Chase Credit Cards for 2024

If you're unsure whether or not you'd qualify for a Chase credit card, you can check to see if you qualify for any preapproval offers. These are sometimes sent unsolicited via physical mail or email, but you can also check on Chase's website.

While preapproval doesn't guarantee you'll get the credit card, it can give you an idea of your chances. It's a good way to find out where you stand without damaging your credit, as it only results in a soft credit check rather than a hard credit check. 

Just keep in mind that once you actually apply for a credit card, your credit score will typically decrease by a few points temporarily from the hard credit check.

It depends on what you're looking for. Chase provides some great cards for travelers and businesses, but it doesn't offer as many general rewards credit cards as other issuers. However, if you're looking for a good rewards card for general spending, the Chase Freedom Unlimited cash back card could be the one for you.

Consider which aspects of your financial life you're looking to bolster. A cash-back credit card could be a good way to earn a return on most of your spending. A balance transfer card, like the Chase Slate Edge, could help eliminate some existing credit card debt. A travel credit card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve can go a long way toward your trips. Make sure the credit card matches your budget and spending habits.

The majority of cards on our list offer increased value when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Through Chase’s rewards program, you can redeem points earned on your spending for statement credits, gift cards, online shopping and travel (including transfers to multiple travel partners).

You’ll get the most value for your points when you redeem for travel, either by booking directly through Chase Travel or transferring to one of Chase’s airline or hotel travel partners. That’s especially true for Sapphire cardholders, who get boosted redemptions on travel -- 1.25 cents per point for Sapphire Preferred cardholders and 1.5 cents per point with the Reserve.

Cash-back vs. points rewards

Chase cards like the Freedom Unlimited, Freedom Flex and Ink Business Cash® Credit Card are cash-back cards, meaning each purchase you make in a qualifying category earns a certain percentage back. If you spend $100 on dining with your Freedom Flex card (a 3% cash back category), for example, you would earn the equivalent of $3 back.

But Chase allows cash back earned on these cards to be redeemed as Ultimate Rewards points. If you choose a point-based redemption option (like booking travel), the $100 you spent on dining with your Freedom Flex would equal 30 Ultimate Rewards points.

Other cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve, have rewards structures based on points, rather than cash back. If you spend $100 on dining with your Sapphire Reserve (a 3x points category), you’d also earn 30 Ultimate Rewards points.

The monetary value of these points varies depending on your specific card (the Sapphire cards carry redemption boosts) and how you redeem (non-cash redemption options are often more valuable). But generally, you can redeem points from any Ultimate Rewards-earning Chase card for cash back or statement credits at a rate of 1 cent per point.

See our Ultimate Rewards guide for a full breakdown of redemption values.

The best way to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards is by earning points using multiple cards in Chase’s portfolio that align with your spending habits, then combining those points into one account when it’s time to redeem. 

For example, imagine you have a Chase Freedom Unlimited card on which you’ve earned 50,000 points in one year, and a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card on which you’ve collected an additional 25,000. At the end of the year, you can pool those points onto your Preferred Card account for a total of 75,000 and redeem for travel at a redemption value of $937.50. 

But that’s not the only way to save. Cardholders can customize Chase card combinations in several different way:

Create a Chase trifecta or Chase quartet

Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points are easy to pair, creating a card strategy that can help you maximize nearly every purchase you make. 

Instead of collecting points, miles or cash back toward different rewards program currencies, it can be advantageous to earn Ultimate Rewards points on multiple Chase cards, which you can combine into one account and redeem together.

Two common methods are the Chase trifecta and Chase quartet, which you can create and customize to fit your spending and benefits preferences. Essentially, each strategy uses one Ultimate Rewards-earning card from Chase’s three primary card families: the Sapphire, Ink Business and Freedom cards. Because these cards offer a diverse range of rewards categories, it’s easy to maximize each purchase you make, then pool rewards onto your Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred Card, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card account and redeem at the boosted rate those cards offer on travel through Chase (1.5 cents for the Sapphire Reserve, and 1.25 cents per point for the Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred).

For the quartet, you could open a Sapphire Card, one of the Ink Business cards, and both the Freedom Unlimited and Freedom Flex. Though both of the Freedom cards have some overlapping rewards categories, they’re also both no annual fee cards. 

And if you don’t qualify for a business card, you can also create a trifecta using either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred Card, the Freedom Unlimited and the Freedom Flex.

Chase offers a number of best-in-class credit cards, particularly the Chase Sapphire Preferred travel card and its Ink Business cards.

Comparatively, Bank of America credit cards include fewer business and travel cards but a good selection of rewards credit cards. It also offers cardholders the chance to increase how much their card earns through the Preferred Rewards Program, which boosts your card earnings based on how much money you have in your Bank of America bank account and/or Merrill Investing account.

Capital One offers some credit cards that may be a little easier to qualify for, including secured cards for people who are looking to establish or rebuild their credit score. Capital One also offers a few more rewards credit cards and a mid-tier travel credit card -- the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card* -- that compete with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

While there isn't a hard cap on the number of credit cards you can have, Chase does adhere to a 5/24 rule. That means Chase likely won't approve you for any new cards if you've already opened five personal credit card accounts -- no matter the issuer -- within 24 months.

That said, the number of cards in your wallet should also depend on how responsible you are with managing debt and payments. 

Follow these steps to apply for a Chase credit card:

1. Choose a credit card that matches your budget and financial needs.
2. Apply securely through Chase's website.
3. Fill out the application with all the required financial and personal information.
4. Use your new card responsibly and always pay your bill on time.