Posts by Ryan Kangail

Editorial Disclaimer: This post may include references to offers from our partners. We may receive compensation when you click on links to specific products. The opinions expressed here are ours alone and at no time has the editorial content been provided, reviewed, or approved by any issuer.

Did you hear about the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k signup bonus that they offered when the card was announced? Yep, it really was that high! For the first few months after inception, the Chase Sapphire Reserve had a 100k Ultimate Rewards point signup bonus. That was back in the second half of 2016.

Supposedly, Chase ran this limited time offer at a loss to the tune of a whopping $300 million. They’ll likely make up that loss in their cardmembers’ life cycle though. In fact, the promotion was so “successful” that Chase reached their 12-month acquisition goal in just two weeks. At Travel Freedom, we see it as the best premium credit card in the travel industry.

Chase Sapphire Reserve: 100k  50k Signup Bonus

As mentioned, even with a signup bonus half as big as it was originally, we still think that the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best premium credit card in all of the travel credit card market. How is that possible? It’s possible because the Chase Sapphire Reserve has the best travel benefits ever seen in a credit card offer.

Let’s first talk about the signup bonus. The official value of the signup bonus given by Chase is $750, but that is not using the optimal redemption value. The points from the 50k Ultimate Rewards signup bonus can simply be worth at least $1000 simply by redeeming with Chase travel partners.

50,000 Points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months

• Introductory Offer: Earn an introductory 50,000 points after spending $4,000 within the first three months.
• Statement Credits: Receive a $300 in statement credits each year (based on your account anniversary) to cover travel expenses like airfare and hotels.
• Receive a $100 Statement credit as reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck enrollment.
• Earning Categories: You’ll earn 3 points per $1 spent on dining and on travel that doesn’t qualify for the $300 travel reimbursement each year and one point per $1 on everything else.
• Travel Point Transfer Partners: 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• Extra Point Value: Receive 50 percent more value for your points when you redeem for travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• Airport Lounge Access: Visit more than 1000 airport lounge locations while traveling with a Priority Pass Select membership.
• Annual Fee: $450

Our thoughts about the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k Offer:

The 50k signup bonus is one of the best of any credit cards in the market and it’s just the icing on top of this cards benefits. The benefits of this card are nothing short of great. A $300 travel credit, airport lounge access, TSA PreCheck, and more. Like I said, the benefits are worth more than the annual fee and the signup bonus is the icing on top. The signup bonus alone for this card got us 2 round-trip flights to Hawaii. 3X points on travel and dining can be useful as well. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a must have credit card for people who travel often and can take advantage of its perks. It also makes for a perfect credit card combination with a few of the other Ultimate Rewards cards, as you can combine your point balances between card accounts.

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k offer and find out how to apply HERE.

Redeeming Ultimate Rewards through Chase Transfer Partners

Although Ultimate Rewards are given a value of 1.25 cents each by Chase, you can make your points from the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k bonus worth more than that. There are 13 Ultimate Rewards travel partners consisting of airlines and hotels. You can transfer your points to any of these programs at a 1:1 ratio. We often transfer our Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Airlines, British Airways, and Hyatt hotels to earn redemptions well above 2 cents per point. That’s nearly double what Chase advertises as the value.

Ultimate Rewards Airline Transfer Partners

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• British Airways Executive Club
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United Airlines MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Ultimate Rewards Hotel Transfer Partners

• Hyatt Gold Passport
• IHG Rewards Club
• Marriott Rewards
• The Ritz-Carlton Rewards

Earn Spending Bonuses on Travel and Dining

This card will give you more than just the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k signup bonus. It has a couple of valuable spending bonus categories. You’ll earn 3X points on all travel and dining purchases. I’m sure you spend money on these two quite a bit.

• Travel: The travel bonus counts for flights, trains, taxi’s, other transportation, hotels, and much more.
• Dining: Dining is considered anything purchased from restaurants, bars, cafes, fast food restaurants, restaurant delivery services like (Caviar, Eat24, GrubHub, Postmates, Seamless), and even from vending machines.

I’m going to guess that you spend some money on both travel and dining occasionally. Spending bonuses are a great way to earn some extra Ultimate Rewards without really doing anything. By earning 3X points on these purchases and then redeeming Ultimate Rewards at a value of 2 cents each, you’re essentially earning 6% back on those purchases. 6% value back on a credit card is unheard of!

Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 Travel Credit

If you spend at least $300 on travel yearly, the Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 travel credit essentially erases 2/3 of the annual fee. By taking advantage of the Sapphire Reserve 300 travel credit, the annual fee gets knocked down to $150 (only $55 more than the Sapphire Preferred). That means that you’re paying just $55 for all the other benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

The Sapphire Reserve travel credit is very simple to use. Every time you spend money on a travel-related expense, you will automatically receive a statement credit for it. Things that count towards the travel credit are:

• Airlines
• Hotels
• Motels
• Timeshares
• Campgrounds
• Car Rental Agencies
• Cruise Lines
• Travel Agencies
• Discount Travel Sites
• Passenger Trains
• Buses
• Taxis
• Limousines
• Ferries
• Toll Bridges and Highways
• Parking Lots and Garages (parking tickets also – ugh)

Lounge Access is the Best Benefit of the Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers complimentary Priority Pass Select airport lounge access. After being approved for your credit card, you’ll have to activate your Priority Pass Select account. Then you’ll automatically receive a new membership card each year you keep your Sapphire Reserve credit card. Priority Pass airport lounges range in quality, but they’re all a nice relaxing place to get away while you wait at the airport. We like to grab a snack and a drink, charge our phones, and hang out in the comfort of lounge chairs.

