Is it possible to upgrade a credit card at Chase?

Yes, Chase usually allows you to upgrade your credit card as long as you meet the following criteria: Your card has been open for a minimum of 12 months. Your card has at least the minimum credit limit for the new card. Your card is in the same family as the new card. Your card is the same type as the new card (personal versus business).

Can I upgrade my Chase Freedom® card to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card?

Some customers are eligible to upgrade a Freedom card to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. You can call the number on the back of your card to check if your Freedom card is eligible for an upgrade to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

Can I upgrade my Freedom card to Freedom Unlimited card?

Yes, but this is considered a product change instead of an upgrade, as they are similar card products.

Can you change from one Chase card to another?

You might be able to change from one Chase card to another, as long as you verify when calling the number on the back of your card. The agent should be able to tell you if you’re eligible for a card upgrade, as well as the different upgrades available.

How do I upgrade from Chase Sapphire Preferred card to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card?

Call the number on the back of your card to upgrade your Chase Sapphire Preferred card to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. It’s recommended you have a minimum credit line of $10,000 to be eligible to upgrade to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

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How To Upgrade a Chase Card: A Complete Guide [2025]

Updated: November 8, 2025, 4:00pm CST

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Table of Contents

How To Upgrade Your Chase Card
Why Upgrade Your Chase Credit Card?
Chase Ultimate Rewards Cards
Chase United Cards
Chase Southwest Cards
Chase IHG Cards
Chase Disney Cards
Final Thoughts

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Chase has a number of different credit cards, and there many be times where you’ll want to upgrade your card.

Luckily, Chase allows you to change from one credit card to another within the same family, as long as you meet certain, relatively easy criteria. This makes it simple to get the benefits of different Chase credit cards without having to open an entirely new account.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through all of the different ways you can upgrade your Chase cards to a more premium card. In doing so, you’ll be able to access superior benefits and rewards.

How To Upgrade Your Chase Card

Upgrading your Chase credit card is easy. First, your current card should have been open for at least 1 year before you can upgrade (or downgrade) any credit card.

To get started, call the number on the back of your card and explain to the agent that you’d like to upgrade your credit card. From there, the agent should tell you what upgrades are available. Tell them what you’d prefer, and they may read a few disclosures and process your upgrade. You might have to pay a prorated annual fee based on your original card’s anniversary date, which carries over to your new card.

You then receive your new card in the mail and are ready to use it. As long as your card type (Visa versus Mastercard) doesn’t change, your credit card number should stay the same.

Hot Tip:

You can’t change a personal credit card to a business card and vice versa. Plan to pgrade any personal cards to other personal cards or any business cards to other business card products.

Why Upgrade Your Chase Credit Card?

There are a couple of reasons why you may want to upgrade your Chase card.

Access To Specific Benefits

When you upgrade your Chase card, you typically get access to improved benefits. After all, that’s why it’s called an upgrade instead of a downgrade.

For example, if you currently have the United℠ Explorer Card that you’ve been using for purchases but you want a United Club membership, you may want to consider an upgrade to the United Club℠ Card, which offers a complimentary United Club membership for you as the primary cardholder.

Or, if you already have the Chase Freedom Unlimited^®, you might want to upgrade to the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card so you have the ability to transfer your points to partners like United Airlines and World of Hyatt.

Your Spending Habits Change

Another reason to consider upgrading your Chase credit card is to gain additional rewards as your spending habits change.

For example, if you have the Chase Freedom Flex^® but see yourself spending a lot more money on travel, you might want to consider upgrading to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, since this card earns 2x points on general travel purchases.

