For beginners, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is often the easiest way to get started.
Why I like it:
✅ Reasonable annual fee
✅ Valuable welcome bonus
✅ Ability to transfer points to airline and hotel partners
✅ Strong travel protections
✅ Points can be combined with Freedom cards
The ability to transfer points is what separates it from many basic cash-back cards. Chase only allows transfers to travel partners from certain premium cards such as Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, and Ink Business Preferred.
Lower Annual Fee Options
If you want to start with little or no annual fee, consider:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Chase Freedom Flex
These cards technically earn Ultimate Rewards points, but by themselves they cannot transfer directly to travel partners. However, if you also have a Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, you can combine the points and then transfer them.
This is why many points enthusiasts use a combination of:
- Sapphire Preferred
- Freedom Unlimited
- Freedom Flex
to maximize earning and redemption options.
Sunshine state travel on points 