Below, are the amenities you can expect in a Priority Pass lounge.

• Digital Membership Card Option
• Free Wifi
• Drinks & Snacks
• Alcoholic Drinks
• TV’s
• Internet Data Ports
• Newspapers & Magazines
• Disabled Access

Some lounges also have a few extra perks.

• Showers
• Conference Rooms (subject to a fee)

Priority Pass now features a few restaurants as well as lounges. At Priority Pass restaurants, members can use their membership card to earn a $28 credit for both themselves and one guest. So, if you and your guest go to a Priority Pass restaurant, you’ll have $56 to spend that will be covered by Priority Pass.

Don’t Forget About the Chase 5/24 Rule

Chase has an unwritten rule, known as the “Chase 5/24 Rule”, that only allows you to be approved for a Chase-branded credit card if you have less than five new credit cards opened within the last 24 months. The five credit cards opened don’t just include Chase credit cards, it includes nearly all credit cards. Small business credit cards don’t count toward the five card limit, but the Chase 5/24 rule does come into effect when applying for a business card.

Chase 5/24 Rule FAQ’s

Can I apply for 2 Chase credit cards on the same day when I’m 4/24 and get approved for both?

• Data suggests you can, however, we recommend not pushing the line and only apply for one Chase card at a time. People have reported having their account shut down for applying for too much credit.

Can I apply the day my 5/24 limit drops off?

• Preferably wait until the first day of the next month to apply.

I’m over the 5/24 rule limit, can I be approved for a card from another bank?

• Yes. Approvals for credit cards from other banks besides Chase are not impacted by your 5/24 score. Each bank has their own set of rules for approval.

Do Chase business cards count toward my 5/24 score?

• No. Being approved for a Chase business card will not add to your 5/24 limit. However, to get approved for a Chase business card you must be below the 5/24 limit.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k Signup Bonus is Still a Great Offer

While the Chase Reserve 100k signup bonus only lasted a few months, 50k points is still a great offer. At a value of at least $750, it’s still one of the premier bonuses of all cards. What makes it such a great offer is the amazing travel benefits the card comes with. Yes, the annual fee is $450, but it’s worth every penny and more. The signup bonus can be worth over $1000 if you redeem your points efficiently and the other travel benefits are worth even more than that if you use them regularly.

Back in 2016, I was lucky enough to get in on the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k point offer. With such a high annual fee I planned to downgrade the card before the second year to lose the annual fee. I was wrong. I continue paying the annual fee to keep the card active because the benefits are just so good.

If you’re someone who travels often, this will be a great credit card for you. It sure has been valuable to me. The Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k 50k offer is still well worth the application. It’s the best premium travel credit card in the industry.

Editorial Disclaimer: This post may include references to offers from our partners. We may receive compensation when you click on links to specific products. The opinions expressed here are ours alone and at no time has the editorial content been provided, reviewed, or approved by any issuer.

You may have heard about the Chase Ink Preferred 100k offer that took place in 2018. It was a short-lived offer to receive extra Ultimate Rewards points as a signup bonus for the Chase Ink Preferred credit card. When this offer was live, it wasn’t even a public offer. You had to go into a Chase branch and hopefully have a branch manager allow you to get the offer. According to Chases information you also had to have a business with revenue over a million dollars. The bad news is there is no offer for a Chase Ink Preferred 100k signup bonus anymore.

The good news is the Chase Ink Preferred is still offering the best signup bonus in the credit card industry. The Chase Ink Preferred offers a signup bonus of 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points! That’s enough points to get more than $1,600 of travel value if they’re redeemed efficiently. At Travel Freedom, we see it as the best credit card offer available right now.

Chase Ink Preferred: 100k  80k Signup Bonus

As mentioned, we believe that the signup bonus for the Chase Ink Preferred card is the best in the business. The official value given by Chase is $1000, but that is the minimum redemption value. The points from the 80k Ultimate Rewards signup bonus can simply be worth at least double that ($1,600) by redeeming with Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners.

80,000 Points after spending $5000 in the first 3 months

• Introductory Offer: You’ll earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from your account opening.
• Category Spend Bonuses: You’ll earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories (including social media advertising!) each account anniversary year.  You’ll earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases, with no limit to the amount you can earn.
• Other Benefits: Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.  You can redeem points for travel, cash back, and gift cards, or transfer your points to an airline or hotel partner.  You’ll get a cell phone protection plan of up to $600 when you pay your cell phone bill with the card.  You’ll receive rental car loss and damage coverage if your reservation is paid with the card.
• Annual Fee: $95 Annual Fee

Our thoughts about the Chase Ink Preferred 100k 80k Offer:

The 80k signup bonus is the best of any credit card in the market. Chase is giving away a ton of value for a credit card with only a $95 annual fee. The benefits of this card are great. The signup bonus alone for this card got us 3 round-trip flights to Hawaii. The spending category bonuses earn extra Ultimate Rewards for our online businesses. The Chase Ink Preferred is a must have credit card if you’re looking to earn Ultimate Rewards. It makes for a perfect credit card combination with a few of the other Ultimate Rewards cards, as you can combine your point balances between card accounts.

