A credit card trifecta is a strategic combination of credit cards, typically from a single rewards program, that boosts your rewards-earning potential. It is used in the credit card rewards world to maximize your everyday spending.
The most common AMEX Trifecta consists of these three credit cards:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express® Gold Card
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
The most common Chase Trifecta consists of these three credit cards:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
While these are the "popular" trifectas for each program, the credit cards used in a trifecta are not set in stone. The best trifectas for others might not be the best trifecta for you or for someone else.
Maybe your spend justifies a Quadfecta (4) or Quinfecta (5). Or maybe a 2-card combo is the best option for you. It all comes down to your spend habits.
The calculators on this page calculates rewards for the standard AMEX Trifecta and Chase Trifecta. You can build your own combination of credit cards from AMEX, Chase, and any other card provider using the Credit Card Comparison Tool.
Rewards Rates
The Platinum Card
American Express Gold Card
The Blue Business Plus Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve
As part of the Chase-Lyft Partnership, the Chase Sapphire Reserve also earns 10X points on Lyft purchases until March 2025.
Do note that you will not earn bonus points on travel purchases until after you use the annual $300 travel credit. Once the credit is exhausted, you'll then earn the 5X/10X bonuses on travel purchases.
Ink Business Preferred Card
Select business categories include: shipping, internet, cable services, phone services, and advertising.
As part of the Chase-Lyft Partnership, the Ink Business Preferred also earns 5X points on Lyft purchases until March 2025.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Card
As part of the Chase-Lyft Partnership, the Chase Freedom Unlimited also earns 5% back on Lyft purchases until March 2025.
Cash back earned with Chase's cash back credit cards are displayed as Ultimate Rewards points. So 1 cent ($0.01) in cash back is displayed as 1 Ultimate Rewards point.
Current Intro Bonus
The Platinum Card from American Express
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
American Express Gold Card
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
The Blue Business Plus Card
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Ink Business Preferred
Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Key Cardholder Benefits
The Platinum Card from American Express
- $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups are excluded.
- You and all authorized users with a Platinum card will have access to 1,300+ airport lounges in over 500 airports around the world and 140 countries. This includes Centurion Lounges, Delta SkyClub Lounges (when flying Delta), Airspace Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Priority Pass Lounges. Enrollment Required
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $25 back each month on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at select airports and stadiums.
- Get up to $100 in Saks Fifth statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com using the Platinum Card. Enrollment required.
- Statement credit towards a Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) application.
- You'll be able to upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status without meeting any stay requirements. Enrollment required.
- You'll be able to upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold Status without meeting any stay requirements. Enrollment required.
- Book through Fine Hotels + Resorts with American Express Travel. When booking an eligible stay, you will receive a room upgrade upon arrival (when available), daily breakfast for two people, guaranteed 4pm late checkout, noon check-in (when available), complimentary Wi-Fi, and an experience credit valued at US$100.
- Book through The Hotel Collection with American Express Travel. When booking at least a two consecutive night stay you will receive a $100 hotel credit and room upgrade upon arrival (when available).
American Express Gold Card
- $120 in annual Uber Cash, split up into $10 per month.
- $120 in annual Dining credit, split up into $10 per month good at select retailers. Enrollment required.
- Access to The Hotel Collection. Book 2-night minimum stays for a $100 hotel credit and room upgrade upon arrival (when available).
- Complimentary ShopRunner membership for 2-day shipping and free returns at 100+ stores. Enrollment required.
The Blue Business Plus Card
- You've got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power.
- *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.
- No Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply
Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Receive up to $300 in statement credits as reimbursements for travel purchases charged to your Chase Sapphire Reserve card each account anniversary year. You will not earn points on travel purchases until you have used the full $300 credit.
- Receive a statement credit of up to $100 as reimbursement for the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee charged to your Chase Sapphire Reserve every 4 years.
- Receive complimentary Priority Pass Select membership which grants access to over 1,000 VIP lounges worldwide.
- Enjoy special benefits such as complimentary room upgrades, early check-in, late check-out, and more when you book your stays at top hotels and resorts worldwide through The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.
- Receive a 50% boost to point value when you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards. This bumps up the value of your points to 1.5 cents each.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth up to 50% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass – a membership for both DoorDash and Caviar – which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024. With DashPass you also get $5 in DoorDash credits each month, redeemed at checkout.
