Why Chase Ultimate Rewards Are My Favorite Points

Written By Tiago .

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are referral or affiliate links. I may earn a commission—at no cost to you—if you choose to sign up for a credit card or make a purchase. I only recommend what I personally use to travel more and spend less

When it comes to rewards programs, Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points continue to be my go-to. They strike the perfect balance between ease of earning, flexibility in redemption, and long-term value. Here’s why I consistently build my strategy around them.

1. Easy to Earn Across Multiple Cards Chase makes it simple to rack up points across both personal and business cards. Many of these cards have no annual fee or offer strong value for a low fee. My current setup includes:

All of these points can be pooled and used together—which is key to maximizing value.

2. Points Are Always Worth Something At the very least, UR points can be redeemed for 1 cent per point as cash back. But I personally average 2 cents per point on redemptions—and I’ve booked Hyatt stays with valuations as high as 3.2 cents per point. That’s double or triple the baseline value, just by being strategic.

3. Powerful Transfer Partners Chase has one of the best transfer partner lineups out there. With 1:1 transfers to programs like:

  • Hyatt

  • Southwest

  • United

  • Air Canada (Aeroplan)

  • British Airways

  • Singapore Airlines

  • Iberia, and more

The process is straightforward and, in many cases, instant. This makes it easy to take advantage of outsized value without jumping through hoops.

4. Hyatt Redemptions Offer Amazing Value While Chase has many hotel partners, Hyatt is where I personally get the most value. Rooms that go for $300+ per night can often be booked for 12,000–18,000 points. That’s a reliable 2.0–2.5 cent per point redemption without hunting for rare deals.

When combined with the World of Hyatt Credit Card or free night certificates, the value only compounds.

5. You Can Pool Points Across Cards This is one of my favorite features of the UR system. You can earn high multipliers on one card (like 5x on Freedom Flex) and transfer the points to another card (like Sapphire Preferred) to access transfer partners or get more value through the Chase travel portal.

6. Travel Portal Boost (Without Transfers) If you don’t want to deal with transfer partners, Chase still offers boosted redemption through its travel portal:

  • 25% more value with Sapphire Preferred

  • 50% more value with Sapphire Reserve

A $500 flight or hotel becomes just 40,000 points with Sapphire Preferred—no blackout dates or loyalty program headaches.

7. Travel Protections Add Hidden Value Sapphire Preferred and Reserve come with some of the strongest travel protections in the industry:

  • Primary car rental insurance

  • Trip delay and cancellation coverage

  • Lost or delayed baggage protection

You may never need them, but when something goes wrong, this can save you hundreds.

8. Business Card Synergy Cards like Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited make it easy to earn big without annual fees. I use my Ink Cash for 5x on internet and office supplies, then pool those points with my Ink Preferred for travel transfers.

Ink Preferred is also a powerful card, offering 3x on shipping, advertising, and travel—all common business expenses - that comes with a $95 annual fee.

9. Strong Downgrade Paths Another reason I like Chase is the easy downgrade options. If a premium card no longer fits my goals, I can downgrade instead of canceling:

  • Sapphire Preferred → Freedom Flex or Unlimited

  • Ink Preferred → Ink Cash or Ink Unlimited

This helps me preserve credit history, avoid annual fees, and keep my UR ecosystem intact.

10. Pay Yourself Back + Portal Usability Chase occasionally offers a feature called Pay Yourself Back, where you can redeem points for statement credits at 25% or 50% more value in select categories like groceries, home improvement, or dining.

And if you prefer to book directly through Chase, the travel portal is smooth and powered by Expedia, making it accessible even for people who don’t want to mess with loyalty programs.

Final Thoughts

Chase Ultimate Rewards is the foundation of my credit card and travel strategy. It’s flexible, rewarding, and easy to grow into—whether you’re just starting out or building a long-term points plan.

The ability to earn with no-annual-fee cards, pool points across personal and business accounts, and transfer to high-value partners like Hyatt makes it the most well-rounded program I’ve used. Add in strong travel protections and occasional perks like Pay Yourself Back, and it's clear why this ecosystem continues to deliver real value for me.

If you’re thinking about building your own setup, feel free to use the referral links below. It won’t cost you anything extra, and it helps support the content I create here.

 

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Earn 1.5% back on everything, plus 3% on dining and drugstores. A solid all-around earner with no annual fee.
Apply here

Chase Freedom Flex®
5% on quarterly rotating categories (like groceries, gas, or Amazon), plus 3% on dining and drugstores.
Apply here

Chase Sapphire Preferred® / Reserve®
Earn 60,000 bonus points. These cards unlock travel transfers and boosted portal redemptions.
Apply here

Chase Ink Business Unlimited®
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on all business purchases with no annual fee. Great for simplicity.
Apply here

Chase Ink Business Cash®
Earn 5% back on internet, phone, and office supply stores—perfect for recurring expenses.
Apply here

Chase Ink Business Preferred®
Earn 3x points on travel, shipping, advertising, and more—with access to point transfers.
Apply here


Tiago .
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