Chase Ultimate Rewards Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs Chase Freedom Flex Upgraded Points LLC — Chase the dream. Image Credit: Upgraded Points

In general, of these cards, 3 can theoretically be upgraded to the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, but it’s recommended that you have a minimum credit limit of $10,000 for that card specifically, as it’s a Visa Infinite card. If you have the Chase Slate Edge℠ Credit Card, you may be able to upgrade that card to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

Benefits Comparison

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Benefit	Chase Sapphire Reserve^®	Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card	Chase Freedom Unlimited^®	Chase Freedom Flex^®
Rewards	8x points on Chase Travel 5x points on Lyft through September 30, 2027 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct 3x points on all other dining 1x points on other purchases	5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel 5x points on Lyft through September 30, 2027 3x points on all other dining 2x points on all other travel 1x points on other purchases 10% annual bonus points	2% cash-back on Lyft through September 30, 2027 5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Travel 3% cash-back on dining 3% cash-back on drugstore purchases 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases	2% cash-back on Lyft through September 30, 2027 5% cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Travel 5% cash-back in quarterly bonus categories, up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter 3% cash-back on dining 3% cash-back on drugstore purchases 1% cash-back on all other purchases
Travel Benefits	Points can be transferred to travel partners. Up to 2 cents per point redemption value on Chase Travel Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership Access to The Edit by Chase Travel Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary auto rental coverage, and more No foreign transaction fees	Points can be transferred to travel partners. Up to 1.75 cents per point redemption value on Chase Travel Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, auto rental car coverage, and more No foreign transaction fees	Trip cancellation and interruption insurance and more
Shopping Benefits	Complimentary DoorDash DashPass for a minimum of 1 year when you activate by December 31, 2027 Purchase protection Complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscription through June 22, 2027	Complimentary DoorDash DashPass for a minimum of 1 year when you activate by December 31, 2027 Purchase protection	Complimentary DoorDash DashPass for 6 months when you activate by December 31, 2027 Purchase protection
Statement Credits	$300 annual travel credit $500 credit for stays with The Edit ($250 twice annually) $300 annual dining credit ($150 twice annually) $300 in StubHub or Viagogo credits ($150 twice annualy) $300 annually in Door Dash promos through December 31, 2027 ($25 monthly) $120 in Lyft credits ($10 monthly through September 30, 2027) $120 in Peloton credits ($10 monthly through December 31, 2027) Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit	$50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit	None	None
Annual Fee	$795	$95	$0	$0
Authorized Users	$195 annual fee for each authorized user	No additional annual fee for authorized users	No additional annual fee for authorized users	No additional annual fee for authorized users

Hot Tip:

In addition to these Chase personal credit cards, you can also earn Ultimate Rewards points from Chase’s family of Ink business credit cards. You can upgrade your Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card or Ink Business Cash^® Credit Card to the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card.

Chase United Cards

Another popular series of Chase credit cards are the United co-branded credit cards. There are 4 personal United credit cards:

United Club℠ Card
United Quest℠ Card
United℠ Explorer Card
United Gateway℠ Card

You can generally upgrade to any card within the same family, but keep in mind that the United Club card comes with a minimum credit limit of $10,000 because it’s a Visa Infinite card, while the United Quest card and United Explorer card require a minimum credit limit of $5,000 because they’re Visa Signature cards.

Benefits Comparison

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Benefit	United Club℠ Card	United Quest℠ Card	United℠ Explorer Card	United Gateway℠ Card
Rewards	5x miles on stays purchased through Renowned Hotels and Resorts 4x miles on United purchases 2x miles on other travel purchases 2x miles on dining, including delivery services 1x miles on other purchases	5x miles on stays purchased through Renowned Hotels and Resorts 3x miles on United purchases 2x miles on other travel purchases 2x miles on dining 2x miles on select streaming services 1x miles on other purchases	5x miles on hotel stays purchased through United Hotels. 2x miles on United purchases 2x miles on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel 2x miles on dining 1x miles on other purchases	2x miles on United purchases 2x miles at gas stations 2x miles on local transit and commuting 1x miles on other purchases
Travel Benefits	Complimentary United Club membership Earn up to 28,000 Premier Qualifying Points per year (1 PQP for every $15 in purchases per calendar year) 10% discount on United Economy Saver Awards within the continental U.S. and Canada Complimentary first and second checked bags for yourself and 1 companion traveling on the same reservation (terms apply) Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status Complimentary Avis Preferred President’s Club status Access to Renowned Hotels and Resorts for United Cardmembers Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary auto rental coverage, and more No foreign transaction fees	A 10,000-mile award flight discount Earn up to 18,000 Premier Qualifying Points per year (1 PQP for every $20 in purchases per calendar year) Complimentary first and second checked bags for yourself and 1 companion traveling on the same reservation (terms apply) Priority boarding Access to Renowned Hotels and Resorts for United Cardmembers Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary auto rental coverage, and more No foreign transaction fees	2 United Club one-time passes each anniversary (usable by the primary cardholder, an authorized user, or a guest traveling with either) Complimentary first checked bags for yourself and 1 companion traveling on the same reservation (terms apply) Priority boarding Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary auto rental coverage, and more No foreign transaction fees	Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, secondary auto rental coverage, and more No foreign transaction fees
Statement Credits	Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit 25% statement credit on United inflight purchases	$200 in United TravelBank cash annually Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit 25% statement credit on United inflight purchases and Club premium drink purchases	$100 in United TravelBank cash after spending $10,000 on purchases each calendar year Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit 25% statement credit on United inflight purchases and Club premium drink purchases	25% statement credit on United inflight purchases and Club premium drink purchases
Annual Fee	$695	$350	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150	$0
Authorized Users	$0 additional annual fee for authorized users	$0 additional annual fee for authorized users	$0 additional annual fee for authorized users	$0 additional annual fee for authorized users

