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Going after large sign-up bonuses is the fastest way to boost your points balance, but over time you’ll lose a lot of value without a clear and consistent strategy. The oldest and simplest trick in the book is the famous “Chase Trifecta.” Although it’s evolved over the years as new cards are brought to market, the core concept and overwhelming earning power of this 3 card strategy has remained relatively unchanged.
Between initial sign-up bonuses, earning on everyday spending, and luxury travel perks, the trifecta makes it easy for anyone to jump right into the points and miles game.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has been one of the best all around credit cards on the market right from the beginning, and even won our battle of the premium travel credit cards. It’s currently offering a sign-up bonus of 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. While Chase will tell you that this bonus is worth $750 (as you can redeem points directly through the Chase portal at a fixed rate of 1.5 cents each), I value it at over $1,000 because this card gives you access to Chase’s diverse lineup of airline and hotel transfer partners.
| PROGRAM | TRANSFER TIME |
| Aer Lingus | Instantaneous |
| British Airways | Instantaneous |
| Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) | Instantaneous |
| Hyatt | Instantaneous |
| Iberia | Instantaneous |
| IHG | 1 day |
| Korean Air | Instantaneous |
| Marriott | 2 days |
| Ritz-Carlton | 2 days |
| Singapore Airlines | Same Day** |
| Southwest | Instantaneous |
| United | Instantaneous |
| Virgin Atlantic | Instantaneous |
| ** While points transferred from Ultimate Rewards to Singapore Airlines processed on the same day for us, the confirmation email from Chase states that it can take up to 2 business days for Ultimate Rewards transfers to appear in your Singapore KrisFlyer account. | |
Although the Sapphire Reserve has a $450 annual fee, it earns its place in my wallet year after year thanks to it’s strong bonus categories (3 points per dollar on travel and dining, including everything from airfare to uber to food delivery services) and premium perks. The card offers a $300 annual travel credit which reduces your effective out of pocket cost to $150, as well as a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application credit, a Priority Pass select membership with guesting privileges, trip delay and cancellation insurance, and many more. Whether you’re an infrequent traveler or a road warrior, this is the card you want to travel with.
Ink Business Preferred
If the Sapphire Reserve is the most rewarding card on the road, the Chase Ink Business Preferred can be one of the most rewarding at home. It’s especially rewarding to small businesses, thanks to the 3x points it offers on the first combined $150,000 a year spent on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone and social media advertising. The annual fee is a much more modest $95 a year, and the Ink Preferred currently offers the highest sign-up bonus of any Ultimate Rewards credit card: 80,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, which I value at $1,680!
Chase Freedom Unlimited
While the last card in the trifecta, the Chase Freedom Unlimited, looks like the simplest and least impressive of the bunch, you might actually find it’s the one you use the most. This no annual fee card offers a sign-up bonus of $150 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, as well as earning an uncapped 1.5% back on all purchases. This cash back is awarded in the form of “points” that are worth 1 cent each, but the real value of this card comes when you pair it with a premium Chase card, like the other 2 members of the trifecta. Chase lets you combine your points between cards, so you can turn these cash back points into full fledged Ultimate Rewards points and transfer them to airline and hotel partners, or book travel directly through the Chase portal at the elevated rate of 1.5 cents per point thanks to the Sapphire Reserve.
The last spot in the trifecta can also be filled by the Chase Freedom, the sister card to the Freedom Unlimited. These cards are nearly identical- both offer the same sign-up bonus, cash back rewards, and no annual fee. The difference lies in the earning structure. While the Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5x on all your purchases, the Freedom earns 5x on your first $1,500 spent in rotating quarterly categories such as restaurants or gas stations. Ultimately you’ll need to look at your spending pattern and see which card is better for you, but if you have enough room in your wallet you might want to consider getting both.
Bottom Line
The Chase trifecta is a valuable and easily replicable strategy that I suggest for most people just getting started in the points game. The reason I call it a beginner strategy is because all the cards mentioned in this post are restricted by Chase’s 5/24 rule. This means that if you’ve opened 5 or more credit cards in the last 24 months, Chase will automatically reject your application. Given how valuable these cards can be in the long term, and how valuable Ultimate Rewards points are in general, the Chase trifecta is a simple and surefire way to elevate your points game.
Forbes has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. Forbes and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.
