Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Overview

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best travel credit card available in the market, it offers generous rewards structure, relatively low annual fee and varied travel protections. Featuring a variety of travel, stellar reward redemption value, everyday reward categories, an annual hotel stay credit through Chase as well as an anniversary points bonus, Sapphire Favorites should offer excellent value to everyday spenders and rewards experts alike.

Although it lacks some of the strong perks found in more premium travel cards, the card should be a good fit for travelers who want to earn rewards on their hotels and flights without any high annual fees.

 

Rewards

• 5X points on the journey through Chase Ultimate Rewards

• 5X total points on a Lyft ride (3X-point bonus and 2X on normal travel. Offer as of March 31, 2025)

• Select 3X points on food (including qualified delivery services), streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)

• 2X points on other travel

• 1X points on other purchases

• Prize value: 1.25 cents per point when the final prize is redeemed towards the trip and about 2.0 cents on average through the right transfer partner

Expert View on Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card : Exceptional

Welcome offer!

60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months

Expert View on Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card : Good

Rates and fees

• $95 Annual Fee

• $0 Foreign Transaction Fee

• No introduction APR on purchase

• No intro APR on balance transfer

• 21.49 percent to 28.49 percent variable APR

Expert View on Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card : Typical

Other cardholder perks

• Earn annual bonus points on each account anniversary equal to 10 percent of your total purchases from the previous year.

• Up to $50 in annual statement credits toward hotel stays through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

• Comprehensive travel insurance for your annual fee, including trip cancellation/cancellation. Includes interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance and more.

• Complimentary, limited-time credits and/or other partner perks with Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Peloton, and GoPuff.

• My Chase Plan with a fixed monthly fee: Possible access to alternative payment plans.

Expert View on Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Credit Card : Good

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Pros and Cons

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Pros

• It has higher rewards rates on more travel and everyday categories than other cards which only focused on travel.

• It packs unprecedented redemption value through its impressive airline and hotel transfer partners and promotes 25 percentage points value redemption toward Chase Travel.

• The rich perk roster has benefits that only high-end travel cards typically carry.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Cons

• The current sign-up bonus is decent, but it’s not the first-class value that this card has previously provided.

• It has a $95 annual fee, though it may not be difficult to offset for specific cardholders.

• This card doesn’t offer introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers, unlike its no-annual-fee rivals.

Why do you want Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

If you are looking for a cost-effective travel card, then it is hard to beat the Sapphire Preferred Card. Travel allowances, annual credits and bonus points are impressive for a card in its class and can even make up for an annual fee on your own. Perhaps even more appealing is the diverse selection of bonus categories and redemption options, as well as remarkably high redemption prices to fuel your next visit.

Rewards: Outstanding travel value

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card’s rewards program is a powerhouse, offering impressive rewards rates on a much wider variety of travel categories than many competing cards. Plus, it rewards many other popular everyday categories that might be hard to find on specific travel cards, including food, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (except for wholesale clubs and superstores like Target and Walmart). All of these categories have no limits on the number of points you can get, so Sapphire Preferred has solid potential to be your primary credit card.

However, the biggest strength of this card is how valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be through certain redemption options. By redeeming your points for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal — including hotels, plane tickets, cruise vacations and car rentals — your points are worth 25 percent more (1.25 cents per point). Chase also has an impressive list of 1:1 hotel and airline transfer partners and the right can provide a market price of around 2.0 cents per point on average according to our most recent valuation.

Even the non-travel redemptions of this card are notable for their versatility and value. You can also redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 1 cent a piece for statement credits, cash back, merchandise (including Apple product purchases), gift cards, Chase Dining purchases and Chase Experience Events. You can use your points on the checkout screen on PayPal and Amazon.com for a lower price (0.8 cents a piece) but we recommend sticking cash back if you are not putting points toward travel via transfer partners or Chase.

These incredible redemption rates make the Ultimate Rewards Points and Sapphire Preferred card some of the most valuable reward options available in the market. This means that the Preferred Card is an excellent partner for maximizing the value of your rewards if you already have other Chase rewards cards.

