
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards are a match made in heaven for maximizing rewards. With no foreign transaction fees and a 60,000-point bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, the Sapphire Preferred is a great card for everyday purchases.
To maximize rewards, you can use the Sapphire Preferred for all your daily expenses, such as groceries, dining, and gas, which earn 2X points per dollar. This will help you earn a significant amount of points quickly.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited card, on the other hand, offers 3% cash back on all purchases in your first year up to $20,000 spent, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
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Rewards and Earning
Earning rewards with the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards is a great strategy. You can pair the two cards to earn more rewards over time by using each card strategically in their respective bonus categories.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a 25% redemption bonus when you redeem your rewards for travel booked through Chase Travel℠, and the option to transfer points to Chase airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. This gives you access to more valuable redemption options.
You can also earn cash back rewards points with other Chase credit cards, but starting with one of the top two Chase credit cards, the Chase Freedom or Chase Sapphire, can help you maximize your points earning potential.
To earn the Chase Sapphire Preferred's welcome bonus, you need to spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, which earns you 60,000 points.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited's welcome bonus earns an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year), worth up to $300 cash back.
Here's a comparison of the rewards you can earn with the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred's rewards are more valuable if you redeem them for travel through Chase Travel℠, but the Chase Freedom Unlimited's cash back rewards are more flexible and can be redeemed for cash or used to pay your credit card bill.
Using Multiple Cards
You can earn 5x points on travel booked through Chase and Lyft rides by using the Chase Sapphire Preferred for these purchases.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is particularly useful for dining, online grocery purchases, select streaming services, and travel.
For drugstore purchases and all other spending, use the Chase Freedom Unlimited, which offers 3% cash back.
This card shines with its 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and 1.5% cash back on everything else.
By combining rewards across accounts, you can transfer your cash back earnings from the Freedom Unlimited to the Sapphire Preferred, unlocking access to transfer partners and greater value redemptions.
This means you can strategize which card to use for which purchases, rather than earning just 1X points on all other purchases with the Sapphire Preferred.
Here's a breakdown of how you can use these cards together:
By using these two cards, you can earn 5x points on travel booked through Chase and Lyft rides, 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services, and 2x points on travel purchases not booked through Chase.
Maximize and Transfer Points
Having both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Freedom Unlimited can be a game-changer for earning and redeeming rewards. The two cards complement each other perfectly, allowing you to maximize your rewards potential and get more value out of your points.
One of the main reasons to have both cards is to pool rewards in your Chase Sapphire Preferred account for better travel redemptions. The Sapphire Preferred gives you a 25% redemption bonus when you use points to book travel through Chase Travel, and it lets you transfer points to the program's airline and hotel partners.
Chase Ultimate Rewards partners include many popular airlines and hotels, and you can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio. According to recent valuations from Bankrate, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth around 2 cents apiece on average when transferred to travel partners.
You can earn cash back rewards points with other Chase credit cards, but starting with the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Freedom Unlimited can help you maximize your points earning potential. The Sapphire Preferred earns 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
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To maximize your earning potential, you can use the Chase Sapphire Preferred for dining, online grocery purchases, select streaming services, and travel, which will net you 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel, 2x points on other travel, and 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services.
Here's a summary of how you can use these cards together:
* Use the Chase Sapphire Preferred for:
+ Dining (3x points)
+ Online grocery purchases (3x points)
+ Select streaming services (3x points)
+ Travel booked through Chase Travel (5x points)
+ Lyft rides (5x points through March 31, 2025)
* Use the Chase Freedom Unlimited for:
+ Drugstore purchases (3% cash back)
+ All other spending (1.5% cash back)
By using these two cards for the purchases they earn the most rewards in, you can ultimately earn 5x points on travel booked through Chase and Lyft rides, 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services, and 2x points on travel purchases not booked through Chase.
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Sapphire Preferred Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a range of benefits that make it a valuable addition to your wallet.
You can earn up to 5x points per dollar on travel booked through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services, and 2x points on all other travel purchases.
One of the standout benefits is the 60,000 bonus points you can earn after spending $4,000 in the first three months, worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel.
Here are the Sapphire Preferred benefits at a glance:
- 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel
- 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x point per dollar on all non-bonus purchases
- Up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
- Anniversary point bonus equal to 10% of total purchases in the previous year
These benefits make the Sapphire Preferred a great choice for frequent travelers and foodies, and can be used in combination with the Chase Freedom Unlimited for maximum rewards.