Ink Business Preferred
- Receive a 25% boost to point value when you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards. This bumps up the value of your points to 1.25 cents each.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
- No annual fee – You won’t have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.
Rewards Value
| Redemption Option | Average Value (in cents) |
|---|---|
| Point transfers to airline and hotel partners | 0.6 - 2 |
| Booking flights through American Express Travel | 1 |
| Booking hotels through Fine Hotels & Resorts (The Platinum Card) | 1 |
| Booking other travel through American Express Travel | 0.7 |
| Paying with points at checkout | 0.7 |
| Using points for card charges (statement credit) | 0.6 |
| Redeeming points for gift cards | 0.5 - 1 |
Membership Rewards points are worth an easy 1 cent each when redeemed for airfare through American Express Travel. As a Platinum cardholder, you'll have access to Fine Hotels & Resorts in which you can redeem points at a value of 1 cent each towards pre-paid hotel bookings.
You can obtain higher value by transferring points to AMEX's airline and hotel partners, which are the same across all three cards.
| Redemption Option | Average Value (in cents) |
|---|---|
| Point transfers to airline and hotel partners | 0.6 - 2.1 |
| Booking travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards using the Chase Sapphire Reserve | 1.5 |
| Pay Yourself Back using the Chase Sapphire Reserve | 1.25 - 1.5 |
| Booking travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards using the Ink Business Preferred | 1.25 |
| Pay Yourself Back using the Ink Business Preferred | 1 - 1.25 |
| Redeeming points for cash back | 1 |
| Redeeming points for gift cards | 1 |
| Using points for Amazon.com purchases | 0.8 |
Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for up to 1.5 cents each per point depending on which Ultimate Rewards credit cards you own. You'll get the best value of 1.5 cents using the Chase Sapphire Reserve, 1.25 cents using the Ink Business Preferred or Chase Sapphire Preferred, and 1 cent each using all other Chase rewards credit cards.
You can obtain higher values transferring points to Chase's airline and hotel partners.
Transfer Partners
American Express has a lot more transfer partners than Chase, but more doesn't necessarily translate into better. Which program has the best partners really depends on the airlines you enjoy flying, the destinations you're trying to visit, and many other factors.
Annual Fees
The Platinum Card from American Express
The Platinum Card has an annual fee of $695. The first three additional cardholders will cost you a total of $175 per year and an additional cardholder after the first three will cost you an annual fee of $175 per cardholder.
The Platinum Card has one of the highest annual fees in the market, but it offers over $1,400 in annual credits along with global lounge access, complimentary elite status with leading programs, and much more. If you travel and can make use of most of the card's benefits, you'll easily come out ahead every year.
American Express Gold Card
The American Express Gold Card has an annual fee of $250. Additional users can be added at a cost of $0 for the first five cards, then $35 per card for the sixth card onward.
If you can make use of the $240 in annual credits the American Express Gold Card offers, you'll be able to offset the majority of the fee. On top of that, the 4X earning rates offers an exceptional return if you plan on transferring points to AMEX's airline and hotel partners.
The Blue Business Plus Card
The Blue Business Plus Card has a $0 annual fee and there is no fee to add additional cardholders.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve has an annual fee of $550. Additional cardholders can be added for an annual fee of $75 per cardholder.
You can offset a big chunk of the annual fee with the $300 in annual statement credits. If you spend moderately on the card and make use of the lounge access, it won't take long to make up for the annual fee especially with points being worth a minimum of 1.5 cents each towards travel.
Ink Business Preferred Card
The Ink Business Preferred Card has a $95 annual fee. There's no annual credits to offset this fee, so you'll have to justify it by making use of the card's bonus categories.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited does not have an annual fee which makes it pair well with just about any Ultimate Rewards credit card.
Card Value Calculator
Calculate how many Membership Rewards Points you can earn with the AMEX Trifecta and how many Ultimate Rewards Points you can earn with the Chase Trifecta. You'll also be able to calculate the average cash value of the points earned, the transfer of points to partners, and the cash value of each Trifecta.
NOTE: If you want a little bit more freedom and wiggle room in calculating the cash value of trifectas, I recommend using the Credit Card Comparison Tool which allows you to build your own trifectas and card combinations—even across different card issuers!
