewards and benefits. But even if you don’t want to pay the steep annual fee for the Reserve, Chase has other excellent rewards cards to consider, including options that earn cash back and great small-business credit cards.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card currently has a great welcome bonus offer of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Take a look below at our choices of the best available Chase cards, including our overall top pick, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

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Best overall for travel rewards: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is worth it:  The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a reasonable annual fee and great benefits, and comes with an excellent welcome bonus offer.

Welcome bonus offer: 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

The Sapphire Preferred offers top-notch travel and purchase protections and a substantial welcome bonus offer for a moderate annual fee. It earns 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (2x points on all other travel purchases), 3x points on dining, 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), 3x points on select streaming services, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

Points are worth 1.25 cents on travel booked through Chase and with Pay Yourself Back, but you can still transfer them to Chase’s frequent flyer and hotel loyalty program partners. You’ll also receive primary car rental insurance coverage, trip delay coverage, purchase protection, and a 10% anniversary points bonus. The annual fee is a manageable $95.

Pros: Great welcome bonus offer, transferable points, travel perks, lower annual fee than the Sapphire Reserve card

Cons: Earns fewer points in some categories than the Sapphire Reserve

Review: Chase Sapphire Preferred card review

Best premium card: Chase Sapphire Reserve

Why the Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth it: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® makes it easy to earn rewards for travel and more with a great welcome bonus offer and a lucrative points-earning scheme.

Welcome bonus offer: 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

With 5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards (after earning the $300 travel credit), 3x points on other travel and dining, and 1 point per dollar on everything else, the Sapphire Reserve earns points quickly through your everyday spending, and it comes with a slew of perks.

Points are worth 1.5 cents each toward travel booked through Chase or with Pay Yourself Back, but you can also transfer them to over a dozen Chase airline and hotel partners — typically, this gets you the most value for your points. Benefits include access to airport lounges through the Priority Pass network, trip delay coverage, purchase protection, up to $100 to cover the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee, and primary car rental insurance.

However, while the airport lounge access can be great, most Priority Pass lounges are in international terminals, which isn’t helpful when you’re flying domestically.

The annual fee is $550, but that’s offset by up to a $300 travel credit each year, which is good for things like taxis, subway fares, parking, tolls, and flights.

There aren’t many downsides to this card — besides the upfront annual fee. Chase has invested heavily in making the Chase Ultimate Rewards program competitive. Booking flights by transferring points to frequent flyer partners is generally more lucrative — that’s usually how people use points to fly in first and business class — but it can be complicated because you have to decipher award charts, find availability, and work around complex airline rules.

However, because the Sapphire Reserve allows you to get 1.5 cents for each point when you book paid travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, there’s a simpler and still-valuable option.

Pros: Solid welcome bonus, easy-to-earn points, points transfer to popular frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs, good airport benefits

Cons: High annual fee, Priority Pass lounges are typically in international terminals

Review: Chase Sapphire Reserve card review

Best for everyday spending: Chase Freedom Unlimited

Why the Chase Freedom Unlimited is worth it: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® helps you earn points for everyday purchases and get cash back with no annual fee.

Welcome bonus offer: 1.5% cash back in addition to regular earning on everything you buy up to $20,000 spent in the first year (worth up to $300 cash back). 

If you already have the Sapphire Reserve or the Sapphire Preferred and are saving your points for a redemption, the Freedom Unlimited can give your balance a nice boost. While Chase markets the card as “cash back,” it actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that you can redeem for cash, gift cards, travel, and more (1 point = 1 cent).

If you have a premium card like the Sapphire Reserve, you can pool your points from the two cards. The Freedom Unlimited earns a minimum of 1.5% cash back (or 1.5 points per dollar spent), so paired with a Sapphire Reserve, it’s a great card to use for purchases that aren’t made on travel expenses or dining.

The Freedom Unlimited also earns 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase and 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases.

