Best Ways to Use Chase Points

The easiest way to redeem Chase Sapphire Reserve points is through your online account or Chase Mobile App. Redemption options include travel, transfer to travel partners, gift cards, cash back, experiences, combine points and more. By far the best Chase Sapphire Reserve points redemption option is travel, as points are worth 1.5 cents each toward travel compared to 1 cent each toward other options.

To redeem Chase Sapphire Reserve points online, log in to your Chase account on the Ultimate Rewards website and click on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Then, click the “Earn/Use” box at the top of the page to see a dropdown menu of redemption options. Click on any of the options from the menu to select that type of redemption. Lastly, follow the prompts to select the exact reward you want and how many points you want to redeem.

If you don't want to redeem online, you can always call the number on the back of your card or visit a Chase branch, though a branch won't book travel for you.

Here's what Chase Sapphire Reserve points can be redeemed for:

• Travel: If you choose to redeem Chase Sapphire Reserve points for travel, you'll be able to book right through the Ultimate Rewards site, trading your points for flights, hotel stays, cruises and more. Chase says that “some” bookings may require you to spend a minimum number of points.
• Cash: If you redeem for cash, you can either get a statement credit or a deposit to a U.S. checking or savings account. There is no minimum amount of points you must redeem for cash. If you redeem for a gift card, you'll have to use a number of points equivalent to the value of the card.
• Transfer points: There are also two places you can transfer your Chase Sapphire Reserve points – travel loyalty programs and other Chase cards. Chase has 13 airline and hotel loyalty program partners you can move your points to at a 1:1 ratio. And you can move your points at no cost to another Chase card owned by you or a household member. But you probably won't want to do that unless you're gifting the points to someone else, as they're worth the most toward travel on this card.
• Experiences: You can also redeem your Chase Sapphire Reserve points by trading them for unique experiences like VIP concert tickets or meals with renowned chefs.
• Gift cards: There are more than 150 gift card brands you van get with your points, ranging from restaurants to department stores to entertainment services.
• Amazon: There are other ways to redeem your points, too; You can use Chase Pay or Pay with Points from Amazon to use your points directly when shopping at retailers.
• Apple: Ultimately, you can use your points to pay for all or part of your Apple purchases through Apple Ultimate Rewards Store.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to redeem your Chase Sapphire Reserve points. So, it's a good idea to explore all your options before redeeming, to see which best suits your needs.

You can redeem Chase Freedom rewards from your account here. After logging into your account go to Ultimate Rewards in the top right corner. Here's a quick overview of your options:

• Cash – You can redeem for a statement credit or a direct deposit into a U.S. checking or savings account.
• Gift Cards – You can redeem for gift cards from most major retailers, including Lowes, Home Depot, Target, Amazon and Apple (iTunes).
• “Shop with Points” – You can pay for purchases directly with points on Chase's partner websites, including Amazon.com.
• Travel – You can book airfare, hotel stays and rental car reservations with points through Chase's Ultimate Rewards website. You can learn more about your redemption options from WalletHub's review of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program.

You can book travel with Chase travel rewards by visiting the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal through your online account. There, you can search for flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, vacation rentals, and more. Plus, you can book your travel with your points, with cash, or a mixture of the two.

How to book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal

1. Navigate to the Chase Ultimate Rewards section of your Chase online account.
2. Choose “Travel” or “Redeem for Travel” from the menu at the top.
3. Find a flight, hotel, car rental, vacation rental, cruise, or event to book.
4. Enter your details on the next few pages. This may include your name/names of passengers, flight and luggage options, dates of events you're booking, among other things.
5. Decide how to pay. You'll be taken to a page that tells you how many points or dollars your travel choices will cost, and you can choose how many points you want to spend. The rest will be charged to your Chase credit card.

What your Chase points are worth in travel

Your Chase Ultimate Rewards points will redeem at different values depending on which Chase card you have. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card and the J.P. Morgan Reserve Credit Card get 1.5 cents per point when redeemed for travel through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card points get 1.25 cents per point on travel redemptions. All other Chase cards' points are worth 1 cent per point on Ultimate Rewards travel.

If you have Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can also transfer points to Chase's hotel and airline partners at a 1:1 ratio. You may be able to find better deals that way, in some cases.

Chase's travel rewards credit cards are some of the best on the market, particularly the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve cards. Plus, the Chase Ultimate Rewards program generally promotes travel. However, you can always spend your points on cash back or gift cards too if you'd like.

How to earn Chase travel rewards

You can earn Chase travel rewards by charging purchases to any Chase rewards credit card. All Chase Ultimate Rewards points are redeemable for travel. Plus, you can earn even more points via the Shop through Chase section of the Ultimate Rewards portal – up to 25% more points for your dollar, actually.

