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Chase Ultimate Rewards Points is one of my favorite travel points currencies, and I try to earn them consistently whenever I have the opportunity.
The reason? They offer the opportunity to redeem points for discounted flights across multiple airlines and free hotel stays.
In this blog post, I will guide you through the steps in converting your Chase cashback points into transferrable Ultimate Rewards Points.
I will also explain why this transfer process is crucial to learn, particularly if you want to combine points to top off accounts for specific bucket list redemptions.
This post will also explore why learning this “transfer/combine” feature is valuable, so you are guaranteed to receive the best bang for your buck when you redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for award travel.
Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Earning Ultimate Rewards Points is relatively easy and straightforward – it is typically accumulated through generous welcome bonuses and regular spending using any of the credit cards below:
| Chase Personal Credit Cards That Earn Ultimate Rewards Points | Chase Business Credit Cards That Earn Ultimate Rewards Points |
|---|---|
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Ink Business Cash® Credit Card |
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ | Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® |
No-Annual-Fee “Cash Back” Cards Versus Premium Cards
Before we proceed to the steps involved in transferring Ultimate Rewards Points between accounts, we must understand the distinction between no-annual-fee cash-back Chase cards and premium Chase cards, aside from the fact that one group incurs a yearly charge.
The significant difference is that no-annual-fee cards will generate cashback Ultimate Rewards points, and premium cards will produce premium “transferrable” Ultimate Rewards points.
The table below illustrates which category each card belongs in.
| No-Annual-Fee Cards | Premium Cards (AF=Annual Fee) |
|---|---|
| Chase Freedom or Flex | Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95 AF) |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited | Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 AF) |
| Chase Business Ink Cash | Chase Ink Business Preferred ($95 AF) |
| Chase Business Ink Unlimited |
To soften the blow of the steep annual fees in their premium cards, Chase provides additional benefits to premium cardholders that are unavailable to those who only have no-annual-fee cards.
Why Do We Need To Turn Cashback Points into Travel Points?
In this post, I will walk you through the process of converting your cashback points into transferrable Ultimate Rewards Points so that you can access the exclusive benefits only Chase premium cards have to offer.
But before I go over the steps involved in the transfer process, it is essential to thoroughly understand why we need to carry out this transfer in the first place.
Why can’t we keep our Chase Ultimate Rewards Points where they are?
Redemption Options for Chase No-Annual-Fee Cashback Cards and Premium Cards
Let’s compare the redemption options of “no-annual fee” cashback cards versus premium cards.
Redemption Options for No-Annual-Fee Cards
| No-Annual-Fee Chase Card Redemption Options |
|---|
| Travel Pay Yourself Back Gift Cards Chase Dining Cash Back Pay With Points |
At first glance, you might think that the choices are pretty generous for no-annual-fee cards, specifically, the cashback and gift card options.
But if you want to maximize the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, it is recommended that you explore redemption methods other than cashback, especially if you also have a premium card.
In my opinion, unless you have an emergency and are in dire need of cash, exchanging your hard-earned points for cash or gift cards will not generate the best bang for your buck.
Redemption Options for Premium Chase Cards
| Premium Chase Card Redemption Options |
|---|
| Travel Pay Yourself Back Gift Cards Chase Dining Cash Back Pay With Points Transfer to Travel Partners |
The table above shows that “Transfer to Travel Partners” became an available redemption option for Chase premium cards.
This exclusive “transfer benefit” will appear on your Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Ink Business Preferred accounts because they are all premium cards but not in your no-annual-fee cards.
Premium Chase Credit Card Benefits
Two valuable benefits of holding a Chase premium credit card are as follows:
- ability to transfer to TRAVEL PARTNERS
- increased value of Ultimate Rewards points from 1 cent per point to 1.25 or 1.5 cents when using the TRAVEL PORTAL
Transfer to Chase Travel Partners
It is essential to underscore that each Ultimate Rewards Point is not created equal.
The value of each Ultimate Rewards Point will depend on whether they originate from a premium or no-annual-fee card.
Even if no-annual-fee cards generate Ultimate Rewards points, you cannot transfer them to travel partners unless you have one of Chase’s premium cards (CSR, CSP, or CIP).
In the image below, you can see that I have Ultimate Rewards Points in several accounts, but not all can be transferred to partners.
And this bears repeating – this generous redemption option of transferring to partners, such as United or Hyatt, can only be carried out through one of the three Chase premium cards.
That is why I strongly suggest owning at least ONE premium Chase card.
Without one, you are locked out of this incredible redemption option.
Chase Travel Partners
The image below lists all the current Chase travel partners.
