Chase travel credit cards are some of the most popular and beginner-friendly cards. Perhaps you’ve heard a friend or family member totaling up all the great rewards they’re redeeming and you want in. Even if you’ve already got a co-branded card, such as those offered by Hyatt and United, Chase’s own travel credit cards are well-worth investing in.

Let’s take a look at the different types of Chase travel cards, why they’re valuable and the different benefits they provide.

What are Chase travel credit cards?

Chase has two very distinct categories of travel credit cards. The first is Chase’s own branded cards, like the Chase Sapphire cards or the Chase Freedom cards. These can earn either cash back or points, depending on which card you hold. Chase’s travel cards earn Ultimate Rewards®. These points can be used in many different ways, including:

Cash back.

Gift cards.

Reward travel.

Transfers to other partners.

The second type of travel credit card that Chase offers is the co-branded credit card, which is a partnership between Chase and an airline or hotel. This includes options such as the IHG® One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the United Quest℠ Card.

These cards will earn points in the currency of its respective program. For IHG, you’ll earn IHG points. For United, you’ll earn United MileagePlus miles.

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BROWSE CARDS

Earning Chase points

When you sign-up for a new credit card, you’ll usually be able to earn a welcome bonus. This bonus is a lump-sum deposit of points into your account once you’ve met a certain spend threshold.

Two of Chase’s most popular travel cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, both come with a welcome bonus in points:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

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®.

You’ll also keep earning Chase points after you receive your sign-up bonus, though the number of Chase points you’ll earn will depend on which card you hold.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve®, for example, will earn 10x points on dining and 5x points on airfare purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You’ll also earn 3x points on all other travel purchases, including dining purchases, though you’ll be on the hook for a hefty $550 annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, meanwhile, will charge you a $95 annual fee and earns 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and 2x points on all other travel.