Question: How Do I Get Chase Ultimate Rewards From My Ink Card?
Our question of the week looks at how to unlock the Ultimate Rewards points you earn with the Chase Ink Unlimited card. This question is built upon another question, so we’ll also highlight where this comes from. This could be a common question, so let’s jump in and answer it.
The Question
Our question of the week comes from Jaymon in our Facebook group:
Forgive me for a stupid question but do I need to hold the CIP to earn UR for a CIU or will I still earn UR on the CIU if I hold CSP?
Lots of abbreviations in here, so check our glossary of abbreviations if you need it.
And Jaymon, there are no stupid questions in this hobby! Keep asking.
Where does this question come from?
What you earn from spending and the new card sign-up bonus on the Chase Ink Unlimited (as well as the Chase Ink Cash) can be redeemed as cash back. These earnings can also be redeemed as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, but you only get access to that redemption option if you hold a premium card from Chase—a card with an annual fee. You can’t redeem Ultimate Rewards points from a card with no annual fee.
How To Get Your Chase Ultimate Rewards
Luckily, the answer is that ANY card that earns Ultimate Rewards and has an annual fee is sufficient. If you hold any of these cards, you can get Ultimate Rewards and not just cash back:
The best part is that you can combine personal cards and business cards here. Jaymon mentions that he has the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. This is sufficient to get access to the Ultimate Rewards from his Ink Unlimited card. It doesn’t matter that he has a personal card and his question is about a business card. As long as you combine your accounts under one online profile (call Chase at 1-800-432-3117 to do this), you can move your Ultimate Rewards between the various cards.
Once you move your Ultimate Rewards from a no-fee card to a card with an annual fee (see our guide on how to move points), then you can transfer them to travel partners or redeem them in the portal at higher rates.
Final Thoughts
While much of the information on Chase’s website and promotions they send out touts the Ink Unlimited and Ink Cash as “cash back” cards, you can access this in the form of Ultimate Rewards. You just need to have a premium card to do it. Luckily, holding any of the 3 cards we mentioned is sufficient. Mixing business and personal cards can accomplish what we want.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the old king of travel rewards cards. Right now
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Learn more about this card and its features!
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I think you can also move your Ink Plus to someone as an authorized user on an annual fee. I.e., my wife has an Ink Plus, and is an authorized user on my Sapphire Preferred, so she can move her points (in two different steps) to her Aeroplan account, correct?
Tim – no, because she is only an AU on a card with an annual fee. She has to be a primary account holder on a premium card to be able to transfer points to travel partners. However, she can transfer points to you, and you can transfer points into HER Aeroplan, since she’s an AU on your card.
Can you make a Household account like I have for my British Airways Executive club where you can pool the points between two household members? For example, I have CIU, CIC, CIBP and CSR. My mom has CSP, CIU. Can we pool all the points? Well I will find out the answer when I call them. If anyone knows please let me know.
Michael – here’s how to combine Chase points within your household https://milestomemories.com/how-to-transfer-chase-points/