So far I have been quite satisfied with the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. I got the Sapphire Preferred last October. My wife got it a couple of months later, and we have a lot of the versatile Ultimate Rewards points to play with. I used some of my Ultimate Rewards points to score a free flight to Las Vegas in March. My wife had a Chase Freedom before we started getting into miles and points last summer, so now we can transfer those points to Ultimate Rewards whenever we need to.
I had never really considered banking with Chase until I read this post by The Points Guy. If you hold a combination of Chase products–Sapphire or Ink Bold credit card, Freedom credit card, and checking, you can bring in quite a haul of Ultimate Rewards points. The Chase Exclusives program gives you 10 bonus points per transaction on your Freedom card, making it the go to card for many small purchases.
I have other reasons for wanting to bank with Chase. I received a $200 cash offer in the mail for a new checking account. There are stipulations I can easily meet. I have talked to friends who like the mobile app chase offers. My current bank, Fifth Third, is stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to these things. I always find Chase’s website easy to use when I pay my credit cards, so I assume they are ahead in that department as well.
So, I have resolved to do two things. First, I will open a Chase checking account, meet the requirements, and take the $200. Easy money. I will also apply for the Chase Freedom Visa in my next round of apps, which will take place after my battle with American Express concludes.