Chase Sapphire Review: A Comprehensive Exploration of the Traveler's Favorite Card

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has become synonymous with travel rewards, and rightly so. With its sleek metal design and a reputation for outstanding travel benefits, it’s no surprise this card is a favorite among travelers and points enthusiasts. When you choose the right credit card, it opens up a world of perks; here’s how the Sapphire Preferred can enhance your rewards strategy.

To assist you in making an informed choice, we’ll explore the essential features and advantages of the Chase Sapphire Preferred, highlighting what distinguishes it from competitors and whether it deserves its reputation as one of the leading travel rewards cards available. Let's begin with some key highlights to consider:

• Attractive welcome bonus: The Chase Sapphire Preferred provides an impressive welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. This translates to $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, making it a compelling option for those eager to kickstart their travel rewards journey.

• Versatile redemption options: Cardholders can redeem their points for travel via the Chase Travel℠ portal, where points hold 25% more value, or transfer them to 14 airline and hotel partners. For instance, 60,000 points can be worth $750 toward travel expenses.

• Travel and dining perks: The card includes a variety of travel benefits, such as trip cancellation/interruption insurance, rental car coverage, and no foreign transaction fees. It also earns extra points on dining and travel purchases, making it a fantastic choice for food lovers and regular travelers.

• Reasonable annual fee: Despite its premium features, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a modest $95 annual fee, making it a budget-friendly option for those eager to get started with points and miles without overspending.

Discover more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred Overview

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a favored option for travel lovers aiming to maximize their rewards. With a robust sign-up bonus, additional rewards in various categories, and numerous transfer partners, it offers a flexible way to earn and redeem points. A key advantage of this card is its substantial welcome bonus of $750 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. Additionally, you can transfer points to 14 airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 rate. If you often travel internationally, keep in mind that this card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Pros

• Attractive welcome bonus: The Chase Sapphire Preferred provides 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. This equates to $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, offering a significant boost to your rewards and enhancing your travel budget.

• Versatile rewards program: The Chase Sapphire Preferred features a rewarding program, allowing cardholders to earn points on every purchase. These points can be redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal, for statement credits, or for transfers to travel partners.

• Travel perks: This card comes with valuable travel benefits, including primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation/interruption coverage, and no foreign transaction fees, making it a great choice for frequent travelers.

Cons

• $95 annual fee: While the annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Preferred is lower than many other premium travel cards, it is still an expense to consider in your decision-making process.

• Limited bonus categories: The top travel bonus category is restricted to direct Chase Travel℠ bookings, and the grocery bonus is only applicable to online purchases.

• Chase 5/24 rule: If you have applied for five credit cards in the past 24 months (across any institution), Chase may deny your card application.

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Benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers numerous advantages, including a generous welcome bonus, an attractive rewards structure, and essential travel protections. It’s perfect for travelers but also proves useful for everyday purchases, thanks to its valuable perks. Let’s take a closer look at these benefits and why you might consider adding this card to your collection:

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Welcome Bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card provides 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account. This translates to over $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. Additionally, you can maximize your value by transferring points 1:1 to any of 14 airline and hotel partners. This flexibility is essential for newcomers to points and miles as well as experienced travelers looking to optimize their rewards.

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Earning Rewards

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card allows you to earn up to 5 points per dollar on travel purchases made through Chase Travel℠ and 2 points per dollar on other travel expenses. It’s also excellent for daily spending, offering 3X points on dining (including eligible delivery services), online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), and select streaming services. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar spent.

For a limited time, cardholders can earn 5X points on Peloton purchases over $150 and on Lyft rides until March 31, 2025.

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Travel Benefits

The Chase Sapphire Preferred provides an array of travel benefits that can elevate your journeys. Along with a $50 annual statement credit for Chase Travel℠ hotel bookings, cardholders enjoy essential travel protections. These include up to $20,000 in trip cancellation/interruption insurance per trip, primary rental car insurance, and baggage delay insurance. With these safeguards, you can travel without the stress of unexpected expenses or damages, often allowing you to forgo purchasing additional travel insurance.

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Additional (limited-time) benefits

Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders enjoy limited-time perks, including a free DashPass that eliminates delivery fees and reduces service charges for a minimum of one year, provided you activate it by December 31, 2027.

