Best Chase Credit Cards of April 2023

Chase is one of the most popular credit card companies, and that's no surprise considering the cards it offers. The best Chase credit cards feature all the perks consumers are after, including big bonuses, high rewards rates, and lengthy intro APR offers. They also offer plenty of complimentary protections with their Chase credit card benefits. If you're looking for a Chase card, our experts have analyzed the entire lineup and picked out the top options.

Here's a closer look at the best Chase credit cards and what each one has to offer.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Best for: Travel rewards

The Chase Preferred credit card benefits include one of the most valuable welcome bonus offers of any travel card, purchase protections, and Chase's versatile Ultimate Rewards points, all for an affordable annual fee.

Read the full Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Best for: Premium travel benefits

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® provides a full suite of useful travel perks, including spending credits, airport lounge access, trip insurance, and bonus rewards on travel purchases. It has a costly annual fee, but the Chase Reserve credit card benefits are some of the most extensive of any credit card.

Read the full Chase Sapphire Reserve® review

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Best for: Rotating bonus categories

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns bonus cash back in a long list of spending categories. There's also a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers and no annual fee.

Read the full Chase Freedom Flex℠ review

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Best for: Unlimited cash back

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has several bonus categories and earns 1.5% back on non-bonus purchases. This no annual fee card also comes with a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers.

Read the full Chase Freedom Unlimited® review

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Best for: Bonus points on business spending

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns extra points on a variety of common business expenses. It also has a high-value welcome bonus and offers free employee cards.

Read the full Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Best for: Bonus cash back

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers high cash back rates and a 0% intro APR on purchases. The fact that this business credit card has no annual fee and Chase's extended warranty protection makes it even more valuable.

Read the full Ink Business Cash® Credit Card review

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card

Best for: Bonus rewards with Amazon

The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card earns one of the highest cash back rates on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. It also offers Chase's purchase protection in case any eligible purchases are damaged or stolen.

Read the full Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card review

Here's how to get a Chase credit card pre-approval online:

1. Visit Chase's credit card pre-approval page.
2. Enter the required information, including your name, address, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
3. Check the authorization box and click "Find My Offers."

Chase will run a soft credit check on you, which doesn't affect your credit score. The next page will have your Chase pre-approval offers. A pre-approval from Chase means you're likely, but not guaranteed, to qualify for that credit card.

You can also see if you have any Chase pre-approvals in-person if the card issuer has any branches in your area. Or, if you're an existing Chase cardholder, you can log into your account and check for them in the "Just For You" section.

Chase's lineup includes most of the major types of credit cards. You can find cash back credit cards, travel rewards cards, 0% intro APR cards, and business credit cards. Its most popular options are its Chase rewards credit cards, which are cash back and travel cards. Here is how each type of credit card works.

Cash back credit cards

Cash back cards earn a percentage back on purchases. The best Chase credit card lets you redeem your cash back as a statement credit towards existing purchases or as a direct deposit to your bank account. The advantage with cash back is that it's easy to use compared to travel points. Anyone can redeem cash back at any time. Cash back cards also tend to be more affordable than travel cards, and many of the best cash back cards have no annual fee. They may have a foreign transaction fee, which is something to be aware of if you plan to travel abroad.

Travel credit cards

Travel credit cards earn points or miles back on purchases, and you can use them for travel bookings. Redemption options depend on which Chase travel credit card you have. In addition to earning rewards you can use for free trips, the best travel credit cards often have extra travel perks.

There's a bit more of a learning curve to travel cards. They also typically cost more than cash back cards, although there are a small number of no annual fee travel cards out there. But if you're a frequent traveler, this type of credit card can help you save on travel expenses and improve the quality of your trips. These cards also almost never have a foreign transaction fee.

Chase's 5/24 rule automatically denies most applicants who have opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months. If you want to apply for a Chase credit card, you should check that you've opened four or fewer credit cards during that time period. Chase hasn't officially released anything about this rule, so all the information on it comes from consumers.

There are some exceptions to Chase's 5/24 rule. Business credit cards typically don't count to the cardmember's 5/24 limit because these aren't reported on your personal credit history. However, some card issuers report business credit cards on your personal credit, most notably Capital One and Discover. If a business card is reported on your personal credit history, then it counts towards the 5/24 limit.

