Key findings
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Chase Ultimate Rewards points are considered particularly valuable for several reasons, including the variety of redemption options available.
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Redemption options such as cash back or account credits offer a value of 1 cent per point, while certain travel redemptions can be worth 2 cents per point or more.
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Certain Chase credit cards offer 25 to 50 percent more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase TravelSM, making these cards particularly attractive.
If this is your first time earning rewards with a Chase credit card, you may want to exchange your points for easy options like cash back, Apple products, or even gift cards. But some of the best ways to redeem Chase points are for travel redemptions—whether that’s by using points through the Chase travel portal or transferring your rewards to partners.
If you’re not sure how to redeem your Chase points or which redemptions will provide the most value, this quick guide offers some tips to help you get the most bang for your buck with your redemption options.
How do I redeem my Chase points?
To redeem your Chase points, log in to your Chase account – either through your desktop browser or the Chase mobile app – and navigate to the Ultimate Rewards portal.
When you click on the link to the Ultimate Rewards portal, it will open as a separate dashboard from your Chase account. There, you can choose from several menu options for redeeming points, including cash back, Chase Dining, gift cards, Pay Yourself Back, and more. After selecting your redemption option, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process of redeeming your points for the selected reward.
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If you have multiple Chase accounts that earn Ultimate Rewards points, select the card you want to access and you’ll see how many points are available to redeem. You have the option to switch between your different card accounts and change cards as needed. If you don’t have enough points for your preferred redemption options, you can transfer points from one card to another using the “Combine Points” feature in the “Rewards Details” menu in the Ultimate Rewards portal.
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Check your redemption options
Once you are in the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, you should see various redemption options via the main menu options and dropdown menus at the top of the page. These include:
- Cashback
- Eat
- Gift Cards
- Pay with points at Amazon.com or PayPal
- Apple Store
- Pay yourself back
- Travel
- Transfer to travel partners
Here’s a quick breakdown of these options and their value compared to other available redemptions.
Cashback
Unlike many travel credit cards, the value of your points does not decrease when you choose to earn cash back when redeeming your Ultimate Rewards. You’ll earn 1 cent per point on your rewards and also have the option to deposit your money into an account of your choice or receive an account credit on the card you earned the points with.
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Eat
Chase Sapphire, Freedom and Ink family cardholders can also redeem rewards at Chase Dining, although Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders also have access to Sapphire Reserve Private Dining events and Reserved by Sapphire. You can use your points for curated dining experiences, at-home cooking packages and more. Note that redemption values and options vary.
Gift Cards
Gift cards typically pay 1 cent per point, but there are often special promotions that give you better deals from time to time. For example, you might get a $100 gift card for 9,000 points instead of 10,000 points if there’s a special sale going on that week with 10 percent off.
Gift card selections also vary and may change over time. Popular options that are usually always available come from retailers like Lowe’s, Airbnb, Kohl’s, DoorDash and Ulta.
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Pay with points at Amazon.com or PayPal
Pay with Points allows you to redeem your points at checkout for purchases made through Amazon.com or PayPal. However, this redemption option is only worth 0.8 cents per point, so 100 points are equal to 80 cents.
This is a nice option, but not the best way to redeem your points – especially since you can redeem them for account credits instead at a rate of one cent per point.
Apple Store
You can also use your points on Apple products like Apple Watches, Airpods, iPhones, iPads, Macs and accessories. Another option is “Split Pay” where you can use a portion of your points and pay the remaining balance with your credit card.
Prices at the Chase Apple Store are comparable to those on the regular Apple website. Sometimes there are special offers, especially around the holidays. In a recent promotion, points redeemed for Apple products were valued 50 percent higher, but only if you had the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Cardholders with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card received 25 percent more value for their points at Apple.
Chase pays back
With Chase Pay Yourself Back, you’ll earn more rewards when you redeem them for account credits on eligible spending categories, which may change over time. The main benefit is that your points are worth more in a Pay Yourself Back promotion than if you redeem them for an account credit using the cash back method.
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Travel
You can also book travel accommodations from hotels to airlines to car rentals through the Chase Travel portal. If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you’ll even earn 25 percent more points value when you book travel through the portal. With Sapphire Reserve®, on the other hand, you’ll earn 50 percent more rewards value when you redeem travel through Chase.
Remember, you don’t need the full amount of points to book a trip on the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, either. If you don’t have enough points to redeem, you can still book with a combination of rewards and cash.
Transfer to travel partners
The final – and arguably most valuable – redemption option is transferring your points to Chase travel partners. Points can be transferred to a number of partners at a 1:1 ratio if you have a valid Chase credit card – so the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Ink Business Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve. According to Bankrate’s reviews, your points are worth about 2.0 cents per point with this redemption option. This is especially true if you book international flights or domestic flights in a premium cabin.
Transfer partners available for eligible Chase cards include:
Airline Partner
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada aircraft
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Fast rewards from Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flight Club
Hotel partner
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
What is the best way to redeem my Chase points?
Generally speaking, redeeming points for travel through Chase or transferring them to travel partners will give you the most value for your points. That’s because eligible Chase cardholders get 25 to 50 percent more value when they redeem points for travel through Chase, as well as the enhanced redemption opportunities offered by many Chase airline and hotel partners.
It’s not uncommon to transfer points to a Chase travel partner and get significantly more than 1 cent per point, but you should compare the cost of booking through the Chase portal or transferring points to a partner to know which option requires the fewest total points.
However, if you travel infrequently, it may make the most sense to redeem your points for cash back, account credits, or gift cards. All of these options make using rewards easy, especially since redeeming for account credits and cash back is easy.
On the other hand, if you redeem your points when paying with Amazon.com or PayPal, you will receive the lowest value for your points. However, there may be times when this particular redemption option makes sense for you, such as during the holiday season or when making a large purchase.
The conclusion
Earning credit card rewards through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program makes sense for several reasons, including because it’s one of the most flexible rewards programs on the market.
Knowing the ins and outs of this program and the redemption options available will help you get the most value out of your rewards. You worked hard to earn your points, so you might as well enjoy them.