Moreover, cardholders receive a complimentary fourth night at Ennismore Hotels, daily free breakfast, a $30 food and beverage credit, and room upgrades. These valuable everyday benefits can easily offset the card’s $95 annual fee and help you save on regular expenses.

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Redeeming Points

Redeeming points and miles can often be complex—loyalty programs are designed that way. If you’re looking for a simple way to book travel with cash or points, the Sapphire Preferred provides multiple options. Cardholders can redeem points for select everyday purchases or travel expenses. Alternatively, you can transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio for greater value.

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Chase Travel℠ Portal

The Chase Travel℠ portal enables cardholders to book flights, hotels, and other travel arrangements directly using points. This feature provides greater flexibility in trip planning since you’re not restricted to specific airlines or hotels. Additionally, your points hold a value of 1.25 cents each, which is beneficial for cash-equivalent redemptions.

The best part of this option is that you can enter your frequent flyer number during booking and earn miles through your preferred loyalty program—on top of the miles you accumulate with your credit card. It’s a straightforward process, and you can often discover excellent deals on hotels and activities.

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Transfer to Chase Travel Partners

Chase has 14 travel partners where you can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio, including 11 airlines and three hotel loyalty programs. This offers flexibility and the potential for greater redemption value, especially for business or first-class travel and luxury accommodations. Occasionally, Chase may provide a 20-30% bonus when transferring points to select partners.

Here’s a complete list of Chase travel partners:

• Aer Lingus AerClub

• Air Canada Aeroplan

• Air France-KLM Flying Blue

• British Airways Executive Club

• Emirates Skywards

• Iberia Plus

• IHG Rewards Club

• JetBlue TrueBlue

• Marriott Bonvoy

• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

• United MileagePlus

• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

• World of Hyatt

Popular Ultimate Rewards transfer partners include World of Hyatt, Air Canada Aeroplan, and Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue. Hyatt boasts a large portfolio of hotels with free nights starting at just 3,500 points. Flying Blue partners with Delta Air Lines and offers lower redemption rates than Delta SkyMiles, making it an excellent option for international travel, especially with potential savings of up to 50% on award flights through the Promo Rewards program.

Aeroplan has recently revamped its loyalty program, leading to more reasonably priced award flights, making it a solid choice for international travel. Additionally, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club offers some of the cheapest international award tickets, allowing you to fly from the East Coast to London for just 10,000 miles each way in economy class—often lower than the cost of a domestic flight with many airlines.

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Pay Yourself Back

Chase's Pay Yourself Back feature allows you to use your points for statement credits on eligible purchases at a value of 1 to 1.25 cents each. It’s user-friendly—just make a purchase and then redeem your points for that amount. Each point is valued at 1 cent for this purpose, meaning 1,000 points can give you $10 off your bill.

If you redeem points for select charitable donations, they currently hold a value of 1.25 cents each. During the pandemic, when travel opportunities were limited and many faced job loss, the Pay Yourself Back feature proved to be a useful way to cover everyday expenses. However, if you plan to redeem your points for cash back, we recommend considering a no-annual-fee cash-back card, such as the Citi® Double Cash Card or Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, instead of the Sapphire Preferred.

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Comparing the Sapphire Preferred with other cards

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card boasts a distinctive mix of travel rewards and benefits that distinguish it from other cards in its class. However, it may not suit everyone's needs, as there are many other cards with perks that might be a better fit for your travel style. Here’s how the Sapphire Preferred measures up against similar credit cards:

Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the more premium sibling of the Sapphire Preferred, providing enhanced travel benefits for a higher annual fee. The Reserve comes with a $550 fee compared to the Preferred's $95. In return, cardholders enjoy access to airport lounges, an annual $300 travel credit, and superior earning rates on dining and travel expenses: up to 10X points on Chase Dining purchases and hotels or rental cars booked through Chase. Both cards earn 5X points on Chase Travel℠ bookings and 3X points on dining and other purchases, but the Reserve offers a higher 3X point rate for all other travel expenses, versus the Preferred's 2X.

Those with the Sapphire Reserve who redeem points through the Chase Travel℠ portal enjoy a better redemption rate of 1.5 cents per point instead of 1.25 cents. Both cards offer the same welcome bonus, so the distinction lies in their respective benefits. If you take advantage of the annual $300 travel credit, the Priority Pass Lounge access, and the TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS fee reimbursement (every four years), upgrading to the Sapphire Reserve can be worthwhile.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Citi Premier® Credit Card

Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Citi Premier® Card are excellent options for those looking to rack up substantial rewards on everyday spending. The Sapphire Preferred provides a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, which translates to $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. Meanwhile, the Citi Premier also offers 60,000 points for the same spending threshold but boasts a greater variety of transfer partners—17 compared to the Sapphire’s 14. Many of these partners are international airlines that might not be on the radar for the average traveler, yet they can provide excellent value for those willing to do some research.

