The best Chase card depends on what you spend on most
There is no single best Chase card because the value you get depends entirely on where your money goes. A card that earns 5% back on groceries is worthless if you rarely buy groceries. The right card for you is the one whose rewards categories match your actual spending pattern, whose annual fee (if any) costs less than the rewards you'll earn, and whose other features solve a real problem you have.
Chase offers cards for different spending profiles: everyday cash back, travel rewards, rotating bonus categories, and premium cards with concierge services and travel credits. The process is to identify which categories you spend the most in, then find the card that rewards those categories at the highest rate.
Key Takeaways
- Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited are the two no-annual-fee cards that cover most everyday spending, with different structures for how they earn.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve are premium travel cards that charge annual fees but offer travel credits and higher rewards rates that can offset the cost.
- Chase business cards like the Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Cash have higher category rewards and are open to sole proprietors, not just registered businesses.
- Rotating bonus categories on the Freedom cards change quarterly and require set up, so you have to track which categories are active each three months.
- The card that earns the most rewards is only the best card if you actually use the categories it rewards — otherwise a simpler card with lower rates on your real spending will pay more.
Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited for everyday spending
Both cards have no annual fee and are designed for people who want cash back without paying to carry the card. The difference is how they structure their rewards.
The Chase Freedom Flex earns 5% cash back on rotating categories that change every quarter (groceries, gas, restaurants, and others), but you have to set up each category through the Chase app or website each quarter or you earn only 1%. It also earns 1% on everything else. This card rewards you more if you remember to set up and if you spend heavily in whichever categories Chase picks that quarter. If you forget set up or if the active categories don't match your spending, you earn the same 1% as the simpler card.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited earns a flat 1.5% cash back on everything, with no categories to track and no set up required. You earn less per dollar than the Freedom Flex does in its bonus categories, but you earn the same rate whether you buy groceries or gas or anything else. This card is better if you want simplicity or if your spending is spread across many categories.
Both cards earn 3% on dining and drugstores (Freedom Flex) or just dining (Freedom Unlimited), and both offer a sign-up bonus in the first few months. The choice between them comes down to whether you're willing to track quarterly categories for higher rewards.
Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve for travel rewards
These are premium cards with annual fees, designed for people who travel regularly or want to transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners. The fees are $95 for the Preferred and $550 for the Reserve, which means you need to earn enough rewards or use the card's travel credits to make the fee worth it.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 2% on travel and dining, 1% on everything else, and charges $95 per year. It includes a $50 annual travel credit that covers airfare, hotels, rental cars, and some other travel costs, which reduces the net fee to $45. The main value is the ability to transfer rewards points to airline and hotel partners at a 1.25x multiplier, meaning a point worth 1 cent in cash is worth 1.25 cents when transferred. This matters if you book premium cabin flights or luxury hotels where points stretch further.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 3% on travel and dining, 1% on everything else, and charges $550 per year. It includes a $300 annual travel credit and a $120 annual dining credit (through December 2024), which together cover $420 of the fee. Like the Preferred, it transfers points to partners at 1.25x value. The Reserve is built for people who spend heavily on travel and dining — if you spend $3,000 or more per year on those categories, the higher earning rate can offset the higher fee.
Both cards require you to have good credit to be approved. Neither is worth the fee if you don't travel or if you're happy redeeming points as cash back at 1 cent per point.
Chase Ink Business cards for business and self-employed spending
Chase offers several business cards that earn higher rewards on common business expenses. You do not need to be a registered business to open one — sole proprietors and self-employed people can open a business card using their Social Security number and business name (even if it's just your name).
The Chase Ink Business Unlimited has no annual fee and earns 1.5% cash back on all business purchases. It's the business equivalent of the Freedom Unlimited: straightforward, flat rate, no categories to track. It also earns a sign-up bonus.
The Chase Ink Business Cash has no annual fee and earns 5% cash back on rotating categories (office supplies, internet, cable, phone up to $25,000 per year, then 1%), 2% on gas and restaurants, and 1% on everything else. Like the Freedom Flex, it requires quarterly set up. The higher category rates make it valuable if your business spending aligns with the active categories.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred charges $95 per year and earns 3% on travel, internet, cable, phone, and shipping, and 1% on everything else. It transfers points to travel partners at 1.25x value, similar to the Sapphire Preferred. This card is built for businesses that spend heavily on those specific categories.
Business cards report to business credit bureaus, not personal credit bureaus, so they don't affect your personal credit score in the same way a personal card does. However, Chase will still do a hard inquiry on your personal credit report when you open one.
How sign-up bonuses affect the real value of a card
Most Chase cards offer a sign-up bonus: a lump sum of cash back or points if you spend a certain amount in the first few months. These bonuses can be worth $200 to $1,000 or more, and they often matter more than the ongoing rewards rate when you're deciding between two cards.
