2025’s Top Chase Credit Cards With Highest Welcome Bonuses

Chase continues to anchor many smart rewards strategies thanks to strong welcome bonuses, flexible redemptions, and a deep lineup spanning travel, cash back, and small business offerings. A welcome bonus is a promotional reward provided to new cardholders who meet a minimum spending requirement within a specific period after account opening. If you’re eyeing big wins in 2025, the right Chase introductory offer can be worth hundreds—often thousands—of dollars in travel. In this guide, we compare the year’s standout options, explain how to match a card to your habits, and share tactics to maximize value from Chase Ultimate Rewards. Expect an evidence-led overview grounded in issuer details and independent benchmarks like Forbes Advisor’s best Chase cards roundup, which consistently highlights Chase for flexibility and breadth of benefits.

Note: Offers change frequently; always verify current terms on the issuer’s site.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

For high-spending travelers who value luxury perks and premium redemption power, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the headliner in 2025. A commonly reported elevated welcome offer is 125,000 points after $6,000 in purchases within three months—worth roughly $2,500+ when redeemed through the Chase Travel portal. Targeted or pre-qualified pathways sometimes surface outsized offers beyond public rates, a dynamic frequently chronicled by independent outlets such as TPG’s Chase credit card hub.

The card carries a $795 annual fee but counters with premium benefits well-known to frequent travelers: a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access, robust travel protections, and accelerated earn on travel booked through Chase (e.g., up to 8x via portal categories). Ultimate Rewards points are Chase’s flexible currency that can be redeemed for cash back, statement credits, or travel—or transferred 1:1 to major airline and hotel partners. Many experts peg top-end value around 2 cents per point when used strategically through transfers or high-yield travel bookings, with Forbes Advisor’s best Chase cards roundup frequently noting the currency’s versatility.

Key perks snapshot

Best for: frequent flyers, luxury travelers, and anyone who can regularly use lounge access and the $300 travel credit to offset the annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Sapphire Preferred is a perennial value pick for families and casual travelers seeking flexibility at a modest cost. A commonly available welcome offer is 75,000 points after $5,000 in purchases within three months, paired with a $95 annual fee. It earns 3x on dining and 2x on travel, with additional accelerators in select categories, and supports transfers to Chase’s airline and hotel partners for outsized value. Core features include strong purchase protections, up to $50 in annual hotel statement credits for bookings made through the Chase portal, and a 10% points bonus each account anniversary. For many households, it’s the most balanced blend of affordability, earn rates, and redemption flexibility highlighted in independent overviews like Business Insider’s Chase card guide.

Best for: travelers who want premium flexibility without a premium fee, especially those who dine out regularly and book at least some travel through the portal.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

If you prefer straightforward rewards with no annual fee, the Freedom Unlimited stands out for everyday use. A typical public offer features a $300 cash back bonus after $500 in purchases in the first three months, plus unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases. You’ll also earn 5% on travel booked through Chase, and 3% on dining and drugstores. Pairing this card with a premium Chase card can amplify value by converting cash back into transferable Ultimate Rewards points, a combination widely recommended in resources such as Credit Karma’s Freedom Unlimited review.

Pros

• Simple, flat 1.5% earnings on everything
• Strong 3%/5% bonus categories
• No annual fee

Cons

• Lacks premium travel perks and protections
• Requires pairing with a Sapphire/Ink card to unlock point transfers

Best for: cash back seekers and points beginners who want effortless earning and optional “level-up” potential through pairing.

Chase Freedom Flex®

The Freedom Flex rewards planners who can align spending with its rotating bonus categories—without paying an annual fee. The card typically offers a $200 cash back bonus after meeting a modest initial spending requirement. Its hallmark is 5% back on up to a quarterly cap in categories that change each quarter (activation required), plus strong fixed rewards on travel through Chase, dining, and drugstores. The strategy is simple: activate each quarter, shift relevant purchases into that quarter’s 5% categories, and watch rewards add up.

Example of past or typical quarterly categories

Best for: organized spenders who can track quarterly activations and shift everyday spending to 5% categories for maximum effect. See the Chase credit cards page for current category details and enrollment windows.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

For entrepreneurs and freelancers, the Ink Business Preferred delivers one of Chase’s highest new-cardholder payouts plus business-friendly earn categories. You’ll often see a 100,000-point welcome bonus after $8,000 in purchases within three months, with a $95 annual fee. It earns 3x points on the first $150,000 per account anniversary year in combined purchases across travel, shipping, select advertising (e.g., search and social), and select internet/phone services. Standout benefits include cell phone protection, no foreign transaction fees, and 1:1 point transfers to Chase’s airline and hotel partners. For teams that travel, ship inventory, or invest heavily in online ads, it’s a high-value workhorse—details and current terms are listed on the Ink Business Preferred official page.

