Getting started with credit card rewards can be incredibly overwhelming. Should you start with cash back or points and miles? Which card family should you choose first? Or, should you try cards from different families? Will the annual fee on cards be worth it?
When beginners ask for help building a card portfolio, we always recommend looking at card programs that can scale — meaning cards that can be paired with others later to build a comprehensive card strategy without sacrificing the old card to the sock drawer.
You’ll find that transferable points are incredibly valuable for avid and aspiring travelers because rewards can be redeemed across a wide variety of airline and hotel partners. But those travel credit cards generally have stricter approval requirements, so they aren’t always an option as a first rewards credit card. The good news is that some issuers offer certain families of credit cards that allow you to start with a no-annual-fee credit card that can pair with a higher-tier card later on for maximum value.
The straightforwardness of Chase Ultimate Rewards — along with Chase’s 5/24 rule — make this program a good place to start for points and miles newbies. And when choosing credit cards to earn Ultimate Rewards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card make a powerful duo.
Read on to learn how these two cards can jumpstart your award travel.
Related: How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?
Why pair Chase Sapphire Preferred with Chase Freedom Unlimited?
We’ll break down the full benefits of each card below, but here’s a quick explanation of why you’ll want to start with these two in particular. The top reason is that Chase limits the number of credit cards for which you can successfully apply. This is due to the issuer’s 5/24 rule.
In short, if you’ve opened five or more personal cards across all banks in the past 24 months, it’s unlikely you’ll be approved for most cards in Chase’s portfolio, including the Freedom Unlimited and the Sapphire Preferred.
If you’re starting out, it’s best to cover the most important bases first. If you already have a solid credit score, you’ll likely want to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred first because it earns those valuable transferable points. But if you are newer to the world of rewards credit cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is also a great place to start to earn cash back.
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The best part? The Freedom award points can later be transferred to the Sapphire Preferred when you apply for it down the line.
Related: What credit score do you need for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
Chase Sapphire Preferred highlights
Welcome bonus for the Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Earning rates: Earn 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar spent on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout) as well as select streaming services and online groceries (excludes Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel and 1 point per dollar spent everywhere else.
Perks: The Sapphire Preferred comes with no foreign transaction fees, and cardholders can enjoy perks like a 10% points bonus on their cardmember anniversary and a $50 annual hotel credit for reservations made through Chase Travel. The card also includes numerous travel protections like primary auto rental insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, extended warranty protection and purchase protection.
Annual fee: $95
Reasons to get it: TPG’s December 2024 valuations place this welcome bonus at $1,230, based on maximizing the points with hotel and airline transfer partners.
The great thing about this card is that a wide variety of items fall within the travel category — from airline purchases, taxis and tolls to parking lots and travel agencies. So, even if your day-to-day travel is limited to transportation, you can rack up Ultimate Rewards points quickly. You’ll also get excellent travel protections on these purchases.
As for using those points, you have multiple travel partners to choose from. You can also redeem Ultimate Rewards points directly for several eligible purchases through the Chase Travel portal at a rate of 1.25 cents apiece.
Related: After 15 years, why the Chase Sapphire Preferred should still be your first rewards card
Chase Freedom Unlimited highlights
Welcome bonus for the Chase Freedom Unlimited: 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 in cash back.
Earning rates: Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on dining, 3% cash back at drugstores, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Annual fee: $0
Reasons to get it: This card offers arguably better everyday earning categories than the Sapphire Preferred. What really makes the Freedom Unlimited worthy of a slot in your wallet is that if you have a full-fledged Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card (such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card), you can redeem your cash back as Ultimate Rewards points.
And even if you don’t have one of those cards right now, you can always apply for one later and then combine your points into the Ultimate Rewards account of the more premium card.
TPG’s December 2024 valuations peg the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each. That means the 1.5% cash back you’ll earn on nonbonus purchases becomes 1.5 points per dollar spent (for a return of over 3%).
If cash back is ultimately what you’re after, consider some of the other best cash-back credit cards, such as the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) that gives you a better return on everyday purchases. With the Citi Double Cash Card, you’ll get 2% cash back (1% when you buy and another 1% as you pay down your balance). You can also convert the cash back earned on the Citi card to Citi ThankYou Rewards points via a linked ThankYou account.
Related: Why the Chase Freedom Unlimited should be the first card in every student’s wallet
Using the cards together
As mentioned above, the rewards earned by the Freedom Unlimited (and its sibling, the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex®) become much more valuable when you also hold a higher-end Chase card. This is because you can only convert your cash back into transferable points with a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points outright.
So, to redeem rewards earned with the Freedom cards as points that can be transferred to partners, you need to hold a higher-tier card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Another option is the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve for those who think the $550 annual fee is worth the card’s better earnings, additional benefits and $300 annual travel credit.
The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card can also be a great alternative — or addition — for small-business owners.
Even if you don’t plan on transferring points to travel partners such as United Airlines, Hyatt, Southwest Airlines and British Airways, these cards guarantee 25% to 50% in extra value when redeeming points through the Chase Travel portal for travel at a fixed value. In other words, rather than redeem each point for 1 cent each with just a Freedom card, you’ll be able to redeem them at a rate of 1.25 or 1.5 cents apiece by also having the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, respectively.
If you simply want cash back and never plan on pairing your cards, you should check out other cash-back credit cards with higher returns. But those looking to build a long-term card strategy can utilize the Chase Freedom Unlimited pairing capabilities with a card that unlocks Ultimate Rewards redemptions.
Using these two cards strategically puts you in a good position to earn and redeem travel rewards for maximum value.
For starters, all travel purchases not made through the Chase Travel portal (like Uber rides and Airbnb stays) should go on the Chase Sapphire Preferred to earn bonus points and get excellent travel protections. You should also use the Sapphire Preferred for dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases to earn 3 points per dollar spent. And, since the card waives foreign transaction fees, you’ll want to use it for all purchases outside the U.S.
Then, you’ll use the Freedom Unlimited for drugstores and all other everyday purchases.
When it’s time to redeem your hard-earned points, see this guide to getting the maximum value out of your awards and this guide for finding sweet spots in the Ultimate Rewards program.
Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve: Should you go mid-tier or premium?
Bottom line
The Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card make a great Ultimate Rewards points-earning team. While the latter isn’t always the best option for your spending, it opens up some great transfer partner options on the redemption side. Plus, with its current 60,000-point welcome bonus, the Sapphire Preferred can boost your Ultimate Rewards points balance — perfect for those just starting in the world of rewards travel.
If you’re starting to earn travel rewards with credit cards, these two cards should be your top priority when it comes to applications — but make sure you pay attention to the issuer’s 5/24 rule to optimize your chances for approval.
For additional information, check out our Chase Freedom Unlimited review and Chase Sapphire Preferred review.
Apply here: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred
