Chase Ultimate Rewards Digest — September 16–23, 2026

Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses

Chase Freedom Flex: $250 (25,000 UR) after spend requirement (see source)

• Source: Frequent Miler
• Link: Frequent Miler
• What: Chase refreshed the Freedom Flex this week with a limited-time increased welcome offer ($250 paid as 25,000 Ultimate Rewards points), new card art, Points Boost, and added/removed perks.
• Why it matters: The Flex carries no annual fee and still earns 3x on dining and drugstores plus rotating 5% quarterly categories, making the elevated bonus a low-cost way to add UR.

Chase Freedom Unlimited: up to $250 after spend requirement (see source)

• Source: The Points Guy
• Link: The Points Guy
• What: Current welcome offers on the Chase Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited are worth up to $250 in bonus cash back.
• Why it matters: Both are no-annual-fee UR-earning cards, so the bonus is pure incremental points for anyone building a Chase setup.

Earning & Accumulation

Chase Freedom Q4 categories: dining, grocery stores and American Red Cross donations (up to 7% back)

• Source: The Points Guy
• Link: The Points Guy
• What: Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders can activate Q4 quarterly categories to earn 5% back — up to 7% per TPG's framing — on dining, grocery stores and American Red Cross donations.
• Why it matters: Activation is required, and the 5% rate (up to $1,500 in spend per quarter) is far above the cards' base rate.

Get up to 10% back at Kroger brands with new Chase Offer

• Source: Frequent Miler
• Link: Frequent Miler
• What: A recurring Chase Offer is back, giving either 5% or 10% back at Kroger's various brands, limited to $90 in spend per card.
• Why it matters: Chase Offers stack on top of card category bonuses, and many cardholders report the offer appearing on multiple cards.

Fee-free Visa gift cards in-store at Staples

• Source: Frequent Miler
• Link: Frequent Miler
• Ends: September 26, 2026
• What: Staples is offering fee-free fixed $200 Visa gift cards in-store through Saturday, Sept. 26, with a limit of nine per customer per day.
• Why it matters: Staples is an office supply store, so this pairs with Chase business cards that earn bonus points in that category (see source for details).

Other Chase UR News

Chase devaluing World of Hyatt transfer ratio for some cardholders on October 1

• Source: Upgraded Points
• Link: Upgraded Points
• What: Following the June 15, 2026 Sapphire Preferred refresh, Chase will reduce the Ultimate Rewards-to-World of Hyatt transfer ratio for some cardholders starting October 1, 2026.
• Why it matters: Hyatt is widely considered Chase's highest-value transfer partner, and the article flags this as the downside of the otherwise positive card refresh (see source for which cardholders are affected).

Chase now allows product change from the original Freedom Visa to Freedom Flex Mastercard

• Source: Doctor of Credit
• Link: Doctor of Credit
• What: Chase has resumed allowing product changes from the original Freedom Visa to the Freedom Flex Mastercard after having stopped earlier.
• Why it matters: Doctor of Credit notes the Flex is the better card thanks to its 3x categories, so the restored path lets longtime Freedom holders upgrade without a new application.

Reports: original Chase Freedom card loses foreign transaction fees

• Source: Doctor of Credit
• Link: Doctor of Credit
• What: After Chase removed foreign transaction fees from the Freedom Flex, cardholders report the same change appearing on the original Freedom card.
• Why it matters: No foreign transaction fees makes these no-annual-fee UR cards more usable for overseas spend.

Make-A-Wish sweepstakes: win 1 million Chase Ultimate Rewards points

• Source: The Points Guy
• Link: The Points Guy
• What: Chase is running a Make-A-Wish sweepstakes offering a chance to win 1 million Ultimate Rewards points along with other prizes.
• Why it matters: It is a no-cost way to add a large block of UR, and entries support Make-A-Wish (see source for entry details).

Chase Points Boost: how to get more value from points in Chase Travel

• Source: The Points Guy
• Link: The Points Guy
• What: The Points Guy explains how Chase Points Boost works, when it delivers better value than transferring Ultimate Rewards points, and how to maximize value in Chase Travel.
• Why it matters: It gives a framework for deciding between portal redemptions and transfers to partners.

Honorable Mentions

• Iberia award sale: Save up to 20% when booking with Avios (book by 9/23) — Frequent Miler; flash award sale with 10–20% discounts on Iberia Avios bookings through Sept. 23, and Chase transfers UR to Iberia Avios.