On the business side of cards, you have 2 choices for United cards: the United℠ Business Card and the United Club℠ Business Card. In order to upgrade from the United Business card to the United Club Business card, it’s recommended that your card have been open for at least 12 months and have a credit limit of $10,000 or more.

Chase Southwest Cards

Chase is also known for its Southwest credit cards, which were most recently refreshed in July 2025. On the personal side, there are 3 cards:

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card

You can upgrade from the Southwest Plus card to the Southwest Premier card or Southwest Priority card or upgrade from the Southwest Premier card to the Southwest Priority card.

Benefits Comparison

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Benefit	Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card	Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card	Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card
Rewards	4x points on Southwest Airlines eligible purchases 2x points at gas stations and restaurants, with no annual cap 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including ride-sharing purchases (through December 31, 2025) 2 points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases (through December 31, 2025) 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards Hotels and Car Rental Partners (through December 31, 2025) 1 point per $1 on all other purchases 7,500 anniversary points after your cardmember anniversary upon renewal	3x points on Southwest purchases 3x points on Southwest cruises (through December 31, 2025) 2x points on the first $8,000 in combined spend at grocery stores and restaurants each anniversary year 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (through December 31, 2025) 2x points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming services (through December 31, 2025) 2x points on local transit and commuting purchases (through December 31, 2025) 1x points on other purchases 6,000 anniversary points after your cardmember anniversary upon renewal	2x points on Southwest purchases 2x points on the first $5,000 in combined spend at gas stations and grocery stores each anniversary year 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (through December 31, 2025) 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, select streaming services, and local transit and commuting purchases (through December 31, 2025) 1x points on other purchases 3,000 anniversary points after your cardmember anniversary upon renewal
Travel Benefits	4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available for flights in 2025 Complimentary Preferred or Standard seat at booking when available for cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers on the same booking (in 2026) The ability to earn 2,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent annually with no limit Upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available (in 2026) First checked bag free for cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation Complimentary Group 5 boarding for cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation (in 2026) Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year Baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and more No foreign transaction fees	2 EarlyBird Check-In per year, for flights in 2025 The ability to earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent annually with no limit Select a Standard or Preferred seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available (in 2026) First checked bag free for cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation Complimentary Group 5 boarding for cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation (in 2026) Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year Baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and more No foreign transaction fees	2 EarlyBird check-in per year, for flights in 2025 Select a Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available (in 2026) First checked bag free for cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation Complimentary Group 5 boarding for cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation (in 2026) 10% flight discount promo code each year (excludes Basic fares) Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year Baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and more No foreign transaction fees
Statement Credits	$75 annual Southwest travel credit (through December 31, 2025) 25% back on Southwest inflight purchases	25% back on Southwest inflight purchases 15% flight discount promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary	25% back on Southwest inflight purchases
Annual Fee	$229	$149	$99
Authorized Users	No additional annual fee for authorized users	No additional annual fee for authorized users	No additional annual fee for authorized users

There are 2 Southwest business cards: the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card and the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card. You should be able to upgrade from the Southwest Premier Business card to the Southwest Performance Business card as long as your card has been open for at least 12 months and has a $5,000 minimum credit limit.