Learn more about the Chase Ink Business Preferred 100k 80k offer and find out how to apply HERE.

Redeeming Your Ultimate Rewards for More Value

As mentioned above, you can redeem the Ultimate Rewards that you’ll earn with the Chase Ink Preferred 100k 80k for more value than Chase advertises. There are 13 Ultimate Rewards travel partners consisting of airlines and hotels. You can transfer your points to any of these programs at a 1:1 ratio. We often transfer our points to Southwest Airlines, British Airways, and Hyatt hotels to earn redemptions well above 2 cents per point.

Ultimate Rewards Airline Transfer Partners

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• British Airways Executive Club
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United Airlines MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Ultimate Rewards Hotel Transfer Partners

• Hyatt Gold Passport
• IHG Rewards Club
• Marriott Rewards
• The Ritz-Carlton Rewards

Earn Bonus Points on your Business Spending

This card offers more than just the Chase Ink Preferred 100k 80k signup bonus. It has some great spending bonuses for certain business categories. You’ll earn 3X points on all spending in the following categories. I’m sure you spend money on at least a few of these categories regularly.

• Travel: The travel bonus counts for flights, trains, taxi’s, other transportation, hotels, and much more.
• Shipping: Do you ship packages for your business? This is one of the only credit cards that earn a bonus on shipping expenses.
• Internet, Phone, & Cable: Does your business use a phone and the internet. I’m pretty sure every business does.
• Online Advertising (search engines & social media): Think Google, Bing, Facebook, Pinterest…

I’d bet you spend money on some of these categories. They’re a great way to earn some extra Ultimate Rewards without really doing anything. By earning 3X points on these purchases and then redeeming Ultimate Rewards at a value of 2 cents each, you’re essentially earning 6% back on those purchases. 6% value back on a credit card is unheard of!

Don’t Forget About the Chase 5/24 Rule

Chase has an unwritten rule, known as the “Chase 5/24 Rule”, that only allows you to be approved for a Chase-branded credit card if you have less than five new credit cards opened within the last 24 months. The five credit cards opened don’t just include Chase credit cards, it includes nearly all credit cards. Small business credit cards don’t count toward the five card limit, but the Chase 5/24 rule does come into effect when applying for a business card.

Chase 5/24 Rule FAQ’s

Can I apply for 2 Chase credit cards on the same day when I’m 4/24 and get approved for both?

• Data suggests you can, however, we recommend not pushing the line and only apply for one Chase card at a time. People have reported having their account shut down for applying for too much credit.

Can I apply the day my 5/24 limit drops off?

• Preferably wait until the first day of the next month to apply.

I’m over the 5/24 rule limit, can I be approved for a card from another bank?

• Yes. Approvals for credit cards from other banks besides Chase are not impacted by your 5/24 score. Each bank has their own set of rules for approval.

Do Chase business cards count toward my 5/24 score?

• No. Being approved for a Chase business card will not add to your 5/24 limit. However, to get approved for a Chase business card you must be below the 5/24 limit.

The Chase Ink Preferred 100k 80k Bonus is Still the Best Offer

While the Chase Ink Preferred 100k signup bonus was short lived and never even a public offer, 80k points is still an amazing signup bonus. It’s the best regular introductory offer we’ve seen for a credit card since we started earning points back in 2012. It’s such a great offer because of the number of points you receive and the high value of those points. Ultimate Rewards are the most valuable points of any rewards program.

If you’re able to, get on this offer while it lasts. The Chase ink Preferred 100k 80k offer is the best in the business and the best we’ve ever seen for a regular signup bonus.

Editorial Disclaimer: This post may include references to offers from our partners. We may receive compensation when you click on links to specific products. The opinions expressed here are ours alone and at no time has the editorial content been provided, reviewed, or approved by any issuer.

As a small business owner, you’re always looking to both save and earn more money wherever possible.  1% growth on your bottom line is more money in your pocket and therefore good for your business. If, for instance, you could sell your product for 1% more or manufacture it for 1% less, you’d probably be very happy.  One way that your business can earn more, is by getting a better return on all expenses.  The way to do that is through the best business travel credit cards and their introductory bonuses.  They will make you wonder why you were ever happy with that 1% cash back credit card.

• Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
• Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card
• The Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN – LEARN MORE
• Ink Business Cash Credit Card
• CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard

More information on each card can be found below:

Are You Missing Out on Free Travel Rewards?

If you’re using cash, a debit card, or even the wrong credit card for business expenses, you are missing out on either cash back or free travel.  While cash-back can be great, most cash-back credit cards will only earn you 1-2% back on all purchases. If you were to get the right combination of business travel credit cards, you could instead be regularly earning 5-10% value or more back in travel points.  Even better, if you’re willing to apply for business travel credit cards continually earning introductory bonuses, you can often earn at least a 10-20% travel value return on your spending.

34% Value Back Using a Business Travel Credit Card

Is it really possible to get as much as 34% back on your business expenses?  It sure is.  I’ll give you an example with one of the current business travel credit cards offering a great opportunity.  If, for instance, you sign up for the Chase Ink Preferred credit card and used it for your next $5000 of spend, you’d earn at least 85,000 points (introductory bonus plus at least 1x points on your spend).

