The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) is one of the best travel credit cards — period. It earns valuable flexible rewards and can save you hundreds with its built-in travel and shopping protections. Plus, the card recently went through an overhaul, adding even more rewards categories and benefits.
When you consider how much value and versatility this card provides, it's not difficult to justify its reasonable $95 annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections, flexible rewards and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
How valuable is the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
The Sapphire Preferred card comes with a handful of statement credits, which are easy to value, but the accelerated rewards categories and travel protections can be harder to measure. That being said, with an annual fee of less than $100, it's easy to recoup the yearly cost.
Welcome bonus
The Chase Sapphire Preferred's welcome bonus can earn you 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
You can also transfer points to Chase's travel partners, like United, British Airways, Southwest or Hyatt. By taking advantage of the best travel partner deals, you can receive even more value by transferring points to book luxury hotels and expensive flights.
While almost all Chase points transfer at a 1:1 ratio, they recently devalued transfers to World of Hyatt, which now transfer at a 4:3 ratio. For new cardholders who apply on or after June 15, 2026, this will be effective immediately; for those who applied before this date, you'll have until October 1, 2026, before the devaluation takes place.
Rewards
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns Chase points at the following rates:
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
- 5X points on all Lyft rides through Sept. 30, 2027
- 5X points on eligible Peloton purchases of $150+ (up to 25,000 total points) through December 31, 2027
- 3X points on dining
- 3X points on select streaming services
- 3X points on gas and EV charging
- 3X points on vacation homes (Airbnb, Vrbo, HomeAway, etc)
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart® and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel purchases
- 1X points on all other purchases
Based on these rewards rates, you could recoup the card's $95 annual fee after spending $3,166 across any of the 3X categories the card offers, and redeeming your points through Chase Travel.
Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
Each anniversary year, you can get up to $100 in statement credits for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel. While the reservation must be a prepaid booking via the Chase Travel portal, this perk covers the entirety of your annual fee. If you maximize this, you're already starting in the green, and any rewards are positive gains.
Complimentary subscriptions and credits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with access to a handful of credits or subscriptions, from streaming services to travel perks.
Get complimentary access to DashPass, which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027. You'll also get a complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year when you activate by Dec. 31, 2026 (terms apply).
For those who travel frequently, the card now comes with a $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee reimbursement when charged to your Sapphire Preferred card.
Other benefits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a host of purchase and travel protections, including extended warranty protection, baggage delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement and more. In a recent update, the card now includes emergency evacuation and transportation coverage as well, adding to its already substantial protections.
There are also no foreign transaction fees when using the card abroad. These perks cannot be assigned a specific dollar amount and don't always have immediate value. However, they're invaluable in certain situations and have the potential to save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
Who should get the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
Although the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great starter card for beginners to points and miles, it's probably not for people applying for their first-ever credit card. The Chase Sapphire Preferred requires good-to-excellent credit to qualify, so you should aim for a credit score of at least 670 (above 700 is even better).
While there's no minimum income requirement, the higher your income, the better your approval odds — and the higher credit limit you'll get. There are many resources available for you to check your credit score for free, such as CreditWise® from Capital One and Chase Credit Journey.
One thing that this card doesn't offer is any interest-free financing options, so if that's a big draw for you, there are likely better options.
Application rules
You'll have a tougher time getting approved if you exceed Chase's 5/24 limit. The unofficial Chase 5/24 rule limits your approval odds with Chase if you've opened five or more credit cards from any card issuer in the past 24 months. Business credit cards that aren't reported to your personal credit report typically don't add to your 5/24 count.
Pros and cons of the Chase Sapphire Preferred
The pros of using this card will likely outweigh the cons for you. Still, here are a few things to be aware of if you're considering applying.
- The card offers a variety of bonus earning categories, including gas, groceries, streaming services, dining out and more, many of which earn 3X points or more.
- While you hope to never need them, this card offers some of the most comprehensive travel protections available — including primary rental car insurance.
- You can recoup the entire annual fee with the annual $100 Chase Travel Hotel Credit.
- The points you earn can be transferred to a number of leading airline and hotel programs, including JetBlue, United, Marriott Bonvoy and more.
- For people who might be dealing with credit card debt, the Sapphire Preferred doesn't offer any kind of intro 0% APR.
- The devaluation of point transfers to World of Hyatt knocks the card down a peg in terms of its hotel value.
- Despite leaning heavily into travel rewards and perks, the card doesn't offer any built-in lounge access.
- You'll earn just 1X points on purchases that fall outside of bonus categories.
Alternatives to the Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great low-cost travel card, but if you aren't eligible for it or want to keep shopping around, there are other valuable options.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a comparable card. For the same $95 annual fee, it earns 5X miles on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases. Standout benefits include a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit up to $120.
You can enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for beginners or heavy travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer worth at least $750 in travel
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
If you like what the Sapphire Preferred offers but want more premium perks like airport lounge access, consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees). You’ll receive an annual $300 travel credit that can offset airfare, hotels, tolls and more. Plus, you’ll get a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership with access to over 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide (valued at $469).
You also earn 8X points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4X points on flights and hotels booked direct instead of the 2X points you receive on most travel you purchase with the Sapphire Preferred.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with luxury perks including, hotel credits, complimentary hotel elite status, travel credits, dining credits, rideshare and delivery benefits and much more.
- Access Priority Pass lounges, including unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club locations.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
- Complicated list of benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
FAQs
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred still worth it?
For many people, yes. The card has a low $95 annual fee, comes with a handful of easy-to-use statement credits for popular streaming services and travel perks and offers great rewards multipliers in several spending categories, like gas, dining and travel.
Was the Chase Sapphire Preferred updated?
In June 2026, the Sapphire Preferred went through a larger update, including the addition of two bonus categories (gas and EV charging and vacation homes), a $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS credit and an Apple TV subscription benefit. One drawback includes the decreased transfer ratio to World of Hyatt, which is now 4:3 rather than 1:1.
Do you get airport lounge access with Chase Sapphire Preferred?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred doesn't offer lounge access. You can get Priority Pass lounge access and access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
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