#1 Among Transferable Points
Point Value
1.6 ¢
Program Score
8.7
Chase Ultimate Rewards offers versatility, flexible redemption options, and a strong lineup of travel partners.
Welcome offers are the easiest way to earn a large lump sum of points at once, and Chase offers many different credit card options to earn signup bonuses and points through spending.
Owning the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Reserve Business cards offers the best opportunity for maximizing the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These cards allow you to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to all airline and hotel partners at 1:1 ratios, maximizing their value.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Ink Business Preferred also unlock transfers to all Chase partners. However, World of Hyatt transfers occur at a reduced 4:3 ratio, while all other Chase partners continue to transfer at 1:1. Hyatt is often one of Chase's most valuable transfer partners, so travelers who frequently redeem Ultimate Rewards points for Hyatt stays should strongly consider holding one of the Reserve cards.
If you own one of these four cards, you can also transfer rewards from other Chase cards, converting cash back earned from both personal and business cards into Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
With the addition of lifetime language on the Sapphire and Ink card families, hobbyists can no longer earn welcome bonuses on the same cards repeatedly. As a result, Ultimate Rewards points are more difficult to accumulate long-term than they were in the past, making ongoing earning strategies more important than ever.
Chase business cards have traditionally been an important way to earn additional Ultimate Rewards points without increasing your 5/24 count. But if you apply as a sole proprietor, the Chase Business 3/24 Rule makes application order much more important.
You should generally be at 2/24 or lower when applying for Chase business cards as a sole proprietor, so think carefully about which personal cards use those first two slots. Applicants using a registered business such as an LLC or S-corp can generally continue planning around the traditional 5/24 Rule.
Chase Trifecta
Since you can no longer count on earning repeated signup bonus points due to eligibility restrictions, maximizing your spending is more important if you want to continue earning Ultimate Rewards points. One of the most popular earning strategies is the Chase Trifecta, which combines multiple Chase cards to maximize rewards across different spending categories. By pairing a Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve with the Freedom Flex and/or Freedom Unlimited, you can earn more Ultimate Rewards points from everyday spending and combine those points into a single balance that can be transferred to Chase's airline and hotel partners.
Take advantage of co-branded cards
If there are specific partners you frequently transfer Ultimate Rewards points to, such as Hyatt, Southwest, or United, co-branded cards can also play an important role in your strategy. You can earn rewards directly with those programs and use Ultimate Rewards points to top off your balances when needed, helping stretch your Ultimate Rewards points further.
Combine rewards from multiple Chase cards
If you have more than one Chase rewards card, you can combine all of your points or cash back into a single Ultimate Rewards account. This lets you manage one rewards balance instead of several smaller ones.
Cash back earned on eligible Chase cards can be converted into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points by moving them to an eligible Ultimate Rewards account. This is one of the most valuable features of the Chase ecosystem.
You'll generally want to move all of your rewards to the card with the best redemption options. For example, transferring cash back rewards to a Chase Sapphire Reserve account unlocks transfers to all Chase travel partners at a 1:1 ratio.
Share points with one household member
You can also transfer Ultimate Rewards points to one household member who lives at the same address. Once you've linked your accounts, transfers are instant and can be completed online or in the Chase app. Points transferred to another person's account cannot be transferred back.
Transfer points to an authorized user's loyalty accounts
If you add someone as an authorized user, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points directly to that person's airline or hotel loyalty accounts. This can be useful when booking awards from a spouse's or partner's frequent flyer account.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Business
Special Offers Related to Chase Ultimate Rewards. Click the arrow to see more.
Chase has a new targeted offer providing 10% back on purchases of $100-$500 at Marriott Bonvoy properties in the U.S. The offer is valid through November 23, 2026, and applies to purchases made directly with Marriott, either online or at participating properties. Gift card purchases are excluded, and the statement credit applies only to the first qualifying transaction, so you can't combine smaller purchases to reach the $100 minimum. If you're targeted on multiple Chase cards, you may be able to split a larger hotel bill across those cards to earn multiple credits. We've also recently covered several current Marriott Amex Offers, some of which provide up to 20% back, so check all offers on all cards if you have a Marriott stay planned and hold cards from both banks. Make sure to activate any available offers before making a qualifying purchase.
