Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, updated with new information.
Due to Chase’s restrictions on credit-card applications, the smartest move for building your credit card strategy is opening credit cards from Chase before moving on to cards issued by other banks.
One such restriction you may encounter is Chase’s 5/24 rule. This Chase rule (that isn’t published externally, but is still very real), says you’ll automatically be rejected for a new card if you’ve opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months across all banks. If you’re not familiar with the 5/24 rule, I strongly suggest starting with this guide to see which cards are counted and which cards it affects.
Related: How to calculate your 5/24 standing
The consequence of this rule (coupled with the fact that Chase issues some of the best credit cards on the market) is that people who are new to travel rewards should start with Chase cards before moving on to cards from other issuers. Once you go over 5/24, it takes time and discipline to get back under, so you’re better off picking up the Chase cards you want now before they become inaccessible to you.
Today, we’ll look at the best ways to use up your five slots with Chase.
Which Sapphire card is right for you?
The first thing you want to consider when building a multi-card strategy is which card will serve as your anchor. This is the one card you would keep if you had to discard the rest. It needs to be a card that offers strong bonus categories, transferable points and a decent selection of perks and benefits. Chase offers two of the best anchor cards on the market, although you’re only allowed to hold one of them at a time: the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
Related: Sapphire showdown: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve
If you’re starting from scratch, in 99.9% of cases you should get a Sapphire Preferred or a Sapphire Reserve as your first card. You can check out this guide to help you pick between the more entry-level Sapphire Preferred and the premium Sapphire Reserve, but here’s a concise overview:
Sign up for our daily newsletter
| Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95. | $550. |
| Earning rates | 5 points per dollar on travel purchased in the Chase travel portal (excluding purchases that qualify for the $50 hotel credit).
5 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025. 3 points per dollar on dining. 3 points per dollar on select streaming services and online grocery purchases. 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases. 1 point per dollar on other purchases. |
10 points per dollar on hotel and car rentals booked in the Chase travel portal (excluding purchases that qualify for the $300 travel credit).
10 points per dollar on Chase dining purchases. 10 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025. 5 points per dollar on flights booked in the Chase travel portal (excluding purchases that qualify for the $300 travel credit). 3 points per dollar on travel (excluding purchases that qualify for the $300 travel credit). 3 points per dollar on dining, including takeout and delivery services. 1 point per dollar on other purchases. |
| Sign-up bonus | Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. |
| Point value for travel portal redemptions | 1.25 cents. | 1.5 cents. |
| Credits | $50 annual hotel benefit. | Up to $300 in annual travel credits.
Reimbursement for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus application fee. |
| Lounge access | N/A. | Priority Pass Select membership. |
| Other benefits | Complimentary membership and spending credits with DoorDash and Instacart.
Monthly spending credits with Gopuff through December 2023. |
Access to The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection bookings.
Car rental elite status with National, Avis and Silvercar. Complimentary membership and spending credits with DoorDash and Instacart. Monthly spending credits with Gopuff through December 2023. |
| Authorized user fee | $0. | $75. |
Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card review
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card review
A taste of Freedom
Sign-up bonuses come and go, so you’ll need a card that gives you strong bonuses in useful everyday categories to keep those points rolling in for years to come. Chase offers two great cards in this category. Although they’re technically cash-back cards, you can convert your rewards into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points if you also hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card like the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve or even the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.
The Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited come with relatively low sign-up bonuses: Earn $200 after spending $500 or more within three months from account opening on the Freedom Flex and an additional 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 of purchases in the first year on the Freedom Unlimited. The sign-up bonuses are awarded as Ultimate Rewards points that you can transfer to your Sapphire card. But you get them for their everyday earning capabilities that go as high as 5 points per dollar.
Related: Credit card showdown: Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited
But because these cards don’t have annual fees, you can keep them open forever without paying anything out of pocket.
For the long term, the Freedom Unlimited offers 1.5 points on everyday spending, with no caps to worry about. The Freedom Flex offers 5% back on your first $1,500 spent in rotating quarterly bonus categories (activation required).
The categories rotate each quarter but have historically included retailers such as gas stations, internet, cable and phone services, select streaming services, grocery stores, department stores, restaurants and more. You do need to register your card every quarter for the rotating bonus earnings, but Chase (and TPG) will send you plenty of reminders. Additionally, both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited offer 5% back on travel purchases in the Chase portal, 3% on dining, 3% at drugstores and 1% on other purchases.
Between everyday spending on the Freedom Unlimited and the 5% bonus categories on the Freedom Flex, most people can fit one or both of these cards into their rewards plan.
If you can’t decide which one you want, you can check out this head-to-head comparison to see how the math breaks down.
Related: Chase Freedom Unlimited review
Related: Chase Freedom Flex review
The incredible value of Ink business cards
Many people who are in the early stages of building a credit card strategy with Chase make the assumption that they won’t be eligible for a small-business card.
Although Chase has been known to ask for documentation of your business activity (including, but not limited to, proof of an Employee Identification Number or bills demonstrating business activity), you might be surprised to learn that you qualify for a business credit card if you have a part-time tutoring or child care job, sell products on eBay or Etsy or a host of other side-hustle activities.
Related: Reader question: Do I need a business to get a business credit card?
Don’t ignore Chase’s lineup of Ink business credit cards or you might not be able to get them later. If there’s any way you can get an Ink card, you may want one to round out your perfect Chase Trifecta.
