Getting began with credit card rewards might be extremely overwhelming. Do you have to begin with money again or factors and miles? Which card family must you select first? Or, must you attempt playing cards from totally different households? Will the annual fee on cards be worth it?
When newbies ask for assist building a card portfolio, we all the time advocate card applications that may scale — which means playing cards which you could pair with different playing cards later to construct a complete technique with out sacrificing the old card to the sock drawer.
You may discover that transferable points are extremely priceless for avid and aspiring vacationers as a result of you may redeem rewards throughout all kinds of airline and lodge companions. However these travel credit cards typically have stricter approval necessities, so they are not all the time an possibility as a first rewards credit card. The excellent news is that some issuers provide sure households of bank cards that permit you to begin with a no-annual-fee credit card that may pair with a higher-tier card in a while for max worth.
The straightforwardness of Chase Ultimate Rewards — together with Chase’s 5/24 rule — make this program a superb place to begin for factors and miles newbies. When selecting bank cards to earn Final Rewards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) make a strong duo.
Learn on to learn the way these two playing cards can jump-start your award journey.
Associated: How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?
Why pair Chase Sapphire Most popular with Chase Freedom Limitless?
We’ll break down the total advantages of every card under, however this is a fast rationalization of why you may wish to begin with these two particularly. The highest motive is that Chase limits the variety of bank cards for which you’ll efficiently apply. That is as a result of issuer’s 5/24 rule.
In brief, when you’ve opened 5 or extra private playing cards throughout all banks previously 24 months, it is unlikely you may be authorized for many playing cards in Chase’s portfolio, together with the Freedom Unlimited and the Sapphire Preferred.
Whenever you’re simply beginning out, it is best to cowl an important bases first. If you have already got a stable credit score rating, you may doubtless wish to apply for the Chase Sapphire Most popular first as a result of it earns these priceless transferable factors. However if you’re newer to the world of rewards bank cards, the Chase Freedom Limitless can be an amazing place to begin to earn money again.
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The perfect half? The Freedom award factors can later switch to the Sapphire Most popular when you apply for it down the road.
Associated: What credit score do you need for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
Chase Sapphire Most popular highlights
Welcome bonus: New cardholders earn 100,000 Final Rewards factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Incomes charges: Earn 5 factors per greenback spent on journey booked by means of Chase Travel℠, 3 factors per greenback spent on dining (together with eligible supply providers and takeout) in addition to choose streaming providers and on-line groceries (excludes Goal, Walmart and wholesale golf equipment), 2 factors per greenback spent on all different travel and 1 level per greenback spent in every single place else.
Perks: The Sapphire Most popular comes with no foreign transaction fees, and cardholders can get pleasure from perks like a 10% points bonus on their cardmember anniversary and a $50 annual hotel credit for reservations made by means of Chase Journey℠. The cardboard additionally consists of quite a few journey protections like primary auto rental insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, extended warranty protection and purchase protection.
Annual payment: $95
Causes to get it: TPG’s April 2025 valuations place this welcome bonus at $2,050, based mostly on maximizing the factors with lodge and airline switch companions.
The wonderful thing about this card is that all kinds of things fall throughout the journey class — from airline purchases, taxis and tolls to parking heaps and journey companies. So, even when your day-to-day journey is restricted to transportation, you may rack up Final Rewards factors shortly. You may additionally get wonderful travel protections on these purchases.
As for utilizing these factors, you’ve got multiple travel partners to select from. You can even redeem Final Rewards factors immediately for a number of eligible purchases by means of the Chase Journey portal at a charge of 1.25 cents apiece.
Associated: After 15 years, why the Chase Sapphire Preferred should still be your first rewards card
Chase Freedom Limitless highlights
Welcome bonus: For a restricted time, new cardholders can earn a $250 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Incomes charges: Earn 5% money again on journey bought by means of Chase Journey℠, 3% money again on eating, 3% money again at drugstores and 1.5% money again on all different purchases.