How much is 85,000 points worth? On average, Chase Ultimate Rewards are worth about 2.0 cents (according to The Points Guy – Sept. 2018) each when used for travel. That means that your business spending of $5000 just earned you a potential travel value of $1,700.  A whopping 34% value back on your spending!!! No joke! That’s a lot more value than your average 1-2% cash back of $50-100… Think of the possible vacations you could be taking with all those points.

Travel More, While Spending Less

If you already travel a lot, you’re now going to be saving a lot of money using points, instead of your hard earned money.  If you don’t travel much yet, by now using business travel credit cards, you”ll have enough travel points to do it without spending much money at all.  Over the past few years, I have been able to travel as often as I can get time off, thanks to the abundance of points I’ve earned.  With all the hard work you’re doing on your business, I’m sure you could use a nice vacation!  Can you feel the warm sand between your toes yet?

Best Business Travel Credit Cards Available Today

While the Chase Ink Preferred introductory offer is currently the best in the market at 80,000 points, there are plenty of other great business travel credit cards that can earn around $1000 of real world travel value.  There are also some extremely valuable benefits that come along with these business travel credit cards.  Some of them will save you money. Others will help you earn even more points through category spending bonuses.  I’ve compiled a list of the five best business travel credit cards that you should look into, according to their introductory bonuses and features.

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

80,000 Point Introductory Offer

Features That Make This Credit Card Great:

• Introductory Offer: You’ll earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from your account opening.
• Category Spend Bonuses: You’ll earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories (including social media advertising!) each account anniversary year.  You’ll earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases, with no limit to the amount you can earn.
• Other Benefits: Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.  You can redeem points for travel, cash back, and gift cards, or transfer your points to an airline or hotel partner.  You’ll get a cell phone protection plan of up to $600 when you pay your cell phone bill with the card.  You’ll receive rental car loss and damage coverage if your reservation is paid with the card.
• Annual Fee: $95 Annual Fee

Our thoughts about this business travel credit card:

The Introductory Offer is one of the best we’ve seen for any credit card.  It’s a surprise how much value they give for a credit card with only a $95 annual fee.  We have this card and love the benefits.  We used the introductory offer bonus to purchase two round-trip flights to Hawaii, and still have 30,000 points left over.  That’s pretty impressive in itself.  On top of that, the spending category bonuses are worthwhile for most online businesses.

Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

50,000 Point Introductory Offer

Features That Make This Credit Card Great:

• Introductory Offer: You’ll earn $500 bonus cash back (via 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Category Spend Bonuses: You’ll earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business.
• Special Introductory APR: 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers.
• Annual Fee: There is no annual fee.

Our thoughts about this business travel credit card:

Receiving this large of an introductory offer bonus on a no annual fee credit card used to be unheard of.  Now Chase has two of them.  I see this card as an excellent supplemental credit card to go along with the other Ink credit cards.  Because it earns 1.5 points per dollar on ALL purchases, it’s great for those purchases that don’t fall into a category bonus of the other cards.

Ink Business Cash Credit Card

50,000 Point Introductory Offer

Features That Make This Credit Card Great:

• Introductory Offer: You’ll earn $500 bonus cash back (via 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Category Spend Bonuses: You’ll earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent on purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year.  You’ll earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.  You’ll earn 1% cash back on all other purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
• Special Introductory APR: 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers.
• Annual Fee: There is no annual fee.

Our thoughts about this business travel credit card:

I love this travel business credit card!  Why? Because it earns 5 points per dollar on multiple categories that I actually spend in regularly.  Phone bill, internet bill, and all office supplies earn 5X points!  On top of that, office supply stores sell gift cards that can be used for many of our other expenses.  Did I mention it currently has a huge introductory offer bonus and no annual fee?  I loved this card even without the bonus!

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

60,000 Point Introductory Offer

Features That Make This Credit Card Great:

• Introductory Offer: You’ll earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months that your account is open.
• Category Spend Bonuses: You’ll earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. You’ll earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Points Redemption: There are no blackout dates when you redeem points, no seat restrictions, bags fly free, and there are no change fees.
• Annual Fee: $99 (Earn 6,000 bonus points after your Card member anniversary.)

Our thoughts about this business travel credit card:

Southwest’s reward booking process is by far the easiest to maneuver of all airlines.  Their points coincide with the dollar price of flights so you can get a great deal when they have sales.  I’ve flown round-trip for fewer than 7,000 points before.  The introductory offer bonus can go a long way.  Also, the introductory offer currently counts towards earning the Southwest Companion Pass, which is the absolute best deal in the traveling with points world.

CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard

70,000 Point Introductory Offer *LIMITED TIME OFFER

Features That Make This Credit Card Great:

• Introductory Offer: (Limited time) You’ll earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles after making $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening
• American Airlines Benefits: Your first checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines flights.  You’ll save 25% on American Airlines in flight Wi-Fi when you use your card. You’ll also receive preferred boarding on American Airlines flights.
• Category Spend Bonuses: You’ll earn 2 miles per $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases.  You’ll earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on purchases at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants and at gas stations.  You’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Annual Fee: $99 (waived for the first 12 months)

Our thoughts about this business travel credit card:

Wow! This introductory offer bonus is pretty special.  Plus, they’re still waiving the annual fee for the first 12 months.  It’s not every day you see an offer like this.

The Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN – LEARN MORE

Up to 75,000 Point Introductory Offer

LEARN MORE >

Features That Make This Credit Card Great:

• Welcome Offer: You’ll earn up to 75,000 Membership Rewards points. You’ll earn 50,000 points after you spend $10,000 and an extra 25,000 points after you spend an additional $10,000 all on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
• Category Spend Bonuses: You’ll earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. You’ll earn 1.5 points per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more (up to 1,000,000 additional points per year).
• Flight Bonuses: 35% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards Pay with Points for a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year. You can also receive 35% points back on all First and Business class flights, with all airlines available through American Express Travel.
• Airport Lounge Access: You can enjoy access to The American Express Global Lounge CollectionSM offering access to the most lounges across the globe.
• Other Travel Benefits: $200 Airline Credit per calendar year.  Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit.  Hilton & Starwood Gold Status.
• Terms Apply

Our thoughts about this business travel credit card:

While this card isn’t for all businesses due to the high minimum spend to earn the welcome bonus, it has it’s valuable perks.  If you’re able to earn the welcome bonus, it’s very valuable with the Membership Rewards transfer partners.  The flying benefits of this card are what it’s all about in our opinion.  Lounge access, travel credits, free Global Entry or TSA PreCheck for 5 years, and hotel status all comes with this credit card.  If it’s right for your business, it can make traveling a joy.

LEARN MORE >

How We Chose the Best Business Travel Cards

• Introductory Bonus Value: Obviously, a large portion of the value in these credit card offers comes from the introductory bonus.  We like to use The Points Guy’s point valuations to calculate a more accurate dollar amount for each offer when used for travel.
• Earning Potential: We researched which cards have true value in their category spend bonuses.  This means they have earning bonuses in categories that are often used by businesses.
• Travel Benefits: We factored in annual travel credits, like the $200 airline credit and lounge access offered by the Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN.
• Annual Fees: While an annual fee can make sense, we only find it worth paying them if the benefits of the card far outweigh the yearly cost.

Are You Eligible For a Business Travel Credit Card?

If you have a business or even just do some freelancing jobs as a side hustle, a small business credit card can help you separate your expenses, give you more buying power, and let you earn points from your business purchases. As you’ve seen, business credit cards offer bonus rewards on categories such as office supplies, airfare, advertising, dining and gas.  If you’re eligible through your business or side hustle, you could benefit greatly by having one or more business credit cards.

When you apply you will be asked for an EIN if your business has one.  Use this number on your application, which you should have received when you applied for your business.  If you are working as a sole proprietor, you won’t have an EIN and can simply use your social security number in this field when applying.  I have personally applied for and been approved for multiple business credit cards using both types of identification numbers.

Earn More Points Through Category Spend Bonuses

On top of the great introductory offers, category bonuses on spend make some of these business travel credit cards even better. Most of them have bonus spending categories that could make a lot of sense for your business. A couple of the category bonuses that I frequently take advantage of, are: 3X rewards for advertising on social media platforms from the Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card, and 5X rewards on office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services from the Chase Ink Cash credit card.  Oh, and by the way, office supply stores happen to have a plentiful gift card selection… Wink, wink. This means that there is the potential of earning 5x points on almost all expenses that your business has.

Take More Vacations: It’s Now Possible

The conclusion of this story is that if you’re interested in traveling, and you’re currently making the mistake of using cash, debit card, or even cash back cards for your business expenses, YOU’RE PROBABLY DOING IT WRONG!!!  Find the right business travel credit card for your small business.  Then start earning something more valuable than 1-2% cash back. You can be getting much more value back from your business expenses.

If you’re not sure about the five cards we mentioned above, you can compare a larger selection of business travel credit cards here: Travel Credit Cards.  Take some time to review and compare what’s best for your business.  Imagine the vacations you and your family could be taking together…

Editorial Disclaimer: This post may include references to offers from our partners. We may receive compensation when you click on links to specific products. The opinions expressed here are ours alone and at no time has the editorial content been provided, reviewed, or approved by any issuer.

There are two versions of Chase Sapphire credit card. They’re both excellent travel credit cards but are made for slightly different types of travelers. We’re going to examine the competition between the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred. Is one of the cards better than the other? Like comparing most cards, it depends on who you’re talking to. One Chase Sapphire card may be better for you, while the other card may be better for someone else.

We’ve found that typically, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best first travel credit card to get. It has a modest annual fee (which is waived in year 1) with good travel benefits and a nice signup bonus. Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best credit card for regular travelers. It has a higher annual fee but comes with a tremendous amount of valuable travel benefits.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred competition is more complex than just comparing the features and selecting an overall winner. Which travel credit card is best, highly depends on the customers’ preferences. Let’s begin by taking a look at the features and benefits of each credit card to find out which card is right for you.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Review

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has done the impossible. It has made a $450 annual fee for a credit card seem like a steal by having amazing travel benefits. While it may be hard to get past the thought of paying $450 up front for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the benefits are well worth the annual fee. For people who travel regularly, the lounge access, travel credit, and expedited airport security alone give enough value to cover the annual fee. That doesn’t even include the signup bonus, which adds even more value.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

50,000 Points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months

• Introductory Offer: Earn an introductory 50,000 points after spending $4,000 within the first three months.
• Statement Credits: Receive a $300 in statement credits each year (based on your account anniversary) to cover travel expenses like airfare and hotels.
• Receive a $100 Statement credit as reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck enrollment.
• Earning Categories: You’ll earn 3 points per $1 spent on dining and on travel that doesn’t qualify for the $300 travel reimbursement each year and one point per $1 on everything else.
• Travel Point Transfer Partners: 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• Extra Point Value: Receive 50 percent more value for your points when you redeem for travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• Airport Lounge Access: Visit more than 1000 airport lounge locations while traveling with a Priority Pass Select membership.
• Annual Fee: $450

Learn more about this card and find out how to apply HERE.

