Chase Shop and Earn guide: How to collect extra Ultimate Rewards points

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Your Chase Ultimate Rewards card can help you earn extra points in more than one way — as long as you remember one extra step before you check out.

Chase operates an online shopping portal called Shop and Earn, which allows eligible cardholders to collect bonus Ultimate Rewards points when buying from more than 1,000 online retailers. These bonus points can be earned in addition to the points, miles or cash back you get from your credit card, so the same purchase can generate rewards twice.

It is a simple habit with a surprisingly rewarding payoff. Here is how to make sure those extra points make it into your account.

What is Shop and Earn?

Like other shopping portals, Chase Shop and Earn is straightforward to use, but the order is important: Instead of starting on a retailer's site, sign in to your Ultimate Rewards account, choose your merchant through Shop and Earn and then click through to the retailer's website.

You can then shop and complete checkout as normal, while Chase tracks the purchase and credits the advertised bonus points.

With so many participating merchants, there is a good chance you can earn on nearly any purchase. Advertised earning rates typically run from 1 to 15 bonus points per dollar spent, though participating stores and payout rates change frequently.

These portal rewards are added on top of the points your Chase card already earns. For instance, if a store offers 5 bonus points per dollar through Shop and Earn, a qualifying $100 purchase would earn 500 bonus Ultimate Rewards points, plus whatever your card earns for paying. In some cases, you may also be able to combine these earnings with Chase Offers for an even larger return.

If you use this strategy regularly, and shop a little more during the holidays, you could accumulate thousands of Ultimate Rewards points each year and move closer to your next flight, hotel stay or other redemption.

Is The Shops at Chase the same as Chase Shop and Earn?

The Shops at Chase is a separate feature for eligible Chase cardholders. Shop and Earn is a shopping portal that awards bonus Ultimate Rewards points on qualifying online purchases, while The Shops at Chase is a marketplace where cardholders can buy a curated selection of products using a Chase credit card and/or Ultimate Rewards points.

How to access Chase Shop and Earn

Shop and Earn is available to cardholders who have at least one Chase credit card in the Ultimate Rewards family. Some popular examples include:

Note that cobranded Chase airline and hotel cards are not eligible for Shop and Earn.

If you qualify, there are several ways to access Shop and Earn from your online Chase account or mobile app. The easiest method is often to go directly to ultimaterewardsearn.chase.com. From there, sign in and choose your eligible Chase account if you have more than one qualifying card.

You can also get to Shop and Earn through the benefits section of your online account or the Chase mobile app.

Offers can vary by card, so it is worth checking each eligible account before deciding where to shop. Comparison tools such as Cashback Monitor make it easy to see earning rates for different Chase cards and compare them with other shopping portals.

These comparison sites are also useful for deciding whether Chase is the best portal for a specific purchase. In some cases, another portal may offer a better return than Chase Shop and Earn, depending on how you value Ultimate Rewards points.

How does Shop and Earn work?

Once you are on the Chase Shop and Earn site, you can search for a merchant using the search box on the right, or scroll to browse stores currently offering higher earning rates.

If you shop with a particular retailer often, select the heart icon to save it to your favorites and keep track of its offers more easily.

When you are ready to shop, click the retailer's name. You will see a page showing the different earning rates by purchase type, along with any additional terms and conditions that apply to that merchant.

Be sure to review exclusions for products or brands, coupon-code restrictions and any other limitations.

How to make sure your purchase tracks

Shopping portal bonuses depend on browser tracking, so a few small mistakes can cause a purchase to miss out on rewards.

Shop and Earn usually requires you to finish your purchase in the same browser session that began on the portal site, since it relies on internet cookies to track the transaction. Avoid closing the browser or clicking away and then returning later.

If you close the window, there is no guarantee the visit will be tracked correctly for rewards. If you are unsure, restart the process from Chase Shop and Earn.

You should also read the terms carefully. Chase generally does not award points on gift cards or purchases made with special coupon codes, although promo codes offered directly on a merchant's website are usually allowed. Orders that are canceled, returned or refunded also will not qualify.

When will my rewards from Shop and Earn post?

Chase says bonus points may show as pending on the Shop and Earn shopping details page within 15 days, although they often appear within a day or two. You should also receive an email confirming the purchase and the points earned.

Even if the purchase is tracked correctly, points can take up to 60 days to post fully to your account. If they still have not appeared by then, you can contact Chase using the phone number on the back of your card or through the secure message center. Have the merchant name, purchase date, order total and, if possible, an e-receipt or confirmation email ready.

Points earned through Shop and Earn typically appear as pending on your Rewards Activity page within a few days, though it can take up to two billing cycles for the bonus points to post.

Bottom line

If you shop online without checking Chase Shop and Earn, you may be missing out on free travel value. The rewards can go further than simple cash back, and even small purchases can add up to a larger balance that helps unlock meaningful redemptions.