Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
Chase recently made its secret 5% gas and grocery offer on the Freedom cards its public limited-time offer on these cards. That adds those cards to our list of the best of the best welcome bonuses.
Here are the best Ultimate Rewards® welcome bonuses currently available.
The best of the best: Ultimate Rewards welcome bonuses to get now.
These welcome bonuses are the best Ultimate Rewards® welcome bonuses currently available. Some of these are limited time offers. Some of them are the best offers we’ve ever seen on these cards. If you are considering adding one of these cards to your wallet, now is the time. You are unlikely to see better bonuses on these cards anytime soon.
Get the card_name welcome bonus
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: One of the best welcome bonuses available on a single card and the best this card has ever seen.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $95
Rewards: 3x – Shipping, Internet, Ads, Travel (Up to $150k spend); 1x – All other purchases
Get the card_name welcome bonus
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: This is an absolutely massive bonus on a card with no annual fee and the best bonus this card has ever offered. Get it now. The Ink Business Cash is marketed as a cash back card, but earns Ultimate Rewards®.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% on $25k spent at office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services. 2% on $25k spent at gas stations and restaurants. 1% on all other purchases
Get the card_name welcome bonus
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: This is an absolutely massive bonus on a card with no annual fee and the best bonus this card has ever offered. Get it now. The Ink Business Unlimited is marketed as a cash back card, but earns Ultimate Rewards®.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 1.5% on every purchase.
Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Welcome bonuses
Offer #1: card_name: bonus_miles_full
Offer #2: Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus get a 5% gas and grocery offer up to $600 cash back. (Earn 5% cash back on combined gas station and grocery store purchases on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.)
Our take on the welcome bonuses: These are both arguably the best offers we’ve seen on this card. One of the other might be better for you, depending on how you plan to use the card.
One of the links above is a affiliate link and the other link is a referral link. If you use our affiliate link, we may earn a commission. If you use a referral link, either we or someone on our team may earn points. We always show you the best offer, regardless of our ability to earn a commission.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% travel through Chase; 3% dining; 3% drugstore; 1.5% all other purchases
Get the Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus
Chase Freedom Flex℠: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus get a 5% gas and grocery offer up to $600 cash back. (Earn 5% cash back on combined gas station and grocery store purchases on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.)
Our take on the welcome bonus: This is the best offer we’ve seen on this card. Getting a $200 bonus after spending $500 on the card is good, but getting five percent cash back on up to $12,000 of spending on gas and groceries makes this card both one of the best gas cards and one of the best grocery cards for new cardmembers.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter); 5% travel through Chase; 3% dining; 3% drugstore; 1% all other purchases
Bonuses worth waiting on
If one of the cards below fits into your credit card strategy, by all means, apply for them. But the welcome bonuses below might be worth waiting on. In some cases, we recommend waiting on these bonuses because Chase has offered better bonuses in the past. In some cases, we think that they’re worth waiting on because there are other, more compelling bonuses out there.
Get the card_name: Welcome bonus
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: Chase occasionally offers larger welcome bonuses on the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, so it might be worth waiting for one of those to come around. You might be able to get an offer for 10,000 points more by applying in-branch.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $95
Rewards: 5x travel through Chase; 3x dining; 3x streaming and online grocery; 1x all other purchases
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening — that’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Our take on the welcome bonus: Chase occasionally offers larger welcome bonuses on the Chase Sapphire Reserve, so it might be worth waiting for one of those to come around. You might be able to get an offer for 10,000 points more by applying in-branch.
The link above is a link directly to the bank’s website. We don’t make money when you use the above link, but we always show you the best offer.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $550
Rewards: 10x hotels and car rentals through Chase; 3x dining and other travel; 1x all other purchases
Perks: $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass + Chase lounge access, Redeem points at 1.5c/point for travel.
About the cards
If you’re interested in learning a bit more about the features, benefits, and rewards of the Ultimate Rewards cards, here’s a little bit on each of the cards above. We’ve written card overviews about many of these cards where you can learn more about the rewards and benefits offered by each card
Chase Ink cards
Chase Ink cards are small business cards that are meant for people who own a small business. Many of these cards carry no annual fee and offer generous rewards in categories relevant to small businesses like office supplies or travel.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers small business owners rewards on business category purchases like travel, shipping, internet services, and advertising, plus essential protections like extended warranty and primary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance when renting for work. The card carries an annual fee of $95.