Best of all, the card has no annual fee and comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After that, there’s a 17.24% – 25.99% Variable APR. If you have a major purchase ahead of you, that introductory offer can be useful.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a fantastic all-around card. However, to get the most value when it’s time to spend your points, you need the Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, too, so you can pool your points. Otherwise, points are only worth 1 cent each no matter how you use them and they can’t be transferred to airline or hotel partners.

Pros: Strong welcome bonus offer, earn points on regular purchases, no annual fee, 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (and a 17.24% – 25.99% Variable APR after that)

Cons: One point only equals 1 cent for cash back; to get a better value you’ll need to pair it with the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Preferred

Review: Chase Freedom Unlimited card review

Best for bonus categories: Chase Freedom Flex

Why the Chase Freedom Flex is worth it: The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers 5% cash back or 5x points on up to $1,500 of spending in categories that rotate each quarter when you activate (then 1%), in addition to 5% back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1% back on everything else

Welcome bonus offer: $200 after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. 

Just like the Chase Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is marketed as a cash-back card, but actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that you can redeem for cash, gift cards, and travel (1 point = 1 cent). You can combine them with Chase Ultimate Rewards earned from a different card, which gives you the option to get a bonus when redeeming them for travel or transfer them to travel partners.

The key feature of the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is that it earns 5% cash back (5x points) on up to $1,500 spent per quarter once activated in rotating quarterly bonus categories. In the past, quarterly categories have included Amazon, grocery stores, and PayPal. 

However, that’s not where the bonus cash back ends; the Chase Freedom Flex℠ also earns 5% cash back (with no cap) on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1% back on everything else.

It doesn’t have an annual fee, and there’s a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (with a 17.24% – 25.99% Variable APR afterward).

Pros: Good welcome bonus offer, great earning rate for several bonus categories, 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (and a 17.24% – 25.99% Variable APR after that)

Cons: One point only equals 1 cent for cash back, to get a better value you’ll need to pair it with the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Preferred

Review: Chase Freedom Flex card review

Best small-business travel rewards card: Chase Ink Business Preferred

Why the Chase Ink Business Preferred is worth it: The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card helps small business owners rack up points quickly, and combine them with points earned on their personal cards.

Welcome bonus offer: 100,000 points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

The Ink Preferred is an excellent rewards credit card for small-business owners — and you don’t have to run a multi-million dollar corporation to qualify for a business credit card.

The card, which has a $95 annual fee, earns 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 you spend each cardmember year in select categories, including travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone, and advertising on social media sites or with search engines, such as Google Ads. Purchases after you reach $150,000, or in any other category, earn 1 point per dollar.

Unless you operate a small business that’s on the larger side, chances are you won’t hit that cap for bonus rewards. The card’s welcome bonus is a great value — you’ll earn 100,000 points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening — worth $1,250 toward travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Like with the Sapphire Preferred, you’ll get a 25% bonus when using points from your Ink Preferred to book travel directly with Chase or through Pay Yourself Back. Of course, if you pool them on your Sapphire Reserve card, that bonus will be 50% instead.

The card comes with a handful of other perks, many of which overlap with the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve, such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary car rental coverage, and various purchase protections. It also comes with cell phone insurance when you use the card to pay your phone bill, offering up to $1,000 for each covered claim, with a $100 deductible, up to three times per 12-month period.

Pros: Useful bonus categories, cell phone insurance, ability to transfer points

Cons: Caps on bonus earning which larger small businesses may reach quickly

Review: Ink Business Preferred card review

Best for small-business bonus categories: Chase Ink Business Cash

Why the Chase Ink Business Cash is worth it: The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers a very generous welcome bonus for a no-annual-fee business card and, if your spending lines up with the card’s 5x bonus categories, you could earn a huge amount of points. 

