chase travel points redeem

How to redeem Chase points

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Key takeaways

• Chase Ultimate Rewards points are considered especially valuable for a few reasons, including the variety of available redemption options.
• Redemption options like cash back or statement credits offer a value of one cent per point, while certain travel redemptions can be worth two cents per point or more.
• Certain Chase credit cards offer 25 to 50 percent more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase, which makes these cards especially attractive.

When you start racking up rewards with a Chase credit card , you may be inclined to redeem your points for easy options like cash back, Apple products or even gift cards. However, some of the best redemptions available for Chase points fall within the travel realm, whether that means using points in the Chase travel portal or transferring rewards to partners.

If you’re not exactly sure how to redeem your Chase points or which redemptions fetch the most value, this quick guide offers some tips to help you get the most bang for your buck when it comes to redemption choices.

How can I redeem my Chase points?

To redeem your Chase points, log in to your Chase account — either on your desktop browser or the mobile Chase app — and navigate to the Ultimate Rewards portal from your account. If you haven’t signed up for an account yet, make sure to do it as soon as possible so you can actually use your rewards.

When you click on the link to the Ultimate Rewards portal, it will launch as a separate dashboard from your Chase account. Once there, you can choose from multiple menu options to redeem points, including cash back, Chase Dining, gift cards, Pay Yourself Back and more. Once you choose your redemption option, follow the screen prompts to complete the process of redeeming your points for the selected award.

If you have multiple Chase accounts that earn Ultimate Rewards points, choose the specific card you want to access, and you’ll see how many points are available to redeem. There is an option to toggle between your different card accounts and switch cards as needed. If you don’t have enough points for your preferred redemption options, you can transfer points from one card to another within the Ultimate Rewards portal with the “combine points” feature.

Review your redemption options

Once you’re inside the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, you should be able to see various redemption options on the side menu or when you click “Earn / Use” at the top. These include:

• Pay with points with Amazon.com or PayPal

Apple Store

• Pay Yourself Back

Transfer to travel partners

Here’s a quick breakdown on these options, along with their value compared to other available redemptions.

Unlike many travel credit cards , choosing cash back doesn’t lower the value of your points. You’ll get one cent per point for your rewards, plus the option to deposit your cash into an account of your choice or as statement credit on the card you earned the points with.

Chase Sapphire, Freedom and Ink cardholders can also redeem rewards with Chase Dining , though those with a Sapphire credit card also have access to the Sapphire Private Dining Series. You can use your points toward curated dining experiences, home meal kits and more. However, redemption values and options vary.

You’ll typically get one cent per point for gift cards, but there are often special promotions that let you get better values from time to time. For example, you might get a $100 gift card for 9,000 points instead of 10,000 points if there’s a 10 percent off sale that week.

Gift card options also vary and can change over time. Popular options that tend to be available all the time come from stores like Lowe’s, Airbnb, Kohl’s, DoorDash and Ulta.

Pay with Points with Amazon.com or PayPal

Pay with Points lets you redeem your points for purchases made through Amazon.com or PayPal at the checkout screen. However, this redemption option is only worth 0.8 cents per point, meaning 100 points add up to 80 cents.

This is a nice option to have but not necessarily the best way to redeem your points — especially since you can redeem for statement credits at a rate of one cent per point instead.

You can also use your points towards Apple products like Apple Watches, Airpods, iPhones, iPads, Macs and accessories. As long as you have 20 percent of the purchase price in Chase points, you can use cash for the remaining points portion of your purchase.

Prices at the Apple Store are comparable to the prices on the regular Apple website. There are sometimes promotions as well, especially around the holiday season. The most recent promotion added 50 percent more value to points redeemed for Apple products, but only if you had the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Meanwhile, cardholders with the Chase Sapphire Preferred got 25 percent more value for their points at Apple.

Chase Pay Yourself Back

Chase Pay Yourself Back lets you get more value for rewards when redeeming for statement credits toward eligible spending categories, which can change over time.

The main advantage of Pay Yourself Back is that your points will be worth more in dollars than if you redeemed them for a statement credit using the cash back method.

You can also book travel accommodations from hotels to airlines to rental cars through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. If you’ve got the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , you’ll even get a 25 percent boost in points value when booking travel through the portal. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , on the other hand, you get 50% more value for rewards when redeeming for travel through Chase.

With your Chase Sapphire Reserve, you’ll earn 10X on hotels and car rentals booked through the portal and 5X points on airfare booked through Chase. Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card lets you earn 5X on all travel booked through the portal.

It’s important to remember you don’t need the full amount of points to book travel on the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, either. If you’re short on points for a redemption, you can still book with a combination of rewards and cash.

The last — and arguably most valuable — redemption option is to transfer your points to Chase travel partners . Points can be transferred to a number of partners at a 1:1 ratio if you have an eligible Chase credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Ink Business Preferred or the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Your points are typically worth with this redemption option, but this is especially true if you’re booking international airfare or domestic airfare in a premium cabin.

Transfer partners available with eligible Chase cards include:

Airline partners

• Aer Lingus, AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards®
• Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
• United MileagePlus®
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Hotel partners

• IHG® Rewards Club
• Marriott Bonvoy®
• World of Hyatt®

What’s the best way to redeem my Chase points?

Generally speaking, redeeming points for travel through Chase or transferring to travel partners leads to getting the highest value for your points. This is due to the 25 percent to 50 percent more value eligible Chase cardholders get when they redeem points for travel through Chase, as well as the enhanced redemption values many Chase airline and hotel partners offer.

It’s not uncommon to transfer points to a Chase travel partner and get two cents per point in value or considerably more than that. However, you’ll want to compare the cost of booking through the Chase portal or transferring points to a partner to know which option requires the lowest total number of points.

That said, if you rarely travel, redeeming your points for cash back, statement credits or gift cards instead might make the most sense. All of these options make using rewards easy, especially since redemptions for statement credits and cash back start at just $.01.

Redeeming your points at checkout with Amazon.com or PayPal, on the other hand, fetches the lowest value for your points. However, there may come a time when this particular redemption option makes sense for you, such as during the holiday season or when making a big purchase.

The bottom line

Earning credit card rewards that fall within the Chase Ultimate Rewards program is smart for a few reasons, including the fact that it’s one of the most flexible rewards programs out there.

Still, knowing the ins and outs of this program and its available redemption options can help you get the most value out of your rewards. You worked hard to earn your points, so you might as well enjoy them.

Related Articles

Chase Ultimate Rewards guide

How to redeem credit card rewards

Chase transfer partners: How to get the best value

How to transfer Chase points

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How to use the chase travel portal, you can use chase points to book flights, hotels, car rentals and more through its travel portal..

With the right amount of planning, it's possible to book your entire vacation, including flights , hotels , cruises , car rentals , tours and other activities, entirely on points through the Chase travel portal.

But are you getting the best deal by doing this instead of transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to travel partners and booking directly? It turns out there's a lot more to consider — everything from travel date flexibility and brand variety to the credit card you're using — if you want to get more value for your points by booking through Chase Travel SM .

Below, CNBC Select breaks down the best ways to book flights, hotels, cruises, tours and vacation activities through the Chase travel portal with Ultimate Rewards® points.

How to use the Chase travel portal

• How to earn and redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points

How to get started with the Chase travel portal

How to book flights through the chase travel portal, how to book rental cars, cruises, and other travel activities, bottom line, how to earn and redeem chase ultimate rewards® points.

To access Chase Travel SM , you'll need to have a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , Chase Sapphire Reserve® , Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card , Ink Business Cash® Credit Card , Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠ .

The easiest way to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points quickly is by taking advantage of the lucrative welcome bonuses offered by certain rewards cards: 

• You'll earn 60,000 points by signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and spending $4,000 within the first three months of opening your account.
• With the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card 's welcome bonus, you'll earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel SM.
• The Chase Sapphire Reserve 's welcome bonus gives you 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The card you're using to redeem UR points will also affect your point redemption value . For instance, if you're using the Chase Sapphire Preferred to book through the Chase Travel SM portal, points are worth 25% more (1.25 cents per point). But if you're booking through Chase Travel℠ with the Chase Sapphire Reserve , points are worth 50% more (1.5 cents per point) — the other $0 annual fee Chase cards each carry a redemption rate of 1 cent per point.

That means the bonus points you'd earn from either the Chase Sapphire Preferred's welcome bonus is worth $750 towards travel and the Chase Sapphire Reserve's is worth $900 towards travel.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Regular APR

21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee

Credit needed.

Excellent/Good

Terms apply.

Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review .

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

21.24% - 26.24% variable

Good/Excellent

Read our Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

22.49% - 29.49% variable

5%, minimum $5

Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.

To reach the Chase travel portal, log into your Chase account, then click the area near the right side of the screen where it says the amount of your Chase UR points. Depending on how many Chase credit cards you have, you may be asked to choose which one you want to proceed with.

The next screen is your credit card's main dashboard, showing how many UR points you currently have, as well as any deals or bonus opportunities. On the top of the page, you'll see several menus with redemption options.

While not the best redemption in terms of overall value, you could choose to use your Chase points for Apple and Amazon purchases, cash them in for gift cards and experiences, or reimburse yourself for certain recent charges through Chase's Pay Yourself Back tool . This is also where you can transfer points directly to one of Chase's 14 travel partners if you have a specific flight or hotel in mind. Otherwise, click "book travel" to enter the Chase travel portal.

From here, you'll be able to search for flights, hotels, rental cars, activities and cruises. Simply choose your category, plug in your desired dates and details, and book with points, cash or some combination of the two.

There are a few pros and cons to consider when booking flights through the Chase travel portal. You won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award availability, which makes it great if you're not flexible with dates and flight times. Just make sure you compare the number of points needed through the Chase travel portal with how many points the airline would require if you were using its own miles, especially if you're hunting for a good deal on economy seats.

The catch with using the Chase travel portal is you won't be able to shop for tickets on low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, or Allegiant Air — you can search for flights on Alaska, Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, American, and United. You'll also be able to book flights on most international carriers.

Remember that you can still earn miles and elite credits on flights, as tickets booked through the Chase travel portal are categorized as "paid" rather than as an award flight since you're "paying" for them with points instead of cash. Consider the taxes and fees you might have to pay if you were to transfer the points straight to one of Chase's travel partners versus booking directly through the portal, and to calculate and compare how many points and miles you'd earn by booking with either method.

You'll be able to search, filter, and sort by price, airline, booking class, departure time, arrival time, and departure airport. For this example, below, consider a round-trip flight from Seattle to Austin with sample dates of Feb. 1–7, 2024, booked through the travel portal with a Chase Sapphire Preferred card (redemptions are worth 1.25 cents per point):

Results included 107 results with an economy mix-and-match United and Delta fare for $370 or about 29,600 points being the most affordable option. For comparison's sake, the points price is about the same as what United and Delta are currently charging if you were to book the awards directly through the airlines, but Delta isn't a transfer partner of Chase. You also won't earn miles if you were to book these awards through the airlines, whereas you will earn miles when booking through Chase.

To finish booking your flight through the travel portal, select your route(s), review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

How to book hotels through the Chase travel portal

While the best redemption rates are usually realized when you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to hotel partner World of Hyatt, if you're not a huge fan of chain hotels or prefer boutiques or brands like Hilton, Choice Hotels, or Wyndham, it can be a good idea to book them through the travel portal. 

