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Best Chase credit cards for March 2024

Updated March 14, 2024

Chase offers popular credit cards for travel, cash back, business and more. Its cards typically require a good or excellent credit score, but Chase provides cardholders generous rewards programs, sign-up bonuses and valuable reward redemption options. Our experts have done the research so you can find the best Chase credit card for your wallet.

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Best for all-around travel
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
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Recommended Credit
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Intro offer

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$1200

Offer valuation

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1x - 5x

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best for everyday business purchases
Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5
4.6
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Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

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$750

Offer valuation

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1% - 5%

Rewards Rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

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2024 Bankrate Awards Winner
Best for luxury travel
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5.0
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Excellent (740 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit
Info

Intro offer

Info

$1200

Offer valuation

Info

1x - 10x

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best for small-business owners
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$750

Offer valuation

Info

1.5%

Rewards Rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best for business travel
Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5
4.4
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$2000

Offer valuation

Info

1X - 3X

Rewards Rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best Southwest starter card
Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5
4.3
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$750

Offer valuation

Info

1X - 2X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best for Southwest value
Rating: 4.2 stars out of 5
4.2
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$750

Offer valuation

Info

1X - 3X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Best overall Southwest card
Rating: 4.1 stars out of 5
4.1
Info
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
Good to Excellent (670 – 850)
Info
Recommended Credit

Intro offer

Info

$750

Offer valuation

Info

1X - 3X

Rewards rate

Info

Annual fee

Regular APR

Compare Bankrate's top picks for Chase credit cards

Card Name Best For Rewards Highlights Bankrate Review Score

All-around travel

5X points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards

3X points on dining (including eligible delivery services), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)

2X points on other travel 

5.0 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Everyday business purchases

5% cash back on the first $25,000 of combined office supply store, cable service and phone service purchases each account anniversary year

2% cash back on the first $25,000 of combined gas station and restaurant purchases each account anniversary year 

4.6 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Luxury travel

10X points on Chase Dining purchases, hotel stays and car rentals through Chase Travel℠

5X points on air travel through Chase Travel℠ (after earning the $300 travel credit)

3X points on general travel and dining purchases

5.0 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Small business owners

1.5% cash back on all purchases

4.2 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Business travel

3X points on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year (then 1X points)

4.4 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Southwest starter card

2X points on Southwest hotel partners, car rental partners and other Southwest purchases

2X points on local transit and commuting (including rideshares), plus internet service, cable service, phone service and select streaming service purchases

4.3 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Southwest value

3X points on Southwest purchases

2X points on Southwest hotel and car rental partners

2X points on local transit and commuting (including rideshares), plus internet service, cable service, phone service and select streaming service purchases

4.2 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site

Overall Southwest card

3X points on Southwest purchases

2X points on Southwest hotel and car rental partners

2X points on local transit and commuting (including rideshares), plus internet service, cable service, phone service and select streaming service purchases

4.1 / 5

Info
(Read card review)
Apply now Lock
on Chase's secure site
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A closer look at our top-rated Chase credit cards

Image of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Best for all-around travel

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred paves the way as a more affordable travel card with remarkable premium perks, top-notch travel protections, account anniversary bonus points and annual hotel credits.

Both infrequent travelers and rewards aficionados (especially people who have Chase cash back cards already) who want an affordable travel card with notable perks, but also plenty of flexible redemption options.

The Citi Premier® Card has a similar annual fee, but offers a more rewarding experience for travelers who want to earn on groceries, gas and general travel.  

Read our full Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review or jump back to offer details.

Image of Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Best for everyday business purchases

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The Ink Business Cash is a well-rounded, easy-to-manage business card that covers some of the most popular spending categories for brick-and-mortar businesses, including office supplies and internet services.

Small-business owners with modest budgets focused on office supplies and internet, cable and phone services, since these categories earn elevated cash back rates. If you have one or both of the other two Chase Ink cards, the Business Cash also makes for an excellent partner card.

If a spending cap will hold you back in any way, the Ink Business Unlimited card offers unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases you make for your business while still skipping the annual fee. 

Read our full Ink Business Cash Credit Card review or jump back to offer details

Image of Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Best for luxury travel

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The sky-high rewards value you’ll earn on travel and its variety of bonus categories is hard to beat, thanks to its quality transfer partners, stellar pairing opportunities and 50 percent rewards redemption value boost through Chase Travel℠.

Frequent travelers who invest in luxury perks. You’ll gain access to upcoming Chase Sapphire Lounge locations and a suite of other elite travel benefits, including some of the best travel insurance available plus enough privileges and statement credits to easily justify the annual fee if you prefer to travel in comfort.

A $550 annual fee is nothing to sneeze at, although you’ll get several top luxury benefits available in exchange. If you’re looking to invest in extra travel benefits without breaking the bank, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card packs in a solid amount of luxury perks for a smaller annual fee.