The card earns three points per dollar on the first $150,000 in combined purchases in its bonus categories, which include:
- Shipping purchases
- Internet, cable and phone services
- Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines
- Travel
Purchases beyond $150,000 in these categories and all other purchases earn one point per dollar. Rewards are earned as Ultimate Rewards points, which can be transferred to one of Chase’s 15 travel transfer partners.
The Ink Business Preferred comes with a robust set of travel and insurance benefits which, while not as generous as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, do cover the essentials. The card includes primary auto rental collision damage waiver when renting for business, baggage delay protection, and trip delay reimbursement as well as purchase protection and extended warranty protection
Learn more about the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card from our overview of card.
Get the card_name welcome bonus
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: One of the best welcome bonuses available on a single card and the best this card has ever seen.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $95
Rewards: 3x – Shipping, Internet, Ads, Travel (Up to $150k spend); 1x – All other purchases
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card from Chase offers small business owners simple 1.5% cash back rewards on all their spending, with no caps or bonus categories to worry about. The card carries no annual fee.
The strength of the Ink Business Unlimited® card’s rewards is simplicity. You get 1.5% cash back on all of your spending. Chase markets the card’s rewards as cash back, but the card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points behind the scenes, which can be transferred to a premium Ultimate Rewards® card and redeemed for greater value.
The card offers a limited, but useful set of perks including primary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance when renting for business, purchase protection and extended warranty protection.
Learn more about the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card from our overview of card.
Get the card_name welcome bonus
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: This is an absolutely massive bonus on a card with no annual fee and the best bonus this card has ever offered. Get it now. The Ink Business Unlimited is marketed as a cash back card, but earns Ultimate Rewards®.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 1.5% on every purchase.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a cash back card for small business owners who want purchasing power combined with increased rewards on business purchases like office supplies, internet, cable, and phone services, gas, and restaurant purchases. The Ink Business Cash carries no annual fee.
The card’s biggest strength is its bonus cash back categories. The Ink Cash earns 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services. The card also earns 2% on $25,000 in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants, plus 1% cash back on all other purchases. Although rewards are marketed as cash back, the card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points behind the scenes, which can be transferred to a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards® card and redeemed for greater value.
The Chase Ink Business Cash® credit card also offers a handful of benefits useful to small business owners, including primary auto rental collision damage waiver when renting for business, purchase protection and extended warranty protection.
Learn more about the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card from our overview of card.
Get the card_name welcome bonus
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: This is an absolutely massive bonus on a card with no annual fee and the best bonus this card has ever offered. Get it now. The Ink Business Cash is marketed as a cash back card, but earns Ultimate Rewards®.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% on $25k spent at office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services. 2% on $25k spent at gas stations and restaurants. 1% on all other purchases
Chase consumer cards
Chase offers a bunch of consumer cards that offer a variety of rewards. Many of Chase’s consumer cards are offered in partnership with airline and hotel co-branded partners and earn rewards in those programs directly. Here are the cards that earn Ultimate Rewards.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of Chase’s flagship rewards cards. It offers elevated rewards in useful categories like travel, online grocery, dining, and select streaming services and best-in-class travel insurance protections. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® carries an annual fee of $95.
The card offers rewards of three points per dollar in several categories, including online grocery, select streaming providers, and dining. When you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you’ll earn five points per dollar. All other travel earns two points per dollar. Finally, the card also offers increased rewards for Lyft rides (5x) and Peloton purchases.
The Sapphire Preferred features travel insurance benefits like primary rental car insurance, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement coverage, making it an excellent choice to use for booking travel. Most importantly, the card offers transfers to Chase’s useful suite of travel partners, plus 25% increased value for your rewards when you redeem them for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Get the card_name: Welcome bonus
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: Chase occasionally offers larger welcome bonuses on the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, so it might be worth waiting for one of those to come around. You might be able to get an offer for 10,000 points more by applying in-branch.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $95
Rewards: 5x travel through Chase; 3x dining; 3x streaming and online grocery; 1x all other purchases
Chase Freedom Flex℠
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is Chase’s take on the 5% rotating category card, offering increased rewards in limited-time categories that are announced quarterly. The Freedom Flex has no annual fee.
