Best Chase Credit Cards of December 2023

BEST CHASE CREDIT CARDS

Click the card name to read our review. Before applying, confirm details on the issuer’s website.

CONSUMER CREDIT CARDS

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Our pick for: Cash back — high ongoing rate

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® was already a fine card when it offered 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Now it's even better, with bonus rewards on travel booked through Chase, as well as at restaurants and drugstores. On top of all that, new cardholders get a 0% introductory APR period and the opportunity to earn a sweet bonus. Read our review.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Our pick for: Cash back — quarterly 5% categories

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers bonus cash back in quarterly categories that you activate, as well as on travel booked through Chase, at restaurants and at drugstores. Category activation can be a hassle, but if your spending matches the categories — and for a lot of people, it will — you can rack up hundreds of dollars a year. There's a fantastic bonus offer for new cardholders and a 0% intro APR period, too. Read our review.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Our pick for: Premium travel rewards

The high annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® gives many potential applicants pause, but frequent travelers should be able to wring enough value out of this card to more than make up for the cost. Cardholders get bonus rewards (up to 10X) on dining and travel, a fat bonus offer, annual travel credits, airport lounge access, and a 50% boost in point value when redeeming points for travel booked through Chase. Points can also be transferred to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. Read our review. 

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Our pick for: Travel rewards

For a reasonable annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns bonus rewards (up to 5X) on travel, dining, select streaming services, and select online grocery purchases. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem them for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. The sign-up bonus is stellar, too. Read our review. 

Chase Slate Edge℠

Our pick for: Balance transfers

The $0-annual-fee Chase Slate Edge℠ is light on flash but features an excellent 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers, plus some other potential incentives for paying on time. Read our review.

Chase Freedom® Student credit card

Our pick for: College students

With its rewards and bonuses, its relatively low APR, its $0 annual fee and its upgrade possibilities, the Chase Freedom® Student credit card offers a compelling combination of benefits to students looking for their first card. Read our review.

BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Our pick for: Travel rewards for small business

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card starts you off with one of the biggest sign-up bonuses of any credit card anywhere: Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You also get bonus rewards on travel expenses and common business spending categories, like advertising, shipping and internet, cable and phone service. Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel booked through Chase, or you can transfer them to about a dozen airline and hotel partners. Learn more and apply.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Our pick for: Flat-rate cash back for small business

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card earns a simple, flat cash-back rate on every purchase, with no limit on how much you can earn. The sign-up bonus is outstanding for a cash-back card, particularly one with no annual fee, and there's an intro APR period for purchases. Learn more and apply.

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Our pick for: Bonus cash back for small business

If your business's spending matches the bonus categories on the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, you can rack up some serious cash back. (If not, then look elsewhere.) There's an excellent sign-up bonus for a no-annual-fee cash-back card, plus an introductory APR period for purchases. Learn more and apply.

Other cards issued by Chase

Chase issues branded credit cards in partnership with airlines, hotels and others. Learn more about some of their more popular cards by reading the reviews linked below:

United Airlines credit cards

• United℠ Explorer Card

• United Club℠ Infinite Card

• United Gateway℠ Card

• United Quest℠ Card

• United℠ Business Card

Southwest Airlines credit cards

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Hotel credit cards

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

• Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card

• IHG® One Rewards Premier Credit Card

• IHG® One Rewards Traveler Credit Card

• World of Hyatt Credit Card

Other consumer credit cards

• Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card

• Aeroplan® Credit Card

• Prime Visa

• British Airways Visa Signature® Card

• Disney credit cards

• Iberia Visa Signature® Card

• Instacart Mastercard®

• • •

OTHER RESOURCES

By Sara Rathner, NerdWallet

What credit score do you need to get a Chase credit card?

Most Chase credit cards require good to excellent credit to qualify. This is especially true for Chase’s popular travel cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Keep in mind, though, that your credit score is just one factor that affects your eligibility. Others may include your income, current debts, recent credit applications and other Chase cards you carry. 

One possible exception is the Chase Freedom® Student credit card, which is geared more toward applicants who are newer to building credit. However, you must be enrolled in a college, university, or career or trade school for this card, and Chase will verify your enrollment status when you apply for the card.

What else should I know about qualifying for Chase credit cards?

Sometimes you can have only one card in a product “family.” Chase has some restrictions on holding similar cards. For example, you can’t have both Sapphire cards at the same time, nor can you have more than one of the Chase-issued Southwest Airlines consumer cards. This isn’t always the case, though. You can have both the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®. 

You may have to wait to be eligible for a sign-up bonus. If you had a Sapphire card and then canceled, you must wait 48 months before you can be eligible to earn the sign-up bonus on a new Sapphire card.

Be mindful of how many new cards you’ve opened in the past two years. There’s no official documentation, but under Chase’s famed 5/24 rule, you must have fewer than five credit card approvals in the past two years in order to qualify for a new Chase card. Business cards, like the Chase Ink cards, can be an exception to this rule.

What are the interest rates on Chase credit cards?

Chase charges a range of potential interest rates, and what you’d qualify for depends on your credit score and the financial information you provide in your card application, including your income and current debts.

Credit card interest rates are variable, meaning they can change over time. They're typically tied to the prime rate (the interest rate banks charge their most qualified customers). When the Federal Reserve raises or lowers interest rates, the prime rate changes, and credit card interest rates follow suit.

Some Chase cards offer introductory 0% APR promotions for new purchases and balance transfers. This can give you a reprieve from interest payments for more than a year.

What credit limit can I get with a Chase credit card?

Much like the interest rate you qualify for, the credit limit you'd get on a card also depends on your financial situation, as well as how much credit you have across your other cards. Economic conditions also affect credit limits. In times of uncertainty, credit card issuers sometimes opt to lower credit limits to reduce their own risk at a time when consumers may be struggling to meet financial obligations.

What are the benefits of Chase credit cards?

• Rewards: Whether you’re looking for cash back or travel points, Chase offers a broad selection of rewards credit cards. Many of them earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which you can redeem for travel (including transferring points to airline and hotel partners), cash back, gift cards and experiences. You can also pay with points on Amazon.com or when you use PayPal at checkout. 

• Chase Offers: With select Chase cards, you can earn extra rewards or discounts on purchases from participating merchants. You can add offers to your card on the Chase app or by logging into your account online.

• Flexible ways to stretch out payments: With My Chase Plan, you can split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly payments with no interest. Instead, you’ll pay a fixed monthly fee. Another feature, My Chase Loan, allows you to borrow against your credit limit for a lower interest rate than your card would charge for a cash advance. Unlike with a traditional loan, you don’t need to apply for My Chase Loan, nor are you subject to a credit check.

• A variety of airline and hotel cards: If you’re loyal to certain travel brands, Chase issues cards that earn rewards for Southwest, United, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG, World of Hyatt and more.

Can you combine points on Chase credit cards?

You can combine points between cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You can also transfer Ultimate Rewards® points to one other member of your household. Airline and hotel rewards on Chase-issued cards can be tied to your loyalty program number, so if you carry multiple cards for the same brand (either at once or over a few years), earned points will land into that specific loyalty program account.

The Chase Sapphire cards provide a unique incentive to transfer points: When you redeem Ultimate Rewards® points for travel booked through Chase via one of these cards, points are worth more than the standard 1 cent. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel bookings. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, they’re worth 1.5 cents each. That means you can move points from another eligible Chase card to a Sapphire card, and get more value for them.