Let’s face it: You can never have too many Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Not only is this one of the most versatile rewards currencies, but they have what I think is the best lineup of travel partners. Wanna book a hotel stay that’s affordable on points? Transfer them to Hyatt Gold Passport. Looking to fly in some of the world’s best premium cabins? Transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to United MileagePlus or Singapore Krisflyer. Want a cheap domestic award ticket on a fun airline? Go with Southwest. There are few ways to screw up an Ultimate Rewards redemption (i.e. transferring loads of points to Marriott or IHG for a top-tier hotel award).
Bottom line: Having lots of Ultimate Rewards points on hand is always a good idea. Here are some ways to earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points:
Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards
One of the best ways to increase your Chase Ultimate Rewards balance these days is by picking up the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. I have my reservations (no pun intended) about some of the hype surrounding this card, but the 100,000-point sign-up bonus is one of the best credit card offers out there right now. It’s important to keep in mind that while some folks have gotten around the 5/24 rule, not everyone who has had five or more card applications over the past 24 months will qualify for the Chase Sapphire Reserve. For 100,000 points after $4,000 spent within 3 months, I think it’s worth applying anyway and keeping your fingers crossed.
Other than the Chase Sapphire Reserve, there are several other generous sign-up bonuses to help you increase your Ultimate Rewards point balance:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred – 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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$0 intro first year
$95 annual fee |
Earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® Read Review » |
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Already have this card? Track it and maximize your rewards.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
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- Chase Ink Plus – 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.
- Chase Freedom – Get a $150 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
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Chase Freedom®
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$0 annual fee
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Get a $150 Bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Read Review » |
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Already have this card? Track it and maximize your rewards.
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The information for the Chase Freedom® has been collected independently by FTG. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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Chase Freedom® |
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| Read the FTG Review » | ||||||
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The information for the Chase Freedom® has been collected independently by FTG. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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- Chase Freedom Unlimited – $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Even after earning the sign-up bonus, these Ultimate Rewards credit cards are great for everyday spending thanks to generous earnings rates and category bonuses.
Add an Authorized User
A great way to earn more Ultimate Rewards points is by adding an authorized user to your Ultimate Rewards credit card. Adding a spouse or trusted family member to your account means you can double up on your point earnings by earning rewards on their spending as well as yours. The Sapphire Preferred card even rewards cardholders with 5,000 points for adding an authorized user in the first 3 months of account opening. This is an easy way to increase your point balance without having to do much else other than hand your card over to a person you trust and agree on some kind of system for tracking spending and paying everything off on time.
Use the Ultimate Rewards Shopping Portal
Shopping portals, in general, are a great way to earn more miles, but the Ultimate Rewards Shopping Portal actually offers very competitive bonuses. I always recommend checking EvRewards, Cashback Monitor, and Cashbackholic for the highest rewards possible, but chances are the Ultimate Rewards Shopping Portal will have some of the highest payouts out there. We all shop online and by using the Ultimate Rewards Shopping Portal, we can ensure we’re earning the most points possible.
Refer a Friend
A nice and easy way to earn more Ultimate Rewards points is by referring a friend. If they sign up for a card using your referral link, they’ll get a great card and you end up with bonus points. At the moment, Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders can earn 10,000 points for each friend they refer (up to 50,000 points per calendar year).
Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal
The Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal is one of the best-kept secrets for saving on travel. Not only are there lots of amazing deals on paid travel, but it sometimes works out cheaper to redeem points through the Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal than to transfer them to a partner program. Technically this isn’t a way to “earn more” Ultimate Rewards points, but it is a way to save them — a penny saved is a penny earned, right?
Follow these tips and you’ll be raking in more Ultimate Rewards points than you can spend.
Which of these methods do you use to earn more Ultimate Rewards points?
[Image via Getty]