Best Chase Credit Cards in October 2024

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If you want to rack up credit card rewards, you’ve probably looked into getting a Chase credit card. Whether you’re looking for an entry-level cashback card or a premium travel card, Chase likely has an option for you. 

Some of the best Chase cards on the market come with great sign-up offers, introductory interest rates, and ways to earn big rewards points for your purchases.

Points earned on any Chase card can be redeemed through Chase Travel — and who knows, maybe they can even help you take your next trip for free.

Best for Beginners: Chase Freedom Flex®

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With a 5% cashback rate on rotating categories you activate each quarter (up to $1,500 in combined spending, then 1%), the Chase Freedom Flex® is a great card for beginners. If you want the chance to earn rewards on spending that isn’t usually included in year-round cashback categories, such as at superstores like Target and Walmart or gym memberships, the Freedom Flex is a solid choice. 

Unlike many rotating cashback cards that only offer 1% on all other spending, the Chase Freedom Flex also offers bonus cashback on dining, drugstores, and travel purchases through Chase Travel℠. This means it can still deliver value even if the quarter’s 5% categories don’t align with your spending.

To kickstart your rewards with this card, you can earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. This is great if you're new to reward credit cards because it’s a much lower minimum spending requirement compared to a lot of other cards.

One of the best benefits of this card is access to Chase Travel℠. This is Chase’s rewards platform that allows you to use your cashback rewards to book flights, hotels, and car rentals. You’ll earn 5% cashback for travel booked through Chase Travel℠ and you can use your earnings to put toward a future trip.

This card also carries trip cancellation/interruption insurance as well as travel and emergency assistance and an auto rental collision damage waiver. Plus, you’ll get extended warranty and purchase protection on eligible purchases made with the Freedom Flex.

Learn more about the Chase Freedom Flex® or compare all credit card offers.

READ MORE: Chase Freedom Flex® Review: Rotating Cashback Card with No Annual Fee

Best for Points Collectors: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a lot of the same great benefits as a premium travel rewards card but with a much lower annual fee. That, combined with the lucrative sign-up bonus, makes the Sapphire Preferred great for someone dabbling in travel points. 

You’ll earn points on travel and restaurants that you can put towards travel booked through Chase Travel℠. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed this way, increasing your purchasing power when booking travel.

You can earn a $50 statement credit every year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel℠. You’ll also receive bonus points on each account anniversary for 10% of total purchases made the previous year.

Other travel perks include a 1:1 point transfer to many popular airline and hotel travel partners like United and IHG. You’ll also be eligible for trip cancellation insurance, trip delay insurance, baggage delay insurance, and emergency assistance services. You also won’t incur foreign transaction fees when spending abroad with this card — making this a great travel companion when heading overseas.

The annual fee is considerably lower than the annual fees that accompany premium travel cards. If the rewards categories align with your spending and you’re able to take advantage of the card’s perks, the annual fee more than pays for itself.

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or compare all credit card offers.

READ MORE: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review: A Top Travel Card

Best for Luxury Travelers: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

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If you have a taste for 4-star hotels, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the best in class. With more purchasing power and opportunities to earn more points, this card is great for a luxe excursion.

You can earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Points are worth 50% more when used to book travel through Chase Travel℠, making the sign-up bonus worth $900 in value. This is in addition to a $300 annual travel credit. 

You also get access to 1,300+ VIP airport lounges worldwide, including the new Chase Sapphire Lounges. And you'll get a statement credit of up to $100 every four years to put towards your application for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, plus one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select.

Beyond travel, the Reserve card also comes with several other benefits. You’ll earn 10x points with Lyft and Peloton, a DoorDash DashPass subscription when you activate by December 31, 2027, and a 12-month membership to Instacart+.

As with most premium travel cards, the Reserve card carries a pretty hefty annual fee. But, when you tally up all the benefits, it can pay for itself in the first year.

Learn more about the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or compare all credit card offers.

READ MORE: Chase Sapphire Reserve® Review: Is It Worth the Annual Fee?

Best for Business Owners: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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If you’re a small business owner, you can run your business while earning points on business spending too. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers high rewards on travel when you use it to cover many day-to-day expenses that keep your business going.

The best benefit of this card is the high sign-up bonus. You’ll earn 90,000 points that are worth over $1,000 in travel when booked through Chase Travel. That said, the spending requirement is fairly large, so be sure you’ll be able to meet that without inflating your typical business spending.

In addition to earning points by spending money, you can earn rewards for referring other business owners to sign up for an Ink Business Preferred Credit Card. Chase will award you 40,000 points for every referral (up to 200,000 points per year). 

