Getting began with bank card rewards will be extremely overwhelming. Do you have to begin with money again or factors and miles? Which card household must you select first? Or, must you strive playing cards from totally different households? Will the annual price on playing cards be price it?
When learners ask for assist constructing a card portfolio, we all the time advocate card applications that may scale — which means playing cards that may be paired with others later to construct a complete card technique with out sacrificing the outdated card to the sock drawer.
You may discover that transferable factors are extremely invaluable for avid and aspiring vacationers as a result of rewards will be redeemed throughout all kinds of airline and lodge companions. However these journey bank cards usually have stricter approval necessities, so they don’t seem to be all the time an possibility as a first rewards bank card. The excellent news is that some issuers provide sure households of bank cards that permit you to begin with a no-annual-fee bank card that may pair with a higher-tier card in a while for optimum worth.
The straightforwardness of Chase Final Rewards — together with Chase’s 5/24 rule — make this program a superb place to begin for factors and miles newbies. And when selecting bank cards to earn Final Rewards, the Chase Freedom Limitless® and the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card make a robust duo.
Learn on to find out how these two playing cards can jumpstart your award journey.
Associated: How a lot are Chase Final Rewards factors price?
Why pair Chase Sapphire Most well-liked with Chase Freedom Limitless?
We’ll break down the complete advantages of every card under, however this is a fast clarification of why you will wish to begin with these two particularly. The highest cause is that Chase limits the variety of bank cards for which you’ll be able to efficiently apply. That is because of the issuer’s 5/24 rule.
In brief, if you happen to’ve opened 5 or extra private playing cards throughout all banks previously 24 months, it is unlikely you will be authorized for many playing cards in Chase’s portfolio, together with the Freedom Limitless and the Sapphire Most well-liked.
If you happen to’re beginning out, it is best to cowl a very powerful bases first. If you have already got a stable credit score rating, you will possible wish to apply for the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked first as a result of it earns these invaluable transferable factors. However in case you are newer to the world of rewards bank cards, the Chase Freedom Limitless can be an ideal place to begin to earn money again.
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The very best half? The Freedom award factors can later be transferred to the Sapphire Most well-liked while you apply for it down the road.
Associated: What credit score rating do you want for the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card?
Chase Sapphire Most well-liked highlights
Welcome bonus for the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked: Earn 60,000 Final Rewards factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Incomes charges: Earn 5 factors per greenback spent on journey booked by Chase Journey℠, 3 factors per greenback spent on eating (together with eligible supply companies and takeout) in addition to choose streaming companies and on-line groceries (excludes Goal, Walmart and wholesale golf equipment), 2 factors per greenback spent on all different journey and 1 level per greenback spent all over the place else.
Perks: The Sapphire Most well-liked comes with no international transaction charges, and cardholders can take pleasure in perks like a 10% factors bonus on their cardmember anniversary and a $50 annual lodge credit score for reservations made by Chase Journey. The cardboard additionally contains quite a few journey protections like main auto rental insurance coverage, baggage delay insurance coverage, journey delay reimbursement, journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage, prolonged guarantee safety and buy safety.
Annual price: $95
Causes to get it: TPG’s December 2024 valuations place this welcome bonus at $1,230, primarily based on maximizing the factors with lodge and airline switch companions.
The beauty of this card is that all kinds of things fall inside the journey class — from airline purchases, taxis and tolls to parking tons and journey companies. So, even when your day-to-day journey is restricted to transportation, you possibly can rack up Final Rewards factors rapidly. You may additionally get glorious journey protections on these purchases.
As for utilizing these factors, you could have a number of journey companions to select from. You may also redeem Final Rewards factors straight for a number of eligible purchases by the Chase Journey portal at a price of 1.25 cents apiece.
Associated: After 15 years, why the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked ought to nonetheless be your first rewards card
Chase Freedom Limitless highlights
Welcome bonus for the Chase Freedom Limitless: Earn a further 1.5% money again on all the pieces you purchase (on as much as $20,000 spent within the first yr) — price as much as $300 in money again.
Incomes charges: Earn 5% money again on journey bought by Chase Journey, 3% money again on eating, 3% money again at drugstores, and 1.5% money again on all different purchases.
Annual price: $0
Causes to get it: This card gives arguably higher on a regular basis incomes classes than the Sapphire Most well-liked. What actually makes the Freedom Limitless worthy of a slot in your pockets is that when you’ve got a full-fledged Chase Final Rewards-earning card (such because the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked® Credit score Card), you possibly can redeem your money again as Final Rewards factors.
And even when you do not have a kind of playing cards proper now, you possibly can all the time apply for one later and then mix your factors into the Final Rewards account of the extra premium card.
TPG’s December 2024 valuations peg the worth of Chase Final Rewards factors at 2.05 cents every. Which means the 1.5% money again you will earn on nonbonus purchases turns into 1.5 factors per greenback spent (for a return of over 3%).
If money again is in the end what you are after, take into account among the different greatest cash-back bank cards, such because the Citi Double Money® Card (see charges and costs) that provides you a greater return on on a regular basis purchases. With the Citi Double Money Card, you will get 2% money again (1% while you purchase and one other 1% as you pay down your stability). You may also 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 Limitless ought to be the primary card in each scholar’s pockets
Utilizing the playing cards collectively
As talked about above, the rewards earned by the Freedom Limitless (and its sibling, the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex®) turn into way more invaluable while you additionally maintain a higher-end Chase card. It’s because you possibly can 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, that you must maintain a higher-tier card just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked. An alternative choice is the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve for individuals who assume the $550 annual price is definitely worth the card’s higher earnings, extra advantages and $300 annual journey credit score.
The Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card may also be an ideal various — or addition — for small-business house owners.
Even if you happen to do not plan on transferring factors to journey companions equivalent to United Airways, Hyatt, Southwest Airways and British Airways, these playing cards assure 25% to 50% in further worth when redeeming factors by the Chase Journey portal for journey at a set worth. In different phrases, somewhat than redeem every level for 1 cent every with only a Freedom card, you can redeem them at a price of 1.25 or 1.5 cents apiece by additionally having the Sapphire Most well-liked or Sapphire Reserve, respectively.
If you happen to merely need money again and by no means plan on pairing your playing cards, you must try different cash-back bank cards with increased returns. However these trying 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 optimum worth.
For starters, all journey purchases not made by the Chase Journey portal (like Uber rides and Airbnb stays) ought to go on the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked to earn bonus factors and get glorious journey protections. You also needs to use the Sapphire Most well-liked for eating, choose streaming companies and on-line grocery purchases to earn 3 factors per greenback spent. And, because the card waives international transaction charges, you will wish to use it for all purchases outdoors the U.S.
Then, you will use the Freedom Limitless for drugstores and all different on a regular basis purchases.
When it is time to redeem your hard-earned factors, see this information to getting the utmost worth out of your awards and this information for locating candy spots within the Final Rewards program.
Associated: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked vs. Sapphire Reserve: Do you have to go mid-tier or premium?
Backside line
The Chase Freedom Limitless and the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card make an ideal Final Rewards points-earning workforce. Whereas the latter is not all the time the best choice in your spending, it opens up some nice switch associate choices on the redemption aspect. Plus, with its present 60,000-point welcome bonus, the Sapphire Most well-liked can enhance your Final Rewards factors stability — excellent 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 high precedence in the case of purposes — however be sure you take note of the issuer’s 5/24 rule to optimize your probabilities for approval.
For added info, try our Chase Freedom Limitless overview and Chase Sapphire Most well-liked overview.
Apply right here: Chase Freedom Limitless
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked
