Chase Ultimate Rewards®: How our program works
Quick insights
- Chase Ultimate Rewards® is a flexible rewards program that lets eligible cardmembers earn points on everyday purchases, which can be redeemed for travel, cash back, gift cards and more.
- Points are typically worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back or gift cards, but may have higher value when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠ or transferred to partner programs.
- Chase offers several credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points, each with unique earning rates and benefits, and points do not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
Chase Ultimate Rewards is a credit card rewards program offered by Chase that helps turn your everyday purchases into rewards. As a cardmember with an eligible Chase card, you have the opportunity to earn rewards points while you shop, dine or travel.
The program offers built-in flexibility that allows you to earn rewards, then redeem or transfer them when you’re ready. By booking through Chase Travel, you may be able to access exclusive benefits, such as Points Boost, where eligible cardmembers may have higher redemption value on select bookings. You may also have the ability to earn elevated rewards on your bookings.
In this article, we’ll dive into how this program works, how to earn and maximize your rewards points and some ways to redeem them.
How does Chase Ultimate Rewards work?
Chase Ultimate Rewards is the rewards program through which eligible Chase cardmembers can earn points. Points are earned by using an eligible card for your everyday purchases.
You can redeem those points for cash back, travel, gift cards and purchases with select merchants. In some cases, you may even be able to redeem your points for special experiences or access exclusive events.
Many people enjoy using their points to help pay for travel. Two common ways to do this include:
- Book your travel through Chase Travel and pay with points, your card or a combination of both. Depending on your card eligibility and what you are booking, you may be able to use Points Boost to make your points go further, with points being worth more on select bookings.
- Transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to an airline or hotel that has a partnership with Chase. Available on select Chase credit cards.
How to earn Ultimate Rewards points
To earn Ultimate Rewards points, use an eligible Chase credit card for your everyday spending. If the card has a welcome bonus offer, you can earn it by meeting certain spending requirements within a specified amount of time after first opening your account.
In addition, you can earn points by spending in categories that may offer higher points per dollar spent (such as gas stations, grocery stores, dining/restaurants, select streaming services and more). Eligible Chase cards offer accelerated earn rates—such as 5x or 8x total points—when you book travel through Chase Travel.
How to redeem Ultimate Rewards points
There are three main ways to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points.
- Redeem for travel: You can use your points to book flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, cruises and vacation homes through Chase Travel. You can pay with points, cash or a mix of both, and you may be able to use Points Boost on select bookings. Cardmembers may also be able to transfer points to participating airline and hotel partners.
- Redeem for cash back: The Chase Ultimate Rewards portal allows you to redeem your rewards points for cash back. You can choose to receive this as a statement credit or have it deposited into your Chase bank account.
- Redeem for gift cards: Similar to booking travel, you can redeem your rewards points to purchase gift cards through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. The point value is 1 cent when redeeming for gift cards, though sometimes Chase offers discounts on certain gift cards throughout the year, which means the value per point increases and your rewards go a bit further. You can find out which gift cards are discounted by navigating to the gift card section of the Ultimate Rewards portal.
How much are Ultimate Rewards points worth?
The value of your Ultimate Rewards points will differ depending on the credit card that you have and what you are redeeming for. In general, points are worth more when you use Points Boost to redeem for select bookings through Chase Travel or transfer your points to Chase’s partners.
Points Boost allows you to increase the value of your rewards when redeemed for select travel through Chase Travel, making them worth up to 50% more with eligible Chase cards (the exact boost varies by card). If you’re interested in cash back, each point is worth 1 cent when redeemed.
How much are 10,000 Chase rewards points worth?
10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points are typically worth $100 when redeemed toward gift cards or as cash back or a statement credit.
How much are 100,000 Chase rewards points worth?
The math is the same as above, so 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points are typically worth $1,000 when redeemed for cash back or gift cards. They could be worth more depending on the card you use and what you redeem them for.
Chase credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points
Chase offers several credit cards that are eligible to earn Ultimate Rewards points, each with their own unique features and benefits. Here are a few to consider:
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Earn a welcome bonus offer after you spend a minimum amount within a set timeframe after opening the card.
- Earn an annual travel credit of up to $300 each anniversary year.
- Earn up to $500 annually in statement credits for prepaid bookings made with The Edit℠, our hand-picked collection of hotels and resorts.
- Earn 8x points on purchases through Chase Travel, including The Edit.
- Earn 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct.
- Earn 3x points on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
- Earn 1x points on all other purchases.
Chase Sapphire Preferred®
- Earn a welcome bonus offer after you spend a minimum amount within a set timeframe after opening the card.
- Earn an annual statement credit of up to $100 each anniversary year when booking a hotel through Chase Travel.
- Earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel.
- Earn 3x points on dining and eligible delivery services.
- Earn 3x points on top streaming services.
- Earn 2x points on other travel purchases.
- Earn 1x points on all other purchases.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Earn a welcome bonus offer after you spend a minimum amount within a set timeframe after opening the card.
- Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel.
- Earn 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
- Earn 3% cash back on drugstore purchases.
- Earn 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Chase Freedom Flex®
Though similar to Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Freedom Flex credit card has one key difference—it has rotating bonus categories that you activate each quarter to earn bonus rewards.
Once you activate the categories, you can earn 5% cash back on those specific spending categories, up to the spend cap, and they change every three months. This enables you to maximize cash back in different areas throughout the year. This list of features for this card includes:
- Earn a welcome bonus offer after you spend a minimum amount within a set timeframe after opening the card.
- Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories like gas stations, grocery stores and select online merchants each quarter you activate.
- Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel.
- Earn 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
- Earn 3% cash back on drugstore purchases.
- Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Do Ultimate Rewards points expire?
Ultimate Rewards points do not expire as long as your credit card account remains open and in good standing. If you choose to close your account, you may lose any unredeemed points. For more information, read your credit card’s terms and conditions carefully.
The bottom line
Chase Ultimate Rewards stands out as a flexible and adaptable rewards system that provides numerous avenues for accruing and utilizing rewards points, including travel, cash back and gift cards.
Additionally, eligible cardmembers can earn and redeem Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, sometimes with an accelerated rate depending on the booking and your card.
