Let’s talk about those sweet, sweet Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. You know ‘em. You love ‘em. And maybe they’re burning a hole in your account.
Before you rush to transfer them to an airline or hotel partner, there’s another tool you should know about: the Chase TravelSM portal.
Travel portals can feel a little intimidating at first (I know because I avoided them forever). But once you learn the ins and outs, the Chase Travel portal becomes an easy and flexible way to redeem points, especially when cash prices are low.
What is the Chase Travel Portal?
Think of the Chase Travel portal like an Expedia that’s trying a little too hard, but exclusively for Chase cardholders. It lets you book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and vacation packages using cash, points, or a combination of both.
If you have a more premium card, you may also get access to The Edit by Chase Travel℠, which gets you elite-like benefits at certain hotels. These perks may include free breakfast, room upgrades, late checkout, and up to $100 property credit.
The best part? You’ll usually earn bonus points or get extra value out of your points depending on which card you have. For example, if you’ve got the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you’re already winning. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Why Should You Care?
More. Points. Value.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth a baseline of 1 cent each. But when you book through Chase Travel with certain cards, you may get a bonus:
Sapphire Preferred: 1.25 cents per point
Sapphire Reserve: 1.5 cents per point
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 1.25 cents per point
That means a $750 flight could cost just 60,000 points with the Sapphire Reserve instead of 75,000 with most other cards.
Plus, there are no blackout dates, and you’ll still earn frequent flyer miles. Win-win.
When to Use the Chase Travel Portal (and When Not To)
Use the Chase Travel Portal When:
Cash prices are low, so you want to use points at a fixed value
Hotel rates are lower than what a transfer partner would require
You don’t want to deal with award charts, partner airlines, or other confusing rules
You’re booking car rentals or cruises (which usually don’t have good transfer options)
You want to take advantage of The Edit by Chase Travel benefits
Avoid the Chase Travel Portal When:
You’re booking boujee hotels with transfer partners like Hyatt (those are almost always a better value with points)
There’s a great award redemption available through an airline or hotel loyalty program
You think you might need to cancel or change your booking (Chase’s customer service isn’t always stellar 🫠)
Use Points or Pay Cash?
Great, you decided to book through the Chase Travel Portal. Now you need to decide whether you want to pay with points, cash, or a mix of both. Here’s when each option makes sense:
Using Points
This is ideal when cash prices are low and you want a simple, no-stress redemption. You’ll know exactly what your points are worth — 1 cent, 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents each, depending on your card — and there are no blackout dates or confusing award charts to deal with.
It’s also helpful for booking things that aren’t usually readily available with points, such as cruises or certain budget airline flights.
Paying Cash
If your card earns bonus points on Chase Travel bookings, paying with cash can be a sneaky-good strategy. Depending on your card, you could earn 5x or 10x points or more on hotels and flights booked through the portal.
📣 Don't Miss: Daily Drop’s Cents Per Point Calculator
Which Cards Get Access to the Chase Travel Portal?
Any Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points has access to the Chase Travel portal, but the redemption value differs.
Full-fledged Ultimate Rewards cards
These cards unlock bonus point value and access to transfer partners:
Cash-back cards that technically earn points
Rewards earned with these cards can be redeemed for 1 cent apiece through the portal:
Keep in mind that although these are technically cash-back cards, they earn rewards in the form of Ultimate Rewards points. When paired with a Sapphire or Ink Preferred card, you can combine your points and unlock better value (and access to transfer partners).
💡 To Note: Freedom and Ink Cash cards are great point boosters — but to get max value from the Chase Travel portal, you’ll need the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred.
How to Book Travel in the Chase Travel Portal
Here’s how to book like a pro:
Log in to your Chase account and find the “Ultimate Rewards” section.
Choose your card and select “Travel” from the menu.
Browse flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, or vacation packages
At checkout, decide if you want to pay with points, cash, or a combo of both.
Once you check out, you’ll get confirmation just like you would with any major online travel agency. But keep in mind: if anything goes wrong, you’re working with Chase Travel, not the airline or hotel. Chase may not offer as much flexibility with flight changes as when you’re booking directly.
Do You Earn Points When Booking Through the Portal?
The beauty of booking through the Chase Travel portal is that you earn frequent flyer miles as you normally would, regardless of whether you’re booking with cash or redeeming your Ultimate Rewards points at a fixed value. When booking hotels through The Edit by Chase Travel, you’ll also earn hotel points at some properties.
If you’re paying with cash, you’ll also earn bonus Chase points (as mentioned, some cards offer as much as 5x to 10x points for portal bookings) so you may be able to double-dip your rewards.
Bottom Line
The Chase Travel portal is one of the easiest ways to use your Ultimate Rewards points, especially when cash prices are low or you want a no-fuss redemption.
It may not always beat out transfer partner sweet spots (looking at you, Hyatt), but it’s a great tool when used strategically.
Know your card’s value, do a quick points-per-dollar check using Daily Drop’s calculator, and choose what makes the most sense for your travel plans.
