Chase Sapphire Preferred® Review: Best Starter Travel Card
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Few travel rewards credit cards are as iconic as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It was one of the few transferable points credit cards when it launched in 2009, and it skyrocketed the popularity of Chase’s travel credit card portfolio and Chase Ultimate Rewards.
And for a good reason. The card has evolved over the past 15 years, but has remained popular thanks to its low annual fee, earning rates, and the incredible value of Ultimate Rewards points. You can transfer the points you earn with the card to 14 top-notch loyalty programs, including Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Air Canada Aeroplan, and World of Hyatt, among others.
Here’s why we think the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still the best travel rewards credit card for beginners, and a look at its welcome bonus, earning rates, and other features.
Chase Sapphire Preferred welcome offer
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers new cardmembers 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This is worth at least $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠, but can be worth significantly more when you use transfer partners – more on this soon.
The card charges a $95 annual fee, which does not get waived for the first year.
- Annual fee
- $95
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,537Total$1,537Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $1,537
- Welcome offerAfter $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer eligibility requirements apply.
- 75,000 points
Apply Now
on Chase's website
Chase Sapphire Preferred earning rates
The Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholder earns bonus points on popular purchases. Here’s a look at its earning rates:
- 5 points per dollar: Chase Travel℠ bookings (excluding hotel stays eligible for the $100 hotel benefit), on Lyft through Sept. 30, 2027, and on Peloton purchases $150+ through Dec. 31, 2027.
- 3 points per dollar: Dining, vacation home rentals, gas and EV charging, plus top streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs).
- 2 points per dollar: All other travel purchases.
- 1 point per dollar: All other purchases.
These are solid earning rates given the card’s relatively low $95 annual fee. The spending categories are broad, too – for example, the travel category includes things like public transportation and taxis. Dining specifically includes delivery services and takeout.
Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is essentially an earner card, meaning it has few travel benefits (for example, airport lounge access is not included), but it’s a great card to use for earning points for a future trip. Regardless, there are a few benefits you should be aware of and take advantage of if you decide to apply for the card.
Key benefits
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits every account anniversary year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel℠.
- Complimentary DashPass: $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees for at least one year when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027, plus a $10 monthly promo on non-restaurant orders.
- One year of complimentary Apple TV when you activate by Dec. 31, 2026 (a $156 value).
- Up to $120 every four years as a statement credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Travel protections
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Be reimbursed for up to $10,000 per covered traveler and $20,000 per trip for nonrefundable and prepaid bookings if your trip is canceled or cut short due to sickness, severe weather, or other covered reasons. This includes things like hotel stays, tour,s and travel fares charged to your card.
- Auto rental coverage: Protects damage to or theft of a rental car when you decline the rental company’s collision insurance waiver, up to $60,000 for most rental vehicles with a $125,000 MSRP or less. This coverage is primary except for renters who are New York State residents.
- Baggage delay insurance: Reimburses you for up to $100 in expenses for up to five days when your bags are delayed by six or more hours. This covers essential items like toiletries and clothing.
- Trip delay reimbursement: If your flight or other common carrier travel is delayed 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you can be reimbursed for up to $500 for incurred expenses like lodging and meals.
- Travel and emergency assistance: Provides legal and medical referrals when traveling and access to travel and emergency services, but you’re liable to pay for services obtained.
Note that you must charge your flights or other travel expenses to your Chase Sapphire Preferred to be eligible for most of these protections. Refer to the card’s benefits guide for more information.
Additional Perks
- Purchase protection: New purchases are covered against damage and theft for the first 120 days of buying the product, up to $500 per item.
- Extended warranty protection: Extends the manufacturer’s US warranty for an additional year. Products charged to the Chase Sapphire Preferred with a standard warranty of three years or less are eligible.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
You can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for:
- Travel bookings through Chase Travel℠ at 1 cent per point with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, or up to 1.5 cents per point on select hotels and flights with Points Boost.
- Transfers to 14 airline and hotel partners (often a better value).
- Gift cards at 1 cent per point (or more during promotions).
- Statement credit at 1 cent per point.
Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points and sweet spots
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are among the most flexible thanks to the program’s 14 transfer partners. Of these 14, four are hotel loyalty programs, and the other 10 are airline loyalty programs.
For American Airlines flights:
- Transfer to British Airways Executive Club: Book American Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights for as few as 12,000 Avios in economy class. British Airways has a distance-based award chart and charges per leg, so connecting itineraries cost more than nonstop flights.
For United Airlines flights:
- Transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan: Book United flights starting at 6,000 points for flights under 500 miles. Longer flights cost more miles – check out our guide to Air Canada Aeroplan for more information.
- Transfer to United MileagePlus: United’s loyalty program prices awards dynamically, so there’s no set award chart. But you can often find good deals on off-peak domestic flights.
For Delta Air Lines flights:
- Transfer to Air France-KLM Flying Blue: There’s no published award chart, but you can often find solid deals on Delta flights booked with Flying Blue. One of our favorites is flights from the US mainland to Hawaii for 18,500 Flying Blue miles one-way plus $26.22 in taxes and fees.
- Transfer to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: Virgin Atlantic has a distance-based award chart for Delta flights. These start at 7,500 points for flights 500 miles or shorter.
Here are some of our favorite ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points by using its partner program sweet spots:
- **Air Canada Aeroplan: **Add a stopover to any Aeroplan award ticket for 5,000 bonus miles. For example, you can fly from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) with a stop in London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Transatlantic flights from the US start at 60,000 miles in business class.