Perks: High-potential benefits for its card tier

In addition to its stand-out reward features, the benefits of Sapphire Preferred include valuable perks that you normally need a high annual fee to receive. For example, the stellar travel insurance you receive with Sapphire Preferred includes interruption insurance and trip cancellation, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement — top-tier protection typically found between premium travel cards with annual fees of $400 or more.

The two most valuable perks in the Preferred Card is batch of features are its recurring bonuses. Statement credits for hotel stays purchased with the card through Chase Ultimate Rewards will set you back up to $50 each year, but you may be able to squeeze even more value out of the anniversary point bonus. An attractive 10 percentage points bonus on your total combined spend in the previous year’s points will be automatically added to your prize balance on each account anniversary.

Reward matching-style bonuses are very rare and Discover’s first-year cash back match is the most popular (and only) offer we have seen in recently. These types of bonuses can be very important for big spenders but even the average budget can earn a good amount of points from this annual offer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics spending data shows that the average annual expense is $15,900, which would yield an additional 1,590 final award points with an anniversary bonus of up to $318 in travel each year (based on our 2-percent point assessment).

These two annual benefits can be higher for the annual fee before factoring in your rewards spend alone. Chase also piles on extra, limited-time partner perks so your first few years with cards are especially appealing.

Although these partner perks will not last forever, you can also rack up statement credits and bonus points from Sapphire Preferred’s DoorDash, Lyft, Gopuff and Instacart benefits. In fact, these generous food delivery perks can be close to $200 or more and this card could be one of the best for Lyft if you travel a lot through rideshare services. Check out our list of each partner perk and offer timeframe so you can get the most out of your Sapphire preferred card.

Why You Need a Different Travel Card

Sapphire Preferred Card is an excellent rewards card for experienced and novice travel cardholders alike. However, the card isn’t currently offering the top-notch sign-up bonus it has a reputation for and can be reassuring if you’re wary of annual fees.

Welcome offer: Good but not the best bonus of the card

The current welcome offer for the Chase Sapphire Prederred weighs in on 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the 3 months prior to account opening. When you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards or potentially with the right transfer partner the equivalent equals around $1,200.

If you have a trip on the horizon or are eager to save points, a current offer can be a great reason to apply for a card. With the same spending requirement card offers an 80,000 point bonus. While the current offer is not one of the card’s highest sign up bonuses, it is still better than or equal to the bonuses offered on many competing travel cards.

In fact, this is the same sign up bonus that the issuer’s flagship Chase Sapphire Reserve Card offers and Sapphire Preferred is sometimes known for surpassing its luxury counterpart’s offer with the best sign up bonus on the market. So, if you’re not in a hurry to earn points, it might be worth waiting to see if a higher offer pops up.

Rates and fees: Annual fees may discourage newcomers

Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee, which can seem intimidating if you’re an occasional traveler looking for your first travel card. However, this price tag is quite low compared to the perks and rewards offered by the card. Annual account anniversary bonus points and credits can potentially offset the annual fee alone, but it’s not too difficult to make a fee through your normal rewards spend if needed. If you redeem towards Chase Travel at a price of 1.25 cents per point, you’ll need to spend only $3 in your 2X categories or $212 in your 317X general travel category each month. However, if you transfer your points to the correct high-value Chase travel partner and redeem at a value of 2.0 cents per point, you’ll only have to spend $132 in 3X categories or $198 in 2X general travel category each month to offset the annual fee.

This level of rewards and perk value can be tricky among no annual fee travel cards, so the stellar category variety of sapphire preferred cards, transfer partners, annual fees for redemption options, travel insurance and other benefits may be worth it. No annual fee competitors usually have lower rewards rates than preferred cards and no annual credits or notable travel perks. For example, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards credit card is the only no annual fee competitor that allows you to transfer rewards to travel partners but it only earns a flat 1.25X mile rate on general purchases and 5X miles on rental cars and hotels booked through the Capital One Travel portal.

Other rates and fees are specific to travel cards – There are no foreign transaction fees to worry about when you’re abroad and the ongoing APR is slightly higher than the average current credit card interest rate.

Transferring Points of Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

You can transfer your points to one of Chase’s hotel or airline or travel partners at a 1:1 value if you are a member of travel loyalty program.

You’ll get the most value when you offer a deal through their loyalty program. As long as it’s a Chase travel partner, you can use your Chase rewards points to pay for a partner discounted hotel stay or flight, essentially increasing the value of each point.

