Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the most popular credit card programs for Americans who want to use points for travel.
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Chase’s program is flexible enough to fit most travelers, while also offering benefits like no expiration date and plenty of redemption options.
These reward options are especially important because Chase offers a variety of redemption options. This also applies to travel.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be applied towards cash back, gift cards, Amazon purchases, Apple purchases, as well as a variety of travel offers.
If you’ve been accumulating Chase Rewards points over time and want to use them for your next trip, you need to know about your options.
The easiest way is to use Chase Travel PortalSM to book hotels, flights, rental cars, and more. Alternatively, you can transfer your points to a partner and book directly.
Want to learn more about how to use and redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for travel? Let’s dive in.
Which cards can I earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points?
Before you redeem your points, find out which credit cards offer points that you can use to access the Chase Travel PortalSM or book directly with a travel partner. Note that not all cards allow you to use reward points for travel.
These cards allow you to earn Ultimate Rewards points that can be used for travel.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Chase Sapphire Reserve Ink Business Preferred Credit Card Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card Ink Business Cash Credit Card Chase Freedom Unlimited Chase Freedom Flex
Are welcome bonuses important?
Some of the cards mentioned above come with great welcome benefits that put Chase Ultimate Rewards points straight into your pocket. Programs with notable welcome bonuses include:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of opening the card. The Chase Sapphire Reserve welcome bonus is worth an additional 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. However, the points on this card are a little more valuable if you book travel rewards (more on this below).The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card’s welcome bonus offers up to 8,000 points in the first three months of account opening. Earn 90,000 points for every dollar spent
Are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth different amounts of money?
As outlined in the section above, the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards points varies depending on the card you use and how you redeem your points.
The most important factor to consider is the amount of points you can redeem. In other words, how much will each point be worth once you actually start redeeming them?
Here’s what you need to know about points redemption value: Cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex are worth 1 cent Preferred cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card are worth 1.25 cents Like the Chase Sapphire Reserve Reserve cards are worth 1.5 cents
How to book using Chase Travel PortalSM
Chase Travel PortalSM makes it easy to use your points to book great travel deals. There is no need to transfer. Just log in to the portal to find the sale items and start shopping.
Offers are provided through the portal, so if you have enough points, you will not see any deals that cannot be booked.
Here you can find, book and buy everything you need for a great vacation. This includes flights, rental cars, hotels, and even tours.
The main reason some members choose to book through the portal rather than through a partner is because they can combine points from different cards to earn more (up to 10x in some cases) on their bookings.
How to transfer points to a partner and make a reservation
If you wish to book directly with a travel agent, you will need to redeem your award. When you redeem a reward, you will be asked to transfer the reward.
Next, you’ll need to transfer those points from Chase’s network to an eligible travel partner. From there, book your trip as you normally would. Make sure the name on your Chase account matches the name on the account you’re transferring to.
