The Best Chase Credit Cards of 2013

Chase has consistently high signup bonuses and rewards rates, but with so many choices, which is right for you? We’ll give you the skinny on the best Chase credit cards to suit your needs. They have no-annual-fee options; standout signup bonuses for travelers; and a great Ultimate Rewards Points program, with points that don’t expire and are redeemable at full value. Here are the best of the best for value and usability.

Best No-Fee Cash Back Credit Card: Chase Freedom

The Chase Freedom is an all-around winner with great rewards, no annual fee and a $100 signup bonus. You’ll get 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories, up to $1,500 spent per quarter. These categories are tailored to be seasonally relevant, e.g. gas and restaurants for summer road trips, and airfare and hotels for holiday travels. From October through December, you’ll get 5% back on airfare and hotels, Best Buy and Kohl’s. Non-bonus spending and bonus spending in excess of $1,500 a quarter earn 1% back. The Chase Freedom is the ideal go-to card, versatile and widely accepted. It’s a solid first card, next card, backup card – anytime card.

Chase Freedom® Visa
	This offer is for people with a good to excellent credit history which means, among other things, that your credit history is clear of bankruptcy and seriously delinquent accounts Earn $100 Bonus Cash Back after you make $500 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers 5% Cash Back on up to $1,500 spent between Apr 1 and Jun 30, 2013 at restaurants, movie theaters, and Lowe's® You'll enjoy new 5% categories every 3 months like gas stations, restaurants and Amazon.com. It's free and easy to activate your bonus each quarter! Unlimited 1% Cash Back on all other purchases No annual fee and rewards never expire		Pros Bonus cash back categories No annual fee 0% for 15 mos on transfers

Best Card for Travel: Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is among the best travel credit cards, boasting a ginormous Chase Ultimate Rewards signup bonus – wait for it – 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards, worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase’s booking tool. There’s also no foreign transaction fee – always a perk for world travelers. As far as rewards rates, you’ll get 2 points per dollar on travel and dining, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Airfare, hotels, cruises, taxis, rental cars and train tickets are all categorized as travel purchases. In addition, you’ll get a 7% annual dividend on new points earned, even points you’ve already redeemed. That’ll boost your rewards rate as high as 2.68% on travel and dining and 1.34% elsewhere. Consistent with all Chase rewards cards, you can earn unlimited points, and the points don’t expire. The $95 annual fee is waived the first year, and you can transfer points to other frequent traveler programs at no extra cost. With its killer signup bonus and waived first-year annual fee, the Chase Sapphire is the top contender for travel cards.

Chase Sapphire Preferred®
	40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months - that's $500 toward travel rewards! 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases Get 20% off airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises when you redeem through Ultimate RewardsSM No foreign transaction fees Receive a 7% Annual Points Dividend on all new points earned on purchases - even on points already redeemed 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs - that means 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points equal 1,000 partner miles/points Direct access to expert service advisors anytime Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95		Pros No foreign transaction fee Cons Has annual fee

Best Balance Transfer Card: Slate® from Chase

This is the only card we know of with a 0% interest rate for more than a year, AND no balance transfer fee. The 0% introductory period of 15 months on purchases and balance transfers is a few months short of the best cards out there, but nobody else lets you do the transfer without charging you an upfront fee in the range of 3-5% of your balance. That feature makes this the best balance transfer card, especially if you plan on cycling through 0% deals year after year.

Slate® from Chase
	Introductory Offer - No Balance Transfer Fee!* Transfer a balance during the first 60 days your account is open, and as an introductory offer you will pay no balance transfer fee!* 0% Introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers!* Avoid interest and pay down balances faster with free Blueprint® features* Patented Fraud Protection and zero liability on unauthorized purchases* Add an additional card user to your Slate account at no extra cost* No Annual Fee*		Pros No annual fee 0% for up to 15 months* on transfers No balance transfer fee Cons No rewards

Best Hotel Card: Ritz-Carlton

If you’re a hotel-hopper, living out of suitcases and always on the go, the Ritz-Carlton card from Chase is for you. While the Ritz-Carlton has a $395 annual fee (the comparable American Express Platinum has a $495 annual fee), the perks are well worth the price:

• A $100 hotel credit for dining and recreation for every hotel stay of 2+ nights
• Complimentary airport lounge access
• $200 airline incidentals credit to cover baggage fees, etc.

And there’s a killer signup bonus to seal the deal: 70,000 Ritz-Carlton Rewards Points after your first purchase. On top of that, you’ll get:

• 5% back for each $1 of net purchases charged to your guest room
• 2% points for each $1 of net purchases from airlines, car rentals, and dining
• 1% per $1 spent elsewhere.

The Ritz-Carlton’s 5% back beats out most hotel cards, typically offering 3% back on hotel spending. Regarding the sizable annual fee, you’ll easily out-earn what you dish out.