The points you can earn with Chase Ultimate Rewards are some of the most popular of any flexible rewards credit card on the market today, and it’s easy to see why.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth above average and you have many options to earn reward points, including several credit cards that offer generous signup bonuses. Your redemption options are also extremely flexible, so you never have to worry about being stuck with points you can’t use.
In the rewards card world, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are known as “flexible points currency” – meaning you can redeem them for a variety of options, including travel, merchandise, gift cards, and cash back. You can also transfer these points between Ultimate Rewards cards and Chase’s large list of transfer partners, both airline and hotel, making them even more versatile for people who travel frequently.
If you’re thinking about getting a Chase credit card but can’t stop thinking about how you’ll use your points, read on to find out more.
Number of Chase Ultimate Rewards points
The value of Ultimate Rewards points varies depending on how you actually use your points once you have earned them. Most redemption options, including Cash Back and Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal Fare, are worth 1 cent per point if you have a cash back credit card such as Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited.
However, having a Chase Travel credit card may affect the value of your points depending on how you use them. While the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card allows you to earn 1.5 cents per point when you redeem for Chase travel, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card give you 1.25 cents per point when redeemed.
Ultimately, this means that your points are worth between 1 and 1.5 cents (depending on which card you have) if you plan to use them to reward rides through the Chase portal.
They can also cost significantly more (or much less) if you pass them on to partners. However, please note that only Chase Travel credit cards allow points to be transferred to partner airlines and hotels.
In any case, the table below shows the options for redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points and the cost of each option.
| Repayment option | Point value |
|---|---|
| Travel Sapphire Reserve (50% bonus). | 1.5 cents |
| Redemption of Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred fares (25% bonus). | 1.25 cents |
| Regular travel redemption | 1 cent |
| Loan Application | 1 cent |
| Direct deposit | 1 cent |
| Gift cards | 1 cent |
| Journey of the Ultimate Rewards Portal | 1 cent |
| Apple products | 1 cent |
| Shopping on Amazon.com | 0.8 cents |
| shopping rush | 0.8 cents |
| Singapore Airlines Transfer | 1.3 cents |
| World Hyatt transfer | 1.7 cents |
| Transfer Iberia Plus | 1.5 cents |
| Southwestern Airlines Transfer | 1.5 cents |
| Transfer United Airlines | 1.21 cents |
| British Airways Transfer | 1.5 cents |
| Korean air travel | 1.7 cents |
| Emirates Skywards Transfer | 1.2 cents |
| Transfer Air France/KLM | 1.2 cents |
| Aer Lingus transfer | 1.5 cents |
| Transfer Virgin Atlantic | 1.5 cents |
| Transfer Marriott Bonvoy | 0.84 cents |
| IHG One Rewards Translation | 0.5 cents |
Other benefits of Ultimate Rewards points
There are many benefits associated with Ultimate Rewards points:
Ultimate Rewards points do not expire
Your Ultimate Rewards points are valid as long as your account is open or you have at least one card in your wallet that is eligible for Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Also, if you have an Ultimate Rewards card such as Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve cards, you can first transfer your points to one of Chase’s travel partners if you plan to terminate the card.
There is no limit to the number of Ultimate Rewards points you can earn.
While some Ultimate Rewards cards, such as Chase Freedom Flex, may limit the number of points you can earn in quarterly bonus categories, there is no general limit on the number of Ultimate Rewards points you can earn in a year or a year. for the duration of your Ultimate Rewards membership. As long as you use your cards, you will accumulate Ultimate Rewards points.
You can redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for various rewards.
While travel rewards are your best bet, the Ultimate Rewards program offers you a wide range of redemption options, including statement credits, bank deposits, gift cards, and merchandise.
Plus, you have a lot of flexibility in how you can use your travel points. You can purchase a trip on an external site and redeem your points for statement credits, but you can also buy a trip through the Ultimate Rewards website.
You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Chase Travel Partners at a 1:1 rate.
One of the main benefits of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program is the fact that you can transfer them to an external loyalty program if you have an Annual Ultimate Rewards card.
Chase’s list of travel partners includes several major airlines and hotel chains, giving you access to a worldwide travel network. Your Chase points are transferred at a 1:1 rate, which means your points retain their value after they are transferred.
You can use any number of Ultimate Rewards points at any time.
You don’t have to wait until a certain number of Ultimate Rewards points have been accumulated to start using them. You can redeem your points starting at 1 point for 1 cashback cent.
You can combine points and money to book travel rewards.
You don’t have to worry about earning a lot of points to book your travel reward. If you don’t have enough points for a particular flight, you can use cash to pay for the remainder of the fare (although some flights may require a minimum number of points).
You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points between cards
For card jugglers, Ultimate Rewards offers the valuable opportunity to combine points earned on any Ultimate Rewards cards you open. This is a great feature that makes card merging especially lucrative, as you can accumulate rewards from different card bonus categories.
Also, if you have a premium card such as Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can transfer points to that card to unlock higher point value when you use to travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal.
Just be aware that Chase no longer lets you add online transfer card accounts for other people in your household. From early 2022, you will need to call the Chase Ultimate Rewards customer support hotline to add eligible accounts to which you can transfer your points.
One small downside: you can’t buy Ultimate Rewards points.
Unlike some rewards programs, Chase doesn’t let you buy points if you don’t have enough funds to redeem what you want. However, this will only be a problem if you are hoping to transfer a certain number of points to a partner airline or hotel. Most other repayments, including cashback and statement credits, allow you to use any amount.
bottom line
The Chase Ultimate Rewards program is not only profitable, but also as flexible as credit card programs. In addition to increased value when booking through the Chase Travel Portal and unlimited points accrual, cardholders can get the most out of their Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards.
In addition, popular transfer partners such as Marriott Bonvoy, Southwest and United Airlines allow you to book your vacation using Chase Points. With only the slight downside of not being able to purchase points, the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards points outperforms most of its competitors.
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