Some consumers have reported being able to get around this rule through the card issuer's "Just For You" offers. If you apply through one of these targeted offers, Chase may approve you even if you don't pass its 5/24 rule. Here's how to find out if you have any "Just For You" offers available:

1. Log in to your Chase account
2. Open the menu bar
3. Under the "Explore products" heading, click "Just For You"

If there are targeted Chase card offers available for you, they'll show up here.

If you've decided on a Chase credit card, the next step is applying for it. Before you do, make sure you pass the 5/24 rule by counting how many credit cards you've opened in the past 24 months. If you've opened fewer than five, then you meet that requirement.

Here are the steps you can follow to apply for a Chase credit card:

1. Click the apply option on the card page. If you have a Chase account already, you'll have the option of signing in to speed up the application process. If you don't, you'll apply as a guest.
2. Fill out the application. Chase asks for the standard information needed during a credit card application, including your name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, and income.
3. Confirm and submit the application. Check that everything is correct, and then click the submit button.

Chase offers instant approval credit cards, so you could get an approval right away after submitting your application. The other possibilities are a denial or Chase putting the application under review, meaning it needs more time to come to a decision.

LEARN MORE: How to Apply for a Chase Credit Card

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program allows you to earn points and use them for a variety of different redemption options. These include travel, experiences, dining, cash back, and gift cards.

Which Chase cards earn Ultimate Rewards points?

The following Chase cards earn Ultimate Rewards points and have every redemption option Chase offers:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Here's where it gets a little confusing. Chase's cash back cards technically earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, too. The difference is that they offer fewer redemption options, with the most notable exclusion being transfers to Chase travel partners.

These are the Chase cash back cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points:

• Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Chase Freedom Flex℠
• Chase Freedom® Student credit card
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
• New Business Card! Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card (points can't be moved to other Chase cards)

If you only have a Chase cash back card, then the fact that it earns Ultimate Rewards points doesn't make much of a difference. Cash back is generally the option that gets you the most value.

But it makes a big difference if you have a Chase cash back card and a Chase travel card. The reason is because you can move your points from your cash back card to your travel card and open up all those extra redemption options. Each $0.01 of cash back is equal to 1 Ultimate Rewards point, so $1 would get you 100 points. If your card offers 5% back in a spending category, then you could also look at it as 5x points.

Let's say you have the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. You could use your Chase Freedom Unlimited® for any purchases where it will earn more back. Then, you could move your points from the Chase Freedom Unlimited® to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, taking advantage of how the latter offers more ways to redeem your points.

Earn Ultimate Rewards points by getting a Chase credit card that's part of the rewards program. Your Chase card will earn points on all the purchases you make with it. The only exception is charges that are later reversed. If the merchant refunds you or you end up disputing a Chase credit card charge, then Chase would deduct any points you received for that purchase.

Chase also offers an online shopping portal, Shop through Chase®, that you can use to earn bonus points at online merchants. To access the shopping portal:

1. Log in to the Ultimate Rewards website.
2. Click "Earn / Use" to open the menu.
3. Click "Earn Bonus Points."
4. Click on any available merchant to view that offer.
5. On Chase's page for that merchant, click "Shop Now" to visit the merchant's site and make your purchase.

Here's how to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points:

1. Log in to the Ultimate Rewards website.
2. Click "Earn / Use" to open the menu.
3. Click on the way you want to use your points and proceed through the redemption process.

The exact process depends on the redemption you choose. Chase makes it all fairly straightforward, but if you have any trouble with the redemption you want, you can call customer service for assistance.

Keep in mind that some redemption options offer a much better value than others. If you have a Chase travel card, then it's usually best to use your points for travel. There are two options available:

• Transfer to travel partners: Transfer Ultimate Rewards points to a Chase travel partner. Chase has airline partners and hotel partners. After you transfer your points, you can use them through the travel partner's loyalty program. The value you get varies depending on the travel partner and the award booking you make, but it's possible to get over $0.03 per point this way.
• Travel: Book travel through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal. You can either pay cash or use your Ultimate Rewards points as cash. If you use your points, then your points are worth a fixed amount based on the Chase card you have. Their value is $0.0125 per point if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Their value is $0.015 if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

LEARN MORE: Do Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points ever expire?

The best Chase credit card for most people is the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. Its combination of perks give it the most value out of all the cards in Chase's lineup. To put it another way, based on our calculations, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers the most potential of most Chase cards.