As with flights, you won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award night availability. However, keep in mind that hotels treat the Chase travel portal as a third-party booking agency, so you won't be able to earn hotel points on stays as you might by booking your stay directly with the hotel.

Hyatt hotels usually offer better deals when you book directly, and since it's one of Chase's hotel partners, you can transfer UR points instantly at a 1:1 ratio. Marriott and IHG are usually more varied, so you may score a better deal by booking via the Chase travel portal instead of transferring points over. For this reason, it's a good idea to ring up how much your hotel stay would cost in points through the portal as well as the hotel's website.

Start by searching by destination so you can see a list of all the available hotels. For this example, let's try looking for hotels in Downtown Austin from Feb. 1–7, 2024. Once the results appear, you'll be able to narrow down your search with filters based on price, star ratings, guest ratings, amenities and neighborhood.

Let's go over a couple of options within the Chase travel portal, each booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. One option is the Four Seasons Hotel Austin, which is listed for $556 or about 44,500 points per night through Chase. If you book through Four Seasons, directly, you'll pay $561 per night. The hotel chain also doesn't have a rewards program but going through Chase provides a way to pay with points.

Another example is the Hyatt Place Austin Downtown for $288 or about 23,000 points per night through Chase. If you were to book this directly through Hyatt, you'd pay $279 per night as a member of its loyalty program or just 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night if you booked with points. Since you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, in this case, transferring would make more sense.

As you can see, it's worth comparing points required by the travel portal and each hotel's website, as the time of year, location, and other factors may play a part in pricing. To book your stay through the travel portal, select your room type, review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

It's a pretty similar process if you want to book rental cars, tours and other travel activities through the Chase travel portal. Cruises can also be booked as well, but you'll need to call.

As far as car rentals, make sure you're booking through the travel portal with points that are connected to Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve to take advantage of extra perks like primary rental car insurance — you'll also need to decline the rental car company's auto collision damage waiver when you book to activate this. You'll want to charge at least a few dollars to the card and not use points to cover the entire booking which ensures that you're still "paying" for the car rental with your Sapphire card, which means you'll be entitled to the card's rental car insurance.

Beyond that, simply plug in your itinerary and search. Here's an example for a rental in Austin from February 1–7, 2024, booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card:

You'll be able to filter your search by capacity, car type, price per day, company, and car options (like air conditioning and automatic transmission). For a seven-day rental, it would cost around 24,800 points or $310 for the cheapest option. As with other travel portal purchases, you'll be able to enter how many Chase Ultimate Rewards points you wish to put toward the final price. It works the same way for booking tours and other travel activities, so you could potentially enjoy a free — or nearly free — vacation solely on Chase points if you were to plan it all out properly.

Booking through the Chase travel portal can be a great use of your Ultimate Rewards® points, but make sure to compare the rates against booking directly with an airline or hotel itself. Finally, consider transferring your points to one of Chase's travel partners, especially if you're looking to book a luxury hotel or flight in business class.

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Information about the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

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• What is the Chase Travel Portal?

Benefits of Using the Chase Travel Portal

Chase ultimate rewards credit cards.

• Points Value
• How to Use the Portal to Book Travel

Chase Travel: Explore Destinations and Savings with Chase Ultimate Rewards

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews .

The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom® Student credit card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

• The Chase Travel℠ portal works just like an online travel agency.
• You can use points, cash, or a combination of both to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. 
• Several Chase cards offer better redemption values or bonus points when you book through the portal.

The Chase Travel Portal℠ is an online booking platform for flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities, and vacation rentals, similar to an Online Travel Agency (OTA). If you're a Chase Ultimate Rewards® cardholder, you can use points to book travel through the portal — or pay with your card or a combination of points and cash.

Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the most flexible and lucrative credit card rewards programs, and its benefits can be even greater depending on the Chase cards you have. With a no-annual-fee card like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Chase Freedom Unlimited® , your points are worth 1 cent each toward travel booked through the portal.

But if you have a Chase travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , you'll get 25% to 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel, plus the ability to transfer your points to Chase airline and hotel partners . 

Some Chase cards also offer bonus points for paid bookings you make through the portal. Chase added lucrative new bonus categories to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, including certain types of travel booked through the portal.

Here's everything you need to know about booking airfare, hotels, and more through the Chase travel portal — and how to make the most of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

What Is the Chase Travel Portal?

The Chase Travel portal works like any other Online Travel Agency (such as Travelocity or Priceline), and the searches you do for hotels, airfare, and more will produce similar results to what you see on that OTA. 

You must be a Chase credit card customer to use Chase travel to book with cash or with points. In fact, you'll only access the Chase Travel portal when you log into your account management page with Chase.

Chase travel lets you book travel directly with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, use your credit card to pay, or combine the two. This is one of the main benefits of using Chase travel — you can spend the rewards points you earn directly on the travel you want without having to worry about dealing with specific hotel or airline loyalty programs. 

There are a few other key benefits to know:

• You'll still earn airline miles and work toward elite airline status: You won't earn points or elite night credits when you book a hotel stay with Chase travel because it's considered a third-party booking. However, you can earn airline and elite-qualifying miles on flights you book as long as your frequent flyer number is attached to the reservation. 
• Your points are worth more with certain Chase credit cards: Also be aware that some Chase credit cards give you more than the standard rate of 1 cent per point when you redeem your rewards for travel through Chase. We'll go into more detail on the cards that offer this perk below.
• The Chase Travel portal is easy to use: If you don't want to deal with a bunch of hotel and airline award charts, booking through Chase travel can help keep your rewards game simple. You'll always be able to use your points for any booking you want without having to worry about blackout dates or capacity controls you would normally encounter with loyalty programs.

To be eligible to use the Chase Travel portal, you'll need a Chase credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points . 

No-annual-fee Chase cards open to new applicants (points are worth 1 cent each through the Chase Travel portal):

• Chase Freedom Unlimited® (read our Chase Freedom Unlimited review )
• Chase Freedom Flex℠ (read our Chase Freedom Flex review )
• Chase Freedom® Student credit card (read our Chase Freedom Student review )
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (read our Chase Ink Business Unlimited review )
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (read our Chase Ink Business Cash review )

Chase travel rewards cards open to new applicants (points are worth more with Chase travel, plus these cards allow you to transfer points to airline and hotel partners):

• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (read our Chase Sapphire Reserve review )
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (read our Chase Sapphire Preferred review )
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (read our Chase Ink Business Preferred review )

If you have more than one Chase card, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points between accounts. It makes the most sense to pool your points in the account that gives you the best redemption value — for example, if you pair the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, moving all of your Chase Ultimate Rewards to your Sapphire Reserve account will increase the value of your points when you redeem through the Chase Travel portal.

To pool your points onto one card, log into your Chase online account, navigate to the "Redeem" section for your Chase Ultimate Rewards card, then select the option to combine points in the "Earn/Use" tab:

From there, you can move your Chase points between accounts in any increments you want. 

Points Value in the Chase Travel Portal

Some Chase credit cards give you a bonus when you redeem points through the Chase Travel portal. Here's a summary of how much your points are worth with each Chase card:

It's important to note that Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth, on average, 1.8 cents apiece based on Personal Finance Insider's points and miles valuations . That's because it's possible to get outsized value when you transfer points to partners for award travel.

How to Use the Chase Travel Portal

Using the Chase Travel portal is a breeze, but it all starts with logging into your online account management page. From there, you'll click on the right side of your screen where it shows your Chase Ultimate Rewards account balance. 

Once you click on the account balance, you'll have the option to select the card you want to access. And remember, this step can be important because some cards give you more value from your points when you redeem them for travel.

How to book a flight through Chase travel

Once you are logged into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, you'll see different travel options to search for at the top of the page.

To search for a flight, make sure the prompt is on "Flights" and begin searching for the flight you want. Enter your departure airport, destination, travel dates, and the number of passengers.

Once your flight options pop up on the screen, you can filter your results by the number of stops, the airlines you want to fly, and arrival times.

Note that each of your flight options will include a payment amount in points as well as a cash price. 

You can also click on "Details and baggage fees" in order to find out the cost of carry-on luggage or checked baggage, as well as whether your flight charges any change fees.

When you click to "Select" a flight option, you'll get a rundown of what is and isn't included in the fare you selected. You may also get a note that you can upgrade before you check out.

Once you settle on a flight you want, you'll be taken to the "Trip Details" page that shows the final cost of your flight in points or in cash, as well as a summary of the added costs you may be charged for baggage or change fees.

After you agree to the terms, you'll be taken to a final payment page where you can decide how you want to pay. You have the option to cover your flight entirely in points if you want, but you can also choose to pay with your Chase credit card or with a combination of points and your credit card.

During the booking process, make sure to add your frequent flyer number to your reservation. That way, you can earn miles on your booking and your flight will count toward elite status requirements. You'll also want to add your Known Traveler Number or Redress number if either applies to you.

If you forget to do it during your booking, however, you can add your frequent flyer information to your flight later on using the airline's website.

How to book a hotel through Chase travel

Booking a hotel through Chase is similarly easy, and you'll find a lot of different types of lodging options available. For example, you'll find properties from major hotel brands, but you'll also find rental condo options and boutique hotels.

To search for a hotel,  enter the destination, dates, and the number of people you want to have in your room. Once you're presented with your options, you can filter hotels based on the hotel name you're looking for, the area or neighborhood, price point, guest rating, property type, and more. 

Once again, you'll see a price listed in points as well as a cash price per night.

These prices do not include taxes and fees, however, so your price in points or cash will be higher by the time you get to the final booking page. Also be aware that the price listed is the lowest you can get for the property, but that better or upgraded rooms and suites will cost more in points.

The major downside to booking a hotel through the Chase portal is that you won't earn hotel points or elite night credits for your stay, because it's considered a third-party booking. There's also a risk that the property won't recognize your hotel elite status or give you the perks you'd normally be entitled to, like late checkout or free breakfast . This shouldn't be an issue if you're booking an independent or boutique hotel, but if you're looking for hotel points or status, it's something to be aware of.

You'll have the option to select a hotel you want as well as a room type at the property you're considering. You can also pay with your booking with points, your Chase credit card, or a combination of the two. 

How to book a rental car through Chase travel

You can also book a rental car through Chase travel using the same set of steps. Once you log into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, click on "Cars" and then select the destination and dates.

Once you are presented with your search results, you can select the types of cars you prefer, like an economy car or an SUV. You can also filter results based on a price range, the number of passengers you have, the rental car company, and the type of transmission you prefer (manual or automatic), as well as the total area you want to search in. 

Note that, once again, taxes and fees are not included on the initial search page. Instead, they are added to your total cost when you select a rental car. You can also pay for a rental car through Chase with points, your credit card, or a combination of the two.

How to book activities with the Chase Travel portal

Chase also lets you book a variety of activities through the portal, which they refer to as "Things to Do." Chase activities can include excursions like snorkeling or scuba diving, as well as tours of museums and historic sites. But you can also book more practical options through their activities tab, including airport pickups and other types of transportation.

