The three cards
Chase Freedom Unlimited (no annual fee): 1.5% on everything, 3% on dining and drugstores, 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel.
Chase Freedom Flex (no annual fee): 5% on rotating quarterly categories you activate, on up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter, plus 3% on dining and drugstores.
Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95 annual fee): the key. It lets you move Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel partners, including World of Hyatt, United and Southwest.
Why the combo works
On their own, the Freedom cards earn "cash back" that's really Ultimate Rewards points worth 1 cent each. Hold a Sapphire card and you can combine those points into the Sapphire account, and from there transfer them 1:1 to partners.
That's where the value jumps. A Hyatt award night that costs 15,000 points in place of a $250 cash rate works out to about 1.7 cents per point, compared with 1 cent as cash back. Award prices vary by hotel and date, so check the real numbers before you transfer. Transfers generally can't be undone.
How to run it
1. Use the Freedom Flex for its quarterly 5% category (activate it every quarter).
2. Use the Freedom Unlimited for everything else, and for dining.
3. Use the Sapphire Preferred for travel purchases.
4. When you're ready to book, combine the points into the Sapphire account and transfer only what you need for the specific award.
If you run a business, the Chase Ink cards plug into the same system and pool the same way.
One thing to know before you apply
Chase is widely reported to decline most applicants who've opened five or more personal cards in the past 24 months (the "5/24 rule"). If you're building a Chase lineup, it usually makes sense to start here before other banks.
Published 2026-09-23.
The Freedom and Sapphire cards are on my referral page, along with what each one is actually good for.
See the Chase cards → · Points & Miles 101 → · Track your points →