Chase is definitely one of the best, if not the best, award card issuers around today. Part of it has to do with their rewards, bonuses, and variety of cards, but some of that also has to do with the value of their travel partners. Sometimes, it can be hard to choose what Chase cards to get next!
For this month, we have a few cards that have been bumped up to some higher bonus levels. Since it is possible to get one business and one personal card on the same day, it is a good time to take advantage of these higher bonuses and pick up a couple of cards for your mileage portfolio.
Don’t forget – if you currently hold these cards, you can earn miles and points by referring friends and family! Read this post here for details!
Two Picks From Chase
Disclosure: I do not receive a commission for any cards in this post.
In my opinion, the two best cards to go for this month are the United MileagePlus Explorer and the Chase Ink Cash. The Chase Ink Plus is also enjoying a limited time boost, but I think the Chase Ink Cash outshines it this time.
Remember – as long as it has been at least 24 months since you last received the bonus on these cards and do not currently hold them, you can apply again to receive the current bonus. In the case of Chase Ink cards, I have had success getting the bonus again while holding the same card in a different business name.
Why The United MileagePlus Explorer?
Enjoy an extra $50!
Until June 2, the United MileagePlus Explorer has been bumped from its regular public offering of 30,000 miles to 50,000 miles. That is a great jump and automatically places this single bonus in a position for some real global travel (or two domestic tickets).
The offer of 50,000 miles has been around for quite a while but only as a targeted option. This public offer is quite a bit better and you can even add an authorized user and pick up another 5,000 miles after the first purchase on that card.
To make it even sweeter, if you go to make a reservation (as outlined in detail in this post), you can also get a $50 statement credit to actually make a little bit of money with this offer as well!
50,000 United miles may not be what they used to be for premium cabin travelers, but it can still get you a lot of “free” travel with very little effort. It will require spending $3,000 in 90 days, but that is not too hard to do.
Reasons To Apply
- Huge increase – from 30,000 to 50,000
- Limited time – expires June 2
- Decent minimum spending requirement – $3,000 in 90 days
- One of the two highest personal card offerings from Chase right now (the other being the 50,000 Avios card with British Airways)
Card Details
- free first checked bag
- priority boarding
- no fees on foreign transactions†
- 2 united club passes per year
- 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $25,000 in net purchases on your card each year
- 5,000 bonus miles when you add an authorized user and make a purchase in the first three months
- earn 2 miles per dollar spent on tickets purchased from United
- earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
- miles don’t expire
- Any Seat, Any Time on any United flight (award seats on United flights can be booked as long as there is one seat left on the plane for cardholders)
- Application Link (make sure you read the post here before you apply so you can get the $50 statement credit as well as the regular bonus)
Why The Chase Ink Cash?
This card has gone from offering 20,000 points (if paired with a regular Ultimate Rewards card like the Sapphire Preferred, Ink Bold, or Ink Plus) or $200 credit to 30,000 points/$300 credit. The bonus earnings on category spending is similar to the bigger brother, the Chase Ink Plus, so you are gaining all of that plus there is no annual fee! This offer expires May 25.
The Chase Ink Cash, like other Chase Ink products, is a small business card. Because of that, you could apply for it on the same day with any Chase personal card and have a better shot at being approved.
But why do I pick this one over the Chase Ink Plus? Well, if I still had affiliate links for Chase, I could say that it pays me better! 🙂 The truth is, however, that the 10,000 point increase on the Chase Ink Cash is much more valuable than the 10,000 point increase on the Chase Ink Plus because you will need to pay the $95 annual fee on the Chase Ink Plus if applying online. While I would certainly pay $95 for 10,000 Ultimate Reward points anytime, there is not a great reason to do that when you can get that same increase for free with the Chase Ink Cash!
Reasons To Apply
- 50% increase – went from 20,000 to 30,000 (or $200 to $300 if you do not have a Sapphire Preferred, Ink Plus, or Ink Bold)
- Limited time – expires May 25
- Smaller spending requirement than the Plus – $3,000 for the Cash vs. $5,000 for the Plus
- No annual fee – savings of $95 over the Ink Plus in the first year alone
- Having a card with the earning power of the Ink series with no annual fee is a great reason to consider getting the Chase Ink Cash.
Card Details
- Bonus offer of $300 after spending $3,000 in 90 days
- 5X points/cash back on the first $25,000 per account year at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet and cable TV services (the Ink Plus is up to $50,000 per year)
- 2X points/cash back on the first $25,000 per account year at gas stations and restaurants
- 1 point/% everywhere else
- No annual fee
- Application Link
Summary
Everyone will have different opinions but I believe, given the limited-time window here on these offers, these cards would be the best picks from Chase at this time.
If you would like to help a fellow blogger, I encourage you to use the application links at Frequent Miler’s page – here. I know he appreciates it.