Sapphire Reserve Signup Bonus

The Chase Sapphire Reserve 50,000 point signup bonus is worth at least $750 if used toward travel. Because you’ll redeem at a higher rate of 1.5 cents per point you get more value out of your Ultimate Rewards points. By transferring Ultimate Rewards to one of Chase’s travel partners you can redeem points for well over 2 cents per point. This option can make the Sapphire Reserve signup bonus worth more than $1000.

Chase Sapphire Reserve 300 Travel Credit

If you spend at least $300 on travel yearly, the Chase Sapphire Reserve $300 travel credit essentially erases 2/3 of the annual fee. By taking advantage of the Sapphire Reserve 300 travel credit, the annual fee gets knocked down to $150 (only $55 more than the Sapphire Preferred). That means that you’re paying just $55 for all the other benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

The Sapphire Reserve travel credit is very simple to use. Every time you spend money on a travel-related expense, you will automatically receive a statement credit for it. Things that count towards the travel credit are:

• Airlines
• Hotels
• Motels
• Timeshares
• Campgrounds
• Car Rental Agencies
• Cruise Lines
• Travel Agencies
• Discount Travel Sites
• Passenger Trains
• Buses
• Taxis
• Limousines
• Ferries
• Toll Bridges and Highways
• Parking Lots and Garages (parking tickets also – ugh)

Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge Access

Along with this premium credit card comes complimentary Chase Sapphire Reserve Lounge access. After being approved you’ll have to activate your Priority Pass Select account to get Sapphire Reserve airport lounge access. Once activated, you’ll automatically receive your card each year you keep your Sapphire Reserve credit card. Priority Pass airport lounges range in quality, but they’re all a nice place to get away from the chaos of airport terminals.

When you enter a Priority Pass lounge you can expect to receive the following amenities:

• Digital Membership Card Option
• Free Wifi
• Drinks & Snacks
• Alcoholic Drinks
• TV’s
• Internet Data Ports
• Newspapers & Magazines
• Disabled Access

Some Priority Pass lounges also have:

• Showers
• Conference Rooms (subject to a fee)

Priority Pass also now features some restaurants. Priority Pass members are able to show the restaurant their membership card to earn a $28 credit for themselves and a guest. That means if you and your guest go to a Priority Pass restaurant, you have $56 to spend that will be waived.

Overall, the Chase Sapphire Reserve packs a powerful punch of travel benefits. With its amazing travel benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve has been crowned the best premium travel credit card. It’s clear that the benefits will far outweigh the annual fee for people who travel often. In the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred comparison, it’s going to be hard for the Sapphire Preferred to match what the Reserve brings to the table. Let’s see how the Chase Sapphire Preferred does.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Review

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is often referred to as the best first travel credit card. This is because it has a lot of travel value while having a modest annual fee that is waived in the first year. It is very similar to the Sapphire Reserve but without many of the premium travel benefits. The main features of the Sapphire Preferred are the signup bonus, elevated Ultimate Reward redemption rates, and the ability to transfer points to travel partners.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

50,000 Points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months

• Introductory Offer: You’ll earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards and potentially even more if transferred to travel partners.
• Earning Categories: You’ll earn 2 points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Travel Point Transfer Partners: 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• Extra Point Value: Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• Annual Fee: $95 (waived in year 1)

Learn more about this card and find out how to apply HERE.

Sapphire Preferred Signup Bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred 50,000 point signup bonus is worth at least $625 if used toward travel. Ultimate Rewards can be redeemed at a higher rate of 1.25 cents per point through the travel portal which is more than the average card, but 25% less than the Sapphire Reserve. The Chase Sapphire Preferred also has access to the Ultimate Rewards travel transfer partners. By transferring Ultimate Rewards to one of the travel partners you can redeem points for well over 2 cents per point. Like the Sapphire Reserve, this redemption option can make the Sapphire Preferred signup bonus worth more than $1000.

Waived Annual Fee in Year 1

Other than the Chase Sapphire Preferred signup bonus being very good, the card also waives the annual fee in the first year. For no fee in year one, you’ll get up to more than $1000 in travel through the signup bonus. That’s a pretty great deal.

Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred: And the Winner is…

From the above reviews, you can see that both Chase Sapphire cards are very good travel credit cards. So which card comes out on top of the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred comparison? The Sapphire Reserve is a high annual fee card that comes with a huge amount of value. The Sapphire Preferred is a card with a lower annual fee (none in the first year) that still gives a large number of Ultimate Rewards as a signup bonus.

Even though overall, the Chase Sapphire Reserve seems like the best card, it really depends on who the card is for. If you don’t travel very often, many of the benefits of the Sapphire Reserve will go wasted. If you do travel often, you’d benefit greatly from the travel benefits of the Sapphire Reserve. Below you can compare the important features of both cards side by side.

Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred Side by Side

	Chase Sapphire Reserve	Chase Sapphire Preferred
Signup Bonus	50,000 Points after $4000 in first 3 months	50,000 Points after $4000 in first 3 months
Earning Rates	3X Travel & Dining	2X Travel & Dining
UR Travel Portal - Redemption Value	1.5 Cents per Point	1.25 Cents per Point
Travel Credit	$300	N/A
Lounge Access	Priority Pass Select	N/A
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry	Full Statement Credit for Either ($85/$100)	N/A
Authorized User Fee	$75	$0
Annual Fee	$450	$95 (waived in year 1)

Personally, if I had to choose between the two cards: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred, I would currently choose the Sapphire Reserve. I currently have it and get a ton of value from the signup bonus, lounge access, travel credit, and TSA PreCheck. This is because my wife and I are traveling often. Let’s take a look at two other travelers to see which card suits them best.

A Story of Two Travelers

Emilia’s Story: 

Emilia’s an elementary school teacher who loves teaching her 4th-grade class during the year. She also loves taking a nice big vacation each summer during her time off. The life of a teacher is tough during the school year and is very deserving of some relaxing time away.

Because Emilia doesn’t travel a lot throughout the year and just wants at least one vacation each year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred was a great choice for her. Just half of the signup bonus alone gave her enough miles to book a round-trip flight to Hawaii last summer (by transferring 25k of her points to British Airways). Also, she didn’t even have to pay an annual fee for the first year so the points came completely free.

With her summer flight only taking up less than her Ultimate Rewards balance, Emilia decided she’s also going to take a spring break vacation with some of her college friends this year. Two vacations with one signup bonus were more than perfect for her.

Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred: Emilia chose the Chase Sapphire Preferred for its lower annual fee and valuable signup bonus

Dani’s Story:

Dani’s a nurse who works four days on and then has four days off from work. She also gets a substantial amount of paid time off that she wants to use for traveling. Dani figures between her regular four days off in a row and her vacation days she’ll be able to take at least 10 trips this year.

She decided to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve because she wants the comfort of having both TSA PreCheck and Priority Pass Select lounge access when she’s stuck in airports. The Ultimate Rewards points from the signup bonus will cover a few of the flights, plus she will easily use the $300 travel credit. With all these perks she’ll be able to travel in luxury with all her available time off from work.

As a bonus, Dani decided to double down on earning Chase Ultimate Rewards. Using her side business, she also applied for the Ink Business Preferred card which comes with a signup bonus of 80,000 points and only an annual fee of $95. Her business is a sole proprietorship, selling some of her used things on eBay and Amazon. She also occasionally buys things at garage sales to also sell. The cool thing about her sole proprietorship is she can simply use her name and social security number instead of having to file for a business.

With both cards, she earned 130,000 Ultimate Rewards points that can likely be used for at least $2,500 of plane tickets (she plans to take advantage of airline partners)! Not too shabby for just two credit cards.

Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred: Dani chose the Chase Sapphire Reserve for its luxury travel benefits and valuable signup bonus

Which Type of Traveler are You?

Depending on which type of traveler you are, either the Sapphire Reserve or the Sapphire Preferred would be a great addition to your wallet. In the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred competition, they are both worthy travel credit cards. The Sapphire Reserve is great if you travel often and want the travel luxuries it comes with. The Sapphire Preferred is great if you travel less often and wouldn’t get much use out of the travel benefits.

Both Chase Sapphire credit cards come with the excellent 50,000 Ultimate Rewards point signup bonus. If it’s an option you might even want to think about adding a business card like Dani to earn more points. All Chase Ultimate Rewards cards have the ability to transfer points between accounts to pool them together. Your significant other and you even have the ability to pool points together. Which card comes out victorious in the Chase Sapphire Reserve vs Preferred argument depends on you. Both credit cards are good choices. Depending on what you’re looking for in a travel credit card, one may suit you better.

Editorial Disclaimer: This post may include references to offers from our partners. We may receive compensation when you click on links to specific products. The opinions expressed here are ours alone and at no time has the editorial content been provided, reviewed, or approved by any issuer.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card has been around since 2016. It was announced as Chase’s first Ultimate Rewards credit card that earns a fixed amount on all purchases. The Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5 points on every purchase with no limit. Other than its earning format, it’s the exact same credit card as the original Chase Freedom card.

I mentioned that the Chase Freedom Unlimited is technically an Ultimate Rewards credit card, but is actually marketed as a cash back card. Every dollar spent will earn 1.5% “cash back” in the form of Ultimate Rewards. This feature makes the Freedom Unlimited much more valuable because of the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards between Chase card accounts.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Review: Mind-Numbing Simplicity

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is made for the people who want simplicity when it comes to spending. They do not enjoy strategically getting the most points out of every dollar spent. That’s too much of a hassle for this type of person. But, they do still want to earn extra points on the things they buy. By earning 1.5 points on every dollar spent, it makes earning extra points very easy. With the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you don’t have to worry about using a certain card for groceries, a different card for gas, and yet another card for your cell phone bill. This card is perfect for people who just want their points to be simple to earn. If this is the type of person you are, the Chase Freedom Unlimited should be in your wallet.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Offer

15,000 Points after spending $500 in the first 3 months

• Introductory Offer: You’ll earn a $150 Bonus (via 15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
• Introductory APR: 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.74-25.49%.
• Earning Points: You’ll earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases.  No worrying about category bonuses.
• Free Credit Score: View your credit score, updated every week on Credit Journey.
• Annual Fee: No annual fee

Learn more about this card and find out how to apply HERE.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited Signup Bonus

The Chase Freedom Unlimited signup bonus is not one of the highest in the market, but it’s good for a no-fee card. 15,000 Ultimate Rewards is worth $150 when redeemed for cash back or to purchase gift cards or products on Amazon. A Chase Freedom Unlimited $150 bonus is how they advertise it, but it can be worth more than that. The signup bonus gets really good is when you double the value of your points and are able to redeem for 2 cents per point instead of 1. Who wouldn’t rather redeem points for double what they’re marketed as? Let’s see how it’s possible.

