Tiger Brokers

Why I Have Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Freedom Unlimited -- and You Should, Too

Motley Fool
02 May

Image source: Getty Images

KEY POINTS

  • Pairing the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Unlimited helped us turn everyday spending into a flight to Germany paid for with travel points.
  • We use the Chase Sapphire Preferred for travel and dining, and the Chase Freedom Unlimited for everything else to maximize points.
  • Transferring points from Chase Freedom Unlimited to Chase Sapphire Preferred boosts their value by 25%, making travel rewards go even further.

My husband and I are planning a trip to Germany later this year, and we're booking our flights entirely with points. I've wanted to go for years, but between moving across the country and saving for a down payment, it never felt financially doable.

We've recently discovered that pairing the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) is one of the easiest ways to rack up travel rewards without changing our spending habits. And spoiler alert: Strategically using both cards for the purchases we already make is allowing us to turn everyday expenses into a bucket-list trip.

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Our go-to for travel and dining

Ratings Methodology
2025 Award Winner

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees

Credit ScoreCircle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APRCircle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

19.99% - 28.24% Variable

RewardsCircle with letter I in it. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases

Annual Fee

$95

Welcome OfferCircle with letter I in it. Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

100,000 bonus points

  • This card easily justifies the (very reasonable) annual fee with benefits that deliver real value. For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, which we estimate is worth $1,250 in Chase Travel℠ value. Plus, enjoy bonus travel and dining rewards, a $50 annual hotel credit, and 25% more value when booking through Chase Travel. With added travel protections like rental car insurance and trip reimbursement, we think this card is a game-changer for any traveler.

    Read Full Review
    • Big sign-up bonus
    • Travel rewards
    • Dining rewards
    • Flexible travel points
    • Consumer and travel protections
    • Annual fee
    • Limited-time perks
    • Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
    • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
    • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
    • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
    • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
    • Member FDIC

We put nearly all of our travel and dining purchases on the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It earns 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ and 3X on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries, so it's our default card when we're out and about.

But the real reason we use it? Those points are worth 25% more when you redeem them through Chase Travel. That means 10,000 points = $125 in flights. We've already booked hotel nights with points this way, and we're now stacking up rewards for our flights abroad.

Even better, Chase is currently offering one of the highest welcome bonuses I've ever seen: 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. That alone is worth up to $1,250 in Chase Travel℠ value.

Chase Freedom Unlimited: Easy earnings on everything else

Ratings Methodology
2025 Award Winner

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees

Credit ScoreCircle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APRCircle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular APR

18.99% - 28.49% Variable

RewardsCircle with letter I in it. Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases

1.5% - 5% cash back

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome OfferCircle with letter I in it. Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening

Earn $200 cash back

  • The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the ideal all-in-one card, offering both big upfront value and long-term rewards. New cardholders can earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months. Plus, enjoy unlimited 3% back on dining and drugstores, 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel, and 1.5% on all other purchases. With the added benefit of 0% intro APR for 15 months, this card is perfect for a one-card wallet.

    Read Full Review
    • Innovative sign-up bonus
    • Purchase and travel protections
    • Robust rewards program
    • Great intro APR
    • No annual fee
    • Limited bonus opportunities on everyday spending
    • Foreign transaction fee
    • Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
    • Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
    • No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
    • Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
    • No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
    • Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
    • Member FDIC

We use the Chase Freedom Unlimited for almost everything else. Here's a look at our typical monthly spending:

  • Groceries: $500
  • Phone bills and streaming: $150
  • Gym membership: $50
  • Random life stuff (Home Depot, Target runs, etc.): ~$300

That's about $1,000 a month on our Chase Freedom Unlimited, which earns 1.5% cash back (or 1.5x points per dollar). That's 1,500 points a month -- and 18,000 points a year -- just from normal life.

To be sure, 1.5% cash back is great, but there are credit cards out there that offer even higher cash back rates. Check out our list of the best cash back credit cards to review other options.

The real magic is combining the points

Here's where things get fun. Every month, we transfer the points we earn on the Chase Freedom Unlimited to our Chase Sapphire Preferred account. That instantly upgrades the value of points by 25% when redeemed for travel through Chase.

So those 18,000 points from everyday spending? They're not worth $180 -- they're worth $225 toward travel. Combine that with the points we earn from travel and dining, and we've already covered a good chunk of our flights to Germany.

When it makes sense to have both cards

This Chase card combo works great if you:

  • Spend regularly on travel and dining
  • Want a better return on everyday purchases
  • Prefer redeeming points for travel
  • Don't want to manage a dozen different cards

The Chase Freedom Unlimited has a $0 annual fee, and the Chase Sapphire Preferred's $95 fee is easy to justify if you travel even once or twice a year, especially with the current bonus offer.

Want to fly to Europe on points?

This card duo is how we're doing it. And with the 100,000 bonus points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred, now's the time to jump in. This offer won't last, so if you're thinking about applying, don't wait.

Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card now (see rates and fees) and start turning everyday spending into your next international trip.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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