To search for activities, enter the destination and dates for your trip. You'll be shown a price in points and in cash that does include taxes and fees. You can also filter options based on the type of activity, your interests, and more. Once again, you have the option to pay for activities with your points, your credit card, or a combination of the two.

How to book a cruise through Chase travel

If you're a cruise enthusiast, you should know you can also book cruises through Chase travel. When you select "Cruises" at the top of the Chase Ultimate Rewards search page, you'll be presented with a list of featured cruises and cruise specials.

You can also search for cruises based on the destination or the name of the cruise line. Note, however, that only cash prices are listed for each cruise on the portal, and that you'll have to call Chase to make a booking.

Either way, you can absolutely use your Chase points to pay for all or part of your cruise. Just have your credit card number handy and call their customer service line at 855-234-2542.

How to book a vacation rental through Chase

Chase also offers a selection of vacation rentals, which can include vacation condos, luxury villas, and more. To search, click on "Vacation Rentals" at the top of the main page, then enter your destination, dates, and the number of people in your party.

Once you start your search, you'll have the option to filter results based on the local neighborhood you want, star ratings, price range, guest rating, property type, and more. Like hotels through Chase, the price you are shown excludes taxes and fees, but they will be added to your total once you make a selection.

Also be aware that the price shown in your search results is for the lowest-tier option for each property, and that a larger rental or upgraded rental may cost more in points.

When you book vacation rentals through Chase, you can pay with points, your Chase card, or a combination of the two. 

Use the Chase Travel portal to book Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection properties

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can book properties within the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. This list of more than 1,000 properties can be reserved ahead of time, and you'll get extra benefits with each stay such as:

• Daily breakfast for two
• A special benefit worth up to $100
• Complimentary internet access
• Room upgrades when available
• Early check-in and late checkout

One detail to note with this program is the fact that you cannot pay with points. Instead, your online booking will reserve your room, and you'll be charged for the stay when you check out from the hotel. 

Should you transfer Chase points instead?

While you can book travel through the Chase Travel portal directly, many people prefer to transfer points to Chase airline and hotel partners instead. Doing so could let you get more value for each point you redeem , but you'll have to run the numbers to find out for sure.

Here's a good example of how transferring points to a Chase airline or hotel partner can be a better deal, as well as the math you'll need to do to figure this out on your own. Take this one-way flight on Air France from Chicago to Paris, for example, and assume you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, so you're getting 50% more value when you redeem points through the Chase Travel portal.

If you were to book this flight through Chase Travel, you would owe 39,607 points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, compared with the cash price of $594.10.

However, you could book an award ticket on the exact same flight through Flying Blue (Air France's loyalty program) directly if you transferred your Chase points there first. In this case, the identical flight would set you back 22,000 miles plus $109.44. This means you would transfer 22,000 miles from Chase to your Flying Blue account, and pay the taxes and fees in cash, or by redeeming points for a statement credit to your account.

When you compare, you'll find that booking with miles directly is a better deal. After you subtract the taxes and fees from the cost of booking through Flying Blue, you wind up with a value of around 2.2 cents per mile.

With the Chase Travel portal, on the other hand, you're forking over 39,607 points for the same flight, and you're getting a value of 1.5 cents for each point if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. 

Accessing Chase Travel is simple. If you're a Chase credit cardholder with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can log in to your Chase online account. Once logged in, navigate to the 'Travel" or "Rewards" section, where you'll find the Chase Travel portal. From there, you can search and book flights, hotels, and other travel services using your earned points or card benefits. It's a convenient way to plan and manage your travel adventures.

Chase Travel refers to the travel booking and rewards platform offered by Chase Bank. It's part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, allowing cardholders to use their earned points to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel-related expenses. Chase Travel provides a convenient way to plan and book your trips while taking advantage of the rewards and benefits associated with Chase credit cards.

To earn 5% on Chase Travel, consider using a Chase credit card that offers bonus rewards on travel purchases. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve often offer 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal. Additionally, taking advantage of limited-time promotions and special offers can also help you maximize your rewards when booking travel with Chase.

Bottom Line

Keep in mind that, no matter which Chase credit card you have, there are other ways you can use your rewards points. You can redeem Chase points for statement credits or cash back, or cash them in for gift cards or merchandise. And if you have a premier Chase travel credit card, you can transfer your points to Chase airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio.

However, booking travel through Chase can make your life considerably easier — especially if you don't like dealing with complicated hotel and airline programs. You may not get as much value from your points as you would if you booked a premium flight with airline miles, but the Chase Travel portal does offer the flexibility to book the flight you want without any blackout dates or hoops to jump through.

The Chase Travel portal offers yet another way to maximize rewards earned with a Chase credit card. Just make sure to consider all your options and the value you're getting for your points before you pull the trigger.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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Table of Contents

Chase points value when booking through the portal

Chase points value when transferring to partners, chase points calculator, credit cards that earn chase ultimate rewards®, how did we determine the value of chase points.

Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are some of the most sought-after travel rewards points out there ( here's how they compare to AmEx Membership Rewards ). They are flexible, popular and valuable. But how valuable?

Based on our most recent analysis , Chase points are worth between 1 cent and 2.2 cents each, depending on how they’re used and which card they were earned with.

This wide range of values is due to the complexity of Ultimate Rewards® redemption options. Like most credit card reward points, they have a baseline value when used to either book travel directly through a portal or they can be transferred to partners. But Chase adds an additional layer of complexity by offering separate baseline values depending on the card. Let’s break it down.

» Learn more: Best Chase credit cards

In Chase's travel portal, the Chase Ultimate Rewards® points value depends entirely on which card you have — or rather, which card is associated with the points you’re using (if you have several cards).

Note: These values only represent the simplest and most direct way of using Chase points. And there isn’t any wiggle room here; you can’t search for deals that will yield more than 1.5 cents per point with a Chase Sapphire Reserve® , for example. The values are fixed when using points to book through the travel portal.

» Learn more: The guide to Chase's travel portal

There’s lots of wiggle room here. So much, in fact, that it’s hard to pin down a specific value across all of Chase’s transfer partners. Our estimate of 1 cent to 2.2 cents is based on the higher-value transfer options, but that doesn’t mean all the options are equal — far from it.

The table below shows the transfer partners for which we have data-driven point and mile valuations. In short: The estimated value of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points when redeeming with partners ranges from 0.7 cents to 1.9 cents.

Of course, the value of Chase points depends on the value of these transfer partners, but there is another factor to consider: how many high-value transfer partners the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program has. This affords more options for travel rewards hobbyists who are willing to dive into these programs and find the best deals.

Comparing Chase points to other programs with fewer high-quality transfer partners is like comparing a $100 bill to a $100 Olive Garden gift card. They’re technically worth the same amount, but one has a broader range of uses than the other.

» Learn more: How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to travel partners

Use our Chase points calculator below to determine the value of any number of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to dollars. This is useful for comparing the value of promotions and sign-up offers or in assessing the value of an existing cache of points.

Note: Chase's cash-back credit cards technically earn that cash in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards®. One point equals 1 cent in those cases.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

5 points per $1 spent on all travel purchased through Chase.

3 points per $1 spent on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout).

3 points per $1 spent on select streaming services.

3 points per $1 spent on online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).

2 points per $1 spent on travel not purchased through Chase.

1 point per $1 spent on other purchases.

Through March 2025: 5 points per $1 spent on Lyft.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

» READ OUR REVIEW of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

10 points per $1 spent on Chase Dining purchases through Chase.

10 points per $1 spent on hotel stays and car rentals purchased through Ultimate Rewards®.

5 points per $1 spent on air travel purchased through Chase.

3 points per $1 spent on travel and dining not booked with Chase.

Through March 2025: 10 points per $1 spent on Lyft.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

» READ OUR REVIEW of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Freedom Flex℠

5% cash back on rotating bonus categories, on up to $1,500 spent per quarter (cash back comes in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards®).

5% back on travel purchased through Chase.

3% back at restaurants.

3% back at drugstores.

1% back on all other purchases.

Sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

» READ OUR REVIEW of the Chase Freedom Flex℠

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ replaced the original Chase Freedom® , but holders of the original card were able to keep using it. That card offers the same 5% in rotating categories and 1% elsewhere, but not the bonus rewards on travel, dining and drugstores.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase during your first year, 5% after that.

4.5% back at restaurants during your first year, 3% after that.

4.5% back at drugstores during your first year, 3% after that.

3% back on all other purchases during your first year, 1.5% after that.

Note that all first-year elevated earn rates are applied only up to $20,000 in total spending during the initial cardholding year.

Sign-up bonus: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

» READ OUR REVIEW of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

3 points per $1 spent on the first $150,000 per year in combined spending on travel and select business categories.

1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. .

» READ OUR REVIEW of the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

5% cash back on office supply store purchases and internet, cable and phone services, on up to $25,000 spent per year combined.

2% back at gas stations and restaurants, on up to $25,000 spent per year combined.

Sign-up bonus: Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.

» READ OUR REVIEW of the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

1.5% cash back on all spending.

Sign-up bonus: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

» READ OUR REVIEW of the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards

For our NerdWallet estimate of 1 cent to 2.2 cents per Ultimate Rewards® point, we factored in three variables:

The value of these points when used to book travel directly with the credit card’s travel portal.

The value of the airline and hotel points to which these points can be transferred, when applicable (based on separate analyses).

The number of top-tier travel transfer partners, as determined by our expert panel.

The overall value is determined as: A weighted average between (1) and (2), with the weight determined by (3). The program with the largest number of high-value partners receives a 100% weight on (2), and a program with zero high-value partners receives a 50% weight on (2).

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1%-5% Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.

$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

You earned your Ultimate Rewards sign-up bonus—Here are the 4 best ways to spend it

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Tell me if this sounds familiar: you have 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to redeem, and right before you cash them in for a $600 statement credit, you think to yourself: 

Nah. There has to be a better way. 

So you hit the back button and stare at your 60,000 points, wondering just how much value you can truly squeeze out of them. $750? $1,000? Maybe even $1,200 or more? 

Well, I’m here to tell you that all three are possible. Chase Ultimate Rewards points can indeed be worth up to 2 cents per point (CPP)–but only if you know where to look. 

So let’s uncover the best redemption options for Chase Ultimate Rewards in 2024!

For Sapphire cards

The first thing you should know about redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points is that Chase Sapphire cards have slightly different redemption options than Chase Freedom cards. 

The primary difference is that the two Sapphire Cards–the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® –allow you to transfer your points to one of Chase’s 14 travel partners. 

The second difference is that the Preferred and Reserve get a 25% and 50% redemption bonus on every point redeemed through Chase Travel℠, respectively. So your 60,000-point welcome bonus with each card is worth $750 in travel with the Preferred and $900 with the Reserve. 

As a result, transfers and travel redemption instantly become your two best options when redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points with these cards. Let’s have a look at both in a little more detail. 

Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card

Intro bonus.

Rewards Rates

• 5x 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit)
• 3x 3x points on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
• 2x 2x points on travel purchases not booked through Chase
• 1x 1x points on other purchases
• 5x 5x points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 (that's 3x points in addition to the 2x points you already earn on travel)
• Valuable welcome bonus
• Extensive list of transfer partners
• Extra value on travel redemptions
• No premium travel perks
• Has an annual fee
• Additional perks: $50 annual hotel credit, trip cancelation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, complimentary Doordash and Instacart+ membership along with quarterly Instacart+ credits
• Foreign transaction fee: None

Transfers – up to 2 CPP

When you visit Ultimate Rewards after you log into your Chase account and select your Sapphire Preferred or Reserve account, you should see an additional option on the far right dropdown menu for Transfer points to partners. 