Chase’s airline travel partners, along with their programs, are:

• Aer Lingus, AerClub

• British Airways Executive Club

• Flying Blue Air France KLM

• JetBlue TrueBlue

• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

• Air Canada Aeroplan

• Emirates Skywards

• Iberia Plus

• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

• United Mileage Plus

The hotel partner programs are:

• IHG Rewards Club

• World of Hyatt

• Marriott Bonvoy

Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Outstanding Benefits

• Primary rental car coverage

• No foreign transaction fees

• Interruption insurance and Trip cancellation

Standard Benefits

• Trip delay reimbursement

• Travel and emergency assistance services

• Purchase protection

• $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit

• Baggage delay insurance

• 24/7 access to customer service specialists from anywhere in the world

• Extend warranty protection

How Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Compares to Other Travel Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred VS Capital One Venture Credit Card

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers awesome versatility and flexibility, it can still leave a lot of prizes on the table. For example, miscellaneous expenses like a new laptop or your insurance bill will only earn you 1 point per dollar. If you’re not sure if your spending habits are in line with Sapphire Preferred, you may have more luck maximizing your rewards with a simple flat rate rewards card like the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card.

The unlimited 5X miles on hotel and car rental through Capital One Travel and 2X miles stockpiling rewards on all other spending. You will earn the same flat rewards rate on all eligible purchases. The card also lets you redeem miles for outward travel purchases through Capital One or without sacrificing value.

With Sapphire Preferred, the Venture card includes a $95 annual fee. To offset the Venture Card’s annual fee with a prize at a base price of 1 percent per mile would require you to spend about $396 per month. If you move to the right partner for an average price of 2 cents per mile, you’ll only need to spend about $199 per month in your flat-rate 2X mile categories to offset the annual fee. However, it can be easy to offset the Sapphire Preferred card’s annual fee without relying on rewards spending because the Venture Card does not have an annual bonus award or credit like Sapphire Preferred.

Chase Sapphire Preferred VS Citi Premier Credit Card

The Citi Premier Card not only shares some rewards categories with Sapphire Preferred but it also offers some additional options that can prove highly appealing to the right cardholder. You will get a 3X reward rate on supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, gas stations and air travel purchases with the Premier card. Unlike Sapphire Preferred, the Premier Card doesn’t require you to book a trip through the issuer portal or buy groceries online to earn the full rewards rate. However, you can earn a total of 10X points on car rentals, hotels and attractions (excluding air travel) booked through the Citi Travel portal until June 30, 2024.

Along with its enticing rewards categories, City Premier stands out for its annual $100 hotel savings benefit on stays of $500 or more, which makes up for an otherwise slim set of travel perks. On the downside, if you redeem through the City Travel portal, your points won’t be worth much and depending on your travel preferences, City’s list of transfer partners may fall short of Chase.

Best Cards to Pair with Chase Sapphire Preferred

Other Chase credit cards are your best option because of how well their benefits and categories tie together. Although Sapphire Preferred are not part of the traditional Chase Trifecta, this card’s great reward opportunities and redemption value make Chase Sapphire Preferred with Chase Freedom Unlimited and/or Chase Freedom Flex available some of the best credit card combinations.

Just keep in mind Chase’s 5/24 rule as you search for cards to pair with a sapphire Preferred, You may not be eligible to open a Chase credit card if you’ve already opened five or more credit cards (issuers no matter) in the last 24 months.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Given that Sapphire Favorite is a travel card, consider pairing it with a flat rate travel card or a cash back credit card that rewards your biggest non travel categories — such as Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Chase Freedom Unlimited is a solid no annual fee credit card that earns at least 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make, 3% back on food and drugstore purchases, plus 5% back on Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel and Lyft purchases (Lyft offer through March 2025).

By pairing Freedom Unlimited with Sapphire Preferred, you can earn more rewards on trips to Sapphire Preferred and shopping outside of the restaurant food categories. For example, redeeming your flat-rate Freedom Unlimited rewards toward a Chase trip through Sapphire Favorites (for a 25 percent redemption price increase) costs you about 1.9 cents per dollar. Based on Bankrate’s latest assessment of 2 cents per ultimate rewards point, the Freedom Unlimited card’s flat-rate rewards can cost you impressively around 3 cents per dollar if you redeem them through the right transfer partner, thanks to Sapphire Preferred.