Read our full Chase Sapphire Reserve card review or jump back to offer details.

Image of Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Best for small-business owners

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The generous welcome bonus, high flat rewards rate and lack of an annual fee make this well-rounded card ideal for small startup business owners without a defined budget just yet. Whether you’re opening a brick and mortar storefront or an online product hub, all of your business expenses will be captured in the unlimited cash back rewards on all business purchases.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners who have various expenses to cover and can benefit from the unlimited rewards on all purchases.

If you’re willing to venture outside of Chase, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus offers 2 percent unlimited flat rewards on all purchases, but you have to foot the bill for a $150 annual fee (that could be offset by your extra earnings, depending on how much you spend).

Image of Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Best for business travel

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The sign-up bonus on this card is one of the best around, especially for business owners that can easily hit the spending requirement with business expenses.

Frequent business travelers or big business spenders who want to take advantage of the low annual fee compared to other premier business travel cards. Chase cardholders with either business or personal cards will be able to use the Ink Business Preferred as a tentpole in their card pairing strategy as well.

If the annual fee is what’s holding you back on this Ink business card, there are two others available from Chase, including the Ink Business Cash Credit Card and the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card — and both cards have no annual fee. Although the Business Cash card’s rewards structure is more similar to the Business Preferred’s, the Business Unlimited card’s 1.5 percent flat-rate cash back may be better for smaller startups and side hustles without specialized expenses.

Image of Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Best Southwest starter card

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You can earn the same intro offer its higher tier Southwest sibling cards provide, along with similar rewards rates, for a much lower $69 annual fee.

Beginner travelers who prefer Southwest Airlines but don’t fly frequently enough to chase elite status. This card is also ideal for people who mainly fly domestic and find just as much value in ground travel and internet-related services.

Although the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card has the lowest annual fee of the Southwest Rapid Rewards cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card is technically more cost-effective. The Premier card’s marginally higher $99 annual fee is easier to justify since you also receive a higher 6,000-point account anniversary bonus.

Image of Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Best Southwest value

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This is Southwest's mid-level airline card, and for $99, you get more perks than the airline’s Rapid Rewards Plus card and a sample of the premium benefits found with the Rapid Rewards Priority card.

People who periodically fly with Southwest and may travel internationally. That’s because this card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees — unlike the Rapid Rewards Plus card, which poses a 3 percent fee.

If you want a similar rewards structure but aren’t worried about flying often enough to take advantage of the Premier card’s enhancements, the Rapid Rewards Plus may be a better fit. However, regular Southwest passengers may benefit more from investing in the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card for its four annual boarding upgrades, higher anniversary bonus and $75 yearly Southwest travel credit.

Image of Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Best overall Southwest card

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It’s easier to wring more value out of your Southwest experience with this card compared to any others in the airline’s suite, thanks to its $75 annual Southwest travel credit, bigger 7,500-point anniversary bonus, fast track to A-List status and four upgraded boardings each year.

Southwest jet-setters who fly often enough to take advantage of the annual travel credit and improved boarding benefits. Although other travelers may get a competitive value out of the Rapid Rewards Premier card compared to the cards’ respective annual fees, these perks make ponying up for the Priority card more worthwhile.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card is the most valuable Southwest card because of its standout benefits list. However, these top-tier perks do come with a price. The Rapid Rewards Premier card offers an identical rewards structure and intro offer for a lower annual fee. If you’re not dedicated to Southwest and would prefer a less-specialized card, the Citi Premier® Card features a similar rewards balance for a variety of everyday and travel purchases that can be used toward a variety of expenses.

Image of Chase Freedom® Student credit card

Chase Freedom® Student credit card

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One of the easiest cards to manage for people just getting started on their credit journeys, the Chase Freedom Student will cover any expense you need it for at the same cash back rate. The intro offer on the card is also one of the easiest to obtain, considering you only have to make one purchase in the first three months to gain access to an extra $50.

*The information about the Chase Freedom® Student credit card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.  

Students who want to try their hand at building great credit habits early while also earning some rewards in the process. This card’s $20 Good Standing Rewards (for up to five years on each account anniversary) reinforces good credit habits, and its ongoing APR can be lower than many other student cards’ in case you need to carry a balance in a pinch.

Though the Chase Freedom Student is pretty hassle-free, there are many student cards on the market that offer stronger rewards rates — such as the Discover it® Student Cash Back card — if you’re willing to track bonus categories. The Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a higher flat rewards rate, but you’ll need to be wary of the card’s potentially sky-high ongoing APR if you carry a balance.

What to know about Chase credit cards

Chase Bank is the largest consumer bank with assets worth about $3.38 trillion. Because Chase’s reach is so wide, branch and ATM locations are fairly accessible for many people. It's also known for its credit card families, including Freedom, Sapphire, and Ink Business cards.