Here’s where you’ll see Chase’s 14 transfer partners, which all accept Chase Ultimate Rewards points at at least a 1:1 ratio. Sometimes you’ll get even more, thanks to bonus offers listed at the very top: 

Here’s a complete list of Chase’s travel partners as of April 2024:

Now, if each partner takes Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 value, which partner should you pick for maximum value? 

The answer is probably Hyatt. While most of the loyalty programs on this list have points valued in the 0.8 to 1.2-cent range, various estimates pin the value of a single World of Hyatt Credit Card point to around 2 cents each. 

So, provided you’re a fan of Hyatt, there are definitely ways you can stretch ~60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to $1,200 in Hyatt value–and enjoy a well-deserved weekend at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida. 

World of Hyatt: Everything you need to know

Travel – up to 1.5 CPP

Even if your travel plans don’t involve one of the transfer partners above, you can always redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards through Chase Travel for a redemption value of 1.25 CPP if you have the Preferred and 1.5 CPP if you have the Reserve. 

If you’ve never used the Chase Travel portal before, know that it’s surprisingly robust and very easy to use. You can book hotels, flights, rental cars, cruises and “activities” (e.g. food tours, skydiving lessons and more). I’ve used it countless times to book flights and hotels, and you get a confirmation email from both Chase and the travel vendor when you do (which is extra comforting). 

Just be mindful that if you book a hotel room through Chase Travel, you typically won’t qualify for loyalty points or rewards on the hotel side. Plus, you’ll definitely want to use up your annual travel credits ($50 with the Preferred, $300 with the Reserve) before using up your points. 

An under-the-radar use of Ultimate Rewards points is redeeming them for activities. You can get 1.25 or 1.5 cents per point by buying airport transfers, catamaran tours, or cooking classes through the portal. 

For Freedom cards

As mentioned, Chase’s trio of Freedom-branded cards (the Chase Freedom Rise℠ , Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited ® ) lack the option to transfer points to travel partners. They also don’t get 25% or 50% travel redemption bonuses like the Sapphire cards, so your list of the best redemption options isn’t quite as “spicy.” Even still, it has plenty of kick–and you won’t have to look far to get more than a penny per point in value.

Chase Freedom Rise℠

Intro bonus.

• 1.5x Unlimited 1.5% cashback on all purchases (Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back)
• Great for building credit
• No annual fee
• Earns rewards
• Foreign transaction fee
• Strongly encourages banking relationship with Chase to be approved
• Additional perks: Cell phone insurance, car rental insurance
• Foreign transaction fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Pay Yourself Back – up to 1.25 CPP

Under Ultimate Rewards > More ways to use, you’ll see that 5,000 points are pretty much worth $50 across the board. 

But wait – what’s this?

Somehow, the Pay Yourself Back option–which lets you cover past purchases with points–has a 25% multiplier. Let’s investigate. 

From the Pay Yourself Back dashboard, you can see that there’s a temporary 25% bonus on select charitable donations–which is awesome. It may not help you pay your bills per se, but it’s a great redemption option nonetheless that helps you stretch your points to 1.25CPP.

Gift cards – up to 1.1 CPP

In a similar vein, Chase often has “sales” on gift cards that you can’t always see from the main Ultimate Rewards dashboard. 

But if you go to Shopping & Experiences > Redeem for gift cards, you’ll see that some of your options are 10% off–meaning your points suddenly carry a redemption value of ~1.1 CPP with select merchants: 

You can also filter by Sale to see all of your current options in one easy view:

Again, your options may be limited here–but if you were planning on doing some home improvement (and rewarding yourself with pancakes after), there are some good savings to be had from this redemption option. 

The takeaway

So there you have it–the four best redemption options for Chase Ultimate Rewards in 2024. From a weekend getaway at the Grand Hyatt to a fresh banana cream cheesecake, there are plenty of ways to redeem your points for more than a penny each in value.

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.

EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE : The advice, opinions, or rankings contained in this article are solely those of the Fortune Recommends ™ editorial team. This content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of our affiliate partners or other third parties.

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What are the best ways to use chase points.

When it comes to transferable points currencies, the Chase Ultimate Rewards ® program offers high value and flexible redemption options. Using designated Chase credit cards for daily purchases can earn you rewards like cash back to spend on hotels, airfare, merchandise and more.

How do I earn Chase rewards points?

Begin by applying for the Chase Freedom or Chase Sapphire credit cards. Getting any of the credit cards will allow you to earn points.

You can also earn cash back rewards points with other Chase credit cards and travel cards that you can apply for online, but starting with one of the top two Chase credit cards listed above can help you maximize your points earning potential.

How can I redeem my Chase Ultimate Rewards?

There are multiple ways to redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Cash back is a redemption option, but some products have redemption options that are more popular than cash back. Travel expenses are also up there, but there are other options if you don't travel or would simply prefer to turn those points into usable cash for other expenses.

• Apply them to your bill: Ultimate rewards points can be used as a statement credit applied to your monthly balance. They convert at the rate of one cent per point.
• Pay Yourself Back ® program: This was introduced during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020 and is available for Freedom, Sapphire and Ink cards. You can choose to receive a statement credit on one or more of your eligible purchases.
• Redeem them for a gift card: The standard conversion rate is the same as statement credits, but Chase regularly offers gift cards for discounted prices.
• Pay for merchandise: Point values vary depending on which card you have and which redemption option you choose. They're generally lower than what you can get for statement credits or gift cards, but only for Amazon and Paypal. Rewards points can be used to pay for all or part of your purchases. They can help you get all of the latest products on Amazon or Apple merchandise, including a full offering of the Apple ® Ultimate Rewards store.
• Book travel through the Chase portal: This is where Ultimate Rewards points are most valuable. You can book hotels, airfare and vacations at 1.5 cents per point with Sapphire Reserve. Sapphire Preferred is 1.25 cents per point. There's additional earn when booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards on select products.
• Transfer to airline and hotel partners: Chase has a partner network that includes multiple airlines and hotel chains. You can transfer points at a rate of 1:1.
• Book Chase Experiences and Chase Dining: This is a program that offers experiences such as dining and sporting events. Redeem your points for exclusive events curated around your passion with select cards. Your points can also be redeemed for takeout, reservations or exclusive culinary experiences.

The best ways to use your Chase points

If you're looking for affordable flights, nights at luxury hotels or all-inclusive vacation packages for yourself and the family, Chase Ultimate Rewards is the program for you. It's easy to use and you'll earn as you spend. But keep in mind, there are options other than travel to suit all customers.

To make sure you get maximum value for your Chase points, utilize our partner network. Some of the bigger names on that list include Southwest Airlines, Marriott, United Airlines and Hyatt Hotels. If you're looking to cash out your points, check into Chase's Pay Yourself Back® program. The conversion rate varies based on the card. If you redeem for cash back, you can use the money to travel, shop, dine out or give it to charity.

Chase Sapphire is an official partner of the PGA Championship .

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5 top ways to redeem the Chase Sapphire Preferred's 80,000 point sign-up bonus

Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

If you're new to the points and miles game, it can be a bit overwhelming at first, to say the least. My first piece of advice for friends and family members just getting into the hobby is simple: Pick up a good travel rewards credit card . Doing this gives you a way to earn points on everyday purchases and earn a huge sum of points with its included sign-up bonus.

One of the best cards to start with is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. It's a solid beginner travel credit card that's currently offering a best-ever 80,000-point sign-up bonus (after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening and up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery purchases within the first year of account opening, worth $1,650 per TPG's most recent valuation . The card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points , which can be used to book everything from first-class flights to luxurious hotel stays.

Thinking of applying a Sapphire Preferred but not sure how to use the points? You're in the right place.

While there are many ways to redeem Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value, I'll give you a look at my favorite uses of the 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points in this article — let's dive in!

New to The Points Guy? Sign up for our daily newsletter and check out our beginner's guide .

A look at the Sapphire Preferred's sign-up bonus

The Sapphire Preferred offers a stellar sign-up bonus of 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months, making it an ideal candidate for your first travel rewards card . It also awards 2x points per dollar spent on broad definitions of both travel and dining purchases (1x on all other purchases).

Plus, the current welcome bonus also offers a $50 grocery statement credit that helps offset the first year's annual fee and makes this a best-ever public offer.

You'll also enjoy primary car rental coverage and pay no foreign transaction fees when using the card outside the U.S. In addition, the annual fee is a modest $95, making this card affordable for less-frequent travelers who are newer to the world of points and miles.

These 80,000 points (plus the 4,000 or more you'll earn from spending your way to the bonus) can be redeemed directly for travel at the rate of 1.25 cents apiece via the Chase Travel site . This is well under the latest TPG valuations , but the points are sometimes mathematically more valuable when you transfer to partners such as United MileagePlus or The World of Hyatt . As you're about to see, both open a myriad of lucrative awards.

Related: Sweet spots: The best ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Transfer to The World of Hyatt for luxurious hotel stays

One of my favorite transfer partners in the Ultimate Rewards program is The World of Hyatt . Even though it has a relatively limited global footprint, it has some of the newest and most luxurious hotels worldwide.

These properties include brands like the Park Hyatt and Andaz.

Transferring Ultimate Rewards points to The World of Hyatt can yield excellent value, especially when covering otherwise expensive stays. Here are a few of the best ways to use 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points with the World of Hyatt program. These range from short stays at luxurious hotels to longer stays at mid-tier properties.

Spend two nights in a Category 7 or 8 hotel

The World of Hyatt award chart is broken down into eight categories, with the highest category hotels requiring the most points. At the same time, they're some of the most luxurious hotels out there. These can often cost several hundred (or even a thousand) dollars a night, — so you pay a premium for the luxury experience.

Alternatively, save your money and transfer 30,000 or 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points to The World of Hyatt for a free stay at a Category 7 or 8 hotel. In doing this, you'll generally pay $0 out of pocket for your stay since Hyatt properties don't charge a resort fee on award nights.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred's sign-up bonus will give you two nights at any Category 7 or 8 property worldwide.

On the Category 8 side, the Le Grand Bellevue hotel in Gstaad, Switzerland is an interesting property. This Small Luxury Hotels property is located in a traditional Swiss mountain village, offering chic rooms, an on-site spa , numerous restaurants (including a "chesery"!) and is close to several ski spots.

A weekend night in 2021 costs $935, giving you a nice 2.3 cents per point value.

One of my favorite Category 7 hotels is the Park Hyatt New York . This is one of the most luxurious hotels in New York City and offers elegant rooms in the heart of Manhattan.

Its pool and spa give you a place to relax after a long day of touring the city, so it's an excellent place for a domestic city break. It isn't cheap though — weekend cash rates cost roughly $858 after tax. This means 30,000 World of Hyatt points gives you an excellent 2.86 cents per point in value.

