Chase Ultimate Rewards Guide for 2023: one of the best loyalty programs on the market

16.11.2023 - 10:55 / lonelyplanet.com

This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.

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When it comes to earning and redeeming points for flights, hotels, rental cars and other travel-related activities, it doesn’t get much easier than Chase Ultimate Rewards, one of the best loyalty programs on the market.

With a robust portfolio of transfer partners and points-earning credit cards — most of which offer lucrative welcome bonuses to help you get started and bonus spending categories to ensure you’re earning as many points as possible — you’ll be saving money on travel in no time.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Chase Ultimate Rewards program.

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners: How to get the best value in 2023

There are two important things to remember:

First, your points won’t expire as long as your account is open — if you need to close it, make sure you redeem or transfer your points first or they’ll be lost.

Secondly, Chase is known for its 5/24 rule, which prevents you from being approved for a new Chase credit card if you’ve already opened five or more personal credit cards — with any issuer — within the past 24 months. Note, however, that having Chase business cards won’t count against you as long as you were under the 5/24 mark when you applied for them.

Other than that, here are some general pros and cons to be aware of for Chase travel rewards and cash-back rewards credit cards:

How to make a travel budget using points and miles

Best travel credit cards for hotels

Best credit cards for international travel in 2023

You’ll need to sign up for a participating Chase credit card first, but once you get started with points and miles, the following methods will go a long way toward reaching your earning and redemption goals.

Should you book travel with cash or points?

If you’re signing up for a new credit card, meet the minimum-spend requirement so you can earn the welcome bonus. Whether it’s a pile of points or cash-back rewards, you’ll have a solid base to work with.

The best credit cards for airport lounge