Earn 10% back on purchases of $100 or more at participating Hyatt Classics properties with a new Chase offer. The maximum statement credit is $50. The offer is good for U.S. purchases made directly with participating properties through December 31, 2026 and only on the following brands: Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric, Destination by Hyatt, Hyatt Vacation Club, and Hyatt. Full payment must be completed by the end of the year. This offer only applies to the first qualifying transaction, so you can't combine multiple purchases. If you have the offer on multiple Chase cards, however, and and your bill exceeds $500, you may be able to split the payment at checkout to trigger multiple credits, as long as each card is charged at least $100. Gift card purchases are excluded. Check your Chase Offers to see if you're targeted, and activate the offer before making a qualifying purchase.
Chase is adding more than 10,000 luxury vacation homes to The Edit collection through its partnership with Plum Guide beginning January 1, 2027. This gives Chase Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business cardholders more options for using their annual The Edit statement credits, which total up to $500 for the personal card and will increase to $1,000 for the business card in 2027 (broken into two and four separate credits, respectively). Eligible vacation home bookings can also receive a $150 in-stay credit toward services such as private chefs, massages, and airport transfers, along with early check-in and late checkout when available. Cardholders can still receive their $250 statement credits on eligible stays of at least two nights, but the additional benefits require a minimum four-night stay. Unlike traditional The Edit hotel bookings, vacation homes won't include complimentary breakfast or room upgrades, and they won't be eligible for Points Boost when redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points. While this is a good addition on paper and provides more options for using the credits, especially for families or groups who prefer vacation rentals, we'll have to see how prices compare with other vacation rental sites before declaring it an automatic win.
Chase Ultimate Rewards is offering a 30% transfer bonus to Wyndham Rewards through December 3, 2026. The standard transfer ratio is 1:1, so with the bonus, you’ll receive 1,300 Wyndham Rewards points for every 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points transferred. Offer expires December 3, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Chase remains one of the most popular rewards systems in the hobby thanks to its strong transfer partners and flexible redemption options, though maximizing value has become more dependent on which Chase cards you hold.
You’ll get the best value by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to airline or hotel partners, especially when taking advantage of the sweet spots you can find on this page. There is a learning curve when transferring and redeeming with partners, but the payoff is worth it.
Only four Chase cards transfer to its partners, and only two transfer to all partners at 1:1 ratios. The two cards that offer full transfer capabilties to partners are the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Reserve Business cards, both of which come with hefty $795 annual fees.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Ink Business Preferred transfer to all but one partner at 1:1 ratios. The exception is World of Hyatt, which transfers at a reduced 4:3 ratio. Hyatt has historically been one of Chase's most valuable transfer partners, making the two Sapphire Reserve cards especially attractive for travelers who frequently redeem points for Hyatt stays. Even without a Reserve card, Chase's airline partners still offer many opportunities for high-value redemptions.
If you want a simpler redemption path, you can still get solid value by booking through Chase Travel, especially with a Sapphire card. You can use Chase Travel to book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and more. Point values vary based on the card you hold:
Points Boost applies only to select airfare and hotel bookings when you hold a Sapphire card. When it is not available, all redemptions default to 1¢ per point.
Legacy Points Boost rules: If you held a Sapphire Reserve or Preferred before June 23, 2025, any points you earned before October 26, 2025 are eligible for:
These elevated values remain valid through October 26, 2027.
If you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve (personal or business), you can redeem points through The Edit, Chase’s luxury hotel collection. While all Edit bookings initially redeemed at 2¢ per point through Points Boost, Chase later reduced many properties to 1.65¢ per point and then reduced some even further to 1.25¢ per point. Redemption values now generally range from 1.25¢-2.5¢ per point depending on the property, with most falling around the 1.65¢ range.