Related: Another 49 luxury hotels and resorts now available using Hyatt points

Spend a week in Category 2 or 3 hotels

You don't always have to use your points for pure luxury. Often it makes sense to use points to cover longer stays at Category 2 or 3 Hyatt properties that cost just 8,000 and 12,000 The World of Hyatt points per night, respectively.

This means that your 80,000-point sign-up bonus gives you more than enough points for a six-night stay.

An interesting Category 3 hotels in the U.S. is the Hyatt Regency Chicago . This hotel is in downtown Chicago, just steps from The Magnificent Mile and River North. The rooms are modern and spacious, so it's a great place for a family trip or couple's weekend away. A night currently costs around $179 after-tax, giving you 1.49 cents per point in value. This is lower than TPG's Ultimate Rewards valuation but can be a good way to save money on a last-minute trip.

As discussed, Category 2 hotels cost just 8,000 World of Hyatt points per night. One of the best hotels in this category, at least during normal times, is the Hyatt Place Las Vegas. This hotel is located a few blocks off the Las Vegas Strip, giving you a place to recharge after a day of exploring all the city has to offer. Those 8,000 points give you a whopping 3.15 cents per point in value, as weekend rates can soar as high as $252 after tax per night.

Or, if your family is ready for a return trip to Disney World, you could opt for the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, which boasts a great pool complex of its own. Stays here can cost $200+ per night during busy times of the year, but you can look in a stay for just 12,000 Hyatt points per night. This means you'd have enough points for a six-night stay at this resort in Orlando with one sign-up bonus.

Related: Battle of the Hotels: Why I think Hyatt is the best

Splurge on an all-inclusive resort

Finally, Hyatt has a handful of all-inclusive resorts scattered around Mexico, Jamacia and the Dominican Republic. When you book a stay at these resorts, your food, beverage and some activities are included with your stay. The points price of these resorts run between 20,000 and 25,000 points per night for double occupancy — you can see the full price list below.

In my opinion, this is an excellent redemption when you factor in the cost of food and drink. Since most parts of Mexico are open to Americans, you can use this redemption to treat yourself to a much-needed break from the work-from-home life. Check out TPG Travel Analyst Zach Griff's full review of the Hyatt Ziva Cancun for a look at what to expect.

Related: 11 all-inclusive beach resorts you can book with points

Domestic flights for the whole family

During the age of coronavirus , many U.S. travelers are sticking to domestic travel for the time being. Thankfully, you can use your Ultimate Rewards points to cover domestic flights on all the major U.S. airlines. Your 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points are enough to book flights for a family of three (or more!) around the U.S. — something that can save you a ton of money in the process.

Chase offers a few different ways to book domestic flights, though, so it can be tough to decide which transfer partner to use for a specific domestic booking. Here are three different ways to use your points for domestic bookings and a look at when you'll want to use them.

Look for domestic deals with United MileagePlus

One upside to United MileagePlus switching to dynamic award pricing is cheap domestic tickets .

As a primer, dynamic award pricing is when an airline can change the price of specific awards at-will. One day a ticket can be 5,000 miles one-way and the next, it can be 12,500 miles. That said, United is known for offering excellent deals on domestic award tickets departing its U.S. hubs.

For example, I recently found a flight from New York-LaGuardia (LGA) to Chicago (ORD) for just 5,700 miles per person one way. This is an excellent redemption rate when compared to other transfer partners, although the price could change on a whim. You'll want to book deals like this quickly to lock in the redemption rate.

I've also found that Los Angeles (LAX) to Los Vegas (LAS) is often discounted. You can book a one-way ticket between the cities for just 5,000 miles per person in economy class. These tickets can often get very expensive on peak dates, so make sure to check United's award price before you plan your next trip to Vegas.

Book short-haul American Airlines flights with British Airways Avios

Want predictable pricing on American flights? Consider transferring your Ultimate Rewards points to British Airways, which is a partner of American Airlines. The carrier's distance-based award chart is lucrative for short-haul flights on partners, as these tend to be quite expensive (especially if booked as a collection of one-ways).

If your American Airlines-operated flight is 1,151 miles or less, it'll only set you back 9,000 Avios each way for economy when it is avaialble. Your welcome bonus gives you enough points for four round-trip itineraries on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines. Plus, you'll even have a few thousand miles left over to jumpstart your next trip — not bad, right?

There are plenty of interesting routes under 1,151 miles or less too. Some good examples are Seattle (SEA) to Phoenix (PHX), Austin (AUS) to Chicago and Tampa (TPA) to New York-JFK. Again, these flights can get expensive when booking with cash at the last minute, so Avios can be a useful way to save cash on your next flight.

Related: Here's why you should care about British Airways Avios

Book inexpensive flights in the Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal

One thing I always recommend doing before booking a domestic flight with points is comparing the cost of a paid ticket to the points cost of an award ticket. The best way to do this is by finding the cent per point value — you can do this by dividing the cash price by the points cost. For example, a $75 ticket that costs 9,000 miles to book has a 0.83 cent per point value.

This isn't a good deal as you'd get more value by redeeming your points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal at 1.25 cents per point. You can use this portal to use your points to cover paid flights at this set cent per point ratio. Plus, you'll earn both redeemable airline miles and elite qualifying miles on the flight.

So if you're getting less than 1.25 cents per point in value from a flight, book it through the travel portal. A good example of this is a $39.10 American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago. This would cost 9,000 Avios if booked through British Airways, or you could use just 3,128 points when booking through the travel portal.

Related: Should I book through the Chase Portal if I'm not redeeming points?

Fly to Mexico with American Airlines or United

If you're considering a first post-vaccination vacation abroad , Mexico could be a good place to start.

The country is mostly open to American tourists so you can visit places like Cancun and Mexico City without issue. You won't need a COVID test to get into Mexico, but note that you'll need one to return home . Thankfully, this is easy enough when staying in large cities or resorts that have on-site testing .

Transfer points to British Airways to fly with American

As discussed in the last section, British Airways prices award tickets based on distance flown. This means that those flying from the south — for example, American's hub in Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW) — will pay fewer Avios when flying to Cancun than someone flying from New York-JFK. Also remember that connecting tickets are charged leg-by-leg, so they're more expensive than nonstop tickets.

Regardless, you can get pretty good deals on flights to Mexico when you book American Airlines flights by transferring your Chase points to British Airways Avios. If your sights are set on Cancun (CUN), you'll pay just 9,000 Avios for a one-way economy flight from Charlotte (CLT), Dallas (DFW) or Miami (MIA).

This is a solid deal — especially when flying during peak times. Just remember, availability isn't guaranteed, so check to see if awards are available on your dates before transferring points.

Alternatively, you can fly to Mexico City (MEX) from a handful of American Airlines hubs. For example, a flight from Miami (MIA) to Mexico City clocks in at 1,276 miles one-way. This means it costs 11,000 Avios and just under $35 in taxes and fees — again, a great deal if cash fares are expensive.

Related: 14 of our favorite points hotels on the beach in Mexico

Or, transfer to United MileagePlus to book United flights

United Airlines also operates a ton of flights to Mexico — and sometimes your best bet is transferring miles from Chase to United to book.

Remember, United prices award tickets dynamically so award prices can and do vary. Sometimes you can score a discounted flight from United hubs (or other gateways) to Mexican cities. More often than not though, you'll pay 17,500 miles one-way for an economy ticket from the U.S. to Mexico on United. This includes connecting tickets — for example, this flight from Milwaukee (MKE) to Mexico City (MEX) via Chicago-O'Hare (ORD).

United awards can be more advantageous than some other programs for those flying out of smaller airports as you're not charged leg-by-leg. It's also great for those flying from parts of the U.S. that are geographically far from Mexico. Think Portland (Maine) or Seattle. Even with a connection, you'll usually pay the same as someone flying direct from Houston (IAH) to Cancun (CUN).

Of course, you will find some dates with higher pricing due to dynamic pricing. In this case, compare prices with Singapore Airlines Krisflyer . This is another Star Alliance program that's also a Chase transfer partner. The program prices all awards based on a standard award chart and charges 17,500 miles for a one-way ticket from the U.S. to Mexico in economy on United Airlines, when awards are available. This can come in handy if United raises the cost of an award ticket with saver award space.

Related: United Airlines adds Mexico, Caribbean flights in major summer boost

Take a post-coronavirus trip to Europe in style

Looking to the future, you may want to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book a luxurious trip to Europe . While we don't yet know when Europe will be truly open for leisure travelers from the U.S., that day will eventually come.

The 80,000 sign-up bonus points are more than enough for a one-way business class ticket to any European country, and you have plenty of options for booking. Here's a look at three of my favorite ways to book business class tickets to Europe with Ultimate Rewards points.

Book Delta One to Europe for 50,000 points

Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines have long had a partnership that allows reciprocal mileage redemption. This means that Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members can redeem points for Delta flights and vice versa. One of the best deals to come out of this partnership is 50,000-mile, one-way tickets between North America and Europe in Delta One business class . You can transfer Chase points to Virgin Atlantic instantly at a 1:1 ratio, so you'd have 30,000 points leftover with this redemption.

Related: Virgin Atlantic confirms Delta US to Europe flights will be honored at the previous rate

Try United Polaris for just 60,000 points

On the other hand, you may be able to snag a one-way business class award on a United flight to Europe by transferring 60,000 points to United MileagePlus. The actual price you pay varies by day and route since United employs dynamic pricing , but if you can score a 60,000-mile award for a flight in Polaris business class , it's an excellent deal.

Plus, you'll have 20,000 points left over to book a hotel.

If you'd rather fly on a Star Alliance partner such as Lufthansa , Swiss or Austrian, you'll pay more miles. These awards recently switched to dynamic pricing as well and — unfortunately — skyrocketed in price . You can expect to pay 77,000 miles for a partner flight from North America to Europe, but pricing varies by day and route.

Related: The Critical Points: This is why United is choosing to devalue MileagePlus now

Fly to Frankfurt in Singapore Suites for just over 80,000 points

If you want to experience true luxury when headed to Europe, save an extra 6,000 points and fly Singapore Suites from New York-JFK to Frankfurt (FRA) . This is one of the best first-class products in the sky, with a separate bed and seat in an enclosed suite. This ticket usually costs well over $5,000 one way, but you can transfer 86,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Singapore Airlines Krisflyer and pay just the cost of taxes and fees. You can easily earn the 6,000 extra points by moving some of your everyday spend to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Booking this ticket isn't too hard. Find award space by searching on Singapore Airlines' website and call the airline to ask for an award ticket hold . Then, transfer the miles required from Chase to Singapore Airlines — this takes roughly 48 hours to process. You can then call Singapore Airlines to finalize your ticket once the miles land in your account.

Related: Watch TPG U.K. review all four classes on Singapore Airlines' A380

Iberia from the East Coast to Madrid (MAD) for 34,000 points

Iberia is another Chase transfer partner that offers great deals on transatlantic flights to its hub in Madrid (MAD).

When you book during off-peak dates, you can fly one-way in business class for as low as 34,000 points with minimal taxes and fees. Yes, that means a lie-flat seat to Europe for just 34,000 of your 80,000 bonus points. Here's a look at Iberia award pricing from its U.S. gateways to Madrid:

Off-peak dates are scattered throughout the year and include many summer dates. You can find them when searching on the Iberia website — they'll appear alongside standard award tickets. At 34,000 points one-way, this is by far the best deal for flying from the U.S. to Europe in business class. Related: 6 best ways to redeem 100,000 Iberia Avios

Or, fly round-trip to Japan

Japan is one country that's high on my post-coronavirus travel bucket list.