Annual payment: $0
Causes to get it: This card presents arguably higher on a regular basis incomes classes than the Sapphire Most popular. What actually makes the Freedom Limitless worthy of a slot in your pockets is in case you have a full-fledged Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card. With bank cards such because the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees), you may redeem your money again as Final Rewards factors.
And even when you do not have a type of playing cards proper now, you may all the time apply for one later after which mix your factors into the Final Rewards account of the extra premium card.
TPG’s April 2025 valuations peg the worth of Chase Final Rewards factors at 2.05 cents every. Meaning the 1.5% money again you may earn on nonbonus purchases turns into 1.5 factors per greenback spent (for a return of over 3%).
If money again is finally what you are after, take into account a few of the different best cash-back credit cards — such because the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees), which supplies you a better return on on a regular basis purchases. With the Citi Double Money Card, you may get 2% money again (1% if you purchase and one other 1% as you pay down your steadiness). You can even convert the money again earned on the Citi card to Citi ThankYou Rewards factors by way of a linked ThankYou account.
Associated: Why the Chase Freedom Unlimited should be the first card in every student’s wallet
Utilizing the playing cards collectively
As talked about above, rewards earned with the Freedom Unlimited — and its sibling, the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees) — change into way more priceless if you additionally maintain a higher-end Chase card. It is because you may solely convert your money again into transferable factors with a card that earns Final Rewards factors outright.
So, to redeem rewards earned with the Freedom playing cards as factors that may be transferred to companions, it’s essential maintain a higher-tier card just like the Chase Sapphire Preferred. An alternative choice is the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve for many who suppose the $550 annual payment is well worth the card’s higher earnings, extra advantages and $300 annual travel credit.
The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card may also be an amazing various — or addition — for small-business homeowners.
Even when you do not plan on transferring factors to journey companions akin to United Airways, Hyatt, Southwest Airways and British Airways, these playing cards assure 25% to 50% in further worth when redeeming factors by means of the Chase Journey℠ portal for journey at a hard and fast worth. In different phrases, relatively than redeem every level for 1 cent every with only a Freedom card, you can redeem them at a charge of 1.25 or 1.5 cents apiece by additionally having the Sapphire Most popular or Sapphire Reserve, respectively.
If you happen to merely need money again and by no means plan on pairing your playing cards, you must take a look at different cash-back bank cards with increased returns. However these seeking to construct a long-term card technique can make the most of the Chase Freedom Limitless pairing capabilities with a card that unlocks Final Rewards redemptions.
Utilizing these two playing cards strategically places you in a superb place to earn and redeem journey rewards for max worth.
For starters, all travel purchases not made by means of the Chase Journey℠ portal (like Uber rides and Airbnb stays) ought to go on the Chase Sapphire Preferred to earn bonus factors and get wonderful journey protections. You must also use the Sapphire Most popular for eating, choose streaming providers and on-line grocery purchases to earn 3 factors per greenback spent. And, because the card waives overseas transaction charges, you may wish to use it for all purchases exterior the U.S.
Then, you may use the Freedom Unlimited for drugstores and all different on a regular basis purchases.
When it is time to redeem your hard-earned factors, see this guide to getting the maximum value out of your awards and this guide for finding sweet spots in the Ultimate Rewards program.
Associated: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve: Should you go mid-tier or premium?
Backside line
The Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card make an amazing Final Rewards points-earning group. Whereas the latter is not all the time the most suitable choice to your spending, it opens up some nice switch companion choices on the redemption facet. Plus, with its present 100,000-point welcome bonus, the Sapphire Most popular can increase your Final Rewards factors steadiness — good for these simply beginning on this planet of rewards journey.
If you happen to’re beginning to earn journey rewards with bank cards, these two playing cards ought to be your prime precedence relating to functions — however ensure you take note of the issuer’s 5/24 rule to optimize your possibilities for approval.
For added data, take a look at our Chase Freedom Unlimited review and Chase Sapphire Preferred review.
Apply right here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
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