Best for: small businesses with recurring spend in travel, shipping, and digital advertising; owners who value substantial transferable-point bonuses.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

If you’re loyal to Southwest, the Priority card aligns perks with the airline’s fee-free checked bags and flexible policies. A common welcome offer is 40,000 Rapid Rewards points after qualifying spend, with a $149 annual fee. Perks include an annual Southwest travel credit, priority boarding privileges, and upgraded boarding allocations each year, making it easier to secure better boarding positions on full flights. Frequent Southwest flyers who redeem points often can offset the fee quickly—full benefit details are outlined on the Southwest Priority card benefits page.

Best for: Southwest regulars aiming for airline-centric value, especially those who can use the annual travel credit and upgraded boardings.

How to Choose the Right Chase Credit Card for You

Start by sorting yourself into a user profile:

• Luxury traveler: Prioritize Sapphire Reserve for lounge access, premium protections, and the $300 travel credit.
• Points maximizer: Consider Sapphire Preferred paired with Freedom Unlimited or Flex to stack earn rates and redemption flexibility.
• Cash back seeker: Lead with Freedom Unlimited for simple, no-annual-fee earnings (or Flex if you’ll track 5% categories).
• Business owner: Ink Business Preferred for a large bonus, 3x earn in core business categories, and partner transfers.

Map card benefits to your top monthly expenses:

• Travel/dining-heavy: Sapphire lineup for boosted earn and strong protections.
• Everyday essentials: Freedom cards for 3% drugstores, 1.5% everywhere, and 5% rotating categories.
• Business purchases: Ink Business Preferred for travel, shipping, ads, and telecom.

Tip: Create a side-by-side comparison (bonus, fee, recurring credits, top earn categories) and pick the card whose benefits you’ll actually use in the first 12 months.

Key Factors to Consider When Evaluating Welcome Bonuses

• Minimum spend and timeline: Confirm you can hit the requirement—most Chase offers require $500 to $8,000 in the first three months.
• Point value: Understand how you’ll redeem. Transfers and premium-portal bookings often deliver more value than cash back.
• Annual fee impact: Does the first-year bonus—and any easy credits—more than offset the fee?

Illustrative bonus–fee comparison (first-year, simplified)

Notes: Values are estimates; your results will vary based on redemption choices. Always verify current terms on the issuer’s site. The Chase 5/24 rule means you will likely be denied if you have opened five or more cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months.

Optimizing Your Rewards With Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Chase Ultimate Rewards is Chase’s flexible points currency that can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, and travel through the Chase Travel portal—or transferred 1:1 to airline and hotel partners. To maximize value:

1. Earn: Use category bonuses (e.g., travel/dining on Sapphire; rotating 5% on Flex; 1.5% everywhere on Freedom Unlimited).
2. Pool: Move points from no-annual-fee cards to a premium Sapphire or Ink card to unlock transfers and higher portal value.
3. Redeem: Book through Chase Travel for elevated redemption rates with premium cards or transfer 1:1 to partners for potentially higher cents-per-point.
4. Combine strategically: For example, pair Freedom Unlimited’s 1.5x everywhere with Sapphire Reserve’s premium redemptions; your base spend can effectively exceed 2%–3%+ back in travel value once uplift and transfer opportunities are considered—an approach regularly highlighted on TPG’s Chase credit card hub.

Expert tip: With premium Chase cards, many travelers target redemptions approaching ~2 cents per point when leveraging high-value flight and hotel transfers, a ceiling often referenced in independent roundups like Forbes Advisor’s best Chase cards roundup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the typical spending requirements to earn Chase welcome bonuses?

Most Chase credit cards require cardholders to spend between $500 and $8,000 within the first three months to qualify, with higher-end cards typically at the top of that range.

How do annual fees impact the overall value of welcome bonuses?

Annual fees can reduce net value, but substantial bonuses and easy-to-use credits can still leave you well ahead in year one if you redeem strategically.

What types of redemption options are available for Chase points?

You can redeem for cash back, statement credits, gift cards, travel through the Chase Travel portal, or 1:1 transfers to airline and hotel partners, offering maximum flexibility.

How does the Chase 5/24 rule affect eligibility for these cards?

If you’ve opened five or more credit cards across any issuer in the past 24 months, you will likely be declined for many Chase cards due to the 5/24 policy.

What perks can help offset the cost of premium Chase credit cards?

Look for annual travel credits, airport lounge access, elevated earn on travel and dining, and anniversary bonuses that can offset or outweigh the fee with consistent use.

Sources for further reading: Forbes Advisor’s best Chase cards roundup; Business Insider’s Chase card guide; TPG’s Chase credit card hub; Credit Karma’s Freedom Unlimited review; Chase credit cards page; Ink Business Preferred official page; Southwest Priority card benefits.