Reader Question: Can you transfer Chase Freedom cash back to an authorized user's Ultimate Rewards account?

Here’s a reader question from someone I didn’t expect to answer points and miles of questions: My mom. Ever since I got into this hobby in 2011, my mom has let me manage her loyalty and credit card accounts. I tell her which cards to apply for and she uses them for daily spending and pays them off every month. When it’s time to travel somewhere, she asks me to handle all the point transfers and redemptions.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Well, recently, she brought up an interesting redemption question that I thought I’d share with all of you:

"Can I transfer my cash back rewards from the Chase Freedom Unlimited to an Ultimate Rewards account that I’m an authorized user on?”

To give you some context, my mom has her own Chase Freedom Unlimited that she uses for daily spending. She is also an authorized user on my dad’s Chase Sapphire Preferred Card account. It's been like this for years and she's perfectly content not paying the $95 annual fee while still getting the perks of this card.

My mom had tried to transfer her Freedom Unlimited rewards by using the “combine points” tab online. However, she got a slightly confusing error message that she couldn't make sense of.

Related: Chase’s 5/24 rule: Everything you need to know

How to transfer Freedom cash back rewards to an authorized user's Ultimate Rewards account

I’m glad my mom checked with me because the answer is yes ­– you can convert your Freedom cash back rewards to Ultimate Rewards points, even if you’re just an authorized user on the latter account. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible online. You’ll have to call Chase and ask to speak to someone in the Ultimate Rewards department.

When you speak with an agent, you’ll need to confirm information for your own account as well as the authorized user account you’re transferring points to. Once the agent verifies that you are, in fact, an authorized user on the receiving account, they can complete the transfer in a matter of minutes. The points post pretty much instantly once the transfer is complete.

If you’re a Chase Freedom cardholder who happens to be an authorized user on an Ultimate Rewards credit card, you can transfer your rewards just like you would if both accounts belonged to you. It’s a great feature that can open up a world of redemption opportunities, helping you maximize your rewards further.

Related: Does being an authorized user prevent you from applying and earning a sign-up bonus?

The cons of being an authorized user

Being an authorized user on a significant other’s travel rewards card is a great way to save on credit card annual fees. However, in the short-term, you’ll lose out on a pretty substantial sign-up bonus. For example, at the moment the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is offering a bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at two cents each, making this bonus worth up to $1,200.

Eventually, my mom will take herself off my dad’s account and get her own card. But in the meantime, it’s good to know that she can transfer her Freedom Unlimited cash back rewards to his Ultimate Rewards account if she needs to.