The largest welcome bonus currently available from Chase doesn’t come from the ultra-premium Sapphire Reserve — it comes from the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.
New applicants can currently earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Additionally, cardholders can earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent each account year across the following categories: travel, shipping purchases, internet services, cable services, phone services and advertising purchases with social media and search engines. Other purchases will yield 1 point per dollar. The Ink Preferred only has a $95 annual fee and also comes with a 25% bonus when redeeming your points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
Related: Business credit cards that don’t count under Chase’s 5/24 rule
You can also pick between the no-annual-fee Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card and Ink Business Cash Credit Card. Both cards offer a bonus of $900 (or 90,000 points) after spending $6,000 in the first three months of account opening. Like the Freedom Flex/Chase Freedom Unlimited, you’ll need to also hold a premium Ultimate Rewards-earning card to transfer these rewards to airline and hotel partners.
The Ink Business Unlimited is very similar to the Freedom Unlimited, offering 1.5% back on all purchases, while the Ink Cash earns 5 points per dollar on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year plus 2 points per dollar on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.
For a complete breakdown of the different Ink business credit cards, make sure to check out this guide.
Related: Chase Ink Business Preferred Review
Related: Ink Business Unlimited Review
Related: Ink Business Cash Review
Adding an airline credit card
Whilst your first priority with your 5/24 slots should likely be Ultimate Rewards-earning cards, Chase also offers a number of great cobranded airline and hotel cards for you to pick from. If you’ve secured a Sapphire card, a Chase Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex and an Ink card or two, you should still have three spots remaining before passing 5/24. You should look at Chase’s lineup of airline and hotel credit cards next.
Consider the following cards:
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card: Earn up to 100,000 bonus Avios. Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Earn an additional 25,000 Avios after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first 12 months from account opening. This card has a $95 annual fee.
- Aeroplan Credit Card: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open, plus 40,000 points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months your account is open. This card has a $95 annual fee.
- British Airways Visa Signature Card: Earn up to 100,000 bonus Avios. Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Earn an additional 25,000 Avios after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first 12 months from account opening. This card has a $95 annual fee.
- Iberia Visa Signature Card: Earn up to 100,000 bonus Avios. Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Earn an additional 25,000 Avios after spending $20,000 on purchases within the first 12 months from account opening. This card has a $95 annual fee.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus receive 3,000 bonus points on each account anniversary. This card has a $69 annual fee.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus receive 6,000 bonus points on each account anniversary. This card has a $99 annual fee.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus receive 7,500 bonus points on each account anniversary. This card has a $149 annual fee.
- United Club Infinite Card: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening, plus receive a United Club lounge membership. This card has a $525 annual fee.
- United Explorer Card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. This card has a $0 introductory annual fee, then $95.
- United Quest Card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus 500 Premier qualifying points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. This card has a $250 annual fee.
- United Gateway Card: Earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. This card has no annual fee.
With airline credit cards, your first thought may be the airlines you fly most often. Credit card bonuses could help you earn the Southwest Companion Pass, after all.
However, airline miles aren’t necessarily related to the airline you want to fly on for your next vacation. While a credit card can help you get free checked bags on your next flight, it’s also possible to use United miles for a flight on Lufthansa, for example.
Which hotel card should you get?
You also should add a hotel credit card to your wallet. While these cards typically aren’t strong earners for everyday spending, they can offer valuable benefits on your next hotel stay. That includes benefits like elite status, free night awards or late checkout.
Consider the following hotel credit cards for your wallet:
- IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card: Earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. You’ll also receive a free night award on each account anniversary (worth up to 40,000 points) and complimentary Platinum Elite status. This card has a $99 annual fee.
- IHG Rewards Traveler Credit Card: Earn 120,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. You’ll receive automatic Silver Elite status with this card, which has no annual fee.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. You’ll receive complimentary Silver Elite status with this card, which has no annual fee.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Earn three free night awards (worth up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. You’ll also receive a free night award (worth up to 35,000 points) on each account anniversary and complimentary Silver Elite status. This card has a $95 annual fee.
- World of Hyatt Credit Card: Earn up to 60,000 bonus points. Receive 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus earn 2 points per dollar on purchases that normally earn 1 point per dollar — up to $15,000 of these purchases in the first six months from account opening. You’ll also receive a Category 1-4 free night award on each account anniversary and complimentary Discoverist status. This card has a $95 annual fee.
Related: The best hotel credit cards with annual fees under $100
Many people are partial to one hotel chain over another. If you’re starting from scratch, however, it’s worthwhile to read our guides to these hotel programs to decide which one might be best for you:
Consider where you plan to travel and which hotels are present there. Also consider how these programs (and their associated credit cards) will reward you with bonus points, free night awards and elite status benefits from not just your travels but also your spending habits.
Related: What to do after you reach 5/24
Bottom line
The Chase 5/24 rule can sometimes feel like a punitive restriction, but it can help you narrow the field of cards to pick from first as you round out your ideal wallet. You can mix and match the bonus categories as you see fit, but remember that most people only get one shot at applying for Chase cards. Thus, you should pick long-term keepers and not waste valuable wallet slots on frivolous applications.
Related: How to calculate your 5/24 standing
Additional reporting by Ethan Steinberg and Stella Shon.
