Best Chase credit cards: The top offerings from America's biggest bank

Chase offers excellent credit cards for travel and cash back rewards. Some Chase cards are available with no annual fee, but an annual fee may be required for the best cards. For some households, a combination of multiple cards can lead to the best rewards.

Our top recommendations from Chase

card_name: Best for cash back

card_name is an excellent choice for cash back rewards with no annual fee. Most purchases earn a flat 1.5% cash back, while the popular dining (including delivery) and gas station categories earn 3% back. It includes important purchase and travel protections above what many competing cards offer.

When you sign up, you can earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, and you get a complimentary three months of DashPass, DoorDash's membership as well as three months of Instacart+ membership that provides unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders.

card_name: Best for travel

card_name is a top travel rewards card, featuring valuable rewards points redeemable through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. Points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed through Chase, or you can transfer points to partner airlines and hotels for potentially more value. It comes loaded with excellent travel and purchase coverage. If you use the card regularly, it’s easy to get much more than the annual_fees annual fee back from rewards and benefits.

The Sapphire Preferred is also notable for its sign up bonus, which is bonus_miles_full. According to Chase, that’s $750 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal.

card_name: Best for luxury travel

For luxury travel, card_name is one of the best cards on the market. It includes access to Priority Pass and Chase airport lounges, a $300 credit for travel purchases and valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed through Chase and potentially more when transferred to travel partners. Purchase and travel protection benefits are extensive.

The card_name has a sign up bonus of bonus_miles_full, and the benefits are supersized as well: For example, you get 10X points for hotel and car rental purchases through Chase, which, as noted above, are even more valuable when transferred to partners’ loyalty programs. While it’s an expensive card, it’s a good deal for frequent travelers.

card_name: Best for users new to credit

card_name is designed for those new to credit, so it’s available to a wider audience than many other cards on this list. It includes core features we like to see in a card, including purchase protection and rewards for every purchase. You can also increase your chances of approval for this card if you open a Chase checking account before you apply and deposit at least $250. Then you can sign up for Autopay within the first three months and get a $25 statement credit.

This card is designed for new users who may not understand the importance of paying your card debt on time and in full, if possible. The APR for purchases is higher than premium cards, and the penalty APR is nearly 30%. While it’s a simple card without many bells and whistles, it’s a reasonable choice for someone looking to establish and build credit with rewards and no annual fee.

card_name: Best for balance transfers

card_name is a good choice for people looking to pay off their credit card debt while avoiding interest charges for 18 months. While there are no rewards or benefits, Chase Slate Edge is a low-cost card with no fees for regular use. If you use the card for at least $1,000 in annual purchases and always pay on time, your interest rate goes down 2% per year until reaching a minimum limit.

The essential utility of this card is its one-and-a-half year interest grace period for transferred balances (though the zero APR deal applies to purchases as well). The fee for balance transfers within the first 60 days is either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, and after that transfers cost $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. To get the most out this deal, you should transfer the entire balance of however many cards you have immediately and limit your purchases until the debt is paid down. That makes the card_name an affordable option for those looking to get out of debt.

card_name: Best for business travel

The card_name card brings business owners a valuable package of rewards and benefits. For example, the card_name comes with fraud protection, zero liability protection, purchase protection, auto rental collision damage waiver for business travel rentals, and cell phone protection that covers you and every employee listed on your cell phone bill when you pay it with your card_name card. Rewards are redeemable for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Chase estimates you get one cent per point for cash back and one-and-a-quater cents redeemed through Chase travel.

While there’s a annual_fees annual fee, the huge signup bonus worth $1,000 cash back or $1,250 in travel easily justifies the cost. While travel benefits are not as good as some other travel-related rewards cards, overall, it’s a good combination of features.

card_name: Best for business cash back

card_name is a simple cash back rewards card for small businesses. You can earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every business purchase with no limits to the amount you can earn. You also don’t have to worry about rotating categories or where you’ll get the most rewards. In addition to the regular cash back feature, you also earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after opening your account. By adding employees to your card at no extra cost, you can accelerate earning cash back.