A sign-up bonus is real value, but only if you were planning to spend that amount anyway. If a card requires you to spend $3,000 in three months to earn a $500 bonus, and you normally spend $1,000 per month, you're on track to hit it. If you normally spend $500 per month, you'd have to change your behavior to earn the bonus, which defeats the purpose.
The bonus is also one-time. After you earn it, the card's value depends on its ongoing rewards rate and whether you use the categories it rewards. A card with a $500 bonus but a rewards rate that doesn't match your spending will cost you money in the long run.
Annual fees and when they make sense
Chase charges annual fees on its premium cards: $95 for the Sapphire Preferred, $550 for the Sapphire Reserve, and $95 for the Ink Business Preferred. No-annual-fee cards (Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Unlimited, Ink Business Cash) don't charge you to carry them.
An annual fee makes sense only if the card's benefits exceed the cost. The Sapphire Preferred includes a $50 travel credit, which means the real cost is $45 per year. If you spend $2,000 per year on travel and dining, the 2% rewards rate earns $40, plus the $50 credit, which covers the fee. The Sapphire Reserve's $300 travel credit and $120 dining credit (through 2024) mean the real cost is $130 per year, which is easier to justify if you travel frequently.
If you don't use the travel credits or if your spending doesn't align with the card's bonus categories, the fee is pure cost. In that case, a no-annual-fee card will always be better.
Comparing rewards rates across categories
| Card | Annual Fee | Groceries | Gas | Dining | Travel | Everything Else |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Flex | $0 | 5% (rotating) | 5% (rotating) | 3% | 1% | 1% |
| Freedom Unlimited | $0 | 1.5% | 1.5% | 3% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Sapphire Preferred | $95 | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
| Sapphire Reserve | $550 | 1% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 1% |
| Ink Business Unlimited | $0 | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Ink Business Cash | $0 | 5% (rotating) | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
This table shows the base rewards rates for each card's main categories. Rotating categories on the Freedom Flex and Ink Business Cash change quarterly and require set up. Travel and dining rates on the Sapphire cards are higher if you transfer points to partners rather than redeeming as cash back.
The rates shown are current as of this writing, but Chase updates rewards structures periodically. Check the card's terms page on Chase's website before you open an account to confirm the current rates.
How to choose between cards you're considering
Start by tracking your actual spending for one month across major categories: groceries, gas, restaurants, travel, online shopping, and anything else you spend significantly on. Add up the totals. This tells you where your money actually goes, not where you think it goes.
Then look at which Chase card rewards those categories at the highest rate. If you spend $400 per month on groceries and gas combined, and $200 on dining, the Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories (when active) will earn more than the Freedom Unlimited's flat 1.5%. If your spending is spread evenly across many categories, the Freedom Unlimited's simplicity and flat rate will likely earn more because you won't miss set up important date.
Next, calculate whether an annual fee card makes sense. Add up the rewards you'd earn in a year on the categories the card rewards, then add any travel credits or other benefits. If that total exceeds the annual fee, the card pays for itself. If not, a no-annual-fee card is better.
Finally, check the sign-up bonus. If you're choosing between two cards and one has a $500 bonus while the other has a $200 bonus, and you'll hit the spending requirement for both, the higher bonus tips the decision — but only if the ongoing rewards rate is similar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have more than one Chase card at the same time?
Yes. Many people carry both a Freedom Flex and a Sapphire Preferred, or a Freedom Unlimited and a business card, to earn higher rewards across different spending categories. Chase does limit how many cards you can open in a certain time period, but there's no rule against holding multiple cards simultaneously.
What's the difference between cash back and points?
Cash back is a dollar amount you can redeem as a statement credit or transfer to a bank account. Points are a currency you redeem for travel, merchandise, or cash back. Chase Freedom cards earn cash back. Sapphire cards earn points that are worth more when transferred to airline and hotel partners. If you don't travel, cash back cards are simpler.
Do I need excellent credit to get approved?
The no-annual-fee cards (Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Unlimited) are easier to get approved for and typically require good credit, not excellent. The premium cards (Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve) usually require very good or excellent credit. Check your credit score before you open an account.
What happens if I don't use a card's bonus categories?
On the Freedom Flex and Ink Business Cash, if you don't set up the rotating categories or if you don't spend in them, you earn only 1% cash back on those purchases. You still earn the stated rate on other categories like dining. The card doesn't penalize you, but you earn less than you could.
Can I switch from one Chase card to another?
Yes, you can close a card or downgrade it to a no-annual-fee version. If you downgrade, you keep the account history, which helps your credit score. If you close it, the account stays on your credit report for several years but stops helping your score. Downgrading is usually better if the card issuer offers a no-annual-fee version.