If you'd like to travel there too, you can transfer just 65,000 Ultimate Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and book a round-trip economy ticket from U.S. Midwest or East Coast to Japan on partner ANA . If you'd rather fly in luxury, save up another 15,000 points to book business class for 95,000 points round-trip.

To book this ticket, use United.com to find open award space . Find nonstop saver award tickets operated by ANA. Then, call Virgin Atlantic to verify award space — once verified, transfer your points and book over the phone. In my experience, this is by far the best way to use points to fly to Japan in economy or business class. It's an excellent price, and the ANA experience is great regardless of your class of service.

Related: The cheapest business class awards across all three alliances

Bottom line

There are plenty of travel credit cards out there, but I think the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card to start with.

As you've seen in this article, its substantial welcome bonus can be used to book everything from hotels to international business class. You can use these points to book a post-coronavirus getaway abroad or a quick staycation near home. Whatever you choose, you'll get an excellent value out of the 80,000 points.

If you're still on the fence about applying for a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, make sure to check out our full review . This will give you the ins-and-outs of the card's various benefits, bonus earning categories and other features. Use this information to make an informed decision on what credit card is the right one for you.

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Why I chose the Chase Sapphire Preferred as my first ever rewards card

Sarah Li Cain

Robin Saks Frankel

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

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Published 6:03 a.m. UTC April 15, 2024

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I first started learning about the world of rewards credit cards from friends and bloggers and knew I wanted in. The challenge was that it took me a long time to build my credit , and I wanted to be sure I picked the right card. After some research, I landed on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card as my first rewards credit card. Yes, there are other cards with lower (or no) annual fees, but I have squeezed a ton of value from this credit card.

Here are the reasons why I landed on the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Welcome bonus.

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Regular APR

Credit score.

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Editor’s Take

• Flexible points that can be transferred to 14 travel partners or redeemed through Chase Travel℠ at 1.25 cents each.
• $50 annual statement credit toward Chase Travel hotel bookings.
• Valuable travel protections.
• $95 annual fee.
• Category bonuses are limited and not competitive against other travel cards.
• Transfer partner list is limited compared to programs like Amex Membership ® Rewards and Citi ThankYou ® .

Card Details

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Member FDIC

1. I wanted flexible redemption options

Learning about travel rewards and how to redeem points as a beginner all those years ago felt extremely intimidating. I wanted to earn rewards that offered plenty of redemption options and where I could learn at a pace that felt accessible to me. Initially, I ignored the airline and hotel transfer partners and decided I would focus on how I would use my Ultimate Rewards® points through the Chase Travel℠ portal. 

Taking this route eased my fears about how to book flights and hotels using rewards. I was also happy that I didn’t have to feel loyal to one airline or hotel chain like I would have with a cobranded rewards card. After booking a few trips through the Chase travel site, I took the time to learn about the issuer’s travel loyalty transfer partners (there are 14 in total). But I still liked choosing which method — booking through Chase Travel or transferring points — was better for me to squeeze the most out of my points. 

Some travel rewards redemptions offer more value than others. Here’s some of the best ways to use Chase points .

2. The annual fee is accessible, even for occasional travelers

When I opened the Sapphire Preferred card, my family wasn’t traveling much. We were still settling into our new home, my husband had started a new job and I was juggling taking care of my young child with my freelance career. I aimed to earn enough rewards from the card to nab heavily discounted hotels and the occasional flight when we visited family once or twice a year.

At $95, the annual fee felt affordable to us. A pricier card with lounge access wasn’t important, because we didn’t fly enough to feel that feature would be worth it. However, the Sapphire Preferred’s $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit was, since we stop and stay overnight on our cross-country drives during the summer. 

3. I was able to earn the welcome bonus easily

My family and I mostly used credit cards to pay for bills like utilities and groceries. Looking over our expenses, we could easily spend thousands of dollars over a span of several months. The minimum spend requirement to earn the welcome bonus — 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening — was well within our reach. Plus, I paid off my credit cards each month, meaning we didn’t pay any interest and our rewards earnings didn’t cost us extra. 

The minimum spend is higher than some rewards cards, though lower than luxury ones — my family and I were able to hit the minimum spend in a little over two months. Considering I earned $750 worth of travel if I booked through Chase Travel (which I was mostly doing in the beginning anyway), it was well worth it.

4. There are no foreign transaction fees

My mom and sister live in Canada where I grew up, so I make the annual trek with my family to visit them along with several other close friends. I knew that whatever credit card I signed up for, I wanted no foreign transaction fees when using it in another country. My last credit card did charge fees for transactions overseas, and though they may not seem like much on their own, they do add up.

This benefit alone didn’t convince me to sign up for the Sapphire Preferred but it was certainly a welcome benefit in addition to all the others. 

5. Why I keep the Sapphire Preferred even years later

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has stayed in my wallet for the last six years and I don’t plan on canceling it anytime soon. The initial signup bonus earned my family several hotel nights when we visited family and friends. In subsequent years we took advantage of the $50 annual hotel credit and other benefits, such as primary rental car insurance , to make the annual fee worth it. 

Over the years I’ve added two other Chase cards to the mix — the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card * The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . I pool the points I earn from these two credit cards with my Sapphire Preferred because the Preferred offers a 25% points boost when booking travel through Chase. Since I have a family of three to book travel for, I want to use all the advantages I can get. 

Considering a rewards card? Here’s how to choose the right credit card for you.

*The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Sarah Li Cain is a finance and small business writer currently based in Jacksonville, Florida whose articles have been published with outlets such as Fortune, CNBC Select, the Financial Planning Association and Zillow.

Robin Saks Frankel is a credit cards lead editor at USA TODAY Blueprint. Previously, she was a credit cards and personal finance deputy editor for Forbes Advisor. She has also covered credit cards and related content for other national web publications including NerdWallet, Bankrate and HerMoney. She's been featured as a personal finance expert in outlets including CNBC, Business Insider, CBS Marketplace, NASDAQ's Trade Talks and has appeared on or contributed to The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio, ABC Radio, NPR, International Business Times and NBC, ABC and CBS TV affiliates nationwide. She holds an M.S. in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University. Follow her on Twitter at @robinsaks.

Grace Pilling is a deputy editor for credit cards at USA TODAY Blueprint. She believes credit cards are the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure tools of the financial world and gets excited about helping people discover the best credit card strategy for their unique goals. Prior to joining Blueprint, Grace worked on and led personal finance teams at Bankrate, CreditCards.com, MoneyUnder30 and MoneyGeek. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and writing and a diploma in editing and publishing.

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Chase sapphire preferred review: a standout travel card with impressive perks.

Whether you just learned about travel credit cards on TikTok or are a seasoned pro at using rewards to reduce vacation costs, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is an excellent option to help you save on travel. It has a generous rewards program and new cardmember bonus and, if you use your card to book your airfare and accommodations, it also provides you with significant protections and added benefits.

However, the card has an annual fee and no promotional annual percentage rate (APR) for purchases or balance transfers. Whether the Chase Sapphire Preferred card would be a worthwhile addition to your wallet depends on your spending and travel habits.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Annual fee : $95

Welcome offer : Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months

5x points on travel booked through Chase

5x points on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025)

5x points on Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)

3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases

2x points on other travel purchases

1x points on everything else

More details : $50 annual hotel credit, 25% higher redemption value when you use points to book travel through Chase, and perks at partners like DoorDash, Instacart, Lyft, and Peloton.

The Sapphire Preferred’s variable APR ranges from 21.49% to 28.49%, depending on your credit.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has an annual fee of $95. Even occasional travelers may find it easy to recoup that cost with the card’s added benefits.

Welcome offer

New card members can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending at least $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening an account. Those points are worth $750 if you use them to book travel through Chase.

You're only eligible for the bonus if you haven't received another Chase Sapphire card member bonus — such as from the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card — within the past 48 months.

This card doesn’t offer a 0% introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers. The standard APR applies right away.

Rewards rate

You can earn the following rewards with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card :

5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel

3x points on dining, including qualifying delivery services and takeout

3x points on groceries purchased online (excluding wholesale clubs, Target , or Walmart )

3x points on select streaming services

1x points on all other purchases

How to earn rewards

You’ll earn points on every purchase you make with the Sapphire Preferred Card . However, you can maximize your earnings by booking travel like flights, hotels, and rental cars through Chase — this nets you 5x points, compared to the 2x points you earn when booking elsewhere.

In addition, dining will net you 3x points, whether you dine in a restaurant, drop in for takeout, or order through an eligible delivery service. If you frequently purchase groceries online, you could also reap larger rewards. However, popular retailers like Target or Walmart don’t qualify.

You don’t earn rewards on any credits, cash advances, or balance transfers .

How to redeem rewards

The Chase Ultimate Rewards program offers several ways to cash in your points, offering more flexibility than some other cards. But, using your points to book travel through Chase or transferring them to a loyalty program partner can maximize your point value.

If you redeem your points through Chase Travel, you’ll receive a 25% bonus on your points’ value. But if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, you can transfer your points directly to a partner airline or hotel. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to over a dozen travel partners.

In addition, you can cash in your points via:

Statement credits

Credits for qualifying purchases

Amazon and Apple purchases

Bookings made through Chase Experiences or Chase Dining

Additional benefits

You’ll earn an annual $50 credit after booking a hotel through Chase Travel. Maxing out that perk alone essentially cuts the annual fee in half.

In addition, you earn bonus points on your account anniversary each year. Get a bonus equal to 10% of your spending over the last 12 months. If you spent $20,000 on the card last year, for example, you’ll get a 2,000-point anniversary bonus.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is an excellent card to take with you when you travel. It doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, making it especially useful if you're traveling outside of the U.S. Plus, it provides the following travel benefits:

Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: If you use your card to pay for your travel and your trip is canceled or interrupted due to weather, illness, or other covered events, you'll be reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per trip for non-refundable expenses like fares and hotel stays.

Baggage delay insurance: If your baggage is delayed by six hours or more when traveling by a passenger carrier, get reimbursed up to $100 per day for up to five days.

Auto rental collision damage waiver: The card provides primary coverage against theft or collision damage if you decline the car rental company's insurance and pay for the entire cost with your card.

Trip delay reimbursement: If your travel on a common carrier is delayed by 12 hours or more, the card will reimburse you for food and lodgings, up to a maximum of $500 per ticket.

Travel and emergency assistance: If you need help while traveling, you can call a benefits administrator for legal and medical referrals, but you're responsible for the cost of any services provided.

The Sapphire Preferred also provides the following benefits:

Purchase protection: New purchases made with the card are covered against theft or damage for up to 120 days for up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.

Extended warranty: On purchases with warranties of three years or less, the card will extend the warranty.

Partner benefits: For a limited time, you can take advantage of the following:

5x points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025

5x points on purchases of $150 or more of Peloton equipment (up to a maximum of 25,000 points) through March 31, 2025

Six months of complimentary membership to Instacart+ if you enroll by July 31, 2024

Get a complimentary DoorDash and Caviar membership and take advantage of $0 delivery fees if you enroll by Dec. 31, 2024

Who is the Chase Sapphire Preferred best for?