For a card with a straightforward rewards system and no annual fee, the Ink Business Unlimited is worth a look.

card_name: Best for Amazon Prime members

card_name includes 5% back on all purchases at Amazon and Whole Foods, which is a huge benefit if you shop there regularly. You also earn unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), as well as 1% cash back on all other purchases. There is no annual fee for this card, though you still have to pay the monthly fee for your Prime membership.

The sign up bonus for the card_name means Prime members do get a break of sorts on their Prime membership in the form of a $100 Amazon Gift Card instantly loaded into your Amazon account's Gift Card Balance upon approval of your credit card application. For Amazon Prime power users, it’s a no-brainer to maximize your membership.

How we chose the best Chase credit cards

Because Chase cards are offered in many of the same tiers across types, we compared card offers based on the following criteria: Rewards rates, welcome offers, introductory and variable APR offers, annual fees, consumer protections included and travel benefits and perks.

Ultimately, we looked for credit cards that offer the most lucrative reward structures, welcome offers and flexibility within their designated rewards programs. Some cards that don't offer rewards were evaluated based on other factors, including their fee structure, introductory interest rates and regular variable APR. In all cases, benefits such as consumer protections and travel insurance perks were taken into account.

Choosing the best Chase credit card: Where to begin

With so many Chase credit cards to choose from, choosing the best Chase credit card can be challenging. Here’s a look at what you should consider when choosing the best Chase credit card.

Credit card rewards

Credit card rewards are one of the biggest perks of credit cards. Consider the cash back or travel rewards, how easy it is to earn rewards and your potential redemptions when choosing a credit card.

Sign-up bonus

A sign-up bonus is a large cash back or travel reward, typically given after meeting specific minimum spending requirements. Look at the size of the bonus and what’s needed to earn the bonus before signing up.

Travel and purchase benefits

Common benefits for purchases include purchase protection for new purchases and an extended warranty benefit. For travel, look for rental car coverage, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, delayed and lost luggage coverage and other valuable features. Some cards also include cell phone insurance, which pays most of the cost to repair a cell phone when you pay your bill with the card.

Eligibility by credit score

Your credit score plays a major role in your approval odds. Outside of cards for no credit or bad credit, you may struggle to get approved for the best rewards cards without a good or better credit score.

Types of Chase credit cards

Chase credit cards come in three major categories. You can find personal and business versions of many cards within those.

• Cash back rewards: Cash back rewards cards typically offer a percentage of every purchase as cash back rewards. For example, if you have a card offering 1.5% back on a $100 purchase, you would earn $1.50 back from that purchase.
• Travel rewards: Travel rewards cards typically offer miles or points for a travel reward program based on the size and category of a purchase. Chase offers travel rewards cards for its Ultimate Rewards program and cards for hotel and airline brands.
• Other credit cards: Other cards may come with long 0% APR periods, lower rates and fees or other features that don’t include credit card rewards.

Pros and cons of Chase credit cards

AP Buyline roundup: What else should I know about Chase credit cards?

Chase enforces a variety of rules when approving new credit card applications. One is the infamous 5/24 rule, where Chase won’t give you a new credit card if you’ve received five or more cards from any issuer in the last 24 months. You may also be limited to one card in a card family. For example, you can’t have both a Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve card.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Can you combine points on Chase credit cards?

Chase cardholders with multiple cards can combine points through the Ultimate Rewards program. That includes cash back cards, where a cent of cash back can be converted to an Ultimate Rewards point.

What is the hardest Chase credit card to get?

The hardest Chase card to get varies based on your credit history. The premium Chase Sapphire Reserve is among the more difficult cards to open.

How do I get pre-approved for a Chase credit card?

You may get offers in the mail indicating you’re pre-qualified or pre-approved for a Chase credit card. However, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll be approved when completing the full application.

How long does it take for Chase to approve a credit card account?

Some applications are approved instantly, while others may have to wait a week or more to find their final approval status.

How many Chase credit cards can you have?

Chase doesn’t have a specific limit for the number of cards you can have. Chase looks at your total credit limits across accounts as a factor in approving new credit card accounts.