Benefits of Pairing Cards
Pairing the Chase Sapphire Preferred with another Chase card, like the Freedom Unlimited, can unlock significant benefits. For example, you can earn 1.5% cashback on the Freedom Unlimited and then turn it into 1.5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
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This combination is particularly effective for everyday spending, as the Freedom Unlimited earns more points in certain categories than the Sapphire Preferred on its own. Holding both cards means you can earn a $200 cash bonus on the Freedom Unlimited, which can be turned into 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to use towards travel.
The Sapphire Preferred is ideal for dining, online grocery purchases, select streaming services, and travel, earning 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel and 2x points on other travel. The Freedom Unlimited shines with 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and 1.5% cash back on everything else.
You can maximize your earning potential by strategically using both cards for the purchases they earn the most rewards in. Here's a breakdown of how to use these cards together:
By pairing these cards, you can earn 5x points on travel booked through Chase and Lyft rides, 3x points on dining, online grocery purchases and select streaming services, and 2x points on travel purchases not booked through Chase. This combination can also earn you 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and 1.5% cash back on everything else, which would ultimately be converted to 3x points and 1.5x points per dollar spent in these categories, respectively.
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Sapphire Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a range of benefits that make it a great choice for travelers.
One of the standout benefits is the ability to earn up to 5x points per $1 on purchases, including travel booked through Chase Travel℠.
You'll also earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. And, 3x points on online grocery purchases, excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs. Plus, 3x points on select streaming services.
The Sapphire Preferred also offers 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1x point per $1 spent on all non-bonus purchases.
If you're a heavy spender, you'll appreciate the anniversary point bonus, which is equal to 10% of your total purchases in the previous year. For example, if you spend $25,000 in purchases, you'll earn 2,500 bonus points.
Here are the Sapphire benefits in a nutshell:
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x points on dining
- 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 3x points on select streaming services
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x point per $1 spent on all non-bonus purchases
The Sapphire Preferred also offers some extra benefits, including up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel, and primary auto rental collision damage waiver.
Freedom Unlimited
The Freedom Unlimited card is a great companion to the Sapphire Preferred card, and for good reason. It offers a welcome offer of *freedom bonus*, which is equivalent to 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points when paired with a Sapphire card.
One of the standout features of the Freedom Unlimited card is its cash back rewards. You can earn 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠, which is a great way to rack up points on your vacations.
The card also offers 3% cash back on dining, which is perfect for foodies who love trying new restaurants. And if you're a fan of convenience stores, you'll appreciate the 3% cash back at drugstores.
In addition to these rotating categories, the Freedom Unlimited card also offers an unlimited 1.5% cashback on all other purchases. This means you can earn cash back on everything from groceries to gas to household expenses.
And the best part? The Freedom Unlimited card has no annual fee, making it a great option for those who want to earn cash back without breaking the bank.
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Extra Perks
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Unlimited are a match made in heaven. One of the biggest perks of holding both cards is the extra benefits that come with the Sapphire Preferred.
The Sapphire Preferred offers a $50 statement credit each account anniversary year for hotels booked through Chase Travel. This can be a nice little bonus to help offset the annual fee.
Holding the Sapphire Preferred also gives you a primary auto rental collision damage waiver, which is a big deal if you rent cars frequently. Plus, you get increased trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, and trip delay reimbursement – all benefits that the Freedom Unlimited doesn't offer.
Here are the key benefits of the Sapphire Preferred:
- $50 statement credit for hotels booked through Chase Travel
- Primary auto rental collision damage waiver
- Increased trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Baggage delay insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
As an added bonus, the Sapphire Preferred gives you an anniversary point bonus equal to 10% of your total purchases in the previous year. This can be a significant boost to your rewards earnings, especially if you're a heavy spender.
By holding both the Sapphire Preferred and the Freedom Unlimited, you can maximize your rewards earnings and get the most out of your everyday spending.
Frequently Asked Questions
What card pairs well with Chase Freedom Unlimited?
For travel, consider pairing the Chase Freedom Unlimited with a Sapphire card for enhanced benefits. This combination offers a great all-around card experience with added travel perks.
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