Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review

Earn Up to $1,312 in Chase Travel Value

The most eye-catching aspect of the Sapphire Preferred Card is the bonus that is currently being offered. You can earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after being approved.

At a minimum, you will get 1 cent per point, making the bonus worth $750. When you redeem your points through Chase Travel, you will get up to 1.75 cents per point, which makes the bonus worth up to $1,312. This is a fantastic bonus for a card that only charges a $95 annual fee.

Ongoing Rewards

As for racking up rewards, this card is ideal if you spend a lot on travel, dining and other popular categories. You can earn:

• 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel (excluding purchases that qualify for the card’s annual $50 hotel credit)
• 3x points on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
• 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart® and wholesale clubs)
• 3x points on select streaming services
• 2x points on other eligible travel purchases
• 1x points on other purchases

As an added bonus, the Sapphire Preferred Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. So it’s a good card to pack on international trips.

Transfer Points to Travel Partners

With the Sapphire Preferred Card, you can transfer your points to over a dozen leading airline and hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio. Chase’s transfer partners include:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Club Iberia Plus
• Emirates Skywards
• IHG One Rewards
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• World of Hyatt

Transferring Chase points to partners can get you an even higher value for your rewards. But if you’re not up for learning loyalty program rules or navigating award bookings, you can redeem your points directly through Chase Travel at up to 1.75 cents per point through Chase’s new Points Boost feature. You can always redeem for cash back and gift cards, but in that case your points are only worth 1 cent each.

Additional Benefits

The Sapphire Preferred Card comes with travel and partner benefits that can help you offset the card’s annual fee. Most notably, the card offers up to $50 in statement credits toward hotels booked through Chase Travel each account anniversary year. That alone can reduce your net annual cost to just $45 ($95 annual fee – $50 hotel credit).

Each card anniversary, you’ll also receive bonus points worth 10% of your total card spending in the previous year. For instance, if you spent $20,000 on the card, you’d get a bonus of 2,000 points.

You can save money through Chase’s partnership with DoorDash as well. Cardholders can activate (by Dec. 31, 2027) a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership to get lower service fees on DoorDash and Caviar orders. Usually, this membership costs $120 for 12 months. In addition, with an activated DashPass membership, you get a $10 discount once per month on a non-restaurant DoorDash order when you use your card to pay.

Travel and Purchase Protections

When it comes to purchase protections and travel insurance, the Sapphire Preferred Card has your back with generous coverage, including:

• Primary car rental insurance
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Trip delay insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Purchase and extended warranty protection

Who Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Best For?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is an ideal card for folks who want a travel card that earns flexible rewards and offers solid protections. It’s a terrific entry point for travel rewards beginners because it comes with a ton of benefits (including points transfers to useful partners) for a manageable annual fee.

Is It the Right Card for You?

The Sapphire Preferred Card may be the right fit for you if any of the following apply:

• You’re a points maximizer who can take advantage of transfer partners or the Points Boost when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel
• You spend frequently on travel, dining, online grocery purchases and select streaming services
• You’re willing to pay a $95 annual fee in order to get access to partner and travel benefits and are able to take advantage of perks like the card’s annual hotel credit
• You’re a frequent traveler or are looking for a card that will allow you to travel more

Alternatives to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card isn’t the only mid-tier travel rewards card on the market, but it’s certainly one of the best at the $95-annual-fee price point. The right card for you will align with your spending and travel goals, and provide perks you can actually use.

For example, the Sapphire Preferred Card outshines the Citi Strata Premier® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card when it comes to travel protections, but some might prefer the bonus categories and transfer partners on those cards.

Similarly, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card and Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offer earning rates that might be more appealing to some consumers, but the Autograph Journey Card only has a handful of transfer partners, and the Travel Rewards card none at all.

How Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Stack up Against Competitors?

Among travel credit cards, the Sapphire Preferred Card is a winner. Whether you’re an expert points maximizer or just getting started with points and miles, the card’s combination of generous rewards, strong benefits and modest annual fee make it tough to beat.

That said, other cards could be a better fit for you depending on your spending and travel habits. You can read these side-by-side comparisons with popular competing cards to help guide your decision:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Citi Strata Premier Card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®