Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card Review: Full Details

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Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview

He Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best known travel rewards credit cardsearning 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel℠ and Lyft purchases, 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery store purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs ), 2 points per dollar spent on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. These valuable points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating It is based on the opinion of TPG editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

At TPG, we’re always asked an important question by first-time travelers looking to plan trips: Which travel credit card Should I start with?

We almost universally recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card because it earns one of our favorite reward coins and comes with valuable benefits for a low annual fee. In fact, many of us we begin our journey in points and miles with this card.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is designed for frequent and occasional travelers. With a $95 annual fee, it’s not an expensive card, making it an especially good option for beginners.

TPG recommends that applicants have a credit score from at least 700 to qualify for the Sapphire Preferredbut it is not uncommon for someone to be approved with a lower score.

Here’s what you need to know about the Chase Sapphire Preferred and why it’s one of the the best cards that exist.

Pros and cons of Chase Sapphire Preferred

Advantages	Cons
Earn multiple points per dollar on things like travel and dining Valuable welcome bonus Premium travel protection benefits, including trip cancellation insurance, primary rental car insurance, and lost luggage insurance

Chase Sapphire Preferred Welcome Offer

He Favorite Sapphire Chase features a welcome offer of 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. New cardholders will also receive a $300 Chase Travel credit for the first year.*

He typical offer for this card It’s usually 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points, so whenever there’s an opportunity to earn more bonus miles or a statement credit like the current offer, we recommend taking advantage of it.

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This set of points is worth a minimum of $750 when redeemed for travel through the Chase portal, but you can maximize the value by using Chase’s transfer partners. According to TPG from October 2024 ratingsChase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,530 when you factor in the $300 Chase Travel credit.

*A statement credit will automatically be applied to your account when your card is used for purchases made through Chase Travel, up to a maximum accrual of $300 within the first year of account opening. Statement credits will appear on your monthly credit card statement within 6 to 8 weeks after your purchase posts to your account. For more information on Chase rewards categories, see, Chase.com/RewardsCategoryFAQs.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits

In addition to the welcome bonus, being a customer offers many attractive benefits. Preferred sapphire card holder.

You’ll receive a statement credit of up to $50 on hotel stays purchased through Journey to Chase upon opening the card and on each account anniversary. It is automatically applied to your account each year when you make an eligible charge. However, note that the $50 credit does not earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

I always use this hotel credit when I am abroad in a small city without chain hotels where I will not earn Elite nights or loyalty points since I booked through a OTA as Chase Travel typically does not qualify you for elite status benefits at hotels.

Cardholders also enjoy 10% Anniversary Points Bonus every year. This 10% bonus is based on your total spending during the account anniversary year at a rate of 1 point per $10 spent. If, for example, you spend $100,000 on your Sapphire Preferred during your card year, you’ll receive 10,000 bonus points at the end of the year.

However, this 10% bonus is calculated from dollars you spent rather than points you earned, meaning you won’t receive additional points by taking advantage of the card’s bonus categories.

He Favorite Sapphire Chase It also includes at least one year of Free DoorDash DashPass Membershipincluding perks like free delivery and reduced service fees on eligible purchases (activation by December 31, 2027). there is a cost associated with using food delivery services like DoorDash, but this can be a valuable benefit if you already use the service.

Finally, Sapphire Preferred is an ideal choice for travel bookings like car rentals, cruises, airline tickets, and hotels because it comes with comprehensive travel and purchase protections. Among them, cardholders can expect the following:

You can read more about the travel and shopping benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred here.

Earn points with Chase Sapphire Preferred

He Favorite Sapphire Chase has a simple profit structure which is easy to maximize:

Earn 5 points for every dollar spent on travel booked through Journey to Chase
Earn 5 points for every dollar spent on Lyft Shopping (until March 2025)
Earn 5 points for every dollar spent on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $150 or more (until March 2025, capped at 25,000 bonus points)
Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
Earn 2 points per dollar spent on all travel not booked through the Chase Travel portal
Earn 1 point for every dollar spent on everything else

Those are some of the best earning rates in the game, especially when you consider that you’re earning valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Redeem points with Chase Sapphire Preferred

When you are ready to redeem the points you have earned with the Favorite Sapphire ChaseYou will understand why the card shines.

You can use your points to buy airfare, book hotel rooms, and even rent a car through Chase Travel, all at a flat rate of 1.25 cents per point.

That means you don’t need to worry about blackout dates or finding prize space; You will always have the option to book trips using your points. As long as there is a seat for sale on the flight you want or a hotel room available to book with cash, you can pay for it with your points.

Just keep in mind that hotel reservations made through third-party sites (including Chase Travel) generally won’t earn points or count toward elite status qualification.

You also have the option of redeem your points for cash back or gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point or for a slightly higher value when you take advantage Chase pay yourself option. Still, these redemption options are less valuable than transferring your points to Chase travel partners, so we recommend avoiding them whenever possible.

Transfer points with Chase Sapphire Preferred

By transferring your Chase points, you can receive over 1.25 cents per point in value when transferring rewards to Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners. Some of the best Chase transfer partners include Hyatt, United, British airlines and Singapore Airlines for luxury hotels and comfortable airplane seats.

Using these transfer partners can generate phenomenal value. Chase frequently runs transfer bonus promotions where you can earn up to 30% more points or miles when you transfer Ultimate Rewards to a transfer partner.

For example, TPG credit card writer. cris nelson He transfers points regularly to Hyatt and has gotten rooms during peak season in Europe for as little as 4,000 points a night. Hyatt has many great sweet spot redemptions, making it an especially valuable transfer partner.

A TPG reader took advantage of Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Preferred sapphire For your first business class flight:

“I was able to make my first business class exchange (from Dublin to Boston on Air Lingus for 50k).” — alexander p via X

Note: Responses submitted by readers have not been edited, reviewed or approved by the issuers and do not reflect TPG’s views on these cards.

Using transfer partners for aspirational travel is a solid way to maximize your Ultimate Rewards points and get value for your spending with Sapphire Preferred.

What cards compete with Chase Sapphire Preferred?

There are plenty of worthwhile mid-tier travel credit cards out there, but only a few can compete with the Preferred sapphire. If you’re trying to decide which one is best for you, consider which card’s purchasing power suits your spending habits and which transfer partners you’re most likely to max out.

For additional options, see Our Complete List of the Best Starter Credit Cards.

The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

In a nutshell

If you’re ready to go further cash back either fixed value travel rewards credit cards, there is no better place to start than with the Favorite Sapphire Chase.

After his debut more than a decade ago, he is still considered one of the best credit cards with rewards. Earn some most valuable points and is flexible enough to meet the rewards needs of both frequent travelers and newbies alike. As long as you use the card often enough to get more than $95 in value, this card is definitely worth the annual cost.

Apply here: Favorite Sapphire Chase

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