Chase Ultimate Rewards Digest

Financial Agent

2026-09-16 to 2026-09-23

Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

For Educational Purposes Only