The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers excellent earning potential for travel and dining expenses plus extensive travel insurance coverage, making it one of the most recommended travel cards for beginners.
It’s easy to rack up points by spending on common everyday purchases like dining, groceries, and streaming services.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card also features flexible redemption options, allowing you to transfer your points to leading airline and hotel programs like World of Hyatt and United MileagePlus.
You could also earn a $50 hotel statement credit, a 10% anniversary points bonus, and referral bonus points to recoup the $95 annual fee.
There’s a lot to cover with this card so let’s dive right in!
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- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred Welcome Bonus
The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Earning Points
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points and offers bonus points on spending in several categories:
- 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase travel portal;
- 5 points per dollar on Lyft purchases (through March 2025);
- 5 points per dollar on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $250 or more (through March 2025, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points);
- 3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out;
- 3 points per dollar on online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs);
- 3 points per dollar on select streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, Youtube TV, Pandora, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Sling, Vudu, Fubo TV, Hulu, and ESPN+;
- 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through the Chase travel portal; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible spending.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits
Apart from earning points on several reward categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers several benefits like travel and purchase protection, bonus points, rental car insurance, and more.
10% Anniversary Points Bonus
You’ll earn bonus points equivalent to 10% of your total spending in points earned with your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card during the past account anniversary year.
This 10% points bonus applies to base spending every account anniversary year. Welcome bonuses and extra points on travel, online grocery, Lyft, etc. do not count towards your total.
For example, you spent $10,000 during your cardmember year, you would receive an additional 1,000 points ($10,000 * 10% = 1,000 points).
Annual $50 Credit
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers up to $50 in statement credits every account anniversary year if you book your hotel stays through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
Complimentary DashPass Membership
Cardmembers get a complimentary 12-month DashPass subscription when they activate the offer by December 31, 2024.
DashPass is a subscription normally costing $9.99 per month that offers unlimited free delivery and reduced service fees for eligible orders.
Complimentary Instacart+ Membership and Credit
Have your groceries delivered to your doorstep with a complimentary 6-month Instacart+ membership plus a $15 credit once every quarter. Enrollment is required by July 31, 2024.
Instacart normally costs $9.99 per month so that’s about $60 worth of savings.
Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury when you pay for your travel expenses with this card.
Trip Delay Reimbursement
This card offers trip delay insurance when you purchase your flight with this card.
This reimburses you for reasonable expenses things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use a card that offers free trip delay insurance.
Primary Rental Car Insurance
Primary rental car insurance covers any damage to a rental car when you pay for the rental using this card.
But you still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
Baggage Delay Insurance
Baggage delay insurance can reimburse you for the cost of necessary personal and business items if (1) you purchased your trip with this card and (2) your bag is delayed by a common carrier like an airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship, etc.
Common reimbursable items include clothing, toiletries, and phone chargers, which can be a life-saver when you are without your bag.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Lost luggage reimbursement covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Purchase Protection
Purchase protection can save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 120-days.
For example, if accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if it was purchased within the last 120 days.
Extended Warranty Protection
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 3 years.
Coverage matches the protection provided by the original warranty so that damage or defect would have to be covered by the original warranty for extended warranty coverage.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Redeeming Points On Chase Transfer Partners
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns Ultimate Rewards points, one of the most flexible points currencies.
You can use your points to book flights, hotel stays, and even rent a car through Chase Travel — all at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point. For example, 100,000 points are equivalent to $1,250 towards travel.
You can unlock even more value than 1.25 cents per point by transferring rewards to Chase airline and hotel partners.
Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
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Aer Lingus
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Air Canada Aeroplan
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British Airways
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Emirates
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Air France/KLM
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Hyatt Hotels
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Iberia
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IHG Hotels
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JetBlue
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Marriott
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Singapore
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Southwest
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United
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Virgin Atlantic
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Chase Sapphire Preferred Pros & Cons
Pros
- Large welcome bonus.
- Flexible rewards redemption
- Points can be transferred to 14 loyalty programs, including major airline and hotel programs like Air Canada, Southwest, and United Airlines.
- Great travel and purchase protections.
Cons
- No intro APR
- $95 Annual Fee
Alternative Cards for the Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great starter card. It’s perfect people who want to earn rewards but don’t want to pay hefty annual fees.
However, if you plan on taking your rewards-earning game to the next level, you can try some of the more premium cards from Chase or other issuers. Here are some of our recommendations:
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
If You Want Airport Lounge Access
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- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 10x Points on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5x Points on Flights Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x Points on Dining, Takeout, & Eligible Food Delivery
- 50% More Redemption Value
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $550 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (review) is a great option for travelers who want premium perks such as airport lounge access and top-tier travel protections.
The Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, but you receive an annual easy-to use $300 travel credit and access to 1,300 Priority Pass airport lounges.
Plus, great benefits such as trip delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase and return protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees.
Cardmembers also earn extra points with:
- 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 3x points on travel.
- 3x points on dining, and food delivery purchases.
- 1x points everywhere else.
One thing to remember is that you won’t earn points on your first $300 in travel purchases each cardmember year since the $300 travel credit covers those purchases.
You can also cash out points at a 50% bonus (1.5 cents per point) when redeeming points towards travel or transfer the points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
American Express® Gold Card
If You Want to Earn More Points at U.S. Supermarkets and Restaurants
The American Express® Gold Card is one of my favorite cards because it earns:
- 4x Membership Rewards® points at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.,
- 4x Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x).
- 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
Plus, card members get nice credits when you enroll your Gold Card to offset the annual fee:
- $120 Uber Cash: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account, and each month automatically get up to $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
If You Want to Earn More Points on Everyday Spending
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- 5x Miles on Hotels and Rental Cars via Capital One Travel
- 2x Miles Everywhere Else
- 2 Free Visits to Capital One Lounges Each Year
- Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check Credit
- Hertz 5-Star Elite Status
- Rental Car Insurance and Extended Warranty
- $95 Annual Fee
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a travel rewards credit card that earns an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
The card also comes with a range of travel benefits, including secondary rental car, no foreign transaction fees, and extended warranty coverage.
Plus, you also get two complimentary passes to visit Capital One lounges each year and an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (up to a $100 credit every four years).
Related Articles:
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- Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Amex Platinum (premium travel card).
- Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Bilt Rewards (best card for paying rent).
- Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless (benefits at Marriott).
- Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Discover It (rotating 5% cash back calendar).
- Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited (no fee option).
- Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Ink Preferred (for small business owners).
- Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Delta Gold Amex (benefits on Delta Air Lines).
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Worth It?
While the Chase Sapphire Preferred has an annual fee of $95, its rewards program and benefits can make it worth it for frequent travelers.
The card offers a generous sign-up bonus, a strong rewards rate on travel and dining, and valuable travel benefits such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance.
Additionally, the card’s Ultimate Rewards program allows for flexible redemption options, making it easy to use your rewards for your next trip.
Overall, if you frequently pay for travel with your credit card and take advantage of the card’s benefits, the Chase Sapphire Preferred can be a valuable tool for earning rewards and saving money on travel expenses.
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- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