While frequent travelers should easily recoup their costs with the rewards they earn, you don’t need to travel every month to get good use out of the Sapphire Preferred . Even occasional vacationers can come out ahead with a little planning.

Consider the card’s welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months. Those points are worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel — enough to offset the $95 annual fee for the first seven years. Add in the card’s numerous other perks, including an annual $50 hotel credit, and it’s easy to see how many people could use this card to their advantage.

However, if you rarely travel or don’t often spend in the card’s bonus reward categories, you may not have much use for this card. The same goes for applicants who aren’t eligible for the welcome bonus or who might struggle to spend the $4,000 necessary to earn it. If you fall into any of these categories, you may have to work a little harder to make this card worthwhile.

Chase Sapphire Preferred pros

Competitive earning categories: This card offers solid rewards for both travel and everyday categories. If you can maximize these on a regular basis, you could quickly rack up points.

Bonus redemption value : Redeeming your points through Chase Travel offers a 25% bonus in your points’ value. That means you can stretch your rewards farther and get more bang for your buck.

Transfer partners : If you prefer to book travel directly with the provider, it’s easy to transfer your points to more than a dozen airline and hotel partners. Doing so could increase the value of your rewards even more, depending on what you redeem them for.

Travel protections: Frequent travelers may be put at ease by the Sapphire Preferred’s ample travel insurance and reimbursement opportunities. Notably, the card offers primary rental car coverage ; many travel cards only offer secondary coverage for rentals, meaning any claims must go through your personal car insurance first before the card’s insurance will kick in.

Chase Sapphire Preferred potential cons

No promotional APR: Unlike many cards, the Sapphire Preferred doesn't have a promotional APR offer on purchases or balance transfers.

Annual fee: While there are many rewards cards without annual fees , this card has a $95 annual fee. Make sure the rewards and perks you earn outweigh that cost.

High-value redemption options may be limited: You must redeem your points for travel through Chase or transfer points to a travel partner to get the most value for your rewards. Other redemption methods, such as gift cards or statement credits, give you less value for your points.

High spending requirement for new cardmember bonus: The new cardmember bonus is relatively high, but it requires you to spend at least $4,000 within three months of opening an account. That works out to about $1,330 a month in purchases, which may be out of some cardholders’ typical budgets.

Where can you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a Visa card, meaning it belongs to the largest credit card network. It's accepted by most physical and online retailers.

How to make a Chase Sapphire Preferred payment

You can make a payment online, through the Chase mobile app, over the phone or by mail:

Online or in-app: Visit chase.com/paycard or download the Chase app and log into your account to make a payment via a linked checking or savings account.

Phone: You can make a payment 24 hours a day, seven days per week, through Chase's automated phone line at 1-800-436-7958.

Mail: Mail a check or money order to the following address: Cardmember Services P.O. Box 6294 Carol Stream, IL 60197-6294

Chase Sapphire Preferred customer service info

To get help with your account, contact customer support through the following methods:

Phone: 1-800-432-3117

Chase’s credit card resource center

Chase Sapphire Preferred login page

Alternative cards to consider

Capital one quicksilver cash rewards credit card.

Why we like it: The Quicksilver Cash Rewards card stands out for its straightforward 1.5% cash back on all purchases, offering simplicity compared to the Chase Sapphire Preferred's category-based reward system. With no annual fee, it’s also a more cost-effective option for those who prefer a hassle-free experience. Additionally, its flexible redemption options, allowing cash back to be redeemed in any amount at any time, provide greater accessibility and convenience for users.

Read a comparison of the Quicksilver Cash Rewards card .

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Why we like it : The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers significantly higher rewards, particularly with its 3x points on travel and dining worldwide, compared to the Sapphire Preferred's 2x points in these categories. Its inclusion of a $300 annual travel credit effectively offsets a substantial portion of the higher annual fee, making it more valuable for frequent travelers. Additionally, the Reserve provides superior travel benefits like access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide through Priority Pass Select, enhancing the overall travel experience.

Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve .

Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express

Why we like it : The Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express is appealing for its strong cash-back rates in everyday spending categories, offering 3% at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%). This is more beneficial for typical shoppers compared to the Sapphire Preferred, which only offers bonus grocery rewards for online orders.

It also stands out with a $0 annual fee, making it a cost-effective choice for budget-conscious consumers. Plus, the card’s introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months is a significant perk that the Sapphire Preferred doesn’t offer. (See rates and fees .)

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers.

Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology .

This One Perk Makes the Chase Sapphire Reserve the Best Travel Credit Card for New Yorkers

Stella Shon

News Managing Editor

85 Published Articles 619 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 25 U.S. States Visited: 22

Michael Y. Park

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Countries Visited: 60+ U.S. States Visited: 50

Get Unlimited Access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at LaGuardia Airport

Inside the chase sapphire lounge at lga, why the chase sapphire lounge comes out on top for new yorkers, other card benefits that make the annual fee worth it, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

If you live in New York and travel often for work or leisure, I’d argue there’s one credit card that is a cut above the rest — and that’s the Chase Sapphire Reserve ® .

This card is packed with a long list of premium perks that may easily be worth the $550 annual fee, depending on your travel habits. If you’re in the market for a new card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is the right choice for this reason alone.

Here’s my take on why.

Once billed as a “Third World” airport by President Joe Biden, Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is a stunner after major renovations wrapped up in January 2022. Now a shared space for airlines including Air Canada , American , JetBlue , United , Southwest , and most recently, Frontier , LaGuardia is easily one of the best airports (if not the best) in the country.

What’s more exciting than a brand-new airport, though, is the opportunity for brand-new airport lounges to enter the landscape, replacing tired spaces made for business travel with a reimagined experience for many different passengers.

At the beginning of the year, Chase opened doors to its very first Sapphire Lounge in the New York metro area. Directly next to the competing American Express Centurion Lounge at LaGuardia , the new Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club makes the lounge experience about the journey rather than just your next destination.

While I didn’t get the chance to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony, I finally got to visit the lounge on an early Monday evening — between waves of consultants heading home from a workday in New York and families checking out for spring break.

Stepping into the lounge nearly 3 months after the initial fanfare felt like a great time to check out the space for myself, incognito among other travelers. While there was a line forming outside the Centurion lounge next door, I walked down a quiet hallway and took the elevator 4 flights down to the baggage claim level.

The elegant Chase Sapphire lounge at LGA was tucked just behind a corner — no wait to be found.

I had only planned to be at the lounge for an hour, just enough time to grab a bite and see the space. But after several flight delays, I found myself spending more than a few hours until it was closing time.

Beyond the delicious tapas dishes (Korean fried chicken bites and pistachio grilled cheese, anyone?), you could order made-to-order menu items from classic New York restaurants.

The waitlist will be long on any given day, but you might be lucky enough to get a 30-minute facial appointment at the spa desk or even score time in the dedicated snooze rooms.

I found myself plenty entertained and can easily say it was the best domestic lounge I’ve been to — ranking higher above the Capital One Lounge at Dallas Fort Worth or any Amex Centurion Lounge in the country, in my opinion.

While the lounge experience was quite amazing and felt almost over the top, the major downside is that the Chase Sapphire lounge footprint is quite limited at this time:

• Boston (BOS)
• Hong Kong (HKG)
• New York (JFK) — In partnership with Etihad Airways
• Philadelphia (PHL) — Coming soon
• Phoenix (PHX) — Coming soon
• San Diego (SAN) — Coming soon
• Washington-Dulles (IAD) — In collaboration with Etihad Airways

The Chase Sapphire Terrace at Austin (AUS) is also open, but it’s mostly an outdoor terrace with drinks and grab-and-go food.

For general travelers looking for a card with lounge access , the Chase Sapphire Reserve card isn’t necessarily compelling enough just yet, although the issuer is working on plenty of lounge openings. (While the card comes with Priority Pass access , its domestic network is … just all right, and nothing worth writing home about.)

Now that the Chase Sapphire lounge is open at LaGuardia — and at the biggest terminal at the airport, serving 6 different airlines — most New Yorkers pass through Terminal B on their travels. Not to mention, LaGuardia is the easiest (and quickest) airport to reach from many parts of the city via ride-share or taxi.

As it stands, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card has one of the most friendly guest policies we’ve seen — cardholders can bring up to 2 guests at no extra charge.

The major exception, of course, is Delta Air Lines, which has an amazing new Sky Club at its own Terminal C and dozens more across the country. For access to any Delta Sky Club, though, you need a same-day Delta ticket and a card like the Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card , The Platinum Card ® from American Express , or The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express .

However, Amex has taken several steps recently to cut off lounge access and guest passes:

• Effective February 1, 2025, Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum cardmembers receive 10 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. To earn an unlimited number of visits each year starting on February 1, 2025, the total eligible purchases on the card must equal $75,000 or more between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, and each calendar year thereafter.
• Effective February 1, 2025, Delta Reserve cardmembers receive 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. To earn an unlimited number of visits each year starting on February 1, 2025, the total eligible purchases on the card must equal $75,000 or more between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, and each calendar year thereafter.
• Amex Platinum card and Amex Business Platinum cardholders will be charged a $50 fee for each guest (or $30 for children aged 2 through 17, with proof of age). Amex Platinum card and Amex Business Platinum cardholders may qualify for unlimited guest access to Amex Centurion lounges for up to 2 travelers per visit after spending $75,000 or more on eligible purchases on the account in a calendar year.

But if you’re indifferent to the airline you fly, Terminal B at LaGuardia has far more to choose from — which is why many would prefer the Chase Sapphire Lounge.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes out on top for New Yorkers who travel domestically often , so having this card at your disposal is a no-brainer.

While it’s certainly possible that Chase could take measures to limit lounge access in the future, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card currently has one of the most generous access policies. However, it’s worth noting that a Capital One lounge is coming to LaGuardia’s Terminal B in the near future, too, so we’ll have to see the space to compare the 2 effectively.

That’s just 1 perk that I think most New Yorkers who travel frequently will find useful when traveling out of LaGuardia. I realize that’s a niche benefit, but with millions of people living in the city, I know many are looking to access to this world-class lounge.

Chase Sapphire Reserve ®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve ®  is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access , with excellent point earning and redemption options.  Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

• 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• 10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
• 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
• 5x points on airfare booked through Chase Travel SM
• 3x points on all other travel and dining purchases; 1x point on all other purchases
• $300 annual travel credit
• Priority Pass airport lounge access
• TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS credit
• Access to Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
• Rental car elite status with National and Avis
• $550 annual fee
• Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status
• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck ®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Chase Ultimate Rewards

• Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k Bonus Offer
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Airport Lounge Access
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Insurance Benefits
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Military Benefits
• Amex Gold vs Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Amex Platinum vs Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card certainly doesn’t come cheap, but there are certainly other rewards and benefits that luxury travelers should find worthwhile:

• $300 annual statement credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card
• 10x points on hotels and car rentals and 5x points on flights when purchased through Chase Travel; 3x points on other travel and dining; 1x points on all other purchases
• Points are worth 1.5 cents apiece for flights, hotels, and more through Chase Travel . You can also transfer Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to more than a dozen airline and hotel loyalty programs like Southwest, United, Hyatt, Marriott, and more.
• Up to $100 application fee credit every 4 years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck

The new Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia is worth going out of your way for on your next trip out of the city. It’s a steep price to pay but could potentially be worth it, depending on how often you frequent the airport and whether want to bring your family and friends along with you.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here . For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here . For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve American Express Card, click here .