Chase IHG Cards

Chase’s IHG credit cards have undergone quite a few changes, and the result is 2 different card possibilities on the personal side and 1 card on the business side:

IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

You can’t upgrade the IHG Premier Business card, because it’s the sole business credit card in the IHG One Rewards family.

However, you should be able to upgrade from the IHG Traveler card to the IHG Premier card.

Benefits Comparison

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Benefit	IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card	IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
Rewards	Up to 26x total points at IHG Hotels and Resorts (10x from this card, 10x from being an IHG One Rewards member, and 6x from Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of this card) 5x points on travel, dining, and gas stations 3x points on all other purchases	Up to 17x total points at IHG Hotels and Resorts (5x from this card, 10x from being an IHG One Rewards member, and 2x from Silver Elite Status, a benefit of this card) 3x points on utilities, dining, select streaming services, and gas stations 2x points on all other purchases
Travel Benefits	20% discount on points purchases Automatic IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status Anniversary free night after each account anniversary year Redeem 3 nights, get the fourth night free. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, and more No foreign transaction fees	20% discount on points purchases Automatic IHG One Rewards Silver Elite status (and the ability to earn Gold Elite status after you spend $20,000 on purchases per year) Redeem 3 nights for the fourth night free. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, and more No foreign transaction fees
Statement Credits	Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit	None
Annual Fees	$99	$0
Authorized Users	No additional annual fee for authorized users	No additional annual fee for authorized users

Chase Disney Cards

The last series of credit cards we’ll be discussing in this upgrade guide is the Disney co-branded credit cards, which include:

Disney^® Premier Visa^® card
Disney^® Visa^® Card

If you’re interested, you should be able to upgrade from the Disney card to the Disney Premier card.

Benefits Comparison

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Benefit	Disney^® Premier Visa^® Card	Disney^® Visa^® Card
Rewards	5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or ESPNPlus.com 2% in Disney Rewards Dollars at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and most Disney U.S. locations 1% in Disney Rewards Dollars on all other purchases 10% off select purchases at shopDisney.com 10% off select merchandise purchases at select locations at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts	1% in Disney Rewards Dollars on all purchases 10% off select purchases at shopDisney.com 10% off select merchandise purchases at select locations at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts
Disney Vacation Benefits	0% promo APR for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages from the date of purchase, after that a variable APR of 17.99% to 26.99% 15% off the undiscounted price for select guided tours at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts Special photos at private cardmember locations at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, plus complimentary downloads of your photos	0% promo APR for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages from the date of purchase, after that a variable APR of 17.99% to 26.99% 15% off the undiscounted price for select guided tours at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts Special photos at private cardmember locations at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, plus complimentary downloads of your photos
Statement Credits	Up to $16.99 per month for 3 consecutive months in statement credits on a qualifying Disney Bundle Trio subscription or other qualifying subscriptions or add-ons purchased directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or ESPNPlus.com that total $16.99 or more when paying with the card	None
Annual Fees	$49	$0
Authorized Users	No additional annual fee for authorized users	No additional annual fee for authorized users

Final Thoughts

Broadly speaking, Chase has 5 different families of credit cards that have upgrade possibilities:

Chase Ultimate Rewards cards
Chase United cards
Chase Southwest cards
Chase IHG cards
Chase Disney cards

Remember that this doesn’t necessarily represent all of Chase’s card families. For example, there are the World of Hyatt credit cards, but only 1 personal card and 1 business card are available, which eliminates any upgrade possibilities.

If you find yourself desiring a specific Chase card benefit and want to upgrade to a new Chase card, you should generally be allowed to do so, so long as you meet a few criteria. For example, your card must have been open for at least 12 months, have the minimum credit limit for the card you want to upgrade to, be within the same card family, and be from personal card to personal card or business card to business card.