What is the Chase Trifecta?
Quick insights
- The “Chase Trifecta” is a term used by credit card enthusiasts to refer to a trio of specific Chase credit cards that may help maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards® earnings across various spending categories.
- While not an official Chase program or product, the “Chase Trifecta” is a phrase used by some credit card rewards enthusiasts to describe a trio of specific types of Chase cards.
- Each of the three cards has a different way to earn rewards while also providing a variety of cardmember benefits and perks.
Are you looking to make the most out of every dollar you spend, especially when it comes to earning and redeeming credit card rewards? If so, you may have heard of the “Chase Trifecta.”
The “Chase Trifecta” is not an official Chase program or product. Rather, it’s a term some credit card rewards enthusiasts use to describe a trio of specific types of Chase cards to use strategically. In this article, we’ll discuss this trio of credit cards, how it might help you maximize earning Chase Ultimate Rewards and some considerations when holding multiple cards.
What is the Chase Trifecta?
At its core, the “Chase Trifecta” is the name used by credit card enthusiasts to describe a strategy involving three types of Chase credit cards—a travel card, a credit card with rotating bonus categories and an everyday spending card. The goal is to help maximize the number of Ultimate Rewards points you can earn on your purchases. By using multiple cards strategically, you can select the card that gives you a higher return for each specific spending category.
This strategy thrives on the flexibility of Chase Ultimate Rewards. Depending on your credit card, Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred between Chase credit cards as well as to external travel partners like airlines and hotels.
What cards are in the Chase Trifecta?
While there can be variations, credit card rewards enthusiasts typically use the “Chase Trifecta” to refer to one travel credit card and two other Chase-branded cards that earn Ultimate Rewards at an accelerated rate on other spending categories.
A travel card
With Chase-branded travel credit cards, you can earn accelerated rewards on travel purchases, along with additional benefits such as airport lounge access and rental car insurance.
A rotating categories card
Rotating bonus category credit cards offer a dynamic approach to earning rewards. For example, the Chase Freedom Flex® credit card offers 5% cash back in quarterly rotating bonus categories, in addition to 1% cash back on every other purchase. Bonus category purchases vary each month and must be activated. Some previous examples of bonus categories include gas stations, grocery stores, streaming services and more.
Freedom Flex cardmembers need to activate the bonus categories each quarter to earn the accelerated rewards, and can earn accelerated rewards on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in each quarter’s categories.
An everyday spending card
This card fills the final spot in this trio of Chase-branded credit cards. It has the ability to earn a flat rate on purchases, and may have a higher earn rate than the Freedom Flex’s 1% cash back on purchases. Generally, this card will also have a low annual fee.
Earning and redeeming rewards with the Chase Trifecta
Earning and redeeming rewards while holding multiple credit cards often requires some strategy. Here's how it generally works:
Earning rewards
While the “Chase Trifecta” cards earn rewards at different rates, the point of the trio is to use the card that earns the most rewards on each purchase. That typically means using the travel card on travel purchases, the rotating bonus category card on those rotating spending categories and the other card for the rest of your purchases.
Redeeming rewards
All of the cards chosen in “Chase Trifecta” groupings should earn Ultimate Rewards points. These points may be pooled and redeemed for a variety of options in the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
In the portal, cardmembers may be able to redeem rewards for:
- Cash back
- Statement credits
- Merchandise
- Gift cards
- Curated experiences
- Travel
When redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel™, cardmembers may have options to book airfare, hotels, rental cars, cruises, experiences and more. Those bookings can be secured using points, cash or a combination of the two. Some credit cards also allow cardmembers to transfer their points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
Note that Ultimate Rewards points do not expire, provided your account is open and in good standing.
Considerations of the Chase Trifecta
While the “Chase Trifecta” may help you maximize rewards on your purchases, there are some things you may want to consider before employing this strategy:
- Managing multiple cards: This strategy may require more organization and management than having a single card. A multi-card strategy may have you tracking and managing multiple payment amounts and due dates. You may also need a system to help keep track of which card to use for which type of purchase.
- Credit score: A hard credit check occurs when applying for credit cards. This may temporarily impact an applicant’s credit score.
- Spending habits: To earn the most rewards, it may be helpful to confirm if your routine spending habits match the rewards you can earn with the cards. If you don’t routinely put purchases on your card that fall into the rewards spending categories, you may not be able to use this credit card strategy as intended.
In summary
The “Chase Trifecta” is how some credit card enthusiasts refer to a strategic approach to maximizing earning and redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards through a trio of Chase-branded cards. By combining a travel card with two credit cards that earn accelerated rates in other spending categories, cardmembers may have the ability to earn more rewards on more purchases.
Note that the “Chase Trifecta” is not an official Chase program or product.
