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The Chase Trifecta (Sapphire Reserve), ranked

Chase Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited — every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Sep 14

Everything else

  1. Sapphire Reserve 1.5% 1x base rate
  2. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
  3. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Dining

  1. Sapphire Reserve 4.5% 3x
  2. Freedom Flex 3.0% 3%
  3. Freedom Unlimited 3.0% 3%

Gas

  1. Freedom Flex 5.0% 5%, rotating this quarter
  2. Sapphire Reserve 1.5% 1x base rate
  3. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Travel

  1. Sapphire Reserve · Chase Travel 12.0% 8x
  2. Freedom Flex · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%
  3. Freedom Unlimited · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%
  4. Sapphire Reserve 1.5% 1x base rate
  5. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
  6. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Drugstores

  1. Freedom Flex 3.0% 3%
  2. Freedom Unlimited 3.0% 3%
  3. Sapphire Reserve 1.5% 1x base rate

Flights

  1. Sapphire Reserve · Chase Travel 12.0% 8x
  2. Sapphire Reserve 6.0% 4x
  3. Freedom Flex · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%
  4. Freedom Unlimited · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%
  5. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
  6. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Hotels

  1. Sapphire Reserve · Chase Travel 12.0% 8x
  2. Sapphire Reserve 6.0% 4x
  3. Freedom Flex · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%
  4. Freedom Unlimited · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%
  5. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate
  6. Freedom Flex 1.0% 1% base rate

Public transit

  1. Freedom Flex 5.0% 5%, rotating this quarter
  2. Sapphire Reserve 1.5% 1x base rate
  3. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Live events

  1. Freedom Flex 5.0% 5%, rotating this quarter
  2. Sapphire Reserve 1.5% 1x base rate
  3. Freedom Unlimited 1.5% 1.5% base rate

What the numbers are doing

Freedom Flex wins gas, public transit and live events at 5% only because the rotating calendar is on them this quarter. The quarter ends September 30, 2026; after it the card earns 1% there, and no later quarter in the published calendar brings it back.

Sapphire Reserve tops everything else at 1.5% only because this table values its points at 1.5 cents each. Value them at one cent and Freedom Unlimited wins that category instead.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Sapphire Reserve $795, Freedom Flex $0 and Freedom Unlimited $0 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

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