Some Chase travel rewards can take time to show up in your account. For example, it can take 6-8 weeks for points from an initial bonus to be delivered. Rewards earned through purchases should show up shortly after your statement closes.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers new cardholders 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. And you also get extensive ongoing rewards: 5 points per $1 spent on travel purchased through Chase, 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases, 3 points per $1 on dining and online grocery purchases, 3 points per $1 on select streaming services, and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

The rewards redemption process offers a number of good options  through Chase's Ultimate Rewards portal.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Rewards:

Chase Sapphire Preferred Rewards Redemption Options:

• Travel redemption: Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards points are best used for travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Just select " Travel" once you're signed in.
• Cash: You can also redeem reward points either to get a statement credit or a deposit to a U.S. checking or savings account. Log in to the Ultimate Rewards portal and choose " Cash Back."
• Transfer points to Chase's travel partners: You can transfer Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards points to partnered airline and hotel loyalty programs. Just confirm that you have a loyalty account, then select "Transfer to Travel Partners" in the Ultimate Rewards portal.
• “Pay with Points”: You can use your Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards points when checking out on Amazon.com or with PayPal. Follow the instructions for both Amazon and PayPal to get started.
• Apple purchases: You can use your points to pay for all or part of your Apple purchases.
• Gift cards: You can convert Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards into cash or gift cards for your favorite stores. Log in to the Ultimate Rewards portal and choose "Gift Cards."
• Experiences: You can trade your points to attend exclusive experiences like sport and dining events, concerts, and more. Simply log in to the Ultimate Rewards portal an choose "Experiences."

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a $95 annual fee, but its rewards definitely have the potential to offset it and bring you added value. And your reward points don't expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best rewards cards on the market, well worth getting if you use it regularly and travel often.

The best way to use Chase Freedom Flex℠ points is for travel, gift cards or cash back. Chase Freedom Flex points are generally worth 1 cent per point when redeemed this way, which is more value than the other redemption methods provide.

Ways to Redeem Chase Freedom Flex Points

• Travel: 1 cent per point
• Cash Back: 1 cent per point
• Gift Cards: 1 cent per point
• Amazon.com shopping with points: 0.8 cents per point

The easiest way you can redeem Chase rewards is online, but you can also do that over the phone at (800) 432-3117. You can redeem Chase rewards for gift cards, travel, statement credits and cash. Chase points are generally worth 1 cent each, regardless of what they're redeemed for. If you're redeeming for cash, you can also go to a Chase branch. You'll get your money as a statement credit or as an electronic deposit to the bank account of your choice.  

Here's how to redeem Chase rewards:

• Online: For online redemption, log in to your Chase account and go to the Chase rewards portal. From there, you'll be able to book trips, buy gift cards, request statement credits, etc.
• By phone: To redeem by phone, call Chase customer service at (800) 432-3117. Enter your account number to connect to a customer service representative. State that you want to redeem rewards.
• At a Chase branch: You can request a statement credit or bank account deposit in exchange for your Chase rewards at any Chase branch. You just need your account number and a picture ID. But you won't actually get cold hard cash on the spot.

Different Chase cards have different rewards programs. One card might give you the most rewards for travel, another for everyday purchases. So, you'll want to pick a card with a reward structure that matches your lifestyle.

For all Chase cards in the Ultimate Rewards program, except Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®, you can also transfer Chase points to 14 airline and hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio. Whether or not that's a good deal depends on the value of the loyalty program's miles. Chase travel partners include United, British Airways, Southwest, IHG, Marriott and others.   

The easiest way you can check your Chase Sapphire Preferred points balance is either by signing into your Chase.com account, the Chase Ultimate Rewards page or Chase's mobile app. Alternatively, you can call customer service at (800) 432-3117.

Here's how you can check your Chase Sapphire Preferred points balance:

• Online: Sign into your online account. The number of points you have available for use will be listed in a blue box on the left side of the landing page once you input your username and password. When you click on that box, which includes the words “Ultimate Rewards® / Use your points,” you will be taken to your “Rewards Dashboard.” In addition to the number of points you can redeem right away, your dashboard will display:

  How many points you'll get with your next monthly statement;

  A breakdown of your year-to-date earnings by purchase category; and

  A summary of your redemption options. They include travel expenses, gift cards, cash back and more.

• Ultimate rewards page: You can reach your Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards dashboard directly by visiting ultimaterewardspoints.chase.com.
• Chase mobile app: The other way to check your Chase Sapphire Preferred points balance is through the Chase mobile app. It's a free download, available for both iPhone and Android, and allows you to fully manage your account from your mobile device. That includes checking both your rewards and overall account balances, redeeming the points you've earned to date, and reviewing recent transactions.
• By phone: Finally, if you have questions about your rewards balance, Chase Sapphire Preferred has a dedicated customer service line with real people ready to help 24/7. The number is (800) 432-3117.