What Purchases Count as Travel for Chase?

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Chase considers the following purchases as travel:

  • Airlines
  • Hotels
  • Motels
  • Timeshares
  • Car rental agencies
  • Cruise lines
  • Travel agencies
  • Discount travel sites
  • Campgrounds
  • Passenger trains
  • Buses
  • Taxis
  • Limousines
  • Ferries
  • Toll bridges and highways
  • Parking lots and garages

What Doesn't Count as Travel?

Chase excludes these purchases from the definition of travel:

  • Real estate agents.
  • Educational merchants arranging travel.
  • Inflight goods and services.
  • Onboard cruise line goods and services.
  • Sightseeing activities.
  • Excursions.
  • Tourist attractions.
  • Boat rentals.
  • Merchants within hotels and airports.
  • Merchants that rent vehicles for the purpose of hauling.
  • Purchases of gift cards.
  • Purchases of points and miles.

What Chase Cards Earn Extra Points on Travel?

Here are the three Chase cards that earn extra points in the travel category:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Best Starter Travel Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
  • bonus_miles_full
  • 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

Click Here to Learn How to Apply

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses. 

For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases

Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription when activated by December 31, 2024, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit. 

Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans. 

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

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  • bonus_miles_full
  • $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

Click Here to Learn How to Apply

The card_name (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.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
  • bonus_miles_full
  • 3X Points on Travel, Shipping, Advertising (Social Media and Search Engines), Internet, Cable, and Phone on the First $150,000 Each Account Year
  • 25% Additional Points Value in Travel Redemption
  • Primary Rental Car Insurance
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
  • Cell Phone Protection
  • Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • $95 Annual Fee

Click Here to Learn How to Apply

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (review)   is an excellent choice for business owners looking for a card that offers valuable rewards and benefits.

With this card, you’ll earn:

  • 3 points per $1 spent on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines (up to $150,000 in combined purchases per account anniversary year).
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases, with no limit on the number of points you can earn.

Beyond the rewards, the Ink Business Preferred provides valuable benefits, including:

  • Primary rental car insurance (when renting for business purposes).
  • Cell phone protection (up to $600 per claim against theft or damage, with a maximum of three claims per year and a $100 deductible per claim).
  • Purchase and extended warranty protection.
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