Why Chase Is Top Dog (and Amex Is Second)

April 24th, 2020

There are virtually hundreds of options for collecting and using points. One player in this game is Top Dog -- and that’s Chase.

Here Are a Few Reasons Why Chase is Top Dog

1. Chase creates the rules that will dictate much of how you collect points. The 5/24 rule is a major factor to all the credit card decisions. That's why we help you make the smart decisions at The Points Navigator. See why here >
2. Chase has the most powerful allies. Chase has fewer “partners” than Amex or Citi. But Chase selected the partners that offer the best value for points. So they offer some of the best co-branded cards.
3. There are more opportunities to accumulate points with Chase. Between offers on bank accounts, the variety and multipliers on business cards, and the ability to get multiple referrals and bonuses on the same card -- it's possible to accumulate more points with Chase than with any other system.
4. Chase Reward points have the most flexibility. You can easily transfer business, personal, and spouse points back and forth. Partner transfers actually make sense and offer great flexibility. Chase's travel portal is easy for virtually any booking, including cruises. And Chase offers 1.5 cents per point if you’ve followed our advice on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

If you're near or at your 5/24 Chase limit, Amex is a great second option.

Amex is Still Way Above the Rest, But Just Doesn’t Rival Chase

1. Amex’s looser approval rules mean you’ll generally turn to Amex after you’ve maximized your points under the stricter Chase rules.
2. The one card per lifetime (at least decade) limits the points you can earn. You're just going to end up with fewer points from Amex due to the system.
3. Amex has some great co-branded cards, but most (not all) transfer partners offer a poor value. That means it takes more work to find good value for your points.
4. The lack of ability to transfer Amex points to a spouse makes it harder to use Amex as the center of your points collecting strategy.

To maximize your points, focus on getting your Chase cards first -- then turn to Amex when you're forced to. And when redeeming points, use up your Amex points first, before turning to your more valuable Chase Reward points.