The Citi Premier features a robust rewards system, offering bonus points for dining and travel. Cardholders can earn up to 10X points on hotel and rental car bookings made through the Citi Travel portal. Additionally, all air travel, hotel, restaurant, gas station, and supermarket purchases earn 3X points, with the supermarket category being more advantageous than the Sapphire Preferred's, which only applies to online spending.

Moreover, the Citi Premier provides an annual hotel savings benefit of $100, surpassing the Sapphire Preferred’s $50 hotel credit. However, it's important to note that the Citi Premier's benefit is applicable only for hotel bookings of $500 or more.

While the card boasts no foreign transaction fees on international purchases, it falls short in other travel benefits. The Citi Premier lacks travel and purchase protections, placing it at a significant disadvantage compared to the Sapphire Preferred. If you depend on credit cards for travel insurance, the Citi Premier may not be the best choice.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes with a $95 annual fee and offers a more straightforward rewards system compared to the Sapphire Preferred. Cardholders earn 5X miles on purchases made through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other transactions. This flat earning rate is advantageous for those whose spending doesn't align with the Sapphire Preferred’s bonus categories.

Additionally, the Capital One Venture provides a more generous welcome bonus than the Sapphire Preferred: you can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. The $95 annual fee is partially mitigated by a $120 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee credit, available every four years.

Capital One boasts over 15 airline and hotel transfer partners, surpassing the number available with Chase Ultimate Rewards. Additionally, you can redeem miles for travel purchases at a value of 1 cent each. The card also provides travel accident insurance, though it lacks the extensive travel protections found in the Sapphire Preferred.

The Capital One Venture is a solid choice for those seeking a straightforward rewards structure and a generous welcome bonus. However, if you value comprehensive travel protections and primarily domestic transfer partners, the Sapphire Preferred is likely the better option.

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Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred worth considering?

Whether the Chase Sapphire Preferred is suitable for you hinges on your travel preferences and financial situation. If you love traveling and want to accumulate rewards for flights, hotels, and other travel costs at a reasonable annual fee, this card may be ideal. You can redeem points easily for statement credits, or opt for transferring them to airline and hotel partners for greater value. If you're in search of a travel credit card with a low annual fee that offers excellent trip protections, this might be the right choice for you.

Although the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card provides numerous advantages and perks, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. Primarily, it carries an annual fee of $95, which may not suit everyone. If you aren't accumulating enough points or saving sufficiently on foreign transaction fees to justify this expense, you might find more value in a no-annual-fee card like the Bilt Mastercard® or Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card.

If you're in search of premium travel benefits such as airport lounge access or enhanced rewards rates on dining and travel, you might want to explore the Chase Sapphire Reserve instead. Additionally, be aware that the Sapphire Preferred is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months (with any bank), you likely won't qualify for the Sapphire Preferred, so check your status before applying.

Take all these factors into account when determining whether the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card meets your requirements and preferences.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred still a worthwhile card?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred remains a solid credit card option, even amidst increasing competition. It’s important to assess its benefits and annual fee to see if it aligns with your financial needs.

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How can I earn rewards with the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

You can accumulate rewards by using your Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card for daily purchases, earning up to 5 points for every dollar spent. These points can be redeemed for travel, dining, and other expenses. Additionally, you can receive 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months of account opening, equating to $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

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Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred a metal card?

Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is indeed a metal credit card.

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What is the value of Chase Sapphire Preferred points?

The value of Chase Sapphire Preferred points can fluctuate based on how you choose to redeem them. When used for travel bookings via the Chase Travel℠ portal, each point is worth 1.25 cents. For instance, 10,000 points would translate to $125 for flights, hotels, car rentals, and more through Chase's platform. You can enhance their value further by transferring your points to airline and hotel partners for premium redemptions.

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Is qualifying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred difficult?

To obtain a Chase Sapphire Preferred, you typically need a good to excellent credit score. However, Chase evaluates various factors to assess your credit management and debt repayment capability.

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Editorial note: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed or endorsed by these entities.