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About Stella Shon

With a degree in media and journalism, Stella has been in the points and miles game for more than 6 years. She most recently worked as a Corporate Communications Analyst for JetBlue. Find her work in The New York Times, USA Today, and more.

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10 ways to use points to book vacation home rentals

W hen traveling with your family or a large group of friends, vacationing "together" and not in separate hotel rooms using your points and miles can get a bit complicated. Luckily, there are vacation rental platforms aside from Airbnb and Vrbo that will let you use your hard-earned points and miles to book entire homes instead of paying cash.

Vacation home rentals have always been a great tool to have in your travel toolbox. At TPG, we've been curious about the best ways to use your points to book a vacation home rental because plunking down cash gets old in a hurry.

And just like choosing the best home rental for you takes some skill, figuring out the best way to redeem your points for a home rental isn't as simple as reading an award chart and hitting "book now" — but it absolutely can be done. Keep reading to find out the best ways to use your points to book vacation home rentals.

Redeem fixed-value points for vacation rentals

If you have a credit card that earns fixed-value points in your wallet, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , those are some of the best types of points to use to pay for vacation home rentals.

For example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and allows you to redeem those points at 1 cent each toward travel. However, it may not be the best use of Capital One miles, as TPG values them at 1.85 cents apiece ; nevertheless, you can redeem those miles for travel . But be aware that while vrbo.com sometimes codes as travel, it doesn't always code as travel, depending on who owns and manages the property, so proceed with caution in that regard.

Related: 12 tips for choosing the perfect beach house rental

Another card that is great for stacking points for home rentals? The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card . For TPG Director of Content Summer Hull , this card turned out to be a points powerhouse for home rentals and any other charge that didn't fall under any one particular umbrella.

It earns 1.5 points per dollar on non-bonus charges and 2 points per dollar on travel and dining. But it gets better if you bank with Bank of America, as your deposits with the bank can earn you up to a 75% bonus on points earned with this card via the bank's Preferred Rewards program .

Since I'm in that top tier for banking with Bank of America, it bumps up my earnings on everyday charges to about 2.63 points per dollar and on travel or dining to 3.5 points per dollar. This is now one of my go-to cards for everyday spending, and I'll be able to just cash the points out at 1 cent each to offset what I spend on a home or cabin rental — or anything else.

Use Marriott points with Homes & Villas

If you have Marriott Bonvoy points or a credit card that allows you to transfer your points to Marriott (as with American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards ), another avenue for redeeming points to book a vacation home rental lies with the Homes & Villas by Marriott program .

Related: Best Marriott credit cards

Your per-point redemption value may not be as great as some other uses, so do the math before redeeming. However, if you have Marriott points you aren't sure what to do with, it can be an easy way to lock in a fabulous home rental using your hotel points.

Just know that while you are booking via Marriott's program, your individual bookings will be turned over to property management companies that handle it from that point on.

Related: Best credit cards for home rentals

Use Wyndham points with Vacasa

At the beginning of 2021, Wyndham announced a partnership with Vacasa , a vacation rental management company. This partnership allows you to use your Wyndham Rewards points to book over 15,000 vacation rentals around North and Central America.

With Wyndham's fixed award chart — even on home rentals — it'll cost 15,000 Wyndham points per bedroom per night. That means a studio or one-bedroom costs 15,000 points per night, a two-bedroom costs 30,000 points per night, a three-bedroom costs 45,000 points per night and so on. This can actually be a much better value than using your points on a traditional hotel room, as some properties cost as much as 30,000 points per night — for just a studio hotel room.

Redeem: The ultimate guide to earning and redeeming Wyndham Rewards

The process, however, to book a vacation rental with your points is quite cumbersome. While you can search for homes and availability directly on the Vacasa website , you cannot confirm a reservation immediately, like you normally can with a regular hotel room. Instead, you need to call Wyndham at 800-441-1034, and the representative will ask you a bunch of questions, including your Wyndham Rewards number and your desired location.

If you already know the home rental you want to book, you can also give them the listing number straight from the Vacasa site. Having a home rental already in mind will definitely speed up the process.

Related: Redeeming Wyndham points with Vacasa is a great deal — with a catch

Unfortunately, due to blackout dates, there's no way to know whether or not a property is available to book with points in the reservation calendar, and you'll need to wait for the Wyndham representative to look up your specific dates.

TPG contributor Jennifer Yellin has booked different vacation homes at ski resorts in New England and is about 50-50 with properties being able to be booked with points (even though they are all available for a paid reservation).

Once you confirm a vacation rental and date that works, the representative will lock in your reservation with points and explain the cancellation policy. When using Wyndham Rewards points for a vacation rental, you'll typically have to cancel at least 30 days in advance. As long as you cancel within the window, all points will go straight back to the account they came from and there are no additional fees. However, if you cancel within the 30-day window, you'll forfeit all points redeemed.

Truthfully, if you are looking to redeem your hotel points for a vacation rental, this has the potential to be one of the best programs out there. Especially since you can easily earn Wyndham points from Wyndham Rewards credit cards or transfer your Capital One miles to your Wyndham account at a 1:1 ratio.

Redeem Ultimate Rewards points for vacation rentals

Just as you can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for as much as 1.5 cents each when booking flights and hotels via the Chase travel portal, you can do the same for home rentals. Though Chase no longer has a designated "vacation rental" tab on its travel portal dashboard, if you search under "Hotels," type in the area, dates and number of guests, you will see a list of hotels as well as a few vacation home rentals.

Unfortunately, there is no filter to search for vacation homes so you will have to scroll, but the option is available on the Chase travel portal.

For example, I searched for a "hotel" in Park City, Utah, for Jan. 8 to Jan. 10, 2025, for six guests and found a vacation rental available for $454 per night (not including taxes and fees).

If you hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , you can redeem your points at a fixed value of 1.5 cents each, which means one night at this vacation property (before taxes and fees) will cost you about 30,266 Ultimate Rewards points.

Use Hyatt points with Hyatt Homes & Hideaways

Hyatt launched its own collection of rental homes in late 2023, branded Homes & Hideaways by World of Hyatt. At the moment, Hyatt appears to only offer popular locations within the U.S. (think Hawaii, Florida, Colorado, etc.). Hyatt will eventually expand the program to international destinations.

Booking a stay at one of these properties confers many of the same perks as staying at a Hyatt hotel, such as 5 base points per dollar (plus any elite status bonuses), elite night credits and the ability to earn American Airlines miles when linking your account. You can redeem Hyatt points for award nights at any of these properties — though, after experimenting with some dummy bookings, the value proposition doesn't seem to be as high as with traditional Hyatt hotels.

Because you can transfer both Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, it's not difficult to accrue the points you need for a free night.

Homes & Hideaways gives customers a fixed purchase rate of 1.2 points per dollar. For example, if you book a three-night stay at a villa for $5,000, expect to pay about 416,667 points. TPG values Hyatt points at 1.7 cents apiece; therefore, if you redeem your Hyatt points for a Homes & Hideaways vacation rental, you are not maximizing their value.

Related: How to earn points with the World of Hyatt program

Use Choice points with Bluegreen Vacations

Choice Privileges partners with a vacation rental company called Bluegreen Vacations through its Ascend Hotel Collection . It operates primarily within the U.S., though there's one property in Aruba (you can see the map of all locations on Bluegreen's website ).

Bluegreen Vacations offers cheap award prices for surprisingly large accommodations. Take a look at the above example of a three-bedroom suite for just 25,000 points at the Bluegreen Vacations Christmas Mountain Village in June 2025.

You can earn Choice points with Choice credit cards , or you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Choice at a 1:1 ratio (though we don't usually recommend this; Amex points can be worth considerably more than Choice points, depending on how you use them).

Use Amex points via Amex Travel

American Express Select Homes + Retreats is a fancy collection of homes that are available exclusively to those who hold The Platinum Card® from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express . You can either purchase your stay with your eligible Platinum card to earn 5 points per dollar (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), or you can use Amex points to book your stay.

Click on "Vacation Rentals" on your Amex travel dashboard to see the select locations and properties available.

At present, American Express Select Homes + Retreats are only found in 12 areas around the U.S. You'll find them in the Panhandle area of Alabama and Florida; Maui, Hawaii; Charleston, South Carolina; and other popular vacation spots. As is the case with many programs on this list, Amex's offering isn't even in the same galaxy as Airbnb in terms of volume — but it provides properties you may not be able to find elsewhere.

Here's the issue: You'll only get a value of 0.7 cents per point for your booking. TPG considers American Express Membership Rewards points to be worth an average of 2 cents each — meaning this is a horrendous use of points in most cases.

Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value

Capital One vacation rentals

Capital One recently unveiled two collections of vacation rentals: Premier and Lifestyle . The collection(s) you can access depends on which Capital One credit card you hold.

If you've got either the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Spark Miles for Business , you can access the Lifestyle collection. If you've got either the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Venture X Business , you can access both the Lifestyle and the (more fancy) Premier collections.

When you book a stay through Capital One, you'll receive bonus perks such as experience credits ($100 for Premier Collection stays, $50 for Lifestyle Collection stays), early check-in and late checkout when available, and destination experts to help you round out your trip. You'll also earn 5 miles per dollar when paying for your stay — or you can redeem Capital One miles to offset your bill at a rate of 1 cent per mile.

Again, using rewards to pay for your reservation isn't ideal, as TPG estimates Capital One miles to be worth 1.85 cents each toward travel when transferring to airline and hotel partners.

Related: Redeeming Capital One miles for maximum value

Redeem points for Airbnb gift cards

Another way to redeem points for a home rental is to cash in your points for a home rental gift card. Airbnb gift cards, for example, are available via several points programs.

Be careful when redeeming points for gift cards, as it isn't always the best return per point, but it is an option. With Chase Ultimate Rewards , you can redeem points for Airbnb gift cards at 1 cent each. While that is not a great use of points if you're looking to maximize your points, which TPG values at 2.05 cents apiece, it is an option if you want to save on your next vacation rental.

This story talks a bit more about redeeming points for gift cards and similar cash-out options.

Related: Maximizing points and miles to beat inflation and save money

Don't forget multibedroom hotel residence options

While not a home rental in the true sense, don't forget that multiple hotel loyalty programs have redemption options for multibedroom residences. You probably won't have a backyard and a pool with these, but the odds are good for a kitchen.

Many hotel chains, such as Hyatt and Marriott, offer multibedroom residence-style redemptions, though availability is more limited than when booking a standard hotel room. Keep in mind that Hyatt allows you to book suites online with points , too.

Bottom line

Your points can get you more than just flights and traditional hotel rooms — you can use them to book vacation home rentals.

If you know for sure you want to go that route, now may be the time to take stock of your wallet and see if you have the best card for this goal. The perfect program for you may vary as there are many different credit cards and loyalty programs that will allow you to use rewards toward that next vacation home rental.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.