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue for flights to Europe: Flying Blue doesn’t publish a fixed award chart. Prices change with demand, so compare several dates before transferring your points.
- **Iberia Plus: **Like British Airways, Iberia’s Plus loyalty program also uses Avios. The best deals are on off-peak business class flights from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and JFK to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) for just 34,000 Avios plus moderate taxes and fees.
- **Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: **Book one-way flights from the US to London for as few as 10,000 miles plus moderate taxes and fees.
- **World of Hyatt for hotel stays: **This loyalty program has a standard award chart with free nights starting at just 3,000 points per night. You can book everything from no-frills Hyatt Place properties to ultra-high-end Park Hyatts with Hyatt points.
Cards comparable to the Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the more premium version of the Chase Sapphire Preferred, with airport lounge access and other premium travel benefits. But these come with a significantly higher annual fee.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Travel in Style with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
- 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Over $3,000 in annual value in built-in credits and benefits
- 8X points on Chase Travel℠ purchases, including The Edit℠; 4X points on flights and hotels booked direct
- 3X points on dining worldwide; 1X point on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit automatically applied to travel purchases each account anniversary year
- Up to $300 in dining credits per year (up to $150 every six months) at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables restaurants
- Lounge access worldwide: 1,300+ airport lounges with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests
- Complimentary Apple TV and Apple Music for at least one year when activated by 6/22/27 (a $288 annual value)
- Up to $120 every four years toward Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck®
- No foreign transaction fees
- $795 annual fee
From premium lounge retreats to robust trip protections (cancellation, interruption, auto rental and lost luggage insurance), this card lets you travel with confidence. Manage everything in the Chase app, tap to pay with contactless security, and let the automatic credits help offset the annual fee with high-value perks all year long.
Terms apply. Bonus offer requires minimum spend. Annual fee applies. Member FDIC. See Chase for full details.
- Annual fee
- $795
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$2,050Annual credit$300Total$2,350Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $2,350
- Welcome offerAfter $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer eligibility requirements apply.
- 100,000 points
Apply Now
on Chase's website
Meanwhile, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a similar annual fee with a different earning structure.
Capital One Venture Rewards
Experience Effortless Travel Rewards with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- 75,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases within 3 months, plus a one-time $300 Capital One Travel stays credit for hotel and vacation rental bookings in your first year
- 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- $50 experience credit on select hotel and vacation rental bookings
- Transfer miles to over 15 airline and hotel partners
- No foreign transaction fees and no mileage caps
Enjoy flexible redemption at 1¢ per mile: cover travel purchases with statement credits, book directly through Capital One Travel or transfer to partner programs. Miles never expire and there’s no limit to how many you can earn. Manage everything in one intuitive app, with contactless chip-and-tap security, robust travel protections and 24/7 customer support.
Terms apply. See issuer’s website for full details.
- Annual fee
- $95
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,688Total$1,688Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $1,688
- Welcome offerAfter $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Offer eligibility requirements apply.
- 75,000 miles
Apply Now
on Capital One's website
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred worth it?
We think the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the perfect starter card for those new to travel rewards. It has a relatively low annual fee that’s more than made up for with its earning structure, welcome offer and up to $100 hotel credit. Plus, it’s easy to use points: With Points Boost, points can be worth up to 1.5 cents each on select hotels and flights booked through Chase Travel℠, or you can use one of Ultimate Rewards’ 14 transfer partners for even more value.
Drawbacks to consider
- Annual fee from day one: the $95 annual fee is not waived the first year.
- No airport lounge access: you’ll need the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass.
- Hotel credit tied to Chase Travel: the up to $100 annual hotel credit only applies to hotel stays booked through Chase Travel℠.
- Portal value varies: points are worth 1 cent each in Chase Travel℠, and only select hotels and flights reach up to 1.5 cents with Points Boost.
Bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Preferred packs a lot of punch for a sub-$100 annual fee travel credit card. You’ll earn bonus points on your travel and dining purchases and never have to worry about paying foreign transaction fees abroad. When it’s time to use your points, you have plenty of high-value options, from luxury hotel stays with Hyatt to domestic flights and more.
- Annual fee
- $95
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$1,537Total$1,537Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $1,537
- Welcome offerAfter $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer eligibility requirements apply.
- 75,000 points
Apply Now
on Chase's website
FAQs – Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card worth it?
Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers excellent value for travelers. For a relatively low annual fee, you’ll earn strong rewards on travel and dining, benefit from flexible redemption options, and gain access to 14 transfer partners.
What is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® welcome bonus?
New cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. These points are worth at least $750 through Chase Travel℠—or more if transferred to travel partners.
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred® charge foreign transaction fees?
No, this card does not charge foreign transaction fees, making it an excellent option for international travel and purchases abroad.
Can I transfer Chase Sapphire Preferred® points to airlines and hotels?
Yes, points earned with this card can be transferred to 14 travel partners including Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, United MileagePlus, and World of Hyatt, offering high-value redemption opportunities.
What kind of travel protections does the card offer?
The card includes trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, primary car rental coverage, and trip delay reimbursement—when you use the card to pay for travel.
How much is a Chase Ultimate Rewards point worth?
With the Sapphire Preferred, Points Boost makes points worth up to 1.5 cents each on select hotels and flights booked through Chase Travel℠. You can potentially get even more value by transferring to loyalty programs and booking flights or hotels strategically.