Chase also offers one of the industry’s best rewards programs: Chase Ultimate Rewards. With Ultimate Rewards, cardholders can earn and redeem points for cash back, statement credits, gift cards or travel. Most Chase cards earn reward points and each point has a monetary value.

Here’s what Ultimate Rewards points are worth, according to Bankrate’s current points and miles valuations.

Chase Card Bankrate's Average point value Value of 50,000 points
Chase Sapphire Reserve 2.0 cents $1,000
Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred 2.0 cents $1,000
Other Ultimate Rewards cards 1.0 cents $500

Chase credit cards to choose from

Chase has a handful of the best travel credit cards available and its business credit card options also cater to plenty of spending categories and structures. Plus, Chase has a few stellar co-branded card options that hotel and airline loyalists may like.

Choosing the type of Chase credit card that’s best for you won’t be as straightforward as you might want it to be, but it’ll pay off to carefully review your options. You should weigh several factors when picking the best Chase card for you, so here are a few things to consider:

  • Cash back or rewards: Travel rewards and cash back are staples among Chase rewards cards. Evaluate your spending habits and choose a rewards structure that benefits your spending habits.
  • Budget for an annual fee: Plenty of Chase cards come without an annual fee, but a few add this extra charge in exchange for a few more lucrative benefits. To determine if an annual fee is worth it, understand all the perks and benefits and figure out if you can offset the fee by using them.

Still unsure if a Chase credit card is right for you? Check out our Credit Card Spender Type Tool to get personalized credit card recommendations based on your credit score, spending habits and daily needs.

Chase credit cards pros and cons

Pros

  • Checkmark

    Flexible rewards redemption: Thanks to the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, most Chase cards have plenty of redemption options, including travel and charitable donations.

  • Checkmark

    Top-tier travel partners: Chase’s long list of travel partners and 1:1 points transfer give you even more ways to use your points.

Cons

  • High credit score requirements: With top-notch travel rewards and generous offers, most of Chase’s cards require a good or excellent credit score.

  • Costly premium cards: The Chase cards with the most generous benefits and rewards have annual fees ranging from a more standard $95 to more than $500.

Expert advice for Chase cards

Maximizing a new credit card can be complicated, but Chase is a relatively straightforward issuer with cards that are easy to make the most of. It has a top-tier rewards program, high-value cards and a long list of travel partners that can help you squeeze a ton of value out of your points. Plus, Chase has various cards available, making it easy to combine them for a rewards strategy. Here are some tips for making the most of what Chase has to offer:

  • Education

    Learn about Chase Ultimate Rewards

    Your credit card’s rewards program is just as important as its rates, fees and features. You should familiarize yourself with Chase Ultimate Rewards to maximize your Chase credit card.

    If you want to get the most out of Chase’s travel cards, make sure you’re transferring or redeeming points for the most value. For example, the Chase Sapphire cards’ points get a 25 or 50 percent value boost when you redeem them for travel on the Ultimate Rewards portal.

  • Rewards

    Calculate potential rewards

    Chase points can be some of the most valuable credit card rewards available. The value of your points will vary based on your card and redemption method, so make sure you calculate the full value of your rewards before you redeem them.

  • Travel

    Research Chase travel partners

    If you want to transfer your Chase points to one of its partner airlines, you can through its travel portal when you log into your account. Once you choose the partner, you can transfer points in increments of 1,000 points and typically at a 1:1 ratio, so 1 point equals 1 mile. You may even increase the value of your Chase points this way, depending on your travel plans and the airline or hotel you transfer your points to.

  • Credit Card

    Use multiple Chase cards

    The Chase trifecta refers to a group of Chase card families — Chase Freedom cards, Sapphire cards and Ink Business cards — that can boost rewards earnings and rack up points when you use them together. For example, if you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Chase Ink Business Preferred, you can pool all the points earned from the cards in one account and save up thousands of points. If you don’t have a business, you can use two Freedom cards and one Sapphire card together to complete the trifecta.

Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate.

How we assess the best credit cards

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250+
cards rated
Congrats
50+
rewards programs valued
Search
5000
data points analyzed
Credit Card Reviews
40+
Perks evaluated

When evaluating the best credit cards, we take into account several factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether they offer features that fit the priorities of a diverse group of cardholders, from earning rewards to saving on interest. Whenever possible, we also feature cards that are available at various credit levels and price points. 

We analyzed over 250 of the most popular credit cards in each of our primary card scoring categories, including Cash Back, Rewards, Balance Transfer, Low Interest, Business, Credit-Building, and Student, as well as in a few popular subcategories like Travel, No Annual Fee, Airline and Hotel.

We scored each card based on the factors most relevant to its primary category, including its rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, intro APR period length, ongoing APR, fees, perks and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup. 

Here are some of the key factors that we considered: 

Frequently asked questions about Chase credit cards