Welcome bonus offer: $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is an excellent option if you prefer a no-annual-fee small-business card, especially if your business spends a lot in certain categories. Along with $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, cardholders earn 5% cash back (5x points) at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services, and 2% cash back (2x points) at gas stations and restaurants. You’ll earn 5% and 2% in these categories on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year (then 1%), and 1% cash back (1 point per dollar) on all other purchases with no caps.

Although this card is marketed as a cash-back credit card, it actually earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which are worth 1 cent each when you redeem them for cash back, gift cards, or travel through the Chase travel portal. However, if you also have the Ink Preferred, Sapphire Preferred, or Sapphire Reserve, you can combine your points and unlock more valuable redemptions, including transfers to airline and hotel partners. 

Cardholders also receive a good selection of benefits, including primary car rental insurance (when renting for business purposes), extended warranty, purchase protection, and travel emergency assistance services. There’s a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, followed by a 15.49% – 21.49% Variable APR.

Pros: Great welcome bonus and intro APR offer, strong bonus categories, decent benefits, no annual fee

Cons: High minimum spending requirement to unlock intro bonus offer, points are only worth 1 cent apiece unless you have an annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards card

Review: Ink Business Cash card review

Best small-business card for flat-rate rewards: Chase Ink Business Unlimited

Why the Chase Ink Business Unlimited is worth it: If you’re looking for a straightforward small-business card with a big welcome offer, intro APR, and no annual fee, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a solid pick — and there are no bonus categories to keep track of. 

Welcome bonus offer: $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Small-business owners who prefer simplicity or who spend a lot on purchases that don’t fall under typical bonus categories should consider the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. There are no bonus categories or spending caps to keep track of — instead, all purchases earn 1.5% cash back (1.5x points) with no limits.

The welcome bonus offer is especially good for a no-annual-fee card: $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. In addition, cardholders receive a 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months (then a 15.49% – 21.49% Variable). Other benefits include primary car rental insurance (when renting for business purposes), extended warranty, purchase protection, and travel emergency assistance services.

Similar to the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, the points you earn from the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card can be more valuable if you pool them into an Ink Preferred, Sapphire Preferred, or Sapphire Reserve account.

Pros: Generous welcome bonus and APR offer, no bonus categories to track, strong flat-rate cash back earning

Cons: Intro bonus offer has a high minimum spending requirement, points are only worth 1 cent apiece unless you have an annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards card

Review: Chase Ink Business Unlimited card review

Best for students: Chase Freedom Student 

Why the Chase Freedom Student card is worth it: College students who don’t qualify for regular credit cards because of their limited credit history can have an easier time getting approved for the Chase Freedom® Student credit card, and unlike some student credit cards, it comes with a welcome bonus offer and incentives for keeping your account in good standing.

Welcome bonus offer: $50 Bonus after first purchase made within the first 3 months from account opening

While the Chase Freedom® Student credit card doesn’t offer the best rewards rate — 1% cash back on all purchases —  it’s a good starting point if you’re a college student who is new to credit cards. Some student cards don’t add a welcome bonus offer at all, but the Chase Freedom® Student credit card comes with a $50 Bonus after first purchase made within the first 3 months from account opening. 

It’s also easy to earn the bonus — you don’t have to spend a certain amount within a specific timeframe. Instead, you’ll trigger the offer after your first purchase as long as you make it within the first three months of opening the account. Cardholders also receive a $20 Good Standing Reward (2,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) each year on their account anniversary for up to five years from account opening, as long as the account stays open and is not in default.

The Chase Freedom® Student credit card comes with surprisingly good benefits for a no-annual-fee student card, including trip cancellation/interruption insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Be aware that the card charges foreign transaction fees, so it’s not a good choice to use if you study abroad or take an international summer trip.

Pros: No requirement for a high credit score or long credit history, decent welcome bonus and annual Good Standing Reward

Cons: Foreign transaction fees, only earns 1% back on all purchases

Review: Chase Freedom Student credit card review

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David E. Slotnick

Senior Reporter

Jasmin Baron, CEPF

Editor