THE CHASE TRIFECTA: HOW TO MAXIMIZE EARNING CHASE POINTS
Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points are some of the most valuable travel points you can earn. With multiple airline partners like United, Southwest, and British Airways, plus hotel partners like Hyatt and IHG, these points can unlock amazing free travel opportunities.
Did you know that there is more than one credit card that earns Chase points? That’s right! And by having a combination of these cards, you can maximize your point earnings fast.
WHAT IS THE CHASE TRIFECTA?
As you can gather from the title, the Chase Trifecta means that you will hold three cards from Chase that all earn Ultimate Rewards points. The key card in this plan is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. The other key is having Chase points earning cards that earn more than 1x point per dollar.
While other Chase cards are marketed as cash back cards, if you hold the Chase Sapphire card as well, that cash back amount can be converted to Ultimate Rewards points. Without the Chase Sapphire card those points cannot be transferred to travel partners (where you’ll get the most value).
There are two versions of the Chase Trifecta. One that includes a business card and one that doesn’t. I highly encourage you to look into applying for a business card. There are many side hustles that qualify as a business, like blogging, reselling items on eBay or Facebook, driving for Uber, dog sitting, etc.
There are three cards that make up the Trifecta, only one has an annual fee.
the CHASE TRIFECTA cards
Choose either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Chase Sapphire Reserve. You can be approved for one or the other.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card - Earn 75k points after making $5,000 in purchases in first three months of account opening. This is the “must-have” card in your Trifecta because it unlocks transfers to travel partners.
Earns 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
Earns 3x points on dining and online grocery (excluding Wal-Mart, Target)
Earns 2x points on travel related purchases
$50 credit on any hotel booked through Chase Travel
Primary rental car insurance
No foreign transaction fees
Chase Sapphire Reserve - Limited increased offer of 125k points after making $6,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Annual Fee: $795(but you get $300 annual travel credit, $500 credit for stays with The Edit, IHG Platinum status, Priority Pass Membership and access to any Chase Sapphire Lounge for cardholder + two guests, $120 credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry)
Earning: 8x on all purchases through Chase Travel
Earns 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
Earns 3x points on dining
Benefits: Priority Pass, Global Entry/TSA credit, premium trip protections
Best For: Frequent travelers
Which one should you choose?
The Sapphire Preferred is perfect for beginners: low annual fee, solid bonus categories, and all the travel protections you need.
The Sapphire Reserve is better for frequent travelers who value airport lounge access, higher earning rates, and premium benefits.
Either card will “unlock” the ability to transfer points from your Freedom or Ink cards to travel partners like United, Hyatt, and Southwest. However, with the new “once in a lifetime” rules from Chase on the Sapphire cards, I recommend getting the Sapphire Reserve with the higher sign up bonus. The credits alone make it worth the annual fee, at least for the first year.
Earn 5x points on rotating categories with the Chase Freedom Flex
Chase Freedom Flex® - Earn $200 cash back after $500 spend in 3 months (converts to 20,000 UR points if you also hold Sapphire). No Annual Fee. Before I qualified for a business card, this is my most used card and, in my opinion, should be one of the first cards that you get.
Earns 5% cash back (or 5x points per dollar)on rotating categories each quarter, up to $1,500 spend
Earns 3x on dining and drugstores
Cell phone protection when you pay your wireless bill with your card
Maximizing the Flex:
Each quarter, Chase releases new 5% categories. These have included gas stations, grocery stores, Amazon, entertainment, and more. If you max out the $1,500 spend each quarter, that’s 30,000 UR points (thats enough for 2 free Hyatt nights or one roundtrip flight to Europe when paired with Sapphire). You must register each quarter to activate the 5% bonus.
Pro tip: When the quarterly category is grocery stores or gas, you can buy gift cards (Amazon, Target, Home Depot, restaurants, etc.) at those locations. This lets you “lock in” 5x points now and use the gift cards later for everyday spending.
Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - This is my workhorse card.
Earn $750 (converts to 75k points when you hold the CSP or CSR) cash back. Earn $350 after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 in the first six months of account opening. No Annual fee and 0% apr the first 12 months.
Earn 5% cash back (5x points per dollar) on the first $25,000 spent per year at office supply stores, internet, cable & phone services
Earn 2x on gas stations and restaurants
Maximizing the Ink Cash:
Office supply stores (like Staples & Office Depot) are a goldmine for earning points. They sell Visa and Mastercard gift cards which count as office supply purchases. Every other week or so, these are fee-free.
Here’s the strategy:
Buy Visa or Mastercard gift cards at Staples/Office Depot with your Ink Cash to earn 5x points per dollar
Use those gift cards for everyday spending like groceries, gas, or Walmart. I like to load these in my digital wallets too and on Amazon.
You just turned every purchase into a 5x earning category.
On top of that, paying your internet and phone bills with this card earns 5x as well. Easy points every month.
Honorable Mention:
Chase Freedom Unlimited® - Earn a $200 bonus (converts to 20k Chase Ultimate Rewards points) after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. No annual fee.
Earns 1.5x points on everything up to $20k spend in year one.
Earns 3x points on dining & drugstores
0% apr the first 15 months of account opening
This is a great “catch-all” card for purchases that don’t fit into bonus categories if you don’t have a Capital One Venture Rewards credit card that earns 2x points per dollar on all purchases.
DO I REALLY QUALIFY FOR A BUSINESS CARD?
As I mentioned above, adding a Chase Business card that earns Ultimate Rewards points is a great way to supercharge your point earnings. You don’t have to have a brick-and-mortar business or an LLC. If you are self-employed and provide a service for money, this is considered a business, and you would qualify as a sole proprietor. There are three Chase business cards that you should consider adding to your wallet.
My Chase Trifecta Strategy
When I’m not meeting a minimum spend on a new card I’m maximizing my point earnings with these four cards:
Ink Cash: Buy Visa gift cards at Staples or Office Depot for 5x points/$ + pay internet/phone bills.
Freedom Flex: Max out the 5% rotating categories each quarter, using gift cards when possible.
Sapphire Preferred: Pay for all travel (for trip insurance + no foreign transaction fees).
Freedom Unlimited: Use for all other purchases at 1.5x.
By stacking these strategies, I easily earn hundreds of thousands of UR points each year which I redeem for free flights and hotel stays.
GOOD TO KNOW
All of these cards are subject to the Chase 5/24 Rule. That is, Chase will not approve you for one of their cards if you have received more than 5 cards (from any bank) in the past 24 months.
The Chase Ink Business cards do not count towards your 5/24 , but you must be under 5/24 to be approved.
All points from these three cards above can be transferred to your Chase Sapphire account so that points can be transferred to travel partners like United and Hyatt. Avoid the Chase Ink Premier as those points cannot be transferred to travel partners.
You can combine your Ultimate Rewards points with anyone in your household. This is great for those with a Player Two.
You will always get the highest value from your points by transferring points to travel partners. Your points are typically worth only one cent per point when you book through Chase Travel℠
Happy Travels!