Please check their website regularly, as it is not unusual for Chase to initiate new relationships (Aer Lingus) and terminate old ones (Korean Air).
What Is The Chase Travel Portal?
Another fantastic perk of transferring our Chase cashback points to a Chase premium card is that our points will be worth more in the Chase travel portal when booked through a premium card.
Before we do a deep dive, what is the Chase Travel Portal?
The Chase Travel Portal is operated by Expedia, which is a third-party (OTA) Online Travel Agency.
An OTA website sells consumers various travel products, such as flights, hotels, cruises, activities, and car rentals.
Instead of purchasing the product directly from a company, you go through OTAs to have access to an extensive menu of travel selections.
You can access the Chase travel portal by following these steps:
a. Click a Chase Ultimate Rewards Earning Credit Card
b. Navigate to the Travel drop-down menu
c. Click “Book Travel“
Aside from the premium cards’ “transfer to partner” benefit, transferring all of your Ultimate Rewards Points to a premium card is also a crucial step you need to perform before using the travel portal.
We will review a few examples to underscore why this is incredibly important.
At the portal, Ultimate Reward points from your no-annual-fee cards are only worth 1 cent apiece.
Conversely, Ultimate Reward points earned from your premium cards can be worth 1.25 or 1.5 cents, depending on which premium card you own.
The table below illustrates the value of each Ultimate Rewards Point if redeemed at the travel portal.
| CHASE CREDIT CARD (NO ANNUAL FEE & PREMIUM) | ULTIMATE REWARDS POINT VALUE IN THE TRAVEL PORTAL |
|---|---|
| Chase Freedom | 1 cent |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited | 1 cent |
| Ink Business Cash | 1 cent |
| Ink Business Unlimited | 1 cent |
| Ink Business Preferred ($95 AF) | 1.25 cents |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95 AF) | 1.25 cents |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 AF) | 1.5 cents |
To perform a more accurate apples-to-apples comparison, I searched for the same property on the exact dates in the travel portal using three different Ultimate Rewards accounts:
- A 1-cent Ultimate Reward-earning No-Annual-Fee Card: Chase Freedom Flex / Chase Freedom Unlimited / Chase Ink Cash / Chase Ink Unlimited
- A 1.25 cents Ultimate Reward-earning Premium Card: Chase Ink Business Preferred / Chase Sapphire Preferred
- A 1.5 cents Ultimate Reward-earning Premium Card: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Property: JW Marriott San Francisco
Cash Rate: $290.46
Date: August 15 (one night)
JW Marriott San Francisco using a no-annual-fee card redemption in the travel portal (1 cent per point)
Ultimate Rewards Points required: 29,046 (Cash Rate: $290.46)
JW Marriott San Francisco using a premium card, either a CSP or CIBP (1.25 cents per point)
Ultimate Rewards Points required: 23,236 (Cash Rate: $290.46)
JW Marriott San Francisco using a premium card – Chase Sapphire Reserve (1.5 cents per point)
Ultimate Rewards Points required: 19,364 (Cash Rate: $290.46)
The table below summarizes the number of points that can be saved just by redeeming using your premium cards at the travel portal.
The difference between the no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards redemption and the Chase Sapphire Reserve redemption is 9,682 Ultimate Rewards Points.
If 1 Ultimate Rewards Point = 1.5 cents, then 9,682 = $145.23. Wow!
| Chase Cards Used at the Travel Portal | Ultimate Rewards Required for $290.46 |
|---|---|
| No-Annual-Fee Chase card (1 cent/point) | 29,046 |
| Premium Card: CSP/CIBP (1.25 cents/point) | 23,236 |
| Premium Card: CSR (1.5 cents/point) | 19,364 |
Pro-Tip: Transferring our Ultimate Rewards Points generated from no-annual-fee cards to one of our premium accounts will substantially increase its worth by 25% or 50% depending on your premium card.
Recap: Why Do We Need to Convert Cashback Points to Chase Ultimate Rewards Points?
- Premium Chase credit cards provide the ability to transfer points to TRAVEL PARTNERS.
- Transferring Ultimate Rewards Points to a premium card increases the value of each Ultimate Rewards point from 1 cent per point to 1.25 or 1.5 cents when using the TRAVEL PORTAL.
What if my Ultimate Reward Points are in my No-Annual Fee Cashback Cards?
Should you find most of your points in a no-annual-fee card, do not worry.
Chase allows the transfer of points between Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards.
Log in to your Chase account and navigate to any of your Ultimate Rewards-earning credit cards.
Then, look for the “Ultimate Rewards Points” button, then click “Redeem” to access your points.
Next, click the “Rewards Details” dropdown arrow to find “Combine Points“.