Additional perks when booking The Edit with a Sapphire Reserve card:
You'll also receive the following benefits on nearly every The Edit stay booked through Chase Travel, whether paying cash or redeeming points:
Chase also rolled out a new Price Match Guarantee feature in 2026 for hotel bookings made through the Chase Travel portal. Users can submit a claim within 24 hours of booking if they find a lower publicly available rate elsewhere on an identical stay. Importantly, this feature also works on The Edit bookings, even with the added perks and statement credits included with these stays.
To qualify for a price match, the competing booking must have the same:
Pay Yourself Back allows cardholders to redeem points at an elevated rate on select, rotating categories.
Some redemptions usually deliver less value for your Chase Ultimate Rewards points and are generally worth avoiding:
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
If you have multiple Chase cards, combine points under the card with the best redemption options before booking or transferring. You can also combine points with a household member if they have a card with full 1:1 transfers.
Even with a transfer bonus, only move Chase points to partners when you’re ready to book. Transfers are one-way, so always confirm award availability and pricing first.
If you have fixed travel dates, compare partner awards against Chase Travel before transferring points. Points Boost can sometimes offer better value when you have fixed travel dates and award space is limited.
Chase has several airline partners that belong to the same alliance or can book the same flights. Compare prices before transferring because each program uses its own award pricing.
Chase Ultimate Rewards remains one of the best starting points for travelers entering the hobby. The ecosystem offers strong transfer partners, a broad card lineup, and a variety of redemption options.
Experts still get plenty of value from Chase Ultimate Rewards, with opportunities for outsized redemptions through many of its partners. Holding a Sapphire Reserve card, despite its hefty annual fee, offers the most value when redeeming Ultimate Rewards points, especially if you redeem through Hyatt. The two Reserve cards are the only Chase cards that transfer to Hyatt at 1:1, while the Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred transfer to Hyatt at 4:3 and all other partners at 1:1.
Eligibility changes have made Ultimate Rewards more difficult to earn than in the past, so ongoing spending strategies become increasingly important once you've exhausted welcome offers, many of which now come with lifetime restrictions. If you apply for Chase business cards as a sole proprietor, the 3/24 Rule adds another layer of restriction by making it more difficult to open Chase business cards after you've opened three or more personal cards with any bank in the previous 24 months.
Despite all these changes over the past couple of years, Chase Ultimate Rewards remains one of the most versatile points currencies available. It just isn't the clear-cut leader it once was.
You can generally downgrade or cancel a Chase card within 30 days of your annual fee posting and receive a full refund. Chase does not typically offer a prorated refund if you act after that 30-day window. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are tied to individual cards, though you can combine points between your own cards and with household members at the same address. If you want to retain the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel partners, you must hold one of the following cards. The Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve Business are the only cards that transfer to all Chase partners at 1:1 ratios. The Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred transfer to Hyatt at a reduced 4:3 ratio and all other Chase partners at 1:1.
Cash back redemptions only get 1¢ per point. Points redeemed through Chase Travel are also generally worth 1¢ each, but eligible Points Boost offers can increase that value to as much as 2¢ per point with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Transferring points to airline or hotel partners can deliver even higher value in certain situations.
The most efficient way to redeem Chase points is usually to transfer them to travel partners. That is how you unlock outsized value, often well above 2¢ per point, particularly on international business class flights. Booking through Chase Travel is easier and can provide strong value through Points Boost offers, but learning partner awards generally maximizes long-term value and flexibility.
The two Chase Sapphire Reserve cards, personal and business, offer the biggest signup bonuses and most perks, but they also carry much higher annual fees. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent alternative for travelers who want transferable points with a lower fee, though it transfers to Hyatt at 4:3 instead of 1:1 like the two Reserve cards.
You cannot book Airbnb directly through Chase Travel, but Chase does offer vacation-home bookings. Beginning January 1, 2027, Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve Business cardholders will get access to more than 10,000 luxury vacation homes through The Edit and Plum Guide, with eligible stays able to use The Edit statement credits on two-night stays and receive additional benefits on qualifying four-night stays.
American Express still offers access to a broader lounge network through the Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, and other partner lounges. Chase has Sapphire Lounges, more than 1,300 Priority Pass lounges, and select Air Canada lounges, but Amex still provides the larger overall network.
Tracking Points & Transfer Options