Chase Freedom Flex

Like Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Freedom Flex card is an excellent partner for sapphire preferred. Freedom Flex offers the same year-round 3% cash back categories as its flat rate counterpart but it also includes 5% rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter after category activation, then 1% back quarters). These can add a variety of popular categories that often correspond to your seasonal expenses for your disposal.

When you redeem points through Sapphire Preferred, this rotating rewards rate can essentially earn you 6.25 cents per dollar toward the Ultimate Rewards trip or about 10 cents on average toward the right Chase Transfer partner.

For which Cardholder Chase Sapphire Preferred is correct choice?

First Time Travel Cardholders

Although there’s a $95 annual fee and the prize structure is not as simple as flat rate prizes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred probably offers the best value for those looking to kickstart their travel rewards experience.

The sign up bonus provides a great leg up on cardholders next visit, the categories are varied enough to justify it as the primary rewards card and the stellar redemption value encourages cardholders to plan on using transfer partners and Chase travel. In addition, the card offers peace of mind with its comprehensive travel insurance and how well it combines with other cards if users want to pull out their rewards strategies later. Unlike many cards that earn travel miles, rewards won’t lose value if they’re redeemed for cash back or a variety of other non-travel options. This can come in handy for some cardholders if they aren’t planning to travel for a while.

Rewards Enthusiasts

Cardholders have more opportunities to rack up rewards and perk value than many competing cards offer — no matter whether the user is a frequent or occasional traveler. The Sapphire Preferred card’s excellent transfer partners and Chase travel point value redemption boost could also maximize the value of cardholders other rewards spending if they use Chase cash back cards for their other everyday purchases.

Cardholder Experience

Chase is ranked fourth in J.D. Power’s 2021 credit card customer satisfaction survey behind Discover, American Express and Capital One.

Cardholders get a number of free features that are also standard with most other cards, including 24/7 access to a customer service specialist from anywhere in the world and a free credit tool, in this case called Credit Journey, which automatically alerts you to potential fraud. There is also a free credit score with the card.

Customers can use Chase’s self-service toolkit on its website to perform tasks such as changing cards, adding authorized users, paying credit card bills, signing up for automatic payments, receiving account alerts, and confirming their cards.

Chase’s online customer service information for credit cards represents no email or chat options for customer service, only assistance by phone or physical mail. Customer service is available 24/7 at the call center 800-432-3117. Customers can also send messages to Chase on X (formerly Twitter) on the @ChaseSupport.

Security Features

Credit card customers at Chase get a number of security perks, which are fairly standard among card providers. At a high level, Chase offers security precautions like multiple authentication checks when logging in through a website or mobile app. It also monitors your profile to detect fraud and encrypts your password, username and other personal account information.

For your credit card, Chase offers 24/7 fraud monitoring – the bank will text, email or call you if there is any unusual activity in your account. It also provides card replacement services in case your card is lost or stolen, and it does not hold you responsible for unauthorized charges incurred to your card.

This card comes with chip-enabled technology to provide enhanced security while shopping.

Frequently asked questions

Difference Between the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card?

The biggest differences between these cards are their annual fees, cardholder benefits and reward categories. The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, while the Sapphire Preferred card has an annual fee of just $95. The Reserve Card’s high annual fee gives you many perks that are missing from the preferred card, however, a $300 annual travel credit, $100 Global Entry/TSA precheck credit and more included. Chase Sapphire Reserve also has a higher Ultimate Rewards Travel Redemption boost — 50% compared to 25% of Sapphire Preferred cards.

Can I get Priority Pass Select membership with Chase Sapphire Prederred?

No, Chase Sapphire Preferred Free Priority Pass does not provide airport lounge access. Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders can still enroll in the Priority Pass, but you must either upgrade to Chase Sapphire Reserve or apply to a qualified option of the Reserve Card for a complimentary Priority Pass selection membership.

Is it hard to get Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card?

It can be difficult for people with proper credit or less to get approved for this card. However, you may have better approval prospects if you have excellent credit (a FICO score of 670 or higher or a VantageScore of 661 or higher).

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