Other Chase Trifectas
Listed below are a few popular trifectas for Chase. If you want to build these trifectas, you can do so by using the Credit Card Comparison Tool.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Prior to all the bonus category and card changes that happened within 2020 and 2021, this was the "original" popular Chase Trifectas. Even still, it's a great option if you don't need the categories offered on the Chase Ink Business Preferred.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve bumps the redemption value of Ultimate Rewards Points up to 1.5 cents each for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, grants the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards Points to Chase's airline and hotel partners, and comes with a long list of travel benefits such as lounge access and up to $300 in annual travel credit.
The Chase Freedom Flex earns 5% back on quarterly rotating categories as well as 5% back on Chase Travel and 3% back on both dining and drugstore purchases.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited takes care of all additional spending across categories not covered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Freedom Flex. This will earn you 1.5% back on miscellaneous spend.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
This is an alternative to the above trifecta where the Chase Sapphire Reserve is swapped out for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. This can be the better option if you don't find value in the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred bumps the redemption value of Ultimate Rewards Points up to 1.25 cents each for travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and grants the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards Points to Chase's airline and hotel partners.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred also earns 5X points on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3X on online grocery purchases, select streaming services, and dining purchases, 2X on other travel purchases, and 1X on everything else.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is used to take care of all miscellaneous spend not covered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Freedom Flex.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
This is another common trifectas, but includes the Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card for earning 3x on the categories of shipping, internet, cable services, phone services, and advertising.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you the 50% boost in point value for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards and the long list of travel benefits.
The Chase Freedom provides 1.5X on all miscellaneous spend not covered by the Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Ink Business Cash® credit card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
If you want to earn a high 5X return across several categories, the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card can fit nicely into the trifecta.
The Chase Ink Business Cash credit card earns 5X Ultimate Rewards Points on office supply store, internet, cable services, and phone services purchases. This is a pretty popular trifecta due to office supply stores offering gift cards which means you can technically earn 5X at any retailer in which you can buy a gift card for.
You can also use the Chase Ink Business Cash credit card to earn 2X on gas station purchases.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve give you the 50% point boost for Chase Ultimate Rewards and grants the ability for you to transfer your points to partners as well as the 3X to 10X earnings across the various travel and dining categories featured on the card.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited makes sure you earn no less than 1.5X when used on categories not covered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Ink Business Cash credit card. It can also be used to earn 3X on drugstore purchases.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Ink Business Cash® credit card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
This trifecta is great if you want the high earnings of the Chase Ink Business Cash® credit card, but don't need the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve. It's a solid option if you plan on transferring points to Chase's travel partners.
Other AMEX Trifectas
Listed below are a popular trifectas for American Express. If you want to build these trifectas, you can do so by using the Credit Card Comparison Tool.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express® Green Card
- American Express Everyday® Preferred Credit Card
If you want more travel focused spending, this could be a great trifecta of AMEX credit cards.
The Platinum Card will supply you with the luxury travel benefits and 5X earnings on airfare purchased directly with an airline as well as 5X on airfare and prepaid hotel bookings through amextravel.com.
The American Express Green Card can be used to earn 3X on travel, transit and dining purchases. The card also offers up to $100 in annual CLEAR credits and up to $100 in annual LoungeBuddy credits.
The American Express Everyday Preferred Credit Card earns 50% more points when you make 30 or more transactions on the card during a statement period. This means it will earn up to 4.5X on U.S. supermarket purchases, up to 3X on U.S. gas station purchases, and up to 1.5X on all other purchases. That makes this the go-to card for all miscellaneous purchases not ran across The Platinum Card or American Express Green Card.
We've run the calculations for you and here are our top picks for best credit cards of 2023:
- Best premium card for unlimited miles: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
- Best for flexible travel rewards: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
- Best for everyday spend and travel: Citi Premier® Card.
- Best cash back card for groceries: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
- Best for dining and supermarkets: American Express® Gold Card
- Best for business travel rewards: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
- Best cash back business card: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Our Credit Card Rewards calculator can help you find the perfect card and offers based on your monthly and yearly spending habits. Simply enter your spend amounts into our tool and let us do the work for you!