When you use your points to book travel through Chase Travel, they’ll be worth 25% more, increasing their spending value. You can redeem them for cashback, gift cards, travel, and more through Chase Travel. Your points won’t expire as long as your account is open.

You can rack up points even quicker when you assign employee cards to your staff (at no extra cost). Other perks include 1:1 point transfers with airline and hotel partners, trip cancellation insurance, and roadside assistance. Plus, the annual fee is on the lower end for this type of card.

The main drawback might be a dealbreaker for some business owners: unlike with travel-focused cards, you won’t get airport lounge access with this card.

Learn more about the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or compare all credit card offers.

Best for Budgeters: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

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If there’s one card someone on a budget should have in their wallet, it’s the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. This card offers a great rewards package while making it easy to manage a credit card.

Budgeters will like this card because it comes with a lot of benefits for everyday purchases. You’ll get three months of free membership to Intacart+ and DoorDash DashPass. Plus, now through March 2025, you’ll earn 5% cashback on Lyft rides too. 

If you pay your balance off in full each month, you’ll be able to earn points without paying any interest. This makes the card a good option for someone managing a budget or learning how to use a credit card for the first time.

Learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or compare all credit card offers.

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How to Choose a Chase Credit Card

When you’re trying to figure out which Chase card to choose, you’ll want to see how the benefits stack up alongside the costs. Some of the cards with the best rewards rates also come with the highest annual fees.

Make sure you’re choosing a card that works for you and your spending habits.

Evaluate the rewards

Chase has a great rewards program. You can earn and redeem points for upcoming travel or apply them as a statement credit to offset the purchase of a big-ticket item. Plus, Chase cards usually come with sign-up bonuses that can add to your earnings. 

Look at the rewards structure for different cards and see how this aligns with your budget and goals. Different cards have different rewards structures, so you’ll want to find one that matches spending you’re already doing so that you’re getting rewarded for purchases you were going to make anyway. 

READ MORE: How To Maximize Credit Card Rewards

Read through the benefits

Chase cards are known for their benefits. The Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example, comes with access to Chase lounges at select airports. Other cards cover lost luggage, collision insurance on a car rental, and trip cancellation insurance.

Look at the APR

A number of entry-level and mid-tier Chase cards come with introductory annual percentage rate (APR) offers for the first 15 months or more. This can be ideal if you want to do a balance transfer or make a big purchase.

READ MORE: How To Do a Balance Transfer the Smart Way

Pros and Cons of Chase Credit Cards

Chase credit cards come with significant benefits but there are trade-offs, too. Here are some things you’ll want to keep in mind as you try to find a Chase card that’s right for you. 

Pros

• Ability to transfer points: Chase allows you to do a 1:1 transfer of your points to several airlines and hotels. For example, if you have status with United, you can move your points to your MileagePlus account.
• Tiered earnings categories: Many Chase cards come with tiered options to earn even more cashback in specific categories. 
• Sign-up bonuses: Some of the most popular Chase cards come with sign-up bonuses and the spending minimum can be pretty reasonable compared to similar offers on the market.
• Co-branded partnerships: Chase works with popular brands like Amazon and Southwest to offer co-branded cards. These cards not only earn rewards to use with the co-branded partner, but some allow you to redeem your points through Chase’s travel portal. 

Cons

• Limitations on the types of cards you can have: Chase has a lot of rules about how it doles out cards. For example, you can’t have both a Chase Sapphire Preferred and a Chase Sapphire Reserve card. And if you try to open too many accounts in a short period, Chase may automatically decline your next application.
• You can’t collect too many bonuses: For some cards, you have to wait 48 months before you’ll be eligible to earn a sign-up bonus again.
• Annual fees: The best rewards cards come with the highest fees. Be prepared to spend up to $550 a year to keep a premium Chase credit card in your wallet.

FAQs

What is the Chase 5/24 rule? 

Chase knows it has one of the best rewards programs on the market and doesn’t want you to game the system. The 5/24 rule stipulates that you can’t be approved for more than five accounts (with any issuer) in a two-year period. If you do, Chase will automatically deny any new credit card applications you submit.

What is the easiest Chase card to get approved for?

Chase cards come with the option to see if you’re pre-approved. While pre-approval won’t guarantee you’ll get approved, you can check to see if you’re likely to qualify without it hurting your credit score. If you don’t get approved the first time you apply, you can work on improving your credit and apply again in the future.

Final Thoughts

Chase has some of the most popular credit cards out there for a reason — they have a great rewards program and some of their cards have very reasonable annual fees while still getting you access to cashback and other perks.

To choose the right Chase card for you, be sure to compare your spending habits against the bonus categories and redemption options, to ensure you'll make the most of your credit card. And always aim to pay your balance off each month — otherwise, any rewards you earn may get eaten up by interest.

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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.