If this is your first time combining Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, please continue reading for a step-by-step walkthrough.
As a general rule of thumb, I suggest transferring all of your no-annual-fee (cash back) Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to your premium cards, so you can have the ability to move your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to travel partners, such as Air France/KLM anytime.
This transfer also significantly increases the worth of your Ultimate Rewards Points acquired from your no-annual-fee cards, making them all the more valuable.
What if my Personal and Business Credit Cards have Different Log-In Information?
Before transferring your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points between your personal and business credit cards, you must merge your personal and business accounts.
To do so, you can call Chase’s customer service using the phone number on any of your Chase credit cards and request that your accounts be combined into one profile.
“Can you link my personal and business accounts so I only need one username and password?”
During the call, you must provide your personal and business account information to verify your identity. After verification, the agent will then merge both accounts.
Once the accounts are linked, you’ll be able to access all of your accounts with one login and password.
This can save you time and make managing your finances and Chase Ultimate Rewards Points easier.
Whether you have questions about the linking process or need assistance with anything else, Chase’s customer support team is available 24/7 to provide help and support.
Steps for Combining Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (Desktop)
STEP 1:
Log in to your Chase profile and select one of your Chase cards that earns Ultimate Rewards points.
In the image below, I selected my Chase Freedom Flex card, which currently has 7,925 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points.
I then click “Redeem” in the Ultimate Rewards points section (inside the red box).
STEP 2:
Clicking “Redeem” will lead you to the “Ultimate Rewards” page.
Click the “Rewards Details” drop-down menu, then navigate to “Combine Points“.
STEP 3:
Click “Combine Points,” then select a no-annual-fee card under “From” on the left column.
In the example below, I selected my no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex card.
This account will have the points you will transfer to a premium Chase card.
STEP 4:
Select a premium card under “To”, which is the Chase card where you want your points to go.
In the image below, I am moving points from my no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex to my premium card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
STEP 5:
Initiate the transfer by clicking “Continue.”
You will be directed to a page where you can indicate the number of points you would like to transfer to your premium card.
Since the value of your no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards points significantly increases when transferred to a premium card, I highly suggest transferring all of your points.
Generally speaking, you would always want your Ultimate Rewards Points stored in one of your premium cards.
Click “Review” once you have made your selection.
If you have two premium cards that include the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, transfer all of your points to the CSR, as that provides the best redemption value among all the other Chase cards.
STEP 6:
Chase will give you another opportunity to review your selection.
You want to ensure that you transfer no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards Points to a premium card and not vice versa.
In this example, I am moving my Ultimate Rewards Points from my no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex to the Chase Sapphire Preferred, a premium card.
Confirm & Submit.
STEP 7:
Once you have completed this transfer, you will be notified if the transfer was successful.
Once the miles are in your frequent flier or hotel loyalty account, it is time to book your award.
Remember that transferring bank points to loyalty programs is a one-way street.
Any points successfully transferred from Chase to a travel partner can not be transferred back, so make sure the award space is available before initiating your transfers.
Steps for Combining Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (Mobile App)
STEP 1:
Log in to your Chase profile and select one of your Chase cards that earns Ultimate Rewards points.
In the image below, I selected my Chase Ink Business Cash card.
Scroll down until you see the “Rewards and Benefits” section.
Click the right arrow.
STEP 2:
You will be directed to the “Benefits” page.
You will see your credit card’s name or “Ultimate Rewards”.
The name of your credit card will appear if it’s a no-annual-fee Chase card.
The heading “Ultimate Rewards” will show if the card is a Chase premium card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card.
In the example below, I clicked the arrow to the right of my credit card, “Ink Business Cash“.
STEP 3:
You will be directed to the “Ultimate Rewards” page.
Click the “Home” drop-down menu located on the upper left-hand corner of the page.
STEP 4:
The “Home” drop-down menu will reveal a few options.
Select “Rewards Details“.
STEP 5:
Rewards Details will reveal more options.
Navigate down to “Combine Points“.
STEP 6:
Select your “No-Annual-Fee” Chase card under “From“.
Then, select a Chase premium card under “To“.
In the example below, I am moving Chase Ultimate Rewards Points from my no-annual-fee Chase Ink Business Cash card to my Chase Ink Business Preferred card, a premium card.
STEP 7:
You will be directed to a page where you can indicate the number of points you would like to transfer to your premium card.
Since the value of your no-annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards points significantly increases when transferred to a premium card, I highly suggest transferring all of your points.
Generally speaking, you would always want your Ultimate Rewards Points stored in one of your premium cards.
Click “Review” once you have made your selection.
STEP 8:
Chase will give you another opportunity to review your selection.