The Freedom Flex offers 5% back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in rotating bonus quarterly categories. Categories have historically included purchases at grocery stores, Amazon.com, gas stations and big box retailers. In addition, the card offers 3% cash back on restaurants and drugstore purchases and 1% cash back on everything else. All rewards are earned as Ultimate Rewards points, but can be redeemed for cash back.
In addition to cash back rewards, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers a generous suite of benefits for a card with no annual fee. The card protects your purchases with Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty Protection, and Cell Phone Protection and it offers protection for your travels with secondary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Get the Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus
Chase Freedom Flex℠: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus get a 5% gas and grocery offer up to $600 cash back. (Earn 5% cash back on combined gas station and grocery store purchases on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.)
Our take on the welcome bonus: This is the best offer we’ve seen on this card. Getting a $200 bonus after spending $500 on the card is good, but getting five percent cash back on up to $12,000 of spending on gas and groceries makes this card both one of the best gas cards and one of the best grocery cards for new cardmembers.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter); 5% travel through Chase; 3% dining; 3% drugstore; 1% all other purchases
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers cardmembers 1.5% rewards on all purchases. It is the essential “everywhere else card” in the Chase Ultimate Rewards® ecosystem.
Although the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is marketed as a “1.5% everywhere” card, it offers plenty of bonus spending categories. You get 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining at restaurants including eligible takeout and delivery, and 3% on drugstore purchases. Although rewards are marketed as cash back, the card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points behind the scenes, which can be transferred to a premium Ultimate Rewards® card and redeemed for greater value.
For a card with no annual fee, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® comes with a healthy set of benefits, including purchase protection, extended warranty, secondary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Welcome bonuses
Offer #1: card_name: bonus_miles_full
Offer #2: Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus get a 5% gas and grocery offer up to $600 cash back. (Earn 5% cash back on combined gas station and grocery store purchases on up to $12,000 spent in the first year.)
Our take on the welcome bonuses: These are both arguably the best offers we’ve seen on this card. One of the other might be better for you, depending on how you plan to use the card.
One of the links above is a affiliate link and the other link is a referral link. If you use our affiliate link, we may earn a commission. If you use a referral link, either we or someone on our team may earn points. We always show you the best offer, regardless of our ability to earn a commission.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% travel through Chase; 3% dining; 3% drugstore; 1.5% all other purchases
Additional pointers on Chase cards
Chase Ultimate Rewards card synergies
Chase Ultimate Rewards points can always be redeemed for cash back rewards at one cent each. This makes 10,000 points worth $100. But your points can become even more valuable when you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards credit card.
If you hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred card, you have access to a handful of redemption options that can increase the value of your points:
- Point transfers to airline and hotel partners
- Increased value when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Pay Yourself Back options
To use the points you earned from your non-premium Ultimate Rewards credit card for one of these redemptions, simply transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to your premium Ultimate Rewards credit card.
A few notes on applying for Chase cards
- Chase generally won’t approve you if your credit report is showing 5 or more new credit card accounts opened in the last 24 months. This rule is knows as the 5/24 rule. If you’re unsure if you are “under 5/24” you should check your 5/24 status before applying for a Chase card. Note that recently this rule seems to have softened. See our coverage about Chase 5/24 for more.
- How often you can earn a welcome bonus on a Chase card varies by card family.
- Most cards allow you to earn a welcome bonus if it has been at least 24 months since your last received a welcome bonus on the same card.
- Chase Sapphire-branded cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can only earn a welcome bonus once every 48 months.
- You can only hold one Chase Sapphire-branded card at a time.
- If you apply for a Chase card and the bank offers a higher bonus within 90 days, you can send Chase a secure message or call them to have your welcome offer matched.
- Chase business cards do not report to personal credit reports as long as they are current.
Frequently asked questions
No. Chase only allows you to have one Chase Sapphire card at a time. Even if you could have both cards, there would be little benefit to having both.
Chase requires you to stick with the same card for a year before requesting a product change. After a year, you can change your Chase Sapphire Preferred card to either a Chase Sapphire Reserve or a Chase Freedom Flex card.
The Chase Sapphire card with no annual fee is available only as a product-change option for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders. To get this card, you must hold one of these other cards for a year or more and request a product change. The Chase Sapphire (no-annual-fee) is not available to new cardmembers.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.