Transfer Chase Freedom Unlimited Rewards to Multiply Point Value

Here’s the secret that will potentially turn 1.5% back into 3% or more on all your purchases. The Chase Freedom Unlimited is advertised as a card that earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase, but it’s more than just that. Because Chase Ultimate Rewards can be transferred between card accounts, it makes sense to pair one of the three premium Ultimate Rewards cards with the Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Why?

When you redeem Ultimate Rewards directly with the Freedom Unlimited you redeem at a value of one cent per point. But, when you redeem them from one of the premium card accounts they are redeemed for at least 1.25-1.5 cents per point using the Chase travel portal. This gives you 25-50% more value for your Ultimate Reward points. Even better, with any of the premium Ultimate Rewards cards, you can transfer points to airline and hotel travel partners which makes your points redeemable at well over 2 cents per point! Which Ultimate Rewards cards are “premium cards”? Let’s take a look.

The 3 Premium Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Ultimate Rewards redeem at 1.25 cents per point. (at least 25% more value)

• 50,000 Points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months.
• Earns 2 points per dollar on travel and dining.
• Transfer to travel partners at 1:1 ratio (often redeem points for more than 2 cents per point)
• Annual fee of $95 (waived in year 1)

Learn more about this card and find out how to apply HERE.

Chase Sapphire Reserve: Ultimate Rewards redeem at 1.5 cents per point. (at least 50% more value)

• 50,000 Points after spending $4000 in the first 3 months.
• Earns 3 points per dollar on travel and dining.
• Transfer to travel partners at 1:1 ratio (often redeem points for more than 2 cents per point).
• Airport lounge access with Priority Pass Select.
• $300 Travel statement credit.
• TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
• Annual fee of $450

Learn more about this card and find out how to apply HERE.

Ink Business Preferred (business card): Ultimate Rewards redeem at 1.25 cents per point. (at least 25% more value)

• 80,000 Points after spending $5000 in the first 3 months.
• Earns 3 points per dollar on travel and select business categories.
• Transfer to travel partners at 1:1 ratio (often redeem points for more than 2 cents per point)
• Annual fee of $95

Learn more about this card and find out how to apply HERE.

Since all three of these credit cards come with the ability to use Chase’s travel transfer partners, you can essentially double your points if you have one of them. If you’re able to combine one of these premium Chase credit cards to partner with your Freedom Unlimited, it always makes sense to transfer points before redeeming.

Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Freedom (There’s Only 1 Difference)

Every feature of the Chase Freedom Unlimited is identical to the original Chase Freedom card, besides one thing. How points are earned through purchases. We thought about making a comparison chart of the two cards side by side, but this is the one and only difference. The Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5 points per dollar on every purchase. The Chase Freedom earns 5 points per dollar on quarterly rotating categories (things like groceries, gas, movies, and Chase Pay), and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Which card is better for you depends on if you want the potential to earn extra points or want simplicity. Below are the features that both Freedom cards offer.

• $150 Introductory Offer (15,000 Ultimate Rewards)
• $25 for adding Authorized User (2500 Ultimate Rewards)
• 0% Introductory APR for 15 months
• No Annual Fee

Chase Freedom Unlimited: Credit Score Needed for Approval

Now that you understand the value that the Chase Freedom Unlimited comes with, let’s find out what credit score is needed for approval. Although it is a no annual fee credit card, you still must have good to excellent credit to be approved. This means your score needs to be 670 or above to have a very good shot at being approved. If your score is under this level, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be approved, but your odds go down. I’ve seen online reviews that mention people being approved with credit scores in the mid 600’s.

If you don’t know what your credit score is, you can find out for free. It’s simple. Just go to Credit Sesame and make a 100% free account and it will give you a monthly estimate of your TransUnion credit score. Their estimations are very accurate. A free Credit Sesame account is also a good tool for keeping an eye on your credit to make sure nothing bad ever happens to it.

Credit Sesame Price: Free Get your free credit score each month, and monitor your credit report at no cost. We'll also send you monitoring alerts about changes to your credit report. CHECK YOUR CREDIT SCORE NOW Last Updated: 10/02/2018

Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited for You?

With all the details in order, I’m sure you know whether the Chase Freedom Unlimited is for you or not. If you’re all about simplicity, then the straightforward 1.5 points per dollar spending is probably a great fit for you. Also, if you want to get a premium Ultimate Rewards card to partner with the Chase Freedom Unlimited, it’s also a good option. Instead of earning 1 point per dollar on “everything else”, you can earn 1.5 points.

If you’re purely looking for a cash back credit card you may be better off with a different card. There are a few options that earn 1.5-2% cash back and some even have bonus categories. The Chase Freedom Unlimited is more about earning Ultimate Rewards than it is cash back.