Again, you should make sure that you are transferring no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards Points to a premium card and not the other way around.
Confirm & Submit.
Congratulations! You are now ready to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Chase’s many travel partners.
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How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Travel Partners (Desktop)
I will transfer my Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) in this example.
Once all your points are in one of your Chase premium cards, you will have access to the exclusive benefit of transferring to Chase travel partners.
STEP 1:
Go to Chase.com, then Click One of Your Premium Cards.
Each premium card will give you the option to access Ultimate Rewards.
In this example, I transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards Points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, a premium card.
Click “Redeem Ultimate Rewards points.” This will lead you to the Ultimate Rewards page.
You can transfer points from your other no-annual-fee Chase cards to your premium card if you need more points.
Please see the previous sections for steps on how to “Combine Points.”
STEP 2:
On the Ultimate Rewards page, click the “Travel” drop-down arrow, then navigate to “Transfer Points to Partners”.
Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) is one of Chase’s many travel partners.
STEP 3:
Navigate down to your preferred “Transfer Partner,” then click the arrow to the right.
STEP 4:
You would need a frequent flier account with your chosen transfer partner.
It is free to enroll in frequent flier programs.
Once you have an account, enter your frequent flier account number.
In the example below, I selected “Flying Blue” as my preferred transfer partner and entered my Flying Blue account number.
STEP 5:
Type in the number of points you would like to transfer in 1,000 Ultimate Rewards increments.
The transfer ratio is 1:1, so 1 Ultimate Rewards Point = 1 Frequent Flier Mile.
The minimum amount Chase allows for transfers is 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points.
STEP 6:
Confirm if all the info is correct, then click Submit.
STEP 7:
Wait for your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to appear in your frequent flier account.
Points transfers typically take up to 7 days to complete.
Check your frequent flier account periodically to book your award flights as soon as the points appear in your account.
How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Chase Travel Partners (Chase Mobile App)
After transferring all of your Ultimate Rewards Points to a Chase premium card, it’s time to transfer it to Chase travel partners.
Here are the steps to navigate the Chase Mobile App so you can quickly transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points wherever you are.
I will transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to my Flying Blue (Air France / KLM) account in this example.
STEP 1:
Log in to your Chase account using your Chase Mobile App.
Select a Chase Premium Card. In this example, I will access my Chase Ultimate Rewards points through my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
STEP 2:
Under your premium card, navigate to the Rewards and Benefits section.
STEP 3:
Click “Ultimate Rewards”
STEP 4:
Click the “Home” drop-down menu.
STEP 5:
Navigate down to “Travel“, then “Transfer Points to Partners“.
STEP 6:
Select the Transfer Partner from the list.
STEP 7:
In this example, I will transfer my Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Flying Blue (Air France/KLM).
Before transferring your points, make sure you sign up for a frequent flier account, as Chase will require this information.
STEP 8:
Indicate the number of Chase Ultimate Rewards Points you would like to transfer.
Before you transfer, remember that this is a one-way street.
Any points transferred from Chase to a transfer partner can not be reversed, so make sure the award space is available before proceeding with this transfer.
After typing in the number of Chase Ultimate Rewards Points you would like to transfer, click “Next”.
STEP 9:
Review transfer details, then “Submit”.
Reminder to only transfer points when you see award availability.
Again, the transfer process is irreversible – you can not transfer points back to Chase once they are in your frequent flier account.
STEP 10:
Run your award searches.
I used the Air France app when searching for Flying Blue award flights in this example.
- Select either round-trip or one-way. The multi-city award search feature cannot yet run on the app.
- Indicate your departure city, destination, and class of service.
- Add the number of passengers.
- Toggle “Use My Miles”
- Click Select Date.
Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Between Household Members
If you are part of a couple/family who lives in the same address, transferring Chase points between different individual accounts (between player 1 and player 2) is possible.
Holding two premium cards is no longer necessary as long as you meet Chase’s criteria as a household member.
One player can keep a premium card, and the other can continue accumulating no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards Points that can be easily transferred to the owner of the premium card.
You would need to call Chase to initiate this transfer.
Summary
Final Thoughts
Accumulating Chase points has been relatively easier as of late due to the combination of generous welcome bonuses and lucrative spending promotions.
However, redeeming these points for free travel continues to be confusing and overwhelming.
Being familiar with transferring points between Chase accounts is critical in optimizing your options when redeeming Ultimate Rewards points for free travel.
Knowing when, why, and how to transfer between Ultimate Rewards accounts is an invaluable skill to learn to ensure that your Ultimate Rewards stash is at the correct account at the right time before using them.
Now, you’re ready to redeem for that next FREE vacation!
EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE – Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. The content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