Here's a quick rundown of this card's benefits:

• It earns between 1.5% and 5% cash back on purchases depending on the category. Those cash back rates are some of the highest you can find.
• It has no annual fee. You don't need to pay anything extra for this card.
• It offers a valuable sign-up bonus. The sign-up bonus is also easy to earn, with a low spending requirement.
• It has a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. That's one of the longest 0% intro APR offers.

Although the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is our choice as the best overall Chase card, that doesn't mean it's the best choice for every situation. Some consumers will find that another card fits them better. For example, frequent travelers can get the most value from a Chase travel card, like one of the Chase Sapphire cards.

Which Chase credit card is best? The Chase credit card that's best for you is the one that fits your lifestyle and spending habits.

To figure that out, start by deciding whether you want cash back or travel rewards. Cash back cards are better if you want to keep your credit card rewards as simple as possible or if you don't travel that often. Travel rewards cards typically offer more value for frequent travelers. If you take at least two or three trips per year, then it's worth looking at Chase travel cards.

Once you've decided which type of card you want, here's how to compare credit cards from Chase and pick the right one.

Choosing a Chase cash back card

Chase has two cash back cards for consumers, and they're two of the best you can find: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Chase Freedom Flex℠. These Chase Freedom credit cards have very similar cash back rates. Both offer 5% on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% on dining, and 3% on drugstore purchases. There is one key difference:

• The Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns 5% back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories you activate each quarter. It earns 1% on non-bonus category spending.
• The Chase Freedom Unlimited® doesn't have those rotating bonus categories, but it earns 1.5% on non-bonus category spending.

It all comes down to whether the cardmember prefers rotating bonus categories where you can earn 5% back or an extra reward with a rate of 1.5% on regular purchases.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is also a Visa card, whereas the Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a Mastercard. But that usually isn't a deciding factor compared to bonus point opportunities.

Note that these are both no annual fee credit cards. If you want to get both to maximize your cash back, it won't cost you any extra fees. There are also more cash back cards available if you're open to a Chase business credit card.

Choosing a Chase travel card

Chase has quite a few travel cards, including cards in its Ultimate Rewards program, airline credit cards, and hotel credit cards. Once again, it helps to narrow down your options. Decide whether you want an Ultimate Rewards card or a card tied to a specific airline or hotel.

Ultimate Rewards cards are a better fit for travelers who aren't loyal to any particular airline or hotel chain. Since there are so many ways you can book travel with Ultimate Rewards points, you could use your rewards for just about any trip you take. There are two Ultimate Rewards travel cards for consumers. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the more affordable option. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is much more expensive, but it also has a lot more benefits that could be valuable if you travel several times per year.

If you usually fly with the same airline or stay at the same hotel, then you may want a card with that travel provider. Chase is partnered with several airlines and hotels. Some of them have one credit card available with Chase, while others have multiple credit cards you can choose from.

If your application is denied, you may be able to get that decision overturned by calling Chase and asking for a reconsideration. The number for the Chase reconsideration line is 1-888-270-2127.

It's often easier than you'd think to turn a denial into an approval. I've gotten multiple denials from Chase overturned by calling the reconsideration line.

The likelihood of success depends mainly on the reason you were denied in the first place. You can find this information in the denial letter Chase sends you. Here are the most common denial reasons Chase gives:

• Your credit profile isn't a match for the card. This means your credit score isn't as high as Chase wanted for that specific card. It's tough to get around this, which is why you should look at the suggested credit score to apply for a credit card and get approved. You might be able to get a reconsideration, but it depends on your credit history and how close you are to the eligibility criteria.
• Your income isn't high enough. You might be able to convince a representative to approve your application, especially if you have any income you forgot to include. Review what qualifies as income on a credit card application to make sure you're including everything.
• Chase doesn't want to issue you any more credit. If you already have Chase cards, it may not want to extend more credit to you. However, representatives will often let you cut your credit lines on other cards and use that to get approved for the new card. For example, you could reduce one Chase card's credit line by $5,000, and the representative could then approve you for the card you want with a $5,000 credit line.
• You don't pass the 5/24 rule. If you've opened too many credit cards in the last 24 months, you're likely out of luck for a Chase card. The only exception is if Chase is counting credit card accounts where you're an authorized user, not the primary cardholder. In that case, you may be able to get a reconsideration.

You can also try calling back later if the first representative can't help you. Sometimes certain representatives are more flexible than others, and you only need to find one willing to approve your application.